Fun With Cell Phone Camera Portrait Mode

It's no secret how cell phone cameras have changed the way we take photos, yes, even those of us who photograph for a living love the convenience of having a camera on us at all times, without "lugging" a DSLR around 24/7.  

About a year ago I had to "upgrade" my cell phone because I could see a slow death occurring with my current phone.  My phone wasn't very old, about 3 years, but I had these pink lines going through the screen and was told by several folks it was time to "get a new phone".

My requirements in a cell phone are easy.  I wanted "the best camera"

I don't run my business from my "smart" phone, I have a laptop and work hours for that...but if I'm going to carry my phone with me everywhere I go, then I wanted the camera in it to be good enough to take the place of my digital camera for my personal life, for my everyday moment capturing...and I do a lot of that.

This post isn't about the best smart phone camera, this post is about helping you take better photos with your smartphone camera...because I believe there is a saying out there that goes something like this...the best camera for you is the one you have with you...

So when I decided I needed to get a new phone, I started researching those with the "best cameras" as the feature that was most important to me.  Nowadays with technology racing so quickly, what is "the best" today, certainly will no longer be the best a year from now.  I should also add, for Joanne the "best camera" is also limited to what I am willing to spend...which will never be "unlimited"

For me, I chose the Google Pixel 3A XL.  I purchased this phone for less than $500, and it has the exact same camera as the Google Pixel 3 which (at that time) was double the price.  

In the next few weeks I want to share with you all some photo taking tips with your cell phone.  Most of us have one, most of us use it, and even if our phones are different, many of them are set up with similar features that it might be fun for you all to experiment with your features and get some great results.  No I am not an expert, but I do know a thing or two and am happy to share and learn along side many of you.

I am also an avid scrapbooker and see some of the questions about photos, especially phone photos that come up in that community...so sharing with you all here will help me delve into some areas of my cell phone camera that I know very little about...here's to learning new things!!

The first subject I am talking about is the "portrait" mode on your cell phone camera.  The portrait mode is an "auto" mode which tells your camera you are taking a "portrait" and to keep the subject clear and focused and blur out the background.  The dictionary defines a portrait as "a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders" ...

With that said, please note the "one" person...again...auto mode is a particular set of calculations the computer in your camera uses to determine what your "one" is...and it focuses on that and blurs out the rest.

And for the majority of the time, it does everything perfectly!!

So, give it a try!!  Put your camera on portrait mode and have some fun, and please please share your photos with me...either here or on my facebook page!!  Minor Moments Photography on Facebook

My cellphone, when placed on portrait mode, takes two photos, one "regular" and one on portrait mode.  Here are my two samples...left side is regular, right side is portrait mode, which "automatically" blurs out the background putting all of the "focus" on the subject matter that is star of the show.  In this case, this is not a portrait of a person but it works incredibly well to give you a very pleasing image and eliminating other "distractions"   I'm guessing I know which one you like best!  (pretty incredible right?!  YES these photos I am sharing today are all taken with my cell phone and no fussing...just change the mode to portrait!)

Here's another example

  But I do want to share with you another image where the camera on an auto mode can get confused...and lucky for me...will allow me to keep working as a professional photographer where I do not work in auto mode.  This next set of photos shows you the auto portrait mode first.  The portrait mode couldn't separate my dogs hat from the background and you can see it kept a clump of grass sharply focused behind her head and blurred out the rest...which makes for a funny photo.  When I photograph in portrait mode on my phone, I actually get two photos, one in portrait and one "regular" or "not in portrait" whereas in this case the regular photo is actually better.

So please, let me see yours!!  Try it and share with all of us please!!

footnote:  I took both my DSLR and my phone with me to Randall's Apple Orchard in Standish yesterday, and I took photos with both, but I have yet to even look at my DSLR photos...let alone put them on my computer because I love the quality and convenience of sharing my cell phone pics!!