3 apps to help you learn to take photos with your smartphone

Sure, YouTube and online courses are popular for learning smartphone photography, but what if the best teacher was right in your pocket? These apps not only help you hone your skills, but also inspire your next great shot while you practice.

1. 500px

Browsing other photographers' photos in the 500px app will teach you a lot about lines, contrast, and other essentials of smartphone photography. The Mood Gallery categorizes different styles and moods, such as perspective, travel, and black and white photography. For smartphone-specific photos, search for the device name in the search bar (e.g., "iPhone").

You can save any photos you like for future reference. In addition to using the tool to learn about new photography styles, you can also turn to 500px if you need new inspiration in familiar categories.

Note : The 500px blog includes more comprehensive photography resources, but you'll have to visit the website as these aren't available in the app.

Browsing the 500px app is free. You can sign up for a premium subscription, but I don’t think these are necessary if your sole goal is learning.

The 500px subreddit used to be very popular, but it's now "dead" (no one has posted anything new in over a year). This post suggests joining r/photography as an alternative to get more feedback on your photos and improve your learning.

• Get 500px for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Lightroom

In addition to using Lightroom to edit your smartphone photos, you can also learn a lot from its community. Like 500px, you can browse through its many categories. Lightroom is a better blend of smartphone and professional photography—you can see the exact editing process for each photo. It’s a great way to learn if you want to achieve a particular style or experiment.

Lightroom also lets you see remixed versions of other people's photos, making it easier to explore different editing styles. You'll also learn a lot about subject selection and color theory, and you'll also learn the amazing capabilities of your phone. To access Lightroom, you'll need a subscription.

In addition to editing other people's photos and getting inspired, the Lightroom app lets you save user-created presets that you can later apply to your photos.

There are many photography-specific mobile apps that are great for hands-on shooting and editing. Use these tools to learn more about composition, get inspiration for your next photoshoot, discover the best times to take photos, and improve your editing skills. They’re all great companions to long-form editing resources.

• Get Lightroom for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Unscripted

Even if you’re primarily a professional photographer, you can still use Unscripted to explore unique poses for smartphone portraits. The app has a comprehensive set of poses divided into categories, with information on the exact camera settings. This is especially useful if you’re changing the aperture in Portrait Mode, or if you’ve downloaded a smartphone camera app that has the option to change the ISO, etc.

Unscripted’s Suntracker feature is also handy. On the home page, you can see the weather for your location and sunrise/sunset times, so it’s much easier to prepare for different conditions and know when to head outside for better light. If you sign up for a premium subscription, you can see the Blue Hour and Golden Hour times for your current location.

You can use the Unscripted app to find resources on color theory, social media marketing, and many other applicable smartphone photography topics. The app’s portfolio of photographer interviews gives you more advice and inspiration to improve your photography skills.

• Get Unscripted for iOS/iPadOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)