12 ways to be a better BlackBerry photographer

LONG BUT WORTH IT (Sent to my from a friend who says: "You should have wrote this")

Taking a good photo is really important. It's annoying to send around family and friend pictures that are blurry and pixelated once you open them on a desktop. The latest BlackBerrys have cameras strong enough to take a decent picture, you just need to know how. Here are 12 simple tips to taking a good pic with your BlackBerry.

1. Get CloserWhile you can capture panoramas with your camera, you'll take the best possible photos by getting close to your subject matter. Go ahead and take a few extra steps toward what you're shooting—the images you capture will be much more engaging.

2. Hold SteadyCamera shake is the primary reason for blurry photos, whether you're using a cameraphone or a digital SLR. To capture a crisp, clear image, hold your device with two hands or use one hand to brace your arm. If possible, hold your smartphone on top of a desk or other object to reduce camera shake.

3. Be PatientThere's often a short delay between the moment you depress the shutter button and when a photo is taken. Be sure not to move your device during this time; doing so will result in a blurry image.

4. Use the FlashTaking good photos is easy on a bright clear day, but don't let that keep you from snapping pictures in less-than-ideal conditions. Your BlackBerry camera's built-in flash will even out lighting in partial shade and low-light situations. If you're not sure which setting is best, take multiple snapshots—deleting the ones you don't want from the memory card is simple.

5. Snap Photos as RemindersWhile we typically take pictures in order to put them in an album or post online, you can also use your BlackBerry camera as a way to create visual reminders as you go about your day. Snap pictures of a phone number on a storefront, a restaurant you've been meaning to go to, or a gift you want to purchase at a later date. Shopping and can't decide between two items? Send a photo to your best shopping advisor.reminder photos

6. Stay OrganizedDon't forget to add a descriptive file name to your images; image_0005 won't be of much help when you want to search through your photos. You can also create folders within your BlackBerry to organize your pictures by location, theme, or content.

7. Share Your WorkPhotos are meant to be shared. To get your photos out into the world, download and use one of these mobile applications:MySpaceFacebookFlickrTM

8. Use a Photo EditorDon't worry about composing the perfect image. Smartphones are great for capturing surprising, unexpected moments. Crop your picture, fix shadows, and adjust contrast with the help of a free photo editor. Flickr.com, for example, includes a straightforward image-editing program on the site that will improve your images with just a few button clicks.The photo on the left doesn't capture the car's true color, but with a simple photo editor you can make your images appear just as they should.

9. Experiment with White BalanceThe colors you perceive with your eyes are different than those captured by the sensor in your camera. White balance will help you better re-create what would be considered natural colors. By default, your camera will automatically adjust white balance; however, if you prefer to have more control over your images, select White Balance from the Camera Options menu and choose the option that's closest to the lighting condition you are in. The best way to learn more about white balance is to experiment. Try taking a photo of the same object with different white balance settings.

10. Remove Color—And Add DramaBy switching to black and white or sepia, you'll create a dramatically different feel with your photos. You change your color image to black and white or sepia in the Camera Option menu prior to taking a picture.

11. Tag Your LocationBy enabling geotagging1 from within the Camera Options menu, you automatically embed location information within an image file. With geotagging, you can easily keep track of where you've been. It's a great way to recall locations in vacation photos, and many photo-sharing sites making it easy to discover photos based on geotag data.

12. Increase Image QualityTo get the very best photos, adjust the camera's Image Quality setting to superfine. Increasing image quality increases the file size of a photo, but by using a micro SDTM memory card, you can augment the storage capacity of your smartphone. For detailed information on how to do this, go to the Tips Tricks section of this issue of BlackBerry Connection. [Via] (c) Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2009

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blackberrycool/mYUU/~3/7OXq2KHSWQE/