It’s no secret: Lumia smartphones are great for photography. And with spring in the air, it’s time to head outside with your Lumia and capture the new life that’s about to emerge.
Since the rollout of the Lumia Denim Update, owners of the Lumia 830, Lumia 930, Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon have updated to the new Lumia Camera (version 5), which features Rich Capture and Moment Capture, amongst others.
In this tutorial, we thought we’d show you how to use the macro feature.
Macrophotography is the art of photographing small items to make them appear bigger. Essentially, going in for a close-up.
Rather than just simply pointing and clicking, take control of the settings in Lumia Camera.
Lumia Camera features a transparent user interface (UI) that you can pull out at any time.
Either pull left on the on-screen camera shutter key to see all the settings and dials, or tap the individual icons in the control bar at the top.
The best way to take close-ups, or macro shots, is to manually control the focus option. Focus is represented by a circle with a smaller circle inside.
By default it’s set to auto, but by placing your thumb on the slider, you can smoothly focus in or out to the required depth, locking it in place when you release your thumb.
Next, get close to your subject in order to get a crisp, clear shot. If you’re trying to capture a small delicate flower breaking through the dirt, you’ll likely need to crouch or lie down next to it.
Tiny white flowers with flash
Adjusting white balance
No flash and adjusted the white balance before shot
Whatever you’re trying to photograph, we suggest setting the manual focus to as close as possible, then moving the camera even closer to the subject until it goes in focus.
Once you’ve got everything crystal-clear, you’ll need to keep your Lumia perfectly still while you take the shot.
One way is to either use a tripod and activate the timer (in the settings) or by resting your phone on the ground and holding your breath while you press the shutter key.
It’s probably a good idea to take a couple of shots while you’re down there. Getting up and realizing you need to lie down again can get a little tiring!
Above all else, you’ll need patience.
With such a close focus, the slightest breeze can turn a clear shot into nothing but a blur. So stick with it.
What you do after that is up to you. Keep the photos in your collection, print them out and frame them, or share them on your social profiles for the world to see.
If you do the latter, we’d love to see them. Use #LumiaCamera and #Macro so we can find them.
Happy snapping!