5 Tips for Taking Better Photos with Your Camera Phone

By Dave Johnson

Cameras are so ubiquitous that they’re built into everything these days, including pocket calculators and toaster ovens. Unfortunately, the image quality from camera phones can be somewhat lackluster. Fight back by reading Chase Jarvis’s tips to improve your iPhone photos.

Sure, his post is iPhone centric, but much of his advice applies to any camera phone. Here are the highlights:

• Hold the camera still. Camera phone photos are notoriously blurry, in part due to sluggish shutters that take their sweet time getting started, and in part slow exposures that can make a snail appear to have motion blur.
• Keep your finger on the shutter release. The iPhone (like many phones) takes the picture when you lift your finger, not when you press down. Take that into account.
• Avoid fast-moving subjects. Remember my comment about the snail? Camera phones crave light and work best when shooting absolutely static images under the blaze of a twin-sun system going supernova. Photos in dark rooms or of moving objects are likely to fail.

After you master your camera phone’s idiosyncracies, be sure to read Rick’s clever tips on ways to unexpectedly use a camera to make your life easier.

http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=2658&tag=content;col1

Five Killer Cell-Phone Camera Tricks

By Rick Broida

Smile! You’re about to learn five fantastic ways to get the most from your cameraphone. Yes, we’re talking about that crummy, low-resolution point-and-shoot that’s built into your cell. It’s a lot more useful than you think, provided you point it at the right things:

• Where you parked Now where’d you leave the car? G7? F4? If only you’d taken a photo of the nearest signpost, and maybe a few landmarks to boot. Take it from us: Losing your car in a crowded airport lot — especially when it’s 10 degrees out — is not fun.
• Your passport and/or driver’s license If one of these documents goes missing while you’re traveling, you’re potentially screwed. Before you embark, take a snapshot of your license and/or passport, making sure the numbers are legible. If nothing else, you’ll have an easier time proving your identity and getting your documents replaced.
• Your hotel room number Sounds nuts, I know, but remember: Hotels no longer put room numbers on room keys. If you’re the forgetful type, this beats stopping at the front desk to ask for your own room number.
• The label on the wine bottle A client raves about the bottle of wine you shared over dinner. Snap a photo of the label (when he/she’s not looking, of course) so you can match it later, then send along a bottle (or even a case, if it’s a big client) to help seal the deal.
• Evernote, Qipit, ScanR Snap a photo of business card, cocktail napkin, whiteboard, or whatever, then send it to one of these free information-management services. From there you can organize, share, publish, or even fax your “digital copy.”

What’s your favorite cameraphone trick? Hit the Comments and share your snapshot secrets. Photo by Thomas Rockstar.

http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=2217&tag=col1;post-2658