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Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Valentine's Day Camera Phone Tips

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:02:10 PST

Amore is in the air, and if you plan on spending Feb. 14 with your current flame, you'll of course want to capture all the best moments as they happen. The good news is, with camera phones being as handy (and powerful) as they are, you probably don't need to tote around a full-featured digital in order to post an album's worth of mushy kissy-face pics on your various social networks.

Keep up your high photo standards no matter what the situation with these camera phone tips straight from professional photographer Perry Reichanadter. Have any of your own to add? Leave them in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Get close to your subject - Your camera phone probably won't have a macro setting, so be sure to get up close and personal with your beloved so he isn't drowned out by the surrounding action.
Clear the background - There's nothing worse than snapping a great pic of your BF, only to have something in the background distracting from his face. Make sure you steer clear of any street signs, bright lights, or "loud" objects, and keep your honey in focus.

See the rest of the tips after the jump.

If You Have a Great Camera Phone, Do You Bother Bringing a Camera?

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:30:25 PST

Are point-and-shoot cameras in danger of extinction? As the cameras in phones like the iPhone and bevy of Android-powered devices start stepping up their game, there's less of a need to tote a second recreational camera. The New York Times says that simple point-and-shoots are endangered because of the rise in popularity of highly technical smartphone cameras.

In fact, after reading the article, which quotes one iPhone user saying her camera is now "one less thing to carry," I realized that I toss my camera in my bag far less than I did pre-iPhone camera. And the images that are on my digital camera have been there for a few weeks.

Are you guilty of this too? Do you think the point-and-shoot could ever go the way of the floppy disk?

How to: Take Quality Camera Phone Pics

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:06 PDT

I love my iPhone, but sometimes I wonder if I should blame my phone or my photography skills for the blurry pics that sometimes end up in my photo library. Cell phone picture quality can depend on a variety of factors including the number of megapixels and flash capabilities. If you happen to have a decent camera phone, here are some tips to help you take great pics.

Keep your camera still - The more still your subject, the clearer your image will be. This is especially true in low-light environments where shutter speed is much longer.
Make sure your subject is well-lit - If your camera doesn't have a built-in flash, try to take a pic in an environment with decent lighting. If you are indoors, simply turn on some lights!
Get close - Because camera phones usually have low resolution, it's best to take images as close as you can, but be sure to stay within proper focus range.
Keep your camera lens clean - We all know how dirty cell phones can get. Just wiping off your lens with the proper cleaner and a soft cloth can make a world of difference.

May is National Photography Month, and in honor of the occasion I'm serving up a different photography tip, trick, hack, or app every weekday in May, so please share your successful shots! Our Cool Capture group is not only a place to post your favorite pics, but you could also win a CanvasPop Print in our Cool Capture contest. Snap on!

Simple Tip: Note a Recipe's Ingredients With a Camera Phone

YumSugar — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:00:27 PDT

I love my iPhone for countless reasons, among them the numerous useful and fun food apps, which can be a big save in the kitchen. Another feature that comes in handy is the phone's camera; AlexisSF once told me she takes photos of a recipe's ingredients with her camera phone, so she can refer to them in a pinch instead of a shopping list. I've been doing the same ever since.

If I'm going to store to pick up ingredients expressly for one recipe, I'll simply take a photo and head out the door, rather than sitting down and compiling a list. I've also been known to use the camera function when I want to jot down a recipe from a book that's not mine, or when I'm trying a bottle of wine and want to remember the vineyard and vintage. Do you ever rely on your phone's camera to help you in the kitchen?

Wonderfully Wacky Camera Phone Accessories

GeekSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:13:24 PDT

I'm all over my iPhone's camera (not only for snapping pics, but for useful stuff, too), so finding these camera phone accessories made me giggle with amusement. These gadgets may help your camera function more efficiently and expand its range, or they could turn out to be humorous exchange gifts for your next office Christmas party. You be the judge.

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What Was the First Pic You Took on Your Camera or Phone?

GeekSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:33:49 PDT

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but methinks the first photo snapped on a new camera or phone is usually worth less than a buck.

PopSugar Community member Lydiat recently shared the first pic her sister took on her new phone, and I chuckled when I realized I have a collection of similar premiere pics. Whenever I buy or review a new device, my instinct is to take a quick shot of my desk, my shoes, or the street I'm standing on.

Do you remember the first picture you took with your camera or phone? Or better yet, do you still have it? Join our Cool Capture group and share your image, the model of camera used to take the photo, and a little about the image or moment you captured, and it could be featured on GeekSugar.

Snaptell App Lets You Comparison Shop, Read Reviews

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:05:42 PDT

It comes as no surprise that I like books. There's just something about having a shelf full of good reads to comb through when I need it. And although I like having the option of reading a book on my iPhone, I prefer the real deal. So when I'm perusing the bookstore and see an interesting cover I like, but know nothing about the content, I can check out reviews and details about the book with just a click of my camera phone.

Called Snaptell, this little (free!) app comes in handy in these situations. To find out how it works, just

read more. Just take a quick photo of the book cover using your camera phone, and send it through the Snaptell app. In seconds you'll get prices and reviews from various sites (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Google, etc.) so you can make an informed purchase. But not only does Snaptell give you the lowdown on books, but it works for DVDs, CDs, and video games as well. Snaptell is available for free on the iPhone and Android G1, and will be coming soon to Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones.

Website of the Day: ScanR

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:30:43 PST

If you are the business type, you've probably been in this situation before: You're in a brainstorming meeting, and your boss is scribbling all over the whiteboard. After everyone's tossed out their ideas, you have a ton of info on said whiteboard to transfer into your notebook. It's not only a boring task, but you're liable to forget something, or worse, run out of room. I know how you feel; I've been there too.

Thankfully for us, there's ScanR, which allows you to use your digital camera or camera phone to snap a picture of your brainstorm masterpiece, then send it on to ScanR to digitize and store online. You can then print, email, or fax your docs to anywhere in the world. Plus, you can even scan documents and business cards. At $3 bucks a month for unlimited scanning, it's a small price to pay to save yourself from aching hands - copying all those whiteboard scribbles can be tiring.

Griffin's Clarifi Case Improves the iPhone's Camera

GeekSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:00:00 PST

As a photography nut, I'd never give up my camera for the one on my phone, but that doesn't mean that I don't constantly snap candids with my iPhone. Of course, it could be a better camera, but I wouldn't have dreamed it was so easy to improve it and protect it at the same time!

Griffin's Clarifi Case ($35) does much more than keep your phone safe from scratches; its built-in close-up lens covers the iPhone's lens, while enhancing the details and colors in your pictures.

Check out Griffin's side-by-side examples of photos taken with just the iPhone, and then one taken with the case. Pretty big difference, I'd say.

It's great for apps that read your pictures, scanning documents to email, and even just for taking the odd photo - who doesn't want a better camera phone?

Would You Give Up Your Camera For a Fancy Camera Phone?

GeekSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:05:48 PDT

The entire tech world's mantra is obviously "Go Big or Go Home" (which is mine too!). Megapixels have been rising in cameras since digital cameras came on the scene, and now they're jumping up in another place: our cell phones. An LG source recently hinted that camera phones could reach 10 megapixels in the near future.

That sounds awesome, since I love to take shots when I'm out and about, and the higher the quality the better. But there's another opportunity here - with a high megapixel camera on your phone, you could drop an entire gadget and just use your cell phone.

Of course, photography aficionados like myself would never lose dedicated cameras altogether, since SLRs are a different ballgame and I can't imagine all the features and adjustments could be on a camera phone right away - but the more casual user could definitely benefit.

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