The five best smartphones from a photographer's point of view. What is macro photography and how to do it correctly? How to take macro photography on Android

19.12.2017 14:00:00

Macro photography is one of the most popular types of photography, where a small subject takes up almost the entire frame. In this case, you can convey the smallest details that are invisible during normal viewing. And if not so long ago a digital or SLR camera was needed for high-quality macro photography, now good macro shots can be taken with a smartphone camera. At the same time, it is not even necessary to install additional photo applications on a mobile device.

However, it is not enough just to bring the phone to the object and press the shutter button. Macro shooting on a smartphone requires patience and perseverance, and in some cases it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation of the subject and the device itself.

In our article, we will give some advice on how to take macro photography on your phone so that the end result does not disappoint. But first you need to decide what exactly you want to shoot. It is important to remember that large objects are not suitable for macro by definition. Therefore, a small object should get into the frame, for example, a leaf from a tree, a flower, an ice cube or a souvenir figurine.

This parameter is responsible for the amount of worked out details in the frame. The greater the depth of field, the more objects will come into focus. Smartphone cameras, in principle, are not designed for shooting when the subject is as close to the lens as possible. The closer you move the camera, the shallower the depth of field will be. In practice, it looks like this: you shoot a rosebud, but only a couple of petals are in focus in the photo, and all other details go into blur.

Take a look at the picture below, which we took with the high-quality camera of the Fly Cirrus 12 smartphone:

It can be seen that the bear's face was in focus, while the ears, paws and body remained blurred. On the other hand, a very interesting effect can be achieved through blurring, which will allow the viewer to focus on specific details.

To emphasize certain details in a photo, focusing on them alone is not enough. Although the background is blurred in macro photography, it is important to avoid mixing solid colors in the frame, such as shooting green on green or white on white. For example, in the photo below, the black player has merged a little with the black background, while it turned out to be more contrasting on the white background.

Macro photography on the phone is always staged. This means that the photographer has time not only to prepare the subject, but also to choose the right lighting. Remember that the subject in the frame should not be overly lit. It is best if you manage to create a light shadow, at least from the smartphone itself.

If you are doing macro photography at home, you can use a special lightbox, for example:

It produces soft, diffused light that flows around the subject. Compare, for example, these two pictures. The first was done under normal room lighting, the second was done using a lightbox:

In this case, a better result was achieved with the lightbox, as the room light was too dim. However, feel free to experiment and take multiple shots in different lighting conditions.

In terms of focus sensitivity, macro photography is similar to taking photographs using digital or optical zoom. The slightest movement of the smartphone - and the picture will be blurry. Professional photographers advise using the sniper technique for macro photography: relax your body, slightly strain your arm and hold your breath when pressing the shutter button.

However, even a light tap on the screen can move the smartphone away from the focus point, and the picture will turn out to be blurry. In this case, you can turn on the delayed shooting function, so that you just have to hold the phone firmly in your hands, and the automation will do the rest. However, there is an even more reliable remedy.

Before taking macro photography on your phone, we recommend that you mount your mobile device on a tripod that can be made from handy items. For example, the stabilizer for a smartphone in the photo below is made using two clothespins and a handle:

In some cases, high dynamic range mode can have an interesting effect when creating a macro shot. In our case, HDR has softened the background color and added contrast to the foreground:

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The main commandment of smartphoneography: no matter how cool the camera is, it is important who holds it. And with the most luxurious DSLR, you can make clear, but boring photos. Such that lie on the disk and no one opens them for years.

And you can take interesting photos with a smartphone, especially since this technique is always with you, you don't need to uncover it for a long time and you will not forget to remove the lens cap. And for the most part smartphones are cheaper than DSLRs, which is also very pleasing.

website I've put together some tips for you on how to take cool photos with your smartphone.

Programs

© (с) iphonegrapher_hiro

A camera in a smartphone is, first of all, a program serving the lens and matrix. Therefore, do not dwell on what Android or iOS dictates to you. You may want to use different software for different shooting situations. Some give more interesting color reproduction, others give slightly larger shots: Pudding Camera, CameraMX, Photosynth, VSCO Cam, Slow shutter cam, Pro HDR, Camera +, etc. Why limit yourself if you have a choice?

