11 Interesting Ways To Use Your Camera Phone

Your camera phone has a small camera, and one that can be placed in positions that would not be possible with a traditional DSLR or Mirrorless camera! Additionally, it’s always with you; so, take advantage of your cameraphone, and use it in ways that you would not have thought of… Here are a few ideas to get you started, and once you’re started, and find other ways to have fun with your cameraphone, come back and leave a note in the comments to share your ideas and images with us!

So, you’re a photography enthusiasts, but you have some free time on your hands… You’re waiting for someone, or something to happen. You could scroll Instagram or X (twitter, formerly) till your braincells die a premature death, or you could use that time to learn how to see differently! Pull out your phone, and bring up the camera app… Any camera app. Now let’s explore what you can do with it. :D

1. Try Photographing Impossible Angles:

Camera Phones fit in your hand… Your hand fits in places where your head would never go.. Use your hand.

Try putting your hand in a large jar; what does it see? Raise your hand out of your car window, hold it out of your bedroom window, hold it near your skates when you’re skating, hold it 3 feet out of a balcony and look down; you’re likely to find a whole new world, and it’s all in your hands…

Unusual Angle by b.e.n
Unusual Angle by b.e.n

2. Take Abstract Images:

Try to find the unusual in the usual. This is one of those times to “see” the unusual. Many of us try to pick out the unusual only when we’re with a camera – in “camera mode”. Wouldn’t it be more fun if you could do that all the time, now that your cameraphone is with you, in your pocket?

Look for that abstract representation… bubbles in a paperweight, Streaks of colored light on a wall, Markings on a road taken out of context, they’re all out there for you to discover, and you don’t even need a camera… Just your mobile phone, your camera phone!

Image by b.e.n.
hidden side
Abstract by b.e.n.

3. Take a Photograph – practice composition:

No, not a snapshot, a photograph! See it, think it throughPicture it in your head… Then take the photograph. Look for interesting perspectives, and even more interesting juxtapositions; waiting in an airport has never been more rewarding than now.

Nozomi at Fukura by Lschoen
Composition by ISphoto

4. Try Taking Panorama:

Some camera phones offer the option of making panoramas… They’re a good thing to try because they offer you a view that you very rarely ever see. I believe that they make you look at the place you’re standing at with a “wider” perspective.

Symmetry by Coda
\
Guns \'n\' Roses Panorama by Drunken Monkey

5. Photograph The Basics, Textures, Patterns, Colors:

Photography students are asked to take photographs of textures, patterns, and such, in an effort to make them understand their importance and to teach them how to incorporate them into their regular photographs for heightened impact. You could do the same.

Which winds may move this flag? by Ionushi
a texture by hidden side
\

6. Try New Points of View:

Ever wondered what your dog or cat sees from its height? You spend hours watching your TV; what does it see? What does your fridge see when you peer into it? Try to simulate this stuff with your camera phone…

perspective by fabbio
lookin\' up by hugovk

7. Discover New Things To Photograph:

Your camera phone is with you more often than your camera. Use it to keep records of places and things that you discover. Rename the files immediately so that you remember where / what it is.

Image of a Subway by Fabbio
Photograph of \
metropolitana by Marta P.

8. Try Some Portraits:

Bus stops have this great quality about them… They’re a collecting point for people. The same goes for train stations, subways, and airports. If you ever find yourself stuck at one of them waiting for a bus, train, or airplane, all you have to do is whip out your mobile phone. It is always a challenge to approach somebody you’ve never met before, especially in a public place where they’re not expecting to be approached, but if you think you can, then go for it. Alternatively, you could take some candid street photography.

9. Record Yourself:

Self-portraits have always been an intriguing art, and a defining record of who you are, and what you were. Try them out to remind yourself of that…

self by KK+
self by livia patta
self by edward

10. Find Objects:

Cities are great places to find interesting things. They’re literally strewn around alleyways, waiting for you to find them and photograph them

Lanterns by Ishrona
Bike by Databhi
found by ISphoto

11. Make a Montage:

You’ve got the camera, you’ve got the flash memory storage in your phone… why don’t you make a montage of everything that’s happening around you?

Sunset & Rainbow by Flipagging
Waiting (montage) by Heather

Wrapping Up!

I’ve shared 11 ideas here, but there’s so much more that you can do. There literally are no limits to what your smartphone can do. Pull it out every time you’re bored, waiting, or when you have time to look for photographs, and in no time you’ll be seeing things differently.

All it takes is a little effort, and the will to remember to ‘create’ instead of ‘consume’ social media. Post instead of scrolling.

You can also enjoy some of the Photo Projects that we have on Beyond Photo Tips. Use them to expand your skill set, and learn what you are truly capable of. We enjoy seeing what our readers create, so remember to come back and post your best images in the comments below, or let us know your own tips for how to use your smartphone camera differently. We’d love to include your ideas.

NOTE: This article was written in 2008. After the launch of the iPhone, and before photography with smartphones became high quality, and ubiquitous. Do read the article keeping in mind this scenario, and you may then understand the reason for the tiny images included here. :D Have fun!

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Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas is a Product Photographer and Filmmaker based in India. He has been taking photographs (almost) all his life. He has a diploma and a bachelors degree in Visual Communication, where his classmates all believed that he would write a book on photography... Instead, he writes on this website (because - isn't a community more fun?).

His passions include photography, parkour, wide-angle lenses, blue skies, fire extinguishers, and fast computers.

In addition to writing for Beyond Photo Tips, Susheel is a staff writer for Fstoppers.com, and owns and runs ColoursAlive, a photography, and video production studio.

You can connect with Susheel on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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2 Comments

  1. Радует, что ваш блог постоянно развивается. Такие посты только прибавляют популярности.

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