Professional photographer shares tips to take great photos, especially with your phone

Many of the benefits of a professional camera are now in your smartphone — and with the advances in technology, it seems that great photos are coming more and more from creativity and technique than from expensive equipment.

Jefferson Graham, a photographer and creator of PhotowalksTV on YouTube, says lighting and timing are key to snapping a great photo with your phone.

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Graham told Scripps News, "Anytime you're doing a family photo shoot, and you want to get everybody together, you just pick that time, you say 'this is when we're doing it,' and get it done quickly."

"We can shoot panoramic shots on our phones, which are big wide shots," he said. Graham says while we're always told to pan our phones from right to left or in a direction that is horizontal, you also have the option to do vertical panoramas. These could be useful when shooting an image with a tall object as the subject, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, for example.

Graham says that when trying to get photos of kids together, one should try doing it right before lunch.

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"I mean that's really a parenting tip, but — you know — find that one moment when they are going to give you that two-minute, maybe one-minute, maybe 30 seconds worth of smiles. And, have the food as the reward," he said.

Graham says there are many ways to also accessorize your smartphone, with rigs or attachable microphones and other items that will improve images and the way you handle your phone to make it more in line with professional cameras as well.

For more of Graham's tips, watch the above video.