Blog 5: Smartphone Photography Tip #1 – Lighting
As of 2025, around 95% of the UK population own a smartphone. With camera technology and AI processing advancing rapidly, many people now rely solely on their phones for photography. Over the coming weeks, I’ll share tips to help you get more from your smartphone camera. This week, we’re focusing on lighting, the single most important element in photography.
📸 Note: Not all smartphone cameras are equal. For example, iPhone “Pro” and “Pro Max” models offer more advanced camera features than the “Plus”, “Standard” or “SE” versions.
Why Lighting Matters
At its core, photography is all about capturing light. The quality of that light, its softness, warmth, and direction can dramatically affect your results. The time of day, weather, and environment can all transform a simple shot into something striking.
Key Lighting Scenarios
Blue Hour
Occurs just before sunrise and shortly after sunset.
Produces soft blue tones with low contrast, creating a calm atmosphere.
Early morning Blue Hour offers quiet streets, while the evening version is easier to capture for most, but will have more people in them.
Golden Hour
Follows Blue Hour in the morning just before sunrise and returns before sunset in the evenings/late afternoons.
Famed for warm, diffused light that creates a rich, golden hue and adds depth, softness, and mood.
Widely considered the best time of day for photography and when you will get your best photos (but not always practical and only there when you have clear or partially clear skies).
Misty Mornings
Common in autumn and winter, but especially in the months of September and October.
Mist isolates subjects, adds layers, and creates depth.
Often used in wildlife or landscape shots to add mystery and atmosphere and separate the subject in the picture to make it stand out.
Sunny Days
Midday sun is harsh, with strong contrast between bright and shaded areas, and not the best light.
Move to a shaded area to take your shot if the bulk of your scene is in the shade, likewise, move to a sunny place to take your shot if the bulk of your scene is in sunlight.
Avoid shooting directly into the sun unless you are deliberately aiming for silhouettes.
Position yourself with the sun behind you for balanced exposure, but be careful of where your shadow is.
Minimise featureless skies in shots and look for clouds to add interest or just reduce the amount of sky in your scene.
Overcast Days
Clouds act as a natural diffuser, softening shadows and reducing contrast, making it easier to shoot, but not necessarily a picture that stands out. Consider changing this to Mono (black and white) for more impact.
Great for portraits, architecture, and scenes without dramatic skies.
Avoid large expanses of plain grey or white sky as these add nothing to your picture.
Rainy Days
Daytime rain offers limited light, but evenings in wet cities/urban areas, are magical.
Use puddles for reflections, place your phone close to the water (upside down for stronger reflections).
Wet surfaces reflect light beautifully; black-and-white edits can enhance mood.
A small tripod helps with sharper shots in low light or simply use what’s around you e.g. a wall.
Night Photography
Urban lights bring scenes to life.
Use walls, a small tripod, or the ground to stabilise your phone for longer exposures.
Moving lights (like cars) can create stunning light trails.
Quick Tips to Remember
Soft, diffused light (mist, clouds, sunrise, sunset) is most flattering in the golden and blue hours.
Keep the sun behind you to avoid overexposed skies and dark shadows but be conscious of where your own shadow is.
Avoid large blank skies (clear blue or flat grey).
Brace your phone against a surface or a small tripod for sharper night shots.
Use puddles creatively for reflections, turning your phone upside down as closer is better.
✨ In short: master light, and you’ll master smartphone photography.