Most smartphone photography tips are about what you should put in your photograph.
Get closer. Turn on grid lines. Use natural light. Don’t use digital zoom.
But there’s another simple trick that can make your smartphone photos look dramatically more creative — and hardly anyone talks about it.
Shoot through something.
Instead of pointing your phone directly at your subject, place an object between your camera and the subject. It could be a doorway, a window, some leaves, a railing, a fence, a flower or even another person’s shoulder.
The object doesn’t have to be the main subject of the photograph. In fact, it can be slightly out of focus.
The result is a photograph with much more depth, atmosphere and visual interest.
What Does “Shoot Through Something” Mean?
Imagine you’re photographing a friend standing in a beautiful street.
You could simply stand opposite them and take the photograph.
Instead, find something in the foreground and position yourself so that it partially covers the edge of the frame.
For example, you could photograph your friend:
- Through an archway
- Between leaves on a tree
- Through a doorway
- Through a gap in a fence
- Through a window
- Behind flowers
- Between two buildings
Your subject remains the focus, but the foreground object creates an additional layer.
This is sometimes called foreground framing, and it’s an incredibly effective smartphone photography technique.
Why Does It Work?
One reason is that it creates a stronger sense of depth.
A normal photograph can sometimes look flat because everything appears to exist on the same visual plane.
Adding something close to the camera creates three layers:
Foreground → Subject → Background
Suddenly, the photograph feels more three-dimensional.
It’s a particularly useful technique when photographing buildings, people, streets and landscapes because it helps communicate a sense of place.
You Don’t Need a Fancy Camera
This is what makes the technique particularly useful for smartphone photographers.
You don’t need a DSLR.
You don’t need a telephoto lens.
You don’t need expensive editing software.
You simply need to start paying attention to what’s happening between you and your subject.
Your smartphone camera is already capable of producing beautifully detailed photographs. The real difference often comes from how you position yourself.
Before taking the obvious photograph, look around.
What’s directly in front of me?
That question can completely change the image.
Try Leaves and Flowers
One of the easiest ways to experiment is with plants.
Find a person standing several metres away and position yourself behind some leaves.
Move your phone until the leaves occupy one edge or corner of the frame while your subject remains visible.
The leaves may appear soft and blurry, creating a natural frame around the person.
This works particularly well in parks, gardens and countryside locations.
Smartphone tip:
Tap your subject on the screen to make sure the camera focuses on them.
Then take several photographs while moving your phone slightly from side to side.
Even tiny changes in your position can completely change the foreground.
Use Doorways and Arches
Architecture provides some fantastic opportunities for this technique.
Rather than photographing a building or person from the middle of a street, step backwards and find a doorway, arch or entrance.
Use it to frame the subject.
The darker foreground can also create a natural contrast with a brighter scene outside.
This is especially effective when exploring historic towns and cities.
Windows Are Brilliant Frames
Windows are another easy way to add depth.
Try photographing a scene through a café window, an old building or even a train or bus window.
You may capture reflections at the same time as the scene outside, creating a photograph with several layers.
Don’t worry if the window isn’t perfectly clean either.
A few imperfections, reflections or light flares can actually make the photograph feel more atmospheric.
You Can Even Use People
Here’s a particularly useful trick for street photography.
Instead of waiting until everyone has moved out of your photograph, deliberately use someone in the foreground.
Imagine you’re photographing a famous building.
Rather than taking a completely empty shot, wait for somebody to walk across the front of your frame.
Let them become a soft foreground element while the building remains the main subject.
Suddenly you’ve captured not just the building, but the experience of being there.
Move Your Feet
The biggest mistake people make with this technique is trying it from the first position they find.
Don’t.
Move around.
Take one step to the left.
Then another to the right.
Get closer to the foreground object.
Move further away.
Raise your phone.
Lower it.
Look at how the relationship between the foreground and background changes.
This is one of the best ways to improve your photography because you’re actively composing the photograph rather than simply recording what’s in front of you.
A Simple Challenge to Try Today
Next time you’re out with your smartphone, give yourself this challenge:
Take five photographs without photographing your subject directly.
Find five different objects that you can use as foreground frames.
A tree.
A doorway.
A railing.
A window.
Another person.
You might be surprised at how different the resulting photographs look.
The Best Smartphone Photography Tips Aren’t Always About Your Phone
It’s easy to think that better smartphone photography requires a newer phone, more megapixels or better camera features.
But often, the biggest improvement comes from something much simpler:
Changing where you stand.
The next time you raise your phone to take a photograph, don’t immediately press the shutter.
Look at the whole scene.
Look behind your subject.
Look beside them.
And most importantly, look directly in front of you.
There might be something there that turns an ordinary photograph into a great one.
Learn Smartphone Photography With PicTours
At PicTours, we believe that taking better photographs isn’t about having the most expensive equipment.
It’s about learning how to see.
Our smartphone photography tours get participants out exploring cities while teaching simple, practical photography techniques that they can use immediately.
You’ll discover how to find better compositions, use light, experiment with perspective and see familiar places in completely new ways.
So grab your phone, get outside and start looking at the world differently.
Your next great photograph might be hiding behind something.
