The quality of cell phone cameras is increasing all the time. Though they’re still no match for professional equipment, a camera phone’s big advantage is portability. Because you carry your camera phone wherever you go, it gives you the unique opportunity to capture important moments when there isn’t time to get a professional shot. Social networking sites have opened up a whole new world for amateur photographers who have made their name for the cost of a smartphone plan. Here are a couple of helpful techniques and apps that can help you get a compelling shot with your Android.
Before you go app shopping, there are a few steps you can take to maximize your phone’s default camera. First, find your phone’s camera settings from the main menu. If it gives you the option, enable the anti-shake feature. The next time you take a photo, your phone will automatically detect when a moment when your hand is least shaky, minimizing the chance for blurry pictures. You can also usually turn on a photo grid. Whether or not you use a grid is a matter of taste but it could be useful when you are trying to compose shots.
Another useful thing to know is how to use your particular camera’s auto focus feature. Most camera phones, though not all, will take a second or two to automatically focus if you press and hold down the picture button. If you wish to take a photo without any delay, just press it quickly. Now onto the apps!
Action Snap
Available in free or $3.83 pro version
This app mimics a sequence camera that takes a quick succession of photos and is often used to capture action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. You can set Action Snap to take anywhere from 4 to 9 photos and assign the length of the interval between photos, anywhere from .1 seconds to 5 seconds. Use this app to capture short, motion filled bursts of activity. Due to the short duration of the sequence, its best to try to capture actions that are specifically planned by you or that you can reasonably predict like say, someone going off a diving board.
Frame Grabber
$3.01
This app is perfect for times when you think an interesting action might occur, but aren’t sure exactly when. Let’s say you’re watching a kitty that might do something unbearably adorable at any unpredictable moment. Simply take a normal video of your subject until they hopefully do what you wanted them to do; Frame Grabber will break your video into a long series of individual stills from which you can pick the best. The only drawback with this app is that the resolution quality of the video still will be less than that of a normal picture.
Fast Camera
$1.61
An app that lives up to its name, Fast Camera is the absolute quickest way to snap a picture, perfect for impromptu photo-ops. When you take a picture with Fast Camera, it instantly saves that photo to your gallery without leaving your viewfinder at all. Great for when you need to capture lots of photos quickly at irregular intervals. Keep in mind that you do sacrifice some picture quality in exchange for the speed.
Big Camera Button
Available in free or $1.99 pro version
Another app that’s true to its name, Big Camera Button turns your whole touch screen into a camera button. You’ll be able to take quicker photos and cut down on some of those lost opportunities caused by missing the tiny camera button. The full screen button also makes it easier to take self portraits and to take photos without anyone noticing by snapping photos from your hip which could come in handy if you want to take truly candid photos.