The last few years have seen some dramatic improvements in the quality of cell phone cameras, including more megapixels, better lenses, and higher storage capacities. Unfortunately, many of the pictures that are taken with cell phone cameras still tend to be of inferior quality when compared to photos taken with traditional cameras. Most of the time this has nothing to do with the equipment but instead can be attributed to poor photographic technique and a lack of familiarity with the various camera settings. Here are some suggestions that can help you get the most out of your cell phone camera: Light your subject well The number one reason for poor quality cell phone pictures is poor lighting. Even though cell phone cameras may have limited settings, we put extra strain on the equipment by shooting indoors or in poor light. Try to shoot your subject outdoors or turn up the lights if you have to stay indoors. If your cell phone camera has optional flash, always use it to boost the amount of light. You can always edit out red-eye later. (See below). Get close to your subject One of the most common mistakes with cell phone photos is that the subject ends up being a tiny unrecognizable object in the distance. Fill up your view finder to save having to zoom in on the subject when you edit later (which can dramatically decrease image quality). Keep still As with all digital photography, the steadier your camera is when taking the shot, the clearer the image will be. This is especially important in low-light situations where the camera may select longer shutter speeds to compensate for the lack of light. Lean against a solid object or steady the cell phone with two hands. Keep in mind that many cell phone cameras suffer from ‘shutter lag,’ which means you have to hold the phone steady for a little longer before moving it away from the shot. Use the camera settings Most phones have a number of easy-to-use camera settings. Spend a few minutes to find out what they are and use them when appropriate. Almost every cell phone with a camera will allow you to vary the resolution (go for the highest setting available), the shooting mode (single or multi-shot), the brightness settings, and also allow you to zoom in or out. Experiment with the various settings to see what produces the best images. Cell phone cameras are particularly good for experimenting with new angles and perspectives – up high, down low, close up, etc. You can shoot and delete at zero cost until you know what works best for your particular phone. Learn how to transfer to the web The easiest way to get your photos out of your phone is to send them to your phone service provider’s web site as soon as you have taken them. All the main carriers allow you to set up an album online and sync your phone so they can be sent to your album or shared with other devices. (Verizon customers can use the recently upgraded Backup Assistant Plus feature.) Use editing software While you may be able to perform a certain amount of editing and add effects right there on your cell phone, editing pictures later on your computer will produce much better results. Free photo-editing software like Photoshop or Picasa can work wonders for your pics and can be a lot of fun to use. Other sites like Picnik will let you do the editing right there on the web without any downloads. Make sure you take your shots in color and high resolution to keep your options open on how best to deal with them later. Remember, you can always make a color picture black and white but you can’t make a black and white picture color! Keep your lens clean Phones spend a lot of time in bags and pockets and are dropped and generally misused. They get treated very differently than if they were a stand-alone camera. Make sure the lens is clean and not scratched. Fingerprints are a common problem, especially if the phone doesn’t have a lens cover. From time to time give the lens a wipe with a soft cloth. Use your cell phone camera wisely! We all know about those embarrassing photos that end up on Facebook. Use your cell phone camera wisely. Respect other people’s privacy and ask permission before you take pictures of people and post them to the Web If you follow the above guidelines, you might find that your cell phone becomes your best friend all over again – and a worthy substitute at weddings and family gatherings when you forget to bring the Nikon! Do you have other tips for taking great cell phone pics? Share them with your fellow Insiders in comments. If you’d like to learn more about this topic and get a chance to win some valuable prizes, join the next Family Buzz Twitter Party on Friday, February 17th. I have been compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.