How to make great nature photographs with your smartphone

Book excerpt: The use of the smartphone as a camera is always controversial. Bestselling author Jana Mänz shows with her collection of tips that mobile phone cameras are of course also suitable for landscape and nature photography and writes from her many years of experience how to deal creatively with the weaknesses. The fact that the smartphone as a camera divides the photography world is already old hat. For some, the always-on camera is the means for creative photography par excellence, for others the achievable quality alone is out of the question. I have chosen the creative side and show how you can use your smartphone for nature and landscape photography. In doing so, I address the following questions: How do you set up the camera optimally? What makes a good nature photo? How can you deal with image noise? Can you expose correctly? What is the macro mode good for? Candy-coloured photos are out. Why HDR is important! Why do grid lines make sense for composition? How can you create your own image look? Are bokehs and aperture stars possible? Which apps and accessories are really necessary? How do you find motifs in nature? The question is, how can you deal creatively with the weaknesses of the smartphone camera? Despite the limitations, taking photos with a mobile phone is a lot of fun. It is almost always at hand and easy and handy to use. The individual chapters do not build on each other, so you can read the contents crosswise at any time. With the help of many nature pictures, I give you numerous practical tips and tricks. The book is written for passionate amateur photographers with previous knowledge who have so far shied away from taking nature and landscape pictures with their smartphone.