Whether you’re a photography wizard or just learning your smartphone has more than one camera, capturing those special family moments is no less important, especially over the summer season which is ripe for worthy snaps!

Bulky cameras or waiting for film to develop to find you’ve missed the action is a thing of the past. With smartphone cameras giving expensive DSLR cameras a run for their money, getting the perfect shot doesn’t need to be complicated. Our friends at OPPO New Zealand share some top tips for getting the best out of your smartphone camera:

All things lighting

For amateur photographers, it’s all about the lighting. It’s the most important contribution to the perfect shot, and so many things can be forgiven in the right light.

For outdoor photography, the magic happens in “golden hour” which is half an hour either side of sunset and sunrise. When it comes to taking photos indoors, it’s always best to try to use natural light where possible and find a catchlight background. A catchlight background is a light source that draws attention towards the eyes, of which can often get lost with other elements in the scene. To get the perfect catchlight, try facing towards the light or reflect the subject of the light, such as from a window – you’ll know when you’ve got it as the eyes will ‘pop’.

For times where the lighting just isn’t there, using a camera with a great night mode feature allows you to capture dark scenes without compromising quality. From city skylines to sunsets, parties or dinner, technology like OPPO’s Ultra Dark Mode allows you to capture the magic of the night with stunning clarity.

All about the angle

When it comes to nabbing the winning shot, the trick is in the angle. Here are a few tips for your back pocket:

• Bird’s-eye view. For sweet snaps of your babies and little ones, try getting above the scene with a straight down view. This offers an up close and personal glimpse of them and their features, as the hero of the shot
• High vs low shots. Generally the lower you go with your camera angle, the less flattering the photo. Photographs taken from up high are most flattering and are a go-to for the quick family selfies or portraits, where lower down angles can be reserved for making the subject stand out, front and centre
• Face to face, or eye-level. These angles give the impression of a personal connection between the subject and the person viewing the image, this angle is great for candid shots
• Wide angle lens. Fit the whole family in this year’s holiday group shot! Wide angle camera lenses are great for capturing a wider view, such as a hilly landscape or vast white sandy beach to really take you back to the moment. Most newer phones these days will also come with a panoramic camera mode, which uses a revolving lens to capture a sweeping view and then stitch the images together to make one wide shot.

When the hot shot is out of reach

You won’t always be directly in front of your subject, especially if your child is on stage at their end of year school play! Phones like the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom combine digital and optical zoom introducing a hybrid technology that brings you closer to the world around you in unbelievable quality. Forget about digital zoom; with hybrid zoom you can say goodbye to pixelated long-distance photos forever. 

Never miss a moment

This next tip may seem obvious but is well worth a mention because there’s nothing worse than going to take a picture on your phone on a summer holiday adventure and running out of battery – ugh! For the long days, late nights and spontaneous missions, choose an option with maximum battery life – battery in phones vary and some models are equipped to last all-day long. There’s also some very affordable super powered battery packs, like the OPPO 10000mAh Power Bank which lets you charge two devices at the same time.

Plus, if you’re buying a new phone, look out for models that come with a full range editing suite to make it super easy to edit and upload content in real-time on-the-go.

Give it a whirl!

The last tip is really just some good ole Kiwi ingenuity. Like most things, practice makes perfect – take some time out in nature or while you’re watching the kids at the beach to try out your camera modes and features so your snap-ready for the next big moment.

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Article composed with thanks to Oppo 

Ronnie Swainston

Online Producer & Experiences Editor Ronnie is mum to two spirited kids who keep her on her toes. With a love for travel, film, tv, photography & (eating) food keeping her wishing for more time, & having a keen curiosity means she’ll give almost anything a go making her, and her family, up for the job!

Favourite place to be: On an adventure