Capturing the essence of a moment through photography has become an integral part of our daily lives, especially with the convenience of phone cameras – we carry them with us everywhere. But are you just opening the camera app and snapping pictures? Do you really know how powerful your smartphone camera is?
Samsung Galaxy phone cameras offer a myriad of settings and features that can elevate your photography game. This guide is dedicated to helping you unlock the full potential of your Samsung Galaxy phone cameras, helping to ensure that virtually every photo taken is nothing short of extraordinary.
Mastering the Pro Mode:
The Pro Mode on selected Samsung Galaxy Smartphones can open a world of possibilities. By adjusting the shutter speed, ISO, and white balance, you can create stunning effects and capture images in a whole new way.
Examples:
- Capture the movement of a flowing river or waterfall with a slower shutter speed, creating a silky-smooth effect.
- Freeze a bird in mid-flight with a faster shutter speed.
- Use a lower ISO setting for bright, sunny days at the beach.
- Opt for a higher ISO in low-light dinner settings.
- Adjust the white balance to retain the warm, golden hues of a sunset.
HOW: When you’re in the Camera app, we all know about the option between the image and the shutter button to tap on Video, Photo, Portrait etc. But swipe that line of text to the left and to the far right of the list you’ll see MORE – in here are all the amazing options and photography modes you have access to.
Choose PRO mode and you then get instant access to ISO, Speed, Focus and White balance. Tap on any of these to then get a slider to adjust those individual settings.
Understanding Focus and Exposure:
Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones allow you to a adjust focusing and exposure in an intuitive way, helping to ensure your subject is the star of the show.
Examples:
- Focus on a bee on a flower and adjust the exposure to capture all the delicate details.
- In a dimly lit café, brighten the exposure when taking a photo of a friend to highlight their smile.
HOW: When you tap on an object on the screen, the circle that appears indicates the area of focus. Above or below that circle will also appear a small line with a “light” in the middle of it. Tap and drag your finger on that light and move side to side, you can adjust the exposure – the amount of light being brought into the image. This can make a huge difference to the photo you get.
Making the Pixels:
You’ve probably heard over many years about digital cameras quoting a “megapixel” count. This is a measure of how much detail can be captured by the sensor.
Today, smartphone cameras can vary from 10, to 20, to 48, 50 or even 200 Megapixels.
However, in most cases the default shooting mode for your smartphone camera is probably not the largest size. The reason behind this is a larger megapixel count adds to the size of the file the photo takes up.
Examples:
- If you’re planning to have the photo printed either in a magazine or in a larger form factor like a poster on your wall.
- When you are shooting an image that is high in detail – like a crowd photo in a stadium, or a smaller area that is full of intricate items you want included in the image.
HOW: Look for the Aspect ratio setting on your Smartphone camera. For a recent model Samsung Galaxy S series for example, you press the 3:4 or 9:16 icon and you will see all the aspect options, including also several that might have a higher Megapixel count.
On the latest Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, you’ll see options for a 3:4 aspect ratio photo in either 50MP or 200MP!
Exploring Different Shooting Modes:
Most great smartphones will offer a variety of shooting modes to suit any scenario and creative vision, the Samsung Galaxy smartphones are no different and provide a range of modes for you to flex your creativity.
Examples:
- Use Panorama mode to capture the vast expanse of the View you’re seeing, perfect for capturing holiday pics where you can’t afford to miss a thing.
- Add dramatic flair to beach videos with Slow Motion mode.
- Create a captivating time-lapse of a bustling Melbourne cityscape with Hyperlapse.
HOW: Just like finding Pro mode, you swipe to the side and the far right of the camera modes is “MORE”. In this list, you’ll find Panorama, Hyperlapse and Slow-Mo modes.
The Rule of Thirds:
The rule of thirds is a simple yet effective composition technique that can greatly enhance the visual appeal of your photos.
It’s something taught in photography lessons as a way of composing the best photo by imagining the screen and image you’re looking at being split into three – both horizontally and vertically, and placing the key subject on one of those two lines separating the three zones.
Examples:
- Place the Sydney Harbour Bridge along a vertical grid line for a balanced composition.
- For a portrait at Bondi Beach, position the horizon on the lower horizontal grid line and the subject along a vertical line.
HOW: Look for the Settings Icon within the Camera app, and scroll down to turn on the toggle for GRID LINES. When capturing a photo, your screen will now show two vertical and horizontal lines making it easy for you to capture the most visually engaging shot.
Nightography: Excelling in Low Light:
Samsung’s Nightography feature helps to ensure stunning photos even in low-light conditions.
It’s been the key battle ground for smartphone photography for the last few years. Smartphone companies like Samsung have been diligently working to enhance the quality of photos, emphasising intricate details and optimising light capture. These efforts have empowered us to capture images in locations we might have overlooked just four or five years ago, or even longer.
Examples:
- Capture a city alley at night, illuminated by streetlamps, preserving details in the shadows while preventing overexposure of the lights.
- Photograph friends around a campfire on a beach, softly lit by the firelight.
HOW: When you open the camera in a low-light setting, it should automatically help you through this. Look for a “moon” icon that will toggle Night mode on and off. Sometimes you are on the borderline and should give it a go without Night Mode, but then take it again and see just how different – and probably better it is.
Astrophotography: Capturing the Stars:
Unlock the potential of night sky photography with Samsung’s astrophotography capabilities. In our opinion, there aren’t many phones that can really do this well, and while they might take a photo showing stars, they aren’t as impressive as Samsung’s most recent Galaxy S series devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with location awareness capabilities, allowing the device to accurately determine its position in the world. This feature enables the phone to superimpose constellations on the screen as you prepare for an astro shot, making it easier to align and capture celestial photographs.
Examples:
- Capture the Milky Way arching over the Australian Outback, balancing the stars and the earthly terrain.
- Photograph a solitary tree against a star-filled sky, demonstrating the phone’s ability to balance darkness and brightness.
HOW: Firstly, this is certainly best done with a tripod holding your Smartphone. It’s not expensive to get one, and will really change the outcome.
Next, head to the Galaxy App store and download the Expert RAW app – this app download enable this Astrography feature on select Samsung Galaxy devices, it’s also great for editing photos directly on your smartphone.
Once downloaded, you can then access it at any time in the MORE photography mode of your Camera app, where you’ll find a new Astro Icon that allows you to toggle the constellations on screen. This mode can also allow you to adjust the duration of your photo so you can capture the changing night sky – longer isn’t always better, but test it out – it’s amazing.
Tip: You’ll get the best results the further you are from the city or large populated areas due to the light pollution that comes from all the homes, businesses and street lights in our suburbs.
Enjoy your Photography!
Your Samsung Galaxy phone camera is a powerful tool, waiting to be unleashed. By understanding and utilizing its various settings, you have the power to capture stunning photographs that can truly reflect the beauty of the moment. So, grab your Samsung Galaxy phone, start experimenting, and watch as your photography skills flourish.
This article is published with the support of Samsung Australia – Supported Editorial allows us to write feature articles or content that we’d always love to do, but time is against us. Support from our partners helps EFTM bring you this content, as well as our daily news, reviews and information.
