Tips to get best quality photos from Mobile phone cameras – Upload to PhotoPrintsandGifts.com

1. Mobile camera flash is different: The average person uses a camera phone the same way he uses a point-and-shoot camera: Whip it out, power it up, and take the picture. But the flash may wash out the shot's color; and the ISO may be set at an absurdly high level, making for blocky, noisy images. The flash from a mobile phone is not the same as the flash in your digital camera or, your traditional film camera. Mobile camera flash can wash out the shot’s color. If it is a really important shot and the lighting is suspect, get two shots in, one with flash and the other without.

2. Experiment before hand to avoid surprises: Most new camera phones have a number of settings that you can play with to get a better shot, so try experimenting with them. Most mobile cameras do not offer a lot of settings and options. It is good to experiment before hand with mobile camera photos rather than miss out on an important moment.

3. Lighting dramatically improves camera phone results. When the lighting is right, a mobile camera picture gets closer to photo prints quality. Too much of lighting is not something your mobile camera is designed to handle. If lighting is not adequate, the mobile camera produces an image that is like a low-resolution image. The quality of your phone's 1- or 2-megapixel camera can be improved tremendously by great lighting. Even if your phone has ISO settings (which should be kept at the lowest possible setting), shooting in low, or little light is not recommended. Leave the camera's exposure (or brightness) settings on the standard mode. Making the shot brighter without proper lighting just throws off the color balance of the entire shot. Also, remember to keep your white balance on Auto and the metering exposure on Center-Weighted.

4. Forget the zoom. Don't use it--it's a digital zoom. Digital zooms just make your shots look pixilated. For mobile camera phones with a working zoom, look at an overview of the latest phones listed in the useful links section of the Photo Prints and Gifts Help Center.

5. Go for multi shots. If you phone can take multi shots, go for it. Typical phones can take 6, 9, and 15 shots in a row on medium- and high-quality settings. This is great for being right up in the action and catching it at high speed. This also works as a great risk mitigation method.

6. Use the framing system to get the object right at the center. If your camera phone has a framing system try to keep your subject right in the middle--the framing system will help you do so. That way when you're showing off a pic of your new puppy at work, people will know exactly where to look in the shot.

7. Get a grip. The slightest movement can make your pictures look grainy or blurry, so you need to hold your phone correctly, as optical image stabilization has not been implemented in phones yet. The phone may be very lightweight, and your hands are probably steady, but you still want to get the best quality possible. So flip your phone around and hold it the way you hold your point-and-shoot. Otherwise, try to hold your phone with two hands.

8. Tweak your settings. Want something that looks really different? Try using your phone's color/effects settings, such as sepia, black and white, emboss, negative, or anything else it may have.
9. Use the timer. One of the reasons a pro will use a timer is so that the camera won't move when they press the shutter button--therefore getting rid of excess camera shake. The same concept applies with phone cameras.

10. Shoot in the highest resolution possible. On my 1.3-megapixel camera, it's SXGA (1,280 by 1,024). Also use the least compression possible: Choose Fine or Super Fine.

11. Do not go for your phone’s image editor. Some new phones offer basic photo-editing options. In some cases, this can be handy--but in general, you're better off uploading the shots to your computer and editing them with an app such as Paint, Photoshop, Paint.Net, GIMP, or Microsoft Photo Editor.

12. Do not bother with the digital frames that your phone provides. Frames that come with the phone could be different but not exactly good. Particularly if you are looking to move your photos to your Photo Prints and Gifts account, leave the frames behind. Your account PhotoPrintsandGifts.com has over 1000 creatives that are meant to produce the best of online and digital printing quality. Please don't use the frames! A photo of you and your love with hearts around it is, well, tacky. The shot will look much more intimate just the way it is without any framing.

14. Most important, photos are precious. The fact that you have pulled out your mobile does say something about the moment that you have captured. Obviously, you did not have the time to reach out for your digital camera, yet, wanted to get the moment in. Be sure, to go to www.PhotoPrintsandGifts.mobi and upload your images to the safety of your account at PhotoPrintsandGifts.com. It is free and easy, so get started now.

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