Quick Tip for Sharper Smartphone Holiday Photos

By Mike Rhodes

Does it seem like your smartphone photos are less sharp than they used to be?
Have you been thinking you need a new phone so your pictures are better?

You probably do not need a new phone for better, sharper pictures. You just need to clean the camera lens on your phone. Think about it. Have you EVER cleaned your smartphone camera’s lens?

If you haven’t, try this.  Turn your smartphone over and look at the phone’s camera lens. Look dirty? Smudges on it?

You probably don’t think of it, but a dirty, smudgy lens is the number one cause of smartphone photos that are not sharp.  Your phone gets a lot of use. You stick it in your pocket. Throw it in your purse. Handle it all day. The camera lens gets smudged with fingerprints and oil from your hands. This oil and dirt on the smartphone camera lens causes flare, distortion and unsharp images from your camera.

So, before you starting shooting those all-important Independence Day  photos on your smartphone,  clean the lens.

Use a lens cleaning cloth, or  a 100% cotton t-shirt, at minimum to do this. (Nothing abrasive.) Rub the lens gently to get all the oil, dirt and smudges off the lens.

Then take your pictures. They’ll be sharper, with better contrast and color.

Try it!