Patrick Walsh: My top Nokia Lumia 1020 photography tips
To help Nokia Lumia 1020 owners use their game-changing camera smartphone to the max, we’re showcasing top tips by top smartphone photographers.
You may have already seen mobile photography maestro Richard Dorman’s top tips, well now it’s the turn of the renowned Phoneographer Patrick Walsh. Patrick, the founder of Nothing but a Nokia and author of The Backpacker Who Sold His Supercar (A perfect last minute Christmas pressie!) recently held a Photography Master Class at Social Media Week in London. During the session he talked about travelling through remote destinations with just a Nokia smartphone to record his adventures. No surprise then that he calls his Nokia Lumia 1020 “the ultimate ‘in your pocket’ point-and-shoot”. These tips are his very useful Christmas gift to us at Nokia Conversations:
Go Play
This device is famous for its camera and rightly so. When I first got the Nokia Lumia 1020 I just went out to play, exploring my surroundings, using all of the functions that this great camera has to offer and trying to get a feel for it.
Go Manual
The Pro Cam app is the reason why this device is a game-changer – like a DSLR it provides control over all of the settings and the results can be just as good. The automatic controls provide fantastic results but it is through experimenting with the white balance, ISO, and shutter speed that you get those ‘next level’ photos.
Mess with ISO
ISO settings allow you to change the speed at which light is absorbed by the sensor. Higher ISO settings take in light faster, but increase noise and color imprecision, which can create some cool results.
Vary the Shutter Speed
A fast shutter speed can capture sharp action shots in well-lit conditions, whilst a slow shutter speed can create those fantastic ‘trailing light’ shots that we all love.
Get Funky
Pre-installed on the Lumia 1020 are a number of fantastic post-processing apps to help you edit your photos fast and effectively. There are many more available in the app store, but the go-to apps that I recommend on the Lumia 1020 are:
– Creative Studio – my one stop shop for colour-popping, tweaking photos and applying filters.
– Cinemagraph – the easiest way to animate sections of a still image.
– Panorama – for creating the wide and wonderful when it comes to landscapes and skylines.
Get a Grip
The Camera Grip comes as an accessory and gives the Lumia 1020 the feel of an ‘old-skool’ camera. But it is even better than that – it also provides a tripod mount and additional battery life so that you don’t run out of juice whilst out on location.
Claim that extra 7GB storage for free.
Microsoft offers 7GB of free SkyDrive space in the cloud for owners of Lumia devices. I find this very handy as it allows me to back up my photos, text messages and app list automatically. Very generous.
“Go play,” Patrick suggests, and wouldn’t we just love to do that. Christmas will definitely provide some opportunities to test out Patrick’s tips, so remember to have your Nokia Lumia 1020 at hand to capture the magic moments of the festive season. For some more phoneography inspiration from Patrick, check out his other book Life Is, which showcases his amazing travels with fifty never before seen photos, all taken with Nokia smartphones. You can also follow him on Twitter @ThePhoneographr and join his photo community Nothing But A Nokia on Facebook.
Which of these tips will you use first? Any tips of your own you’d like to share? Let’s talk more about Nokia Lumia 1020 photography in the comments below!