After choosing a program, you should delve into the settings. Set high resolution images, remember that in difficult cases you can play with white balance, ISO and turn off autofocus. And in general, find out what interesting a specific program can create.

Zoom

Crop as a substitute for zoom.

It is better to forget that your smartphone has digital zoom once and for all. Such an increase in most cases is achieved by a serious loss in image quality. The best zoom is the legs: move closer, move farther.

If this is not possible, then it is wiser to cut out the frame you want from a large photo in post-processing. Even the simplest programs have a cropping function. Plus, you don't waste time adjusting the size, you just shoot. And already in a calm environment, you competently line up the frame, not missing details that you could accidentally crop, wielding the zoom in the field.

Series

Take multiple shots of the same scene. Subsequently, you can choose the best shot and work with it. And, before deleting photos from your smartphone, it will not be superfluous to view them on a computer, since on the small screen of your phone you may not notice good photos just because they seem overexposed or underexposed.

If it doesn't work out interesting, it's worth changing the shooting angle.

When photographing something or someone, don't be afraid to change angles. You can take a forehead photo, or you can slightly change the angle and get an interesting shot. Moreover, the compact size of the smartphone allows you to take angles for which a photographer with a large camera will have to sweat a lot.

Shine

The flash on a smartphone should be used very carefully. As a rule, it "dead" the photo, distorts colors and shadows. Flash is good only when you need to take pictures immediately, otherwise you will miss the moment.

At the same time, light is the main tool of the photographer. This is important for professional cameras, but for smartphones it is more important at times. Therefore, always look for light, watch how it falls on the subject, and you will have a frame.

Good light in the morning and evening. On a sunny afternoon, you will have to work with too high contrast, which threatens with artifacts in the pictures. The pre-storm sky gives luxurious effects.

Object shooting

On the left is a picture with a lack of lighting, on the right - with a flashlight.

If you want to take a picture of something or someone at home, the smartphone can become stubborn - there is rarely enough light in the room. You can use a simple LED flashlight and a sheet of white paper to compensate for the harsh shadow. Let's say a flashlight is shining on the top right, on the left we bring a sheet of white paper that reflects the light of the flashlight and additionally illuminates the object, and press the button on the phone.

Lens cleanliness

Frame through the fingerprint.

It would seem that the obvious thing is the cleanliness of the lens, but smartphone lovers often come across it. The phone is used constantly, lies in your pocket, and when you take it to answer a call or SMS, the last thing you remember is that you left your fingerprint on the glass of the lens. When shooting, this print gives, of course, a slight mysterious blur, but, as a rule, this is the effect that you do not expect on a conceived shot.

Response delay

It is important to take into account the fact that the shooting program in a smartphone in most cases is triggered with a delay. You have already pressed the button, and the camera is still thinking before taking the picture. Therefore, it is important to think ahead of time, like a hunter who shoots not at the hare, but at the place where, according to his assumption, the hare will be at the next moment.

Let's say you are photographing a flower in a field, and on this day it is windy, you need to take into account the speed of the camera and at the same time catch the moment between gusts of wind. Difficult, but the result will be more valuable thanks to the effort spent.

Post-processing programs

Simplest Instagram editing.

Most professional photographers are engaged in post-processing of photos, absolutely always in commercial photography, and for smartphoneography this is a vital necessity. You cannot adjust shutter speed and aperture on a smartphone. This limitation is compensated for by a variety of post-processing programs. This is beyond the well-known Instagram and Flickr.

• VSCO Cam... Allows you to apply a variety of filters and settings. Free distribution.
• Afterlight... Good for color grading. It costs 34 rubles.
• Touch retouch... This simple tool allows you to remove minor imperfections in the image and clone parts of the image. There are free and paid versions.
• SnapSeed... A huge number of filters and effects, such as tilt-shift and focus adjustment, sharpening and color rendition. Free distribution.
• Pixlr Express... Large selection of filters, frames, effects. Completely free.
• Photoshop Express... It does not give any special settings, but there are a lot of different filters that make the processing process as fast as possible. Can work with RAW files. Shareware.
• Rookie... There are both free and paid feature set. The standard package of the application contains many vintage filters adapted for different genres of photography: portraits, landscapes, city sketches, macro, etc.
• Phonto... Allows you to add any fonts you want to your photo. Free distribution.
• Moldiv... Free application in Russian that allows you to make collages by combining up to 9 pictures.
• MultiExpo (for iOS). An interesting application for creating a multiple exposure effect. Free distribution.
• Photo Grid... Free collage maker app. Can work with files in high resolution.
• LensLight... The application allows you to add glare, glow and bokeh effects to your photo It costs 99 rubles.

