PR practitioners are often expected to play many roles for their clients, including the role of photographer. Your client may not have the budget for a professional photographer, or maybe there is a candid moment that you know will be perfect to share on their website and social media accounts. There will always be a time when you are forced to step up and wear the photographer hat.

In a perfect world, all PR pros would be equipped with high-quality DSLR cameras (or even a decent point-and-shoot) at all times, but in reality that won’t always be the case. In most cases, you will have to use your smartphone to capture important moments for your client. A recent article shared several helpful tips on how to take better pictures with your phone’s camera.

1. Use Your Light. Make sure your subject is facing the light source, not you, and get as much light on your subject as possible.
2. Clean Your Lens. Quickly wipe your lens before you start shooting. It is easy for the lenses on smatphones to get dirty since they are often shoved in pockets or left in the bottom of your bag.
3. Avoid Digital Zoom. If you want the subject of your photo to appear bigger or closer, then physically move closer to it. Digital zoom will lower the quality of your images.
4. Pay Attention to Your Flash. The LED flashes found on phones can be helpful when you don’t have enough light, but when left on auto, phones will often use flash when it isn’t necessary. The white light from LED flashes can be harsh, so try snapping a picture without the flash first.
5. Tweak Your Camera App’s Settings. Some smartphones come with camera apps that have adjustable settings – try changing a few of them when possible. It can also be helpful to purchase a more advanced camera app.

Do you often find yourself playing photographer for clients? Share some of your tips in the comments section below.