Aug 12, 2025

Master Smartphone Low-light Photography With These Quick Tricks

Nayra Jain

Use Night Mode Effectively

Switch on your phone’s night mode to brighten dark scenes while preserving detail. This setting adjusts exposure and reduces noise, helping you capture clearer, more vibrant images without losing natural colour tones.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Keep Your Phone Steady

Hold your phone with both hands or use a tripod to minimise camera shake. In low light, longer exposure times are common, and stability is crucial to prevent blurry images and ensure sharp details in your shots.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Adjust Exposure Manually

Tap on your subject and adjust the exposure slider to brighten the scene. Avoid overexposing, as this can cause loss of details in highlights, making the picture look washed out and unnatural.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Use A Lower ISO Setting

Lower ISO values reduce image noise and grain. While this may require a longer shutter speed, it helps produce cleaner, more detailed photos, especially when combined with a stable hand or tripod.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Find Available Light Sources

Look for street lamps, shop lights, or any ambient lighting to illuminate your subject. Position your subject towards the light source for better detail, contrast, and colour accuracy in the final image.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Avoid Using Digital Zoom

Instead of zooming in digitally, move closer to your subject. Digital zoom often reduces image quality and sharpness, especially in low-light situations, resulting in softer and less detailed pictures.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Experiment With HDR Mode

High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode balances shadows and highlights, making low-light images look more natural. Use it when there’s a mix of bright and dark areas in your frame for improved overall clarity.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Keep Your Lens Clean

Dust, fingerprints, or smudges on the lens can reduce clarity, especially in dim conditions. Gently wipe your lens with a soft cloth before taking pictures to ensure maximum sharpness and light capture.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Shoot In RAW Format

If your smartphone supports it, use RAW format to capture uncompressed image data. This allows more flexibility in editing, enabling you to recover details from shadows without reducing quality.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Take Multiple Shots

Capture several images of the same scene to increase your chances of getting a sharp, well-lit picture. Later, choose the best result or combine shots in editing for improved detail and reduced noise.

Image Source: Meta-AI

Thanks For Reading!

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