We’ve teamed up with Adobe to bring you a series of tutorials. In this video, I’ll be walking through 5 tips on how you can take better landscape photography using Adobe Lightroom Mobile. You can download Adobe Lightroom here.
Video: Adobe Lightroom Mobile: 5 Tips For Better Landscape Photography
Adobe Lightroom Mobile
The Lightroom Mobile app packs quite the punch. Not only is the app a pro-level editor, but it also has a built-in pro-level camera as well. The camera even has the ability to shoot DNG Raw files. While Lightroom Mobile has premium features, I’m going to focus on what you can do with the features included with the free app. The best part is, the app is available for both Android and iPhone.
Before we dive into the five tips for mobile landscape photography, be sure to add the app as a widget if possible. This provides quick and easy access to the camera without having to unlock your phone. Let’s jump in.
Tip #1: Compose Using the Grids
I came across this beautiful vantage point at Crystal Cove with a cliff that drops into the horizon. To help compose the shot, click the three dots at the top and select from the grid options.
Tip #2: Adjust Exposure Compensation
Lightroom Mobile gives the ability to adjust the exposure with an easy drag to the left or the right. Doing so is crucial to get the variety of looks as you would on a full camera.
Composition Tips
The easy shot would be to compose with the horizon in the middle. I call this the “Bullseye Shot.” However, to switch it up, follow these steps:
- Switch to the standard wide angle lens. It’s tempting to use ultra-wide lens to capture grand landscape, but sometimes, we end up trying to capture too much.
- Line the horizon with a third line. This allows you to showcase more of the sky or the landscape.
- Find a foreground element.
By following these tips, I end up with a composition that wraps around the frame to the horizon on the top third line. I exposed to the sky, and we end up with this great image. Compare it with the typical “bullseye shot.”
This is the final edited image.
Tip #3: Capture DNG Raw
Adobe’s DNG raw format allows for more information to be captured. Scenes such as this are known as “High Dynamic Range Scenes.” This means that the range from the darkest to brightest areas is high. RAW format captures the most amount of information which helps preserve highlights or shadows from being lost.
Switch over from AUTO to High Dynamic Range. You’ll see the DNG icon at the top.
Composition Tips
Instead of the usual bullseye shot, I want to find a composition using the widest lens. I tipped the camera down to showcase the texture of the landscape and got this image. To show you how powerful capturing DNG format is, I’ll walk through how I would edit this in the app.
Editing the DNG Image
I selected VF Presets > Modern Mobile > Black & White. I lowered the exposure and added de-haze and clarity.
The before and after are stunning. With Lightroom Mobile’s seamless workflow, capturing and editing can be done in one simple go.
Tip #4: Choosing the Right Lens
Lightroom Mobile allows you to switch lenses by clicking the lens icon on the bottom. This available lenses will be limited by the amount of lenses you have on your phone. I’ll be capturing this scene using the telephoto lens.
One small trick is to flip the lens upside down to get closer to the surface for an enhanced perspective. This scene already has natural depth so we end up with this beautiful bokeh.
Tip #5: The Power of Perspective
This is one of the benefits of having such a small camera and lens. I flipped the phone upside down and got down close to the sand. I took the images as the waves came up.
Notice the difference between the perspectives. The image on the left taken from a normal height and the image on the right from below.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article/video. Your phone is a powerful device that can take incredible, high-quality images, especially when paired with the camera and features in Adobe Lightroom Mobile. From the app’s cloud-based catalog to its editing features and stunning camera, Lightroom Mobile maximizes the capabilities of phone photography.
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