Cell Phone Cameras

[Deborah2B]

I see so many pictures where you can see the cell phone that the person was using to take that "selfie" picture. I am guessing that some folks do not realize that their cell phone cameras have a timer capability on them. My own cell phone camera has a choice of 3 or 10 second delay. First you set it up to take the "selfie" by reversing the image so you can see yourself. Prop up your cell phone on a shelf or somewhere else. Set the timer for the time you want to get into position. Push the picture button and move into position. When the timer finishes you have your picture without you holding the cell phone in it.

[Jean 103]

Yes but it's not the same.

[Lydianne]

. . or the camera in the pic is not such a big deal.

Obviously, it never used to be done like this, but the more people do it, the more people start doing it - then it becomes a norm.

. . Kinda like something else we talk about on here :whistling:.

- L.

[Tracii G]

I use the timer on my digital cam all the time.
Never knew my cell cam had that option.
Its an andriod phone and the cam isn't all that great at selfies anyway.

[Majella St Gerard]

Mirror pictures suck, I always put the camera in selfie mode and prop it up and use the timer, it's a no brainer. If I'm out at a bar, I ask someone to take my picture. You can also buy a holder for the phone. Ya gotta step up your picture taking and use the flash.

[docrobbysherry]

I think your missing the point of Selfies, Majella.:straightface:

As I understand it, the idea is to have your same grinning face filling the screen in every one of your 1000's of photos!:)

I mean, who cares where u r or what your figure, legs, and heels look like!?:doh:

I take nearly all my photos of myself. Nearly all r full length. Because I'm proud of my figure and I use a pocket camera. Which sits nearly everywhere!:devil:

[Jean 103]

Yes Sherry, they are head shots. My friends and I do it all the time and put them up on FB with some caption.

Head up and smiling, it stretches your neck out. That's why they look up.

[Majella St Gerard]

A selfie is a picture taken by oneself usually with a smart phone, usually at arms length. I take a bunch like this, I also prop up the phone to get a full body picture also, because why get all dolled up and not see what it looks like? The poster referenced that in some pictures people post, you can see the phone in the picture, that would be a mirror picture, correct me if I'm wrong on that. I know how to take a picture and I know how to pose. I'm very vain about my appearance and only post the best picture in the series. Some people post the most awful pictures. Take some time and practice your photography skills if you plan on sharing your pictures. I cringe when I see bad photos that people gush over.
Just my 2 cents.

[Micki_Finn]

The timer on cell phone cameras are a giant pain in the ass to use well because they don’t stand up on their own so you have to find something of an appropriate height to put them on, then something to prop them up, then you’ve gotta hustle to get in front of the camera and get posed before the shutter snaps (ever tried moving quickly in a gown with a train?)

[Cheryl T]

In many cell phones the regular lens is better quality than the "selfie" lens.
Also if you have a case for protection or decoration it makes it difficult to stand the phone on it's own to use the timer setting.

[Robertacd]

If you look closely at the pictures you will notice most people who take their pictures in a mirror they are holding their phone in front of their face.

Get it?

[Star01]

I'm glad you posted this as I'm going to be working by myself at the family lake home for a couple of days and plan on bringing some of my girlie things. I've got a light weight tripod that folds up to the size of a small umbrella and that will work great for my phone so I don't have to bring a camera. I really need to dig into these phones further as I'm missing a lot of these neat features. Found the self timer and tested, thanks.

[Majella St Gerard]

they sell a small blue tooth hand held photo clicker for your phone camera app, so you don't have to use the timer, a little research goes a long way.
why people don't use all the information that is at our finger tips is beyond me.

[DanielleCD]

The newer cell phone camera apps now have voice activation. My wife can have her camera ready and if I say "smile" it takes a pic.

[Tracii G]

I do have a timer well what about that.

[kimdl93]

I?m fully aware of the timer and other capabilities of my iPhone X. A quick shot into the bathroom mirror is about as much effort as I put into my photos. The results are quick and generally satisfactory, assuming I remember to white toothpaste splatter from the glass!