Greetings readers! In touch with you, Timur Mustaev. So many types of photography and genres, how do you choose something? You don't have to stay in one direction, try a little bit of everything. Of course, you can arrange yourself a very exciting shooting by taking up macro photography.

Relatively speaking, it can be of different levels of difficulty and preparedness. Below we will talk about the new concept of photography and will definitely pay attention to the technical aspect of the issue.

Macrophoto: what is it and how to get it

Let's try to understand what macro photography is. We can say that this is an enlarged image of something. But this is not entirely true, because such a photo is not difficult to take, even on the phone. We are talking about realizing the scale of an object or a living object (insect, leaf, etc.) one to one or more.

Surely a fascinating process, because they, and with them the viewer, can see with the naked eye in the final picture a detailed, detailed microchip, bacteria or skin surface and almost anything they want.

What do you need to know for macro photography?

To learn how to take a macro photograph, you need to have the equipment for this, which we will talk about later, as well as know some of the nuances that are most important for photography of this type. There are three important points:

• ... The auto mode, which is so popular with beginners, is not recommended by experts in this or in many other cases. What is the most important thing for us when photographing large? - allowing to regulate. Therefore, it is most optimal to set or try the settings in the camera. Macro most often requires a more closed aperture, for example, 7.1-11, so that there is the maximum amount of detail in the field of focus. But sometimes the best way to open it is to blur the background nicely around the main character.
• Focusing. The subject occupies a significant area of \u200b\u200bthe image, every small part of it is visible, which means that the focus will have to be calculated much more carefully. Focusing accuracy can be achieved in more than one frame.
• Additional light. By getting close to your subject, you reduce the total amount of light entering the lens, which can make some areas of the photo too dark. The built-in flash is unlikely to work, although craftsmen are trying to improve it with paper and plastic overlays. An external flash that is ideal for close-ups is called “ring flash” and can be easily purchased from a store or ordered online.

Technical nuances

The phone has the ability to zoom in on an object, but most often it will end up being terribly blurry and, although it looks larger than usual, it is impossible to distinguish details. Therefore, if you want to achieve a really clear and beautiful frame, you cannot do without a good SLR camera.

They say that macro photography can also be taken with a soap dish type camera. There, of course, there is a corresponding mode, but, in fact, it does not mean anything, so I don't even dare to assume about the quality of the future image.

If you have a good camera, but, alas, the lens on it is normal, then again nothing will come of macro. You can zoom in on the subject or approach it, but the distance to it should not be closer than half a meter. This is a limitation of most optics.

Then you will have to crop to your liking after shooting. Another option is to buy a special macro ring, that is, an attachment that changes the minimum focal length (MFR) of the lens. The distance between you and the main subject is reduced, which means that you can take a picture on a larger scale. The analog is macro fur and the corresponding ones.

Real macro

For ardent connoisseurs of macro, you can think about purchasing specialized photographic equipment for this. A digital camera does not have to have certain professional settings, a mid-range camera, something from the Nikon or Canon series, will do. Focus on your choice of lenses. What should be in them:

1. Macro mode. Look at the full name of the product and its characteristics. See “Macro” or “Micro” - that's what you need.
2. MFR indicators and opportunities for increase.
3. Focal length: the larger it is, the less various distortions and field curvature will manifest themselves, which is simply necessary for an object.
4. Lens aperture. For any kind of photography, this parameter is very important and determines the possibilities of work and, of course, the price. For subject macro photography, photography conditions will not always include good lighting.

