[TechTimid]

With my new smartphone now, and even with my pocket digital camera, I don't always get a sharp picture and I think it's because I'm not holding the device as steady as possible.

Back in the day when your camera was held up to your eye to look through the viewer at what you were taking a picture of, it was so much easier for me to take a sharp picture and not move the camera.

I've only taken a couple of pictures with my smartphone, but they don't seem to be as good as they could be.

Does anybody have tips on how to keep the phone completely still while taking a picture?

[Javier P]

I'm not sure about tricks to keep the phone still but the Moto camera has a trick to make easier taking pictures and it will let you have a tighter grip. You can select the option to take a picture after you tap anywhere and not only in the shutter. Worth trying. Open the camera, swipe to the right, tap the cog icon top right, scroll down and enable "tap anywhere to capture". See if this helps.

[TechTimid]

Thanks Javier! The phone also seems to hesitate after I tap the button to take the photo, by the time it actually takes the dog has turned his head the other way, lol.

[ManiacJoe]

Proper holding positions work wonders!

The camera needs to be supported just like the pros hold their DSLRs.
Do NOT have your elbows out like chicken wings. At a minimum, keep your elbows tucked into your sides.

I hold my phone in my left hand, left elbow against my stomach.
Tap the screen using my right-hand fingers.

If your subject is moving, you need a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion.
This can be tricky if you are indoors since most houses are poorly lighted.
Raise your ISO to get a higher shutter speed. 1/125 for walking people, 1/250 for small children, 1/500 or higher for high school sports.

Depending on the shooting mode your camera is in, tap on the screen to set the focus point, which also can help with exposure control.

[Tim1954]

Some phones have voice operated shooting mode, you say a world and the camera takes a pic... That's not bad either if you have it.... Look in camera settings... Shooting mode or such

[TechTimid]

Thanks Joe, very good advice there, I need to hold the camera like you said, what I do now is all wrong, no wonder it's shaky. Thank you for tips about the shutter speed, etc.

Tim, thanks for your reply, I'll have to see if it has a voice mode, right now I have my voice feature turned off.