[Jenny22]

I have a tripod and a blue tooth extender. I rarely use them. I prefer to do my selfies at arme length and then edit.

[Teresa]

Deborah,
Cell phones are still a poor subsitute for a decent camera with the correct focal length , the only consolation is they're better than nothing .

I always use a tripod and a long lens setting even when using a timer .

[JenniferR771]

Cell phones do not usually adapt to a tripod--however--I made a couple cut-off plastic bottle baskets with 1/4 screws in the bottom to hold my phone. I have a regular tripod, plus a mini-tripod (6 inches tall).
Also, an empty coffee mug stuffed with a paper towel holds a phone very well. This way a high shelf works nicely for self-timer selfies. For instance, a book shelf--a shelf in your bathroom medicine cabinet or kitchen cupboard shelf. As needed, lay it on its side--against a book or whatever.
A small cut-off plastic bottle to hold your phone combined with a strong suction cup works very well when attached to a window (looking in)--because the light coming in is very favorable for photography. Risk of it falling...be careful! Maybe you need a safety cord.
Also, when taking a mirror shot--if you hold the camera out to the side--you can keep the camera out of the photo. Just remember--if you can see the camera in the mirror--it can see you. Try to look straight into the lens.

[Maid_Marion]

Cell phone cameras have a short focal length, which is great for showing off curves. Portrait cameras have a moderately long focal length, as the perspective is generally more pleasing from a moderate distance.

[Patience]

During my very first outing, I asked several people to take pictures of me using my cellphone. Later, I learned to my horror that the pics were automatically uploaded to a google page. Thankfully, the pics were not automatically published, but since then I only use a plain digital camera for all my pics. My favorite feature is the 10 shot auto timer. Definitely more productive than taking one picture at a time.

[LydiaL]

I have never had any success trying to do self portraits with a cell phone. Those devices have certainly come a long way in recent years with their mega-x-mega pixelations. But they struggle to focus, especially with low light or distance photos. Scenery photos just never seem to ?pop?.

Have much better luck using a slr-like digital camera, with modest resolution, but a decent Nikon lens.... and the use of a tripod. Use the 10 second timer even though I have a wireless remote. Alas, what to do with hiding that conspicuous device in the hand?

Tripod a plus for adjustments to get portraits that are more proportional. Head way bigger than boobs is never a good thing!

I am envious of gals such as Teresa that know their way around cameras. Perhaps I should take a class, then consider an equipment upgrade.

[dana8656]

Being in the closet, I don't trust the cell phone pics, nor especially the cloud. Those picture go somewhere and I have no control, someone has access to all that cloud data, not just me, or just one major hack away. I have and old digital SLR and a tripod, too, that way I can take pictures, copy them to thumb drive and erase the camera disk several times. I've also turned off thumbnails on the PC so the picture thumbnails are not generated.

[Tracy Irving]

There are extendable selfie sticks that do double duty as a tripod. Mine is over four feet tall when extended. It even comes with a tiny remote control so I don't need to use the timer.

[Eemz]

Popsockets are the best thing ever for unplanned cellphone selfies and even for general texting and other use. It lets me hold the phone right out at arm's length without dropping it. I usually set a 5 or 10 second timer, press the button and then I have 10 seconds to stretch my arm out and frame the shot the way I want it. Most of my avatars on this site are done that way. You can also hook it over drawer edges and things if you want to step back further.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49218200582_80a8909d9a_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49217490753_103bf47654_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49217490718_e577b4c24c_o.jpg

If it's planned then I use the iPad on a tripod I got for it. Amusingly I had to use the iPad to take photos of my phone for this post :)

[Teresa]

Lydia,
I did it for thirty years so I had to know how to flatter people , I often joke with people that I was once over 6 feet tall but dragging all that gear about reduced me to 5' 7" .

[Genifer Teal]

Mine is a few years old yet has the ability to use voice command or when smile is detected (I think). This means no hustle for the timer.