Examples of macro lenses

In principle, according to these parameters, I propose several optical devices for consideration. I will arrange them in order of decreasing cost and quality:

• AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f / 2.8G Micro VR IF-ED Macro Lens. Besides being specifically designed for macro (as the name suggests), it has many positive aspects. For example, good aperture and focal length indicator. Users note high sharpness, picture saturation, and accurate autofocus. Focusing becomes available from 0.30 m.
• The Nikon 60mm f / 2.8D AF Macrick is a budget option. Despite the focal length typical for a portrait, it is made as a macro lens. Rest assured, the clarity is excellent, there are opportunities for creating bokeh. For macro photography, the MFR is 0.22 m, photographs in one-to-one size. Unfortunately, there is no focusing motor; among the minuses is the appearance of noticeable ones.
• Long throw from SIGMA AF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 APO Macro. Medium-sized optics, which can focus already at 0.95 m and make the subject scale 0.5. It gives a relatively good photo quality, there are aberrations. Sins with a slow and noisy focus.

I hope I answered the question, what is macro photography. If you are not familiar with your DSLR camera, I recommend that you study your camera in detail first. I can recommend a good course - or DSLR for Beginner 2.0, which will quickly help you figure out your DSLR. Why is a video course good? It is very simple and easy to understand. Perfect for aspiring photographers!

DSLR for Beginner 2.0 - specially for owners of NIKON DSLRs.

My first MIRROR - specially for owners of CANON SLRs.

That's all for me. Happy everyone, subscribe to the update. Don't forget to share the article. Bye! Go for it, colleagues!

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.

What do you know about modern flagships? Can you name the exact diagonal of the screen or say how many gigabytes of RAM the manufacturer installed in the new product? Unless you are a mobile market expert or geek, the answer is unlikely to be easy for you. However, today almost everyone knows how many cameras there are in the new iPhone and what an incredible night mode they have installed in the device from Huawei.

Cameras are what every smartphone manufacturer lives on today. Companies pay attention to the photo and video characteristics of flagships: more and more lenses appear on the back of smartphones, the detail and resolution of images are growing, and the video mode is already quite capable of replacing a movie camera - in a word, manufacturers are confidently moving into the segment of the professional industry.

Over the past few years, smartphones have received many cool features that have made it possible to seriously talk about replacing a large and heavy camera with a compact and inconspicuous phone. The development of artificial intelligence has made it possible to introduce portrait mode, which today works perfectly on all flagships and blurs the background no worse than expensive high-aperture optics. In addition, the technology for the production of "hardware" has improved significantly - the sensors have received a high resolution and a developed focusing system. The synthesis of hardware and software functions made it possible to obtain good photos in low light. The covers of popular magazines and Hollywood films are shot on phones.

A phone with a good camera today can be purchased for 15-20 thousand rubles, but the best smartphones for photographers remain in the premium segment. We look into the world of flagship camera phones and see which smartphones are shooting photo and video masterpieces in 2019.

iPhone Xs and iPhone 11 Pro - what has changed over the year?

Last year's iPhone Xs and Xs Max are still great devices for shooting, but the 11th iPhones introduced in September received the Pro box, and it belongs to the updated camera system. The new iPhones received a third, wide-angle camera and an advanced night mode, as well as 4K video on the front camera with the ability to record slow motion clips.

Many people blame Apple for introducing innovations that already exist in the market. Indeed, three cameras are no longer news. The same Samsung Galaxy A70, not the most expensive smartphone, already shone with a triple module in March. We already saw the night mode on Huawei and Google Pixel long before the iPhone, and the front-facing camera in the new "apples" is not ahead of the competition. However, Apple engineers and marketers look at what other companies are doing and refine and trend test technologies. Remember how much noise on the Internet was made by the triple camera module of the iPhone 11 Pro: a barrage of memes, analytical articles, reviews. Apple is a recognized trendsetter in the industry. For example, it seems that there used to be wireless headphones, but before the AirPods came to the market, they were not in great demand. Apple knows how to make the feature available and popular. By accessibility, we mean the convenience of interacting with technology and how complex algorithms work invisibly.

