Sure, YouTube and online courses are popular for learning smartphone photography, but what if the best teacher is right in your pocket? These apps not only help you improve your skills but also inspire your next great photo while practicing.
1. 500px
Browsing other photographers' photos in the 500px app will teach you a lot about calibration, contrast, and other essentials about smartphone photography. Mood Gallery categorizes a variety of styles and moods, such as perspective, travel, and black-and-white photography. For smartphone-specific photos, search for the device name in the search bar (for example, “iPhone”).
You can save any photo I like for future reference. Besides using the tool to learn about new photography styles, you can also turn to 500px if you need new inspiration in familiar categories.
Note: The 500px blog includes more comprehensive photography resources, but you must visit the website as these resources are not included in the app.
- Download 500px for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
2. Lightroom
In addition to using Lightroom to edit photos on smartphones, you can also learn many things from this application's community. Like 500px, you can browse multiple categories. Lightroom better combines smartphone photos and professional photos – you can see the exact editing process for each photo. This is a great way to learn if you want to achieve a specific style or experiment.
Lightroom also allows viewing remixed versions of people's photos, making it easier to explore different editing styles. You'll also learn a lot about subject selection and color theory, and realize the amazing capabilities of your phone. To access Lightroom, you will need to register.
- Download Lightroom for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Unscripted
Even if you're primarily aiming for professional photography, you can still use Unscripted to explore unique poses for smartphone portraits. The app has a comprehensive set of poses divided into several categories, with information on precise camera settings. This is especially useful if changing aperture in Portrait Mode or when downloading a smartphone camera app that has options to change ISO, etc.
Unscripted's Suntracker feature is also very handy. On the home page, you can see the weather in your location and sunrise/sunset times. So it's much easier to prepare for different conditions and know when to head out for better light. If you have a paid subscription, you can see Blue Hour and Golden Hour in your current location.
- Download Unscripted for iOS/iPadOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