Why are the cameras in the new "proxies" so good? Apple engineers have managed to seamlessly switch between each module. The time lag is almost imperceptible, and the difference between contrast and color rendition of the picture from different cameras is minimized. In addition, you can record video from three cameras simultaneously: the Filmic Pro application displays the image from each module on the screen and allows you to switch between images. Imagine: recording an interview will soon not require a setup of three cameras at different points: large, medium and general plans are written into one device at once. Yura Dud, we are waiting for new episodes shot on iPhone 11 Pro! Of course, professional videographers will only laugh when reading these lines, but it's about trends! In the 2010s, for example, no one believed that a camcorder could be replaced by a camera.

Introduced in 2016 in the iPhone 7 Plus, the Portrait Mode has been significantly improved, packed with a ton of AI algorithms, and is still one of the best on the market today. Night photography was first introduced to the iPhone camera system this year. One of the disadvantages of the chips was the inability to turn on and off the mode on their own. The phone itself understands what lighting conditions are shooting, and makes the choice for you whether you need to turn on the night mode. Controversial decision. However, the output images are natural and not noisy. In the future, most likely, Apple will give us the opportunity to choose ourselves. We made access to manual camera settings several generations of iOS back. The good news is that the phone sees the plot the way we see it. Smartphones from other manufacturers often try to make the night out of the day or simply raise the ISO. You can read more about Apple's September presentation in our review.

Camera Cheat Sheet

Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note10 - learning to count!

While the hype surrounding the controversial Galaxy Fold excites the minds of Internet users, I propose to guess the riddle: how many cameras are there in total for all versions of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note10? The answer will surprise you - as many as 22! And this is not a typo. There are three models of the Galaxy S10 alone: \u200b\u200bthe Galaxy S10 + has five cameras. The usual "ten" has three rear cameras and one front camera, while the Galaxy S10e is equipped with two rear and one front camera. In the Note line, things are a little simpler - both versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ have five cameras (four on the back + one on the front).

The Korean company has designed smartphones with really powerful photo potential. The rear module is a "classic of 2019" - wide-angle lens, main module and telephoto. The ultra-wide camera is equipped with a higher resolution sensor to compensate for distortion and distortion. Samsung has been working with this format for several years, so the “wide” pictures in the 10th generation of Galaxy can be called the best to date.

Night shooting mode is realized using a double aperture f / 1.5-f / 2.4. The sensor records data even before the shutter button is pressed, and automatic algorithms select the optimal exposure parameters, several frames are combined into one. The result is good shadow detail and good dynamic range. The dual front-facing camera module in the S10 + deserves special attention. The two sensors work in tandem to create selfies in portrait mode, and feature Live Focus to adjust the depth of field in post-processing. All five cameras record 4K UHD video, there is a super slow motion shooting 960 frames / sec. In Full HD resolution, the Super Stabilization option is available, which allows you to get video smoothly comparable to electronic gimbals.

The Galaxy Note10 + has a triple photo module. All cameras are similar to the Galaxy S10 +. On the body you can see another small peephole - a 3D camera with a depth sensor. The device allows you to measure the parameters of physical objects using augmented reality, as well as create three-dimensional 360-degree photos of objects. Impressive? In addition, the "basic" versions of the new Galaxy are much cheaper than the "apple" competitors.

Camera Cheat Sheet

Huawei P30 Pro and HONOR 20 Pro - value for money

In light of recent stories with Android and the US market, Huawei is having a hard time right now. Despite this, the manufacturer represents an important niche in the photo smartphones market - the buyer acquires extensive functionality at a price significantly lower than that of competitors. In addition, it is not the first camera phone in collaboration with Leica, the Huawei P30 Pro, that comes out of the pen of Huawei.

The rear camera is equipped with four lenses. Shirik and telephoto work together with a supersensitive 40 Mp lens and a special TOF lens. Hybrid telephoto zoom gives 10x zoom. Maximum light sensitivity - ISO 409,600. It sounds like a marketing gimmick, but the device really pulls pictures well in low light conditions. The TOF camera mentioned above analyzes the depth of the frame and helps with blurring the background or stabilizing the frame. All this is under the strict guidance of artificial intelligence. It turns out that Huawei has the most "intelligent" camera that predicts shooting scenarios and finalizes the picture for you. Of course, this can be disabled if desired. However, intelligent modes do a decent job with their professional duties. Similar to the iPhone, the P30 Pro has the ability to record video simultaneously from multiple cameras, without even requiring third-party software. The device attracts with its price - for 60 thousand rubles we get a modern smartphone with the latest developments in the field of software and hardware and 256 GB of memory on board. Huawei captivates with numbers in price and in matrix resolution: 40 + 20 + 8 MP rear module and 32 MP front camera. But not by megapixels alone - the picture quality can be decent even at 12 megapixels. In terms of hardware, the P30 Pro is also very cheerful: the device is built on the basis of its own Kirin 980 chip, which you can read about on our website.

Under the Honor brand, which Huawei is positioning as a product for creative youth, the flagship 20 Pro is presented, which has a complete creative toolbox. For a little over 30 thousand rubles, the buyer will receive 256 gigabytes of memory and all the same four rear cameras. There will even be more megapixels - 48 megapixel main camera and 32 megapixel front. The phone lives a full day on a heavy load thanks to the 4000 mAh battery. 20 Pro is built on the same Kirin 980, which is installed in the "older" P30 Pro. A variety of functions and modern trends bring the Honor 20 Pro into the flagship lineup, and the quality of the images is much inferior to phones from the more expensive price segment. Hybrid superzoom (30 megapixel) and night photo are here, but added more in order to meet the trends. Honor 20 Pro is a balanced camera phone in terms of price and characteristics, clearly outperforming competitors in the price range of up to 40 thousand. On our website you can read the report from the presentation and the first look at the Honor 20 Pro.

Camera Cheat Sheet

Google Pixel 3 is a classic with no frills

Smartphones from the manufacturer Android have long established themselves as reliable devices at an attractive price. "Pixels" are not so popular in Russia, but the model has enough fans. The smartphone is loved for stock Android and wide customization options.

Surprisingly, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL only have one rear camera. Compared to previous competitors, it's even somehow awkward. Nevertheless, the 12.2 megapixel camera pleases with good shots in low light conditions and Dual Pixel phase autofocus. The maximum aperture is f / 1.8 - we get a good natural bokeh for a smartphone, which is combined with the work of artificial intelligence algorithms. 4K video recording is available using optical and software stabilization.

The single rear camera is offset by the dual front camera. There are two cameras installed here - 8 megapixel wide-angle and telephoto with f / 1.8 aperture. Don't forget Google's Photo service, which will help you save space on your phone - Pixel users have unlimited storage for photos and videos. The camera also integrates Google Lens, an augmented reality app that helps you recognize and locate real-life objects on the Internet.

In addition, on October 15, the company will present a new generation of Pixel, where a rear camera module is expected to be similar, at least externally, to the iPhone 11 Pro. We will follow the presentation of the novelty.

Many of you have seen unusual macro photos. But how to take a macro photo on your smartphone yourself? In this article, we'll walk you through the basic principles of creating extraordinary images.

Beauty is in the details

People are used to standard photographs, they usually do not look into details and scroll through posts. It is quite difficult for photographers to attract the attention of the audience and surprise them with something. If you want to create extraordinary shots, then macro photography is for this!

A whole world of small objects can get into your macro photos:

• bugs and other insects;
• butterflies and dragonflies;
• droplets of water;
• snowflakes;
• flowers;
• leaves;
• coffee beans;
• twigs.

Method 1

You can take a macro photo using a standard camera in your phone. It is enough to bring the phone as close as possible to the selected object to take a picture. But the camera itself can rebuild focus. If the subject is too small, then focus on it.

Be sure to keep an eye on the background when shooting. If it is overexposed, then you need to adjust its exposure.

Method 2

The second method is suitable for those who want to do more professional macro photography. You will need to purchase a special lens that can be easily attached to your smartphone.

The lens helps you get closer to objects. This blurs the background behind and you can play with the frame to achieve unusual color effects.

Buy a macro lens:

Method 3

‼ This method is relevant only for waterproof smartphones‼

Place a small drop of water on the lens of your phone and try to take a macro photo. It's not very convenient, and the quality of the photo can be lame! But the pictures take on an unusual effect.

All photos were taken from Anna Lyapota's account. You can see even more macro photos in her profile.

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