13 Easy Tips To Help Your Smartphone Photos Not Suck

Step one: Stop using your front-facing camera for selfies. Step two: Get a phone with a good camera. Best Buy has the best plans, top carriers, and latest phones for everyone including the all-new Samsung Galaxy S®6 Edge+ and Samsung Note®5 — coming soon.

We've all been there before. You see something really cool, and you think, Hey, thing, you look really cool! I'm going to share you with the world, because they care!

Robert LeBlanc (CC BY http://2.0) / Via Flickr: rmleblanc

Look at those colors. Those leading lines. That composition.

Yaaass, you think. Everyone will love this!

Phil Dolby (CC BY http://2.0) / Via Flickr: 126654539@N08

Wait... That's not what it's supposed to look like.

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Ugggggggh.

If you suffer from poor smartphone photography, these tips will help to get your photos looking how you want.

Soon, you'll be taking amazing photos like this!

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All the depth. All the landscapes. Such beauty. Wow.

1. Sometimes it's OK to follow guidelines.

ThinkStock / BuzzFeed

Use the guidelines in your camera to get great composition that will make your shot more interesting. If you aren't familiar with the rule of thirds, then brush up here.

2. Stop using your camera's zoom.

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Your pictures will look grainy and lose resolution. Instead, you can either crop your photo or try holding a pair of binoculars up to your lens.

3. Use the sun for dramatic silhouettes.

Kalyan Chakravarthy (CC BY http://2.0) / Via Flickr: kalyan02

Shooting with the sun directly behind your subject will create intense shadows and silhouettes that make the photo more dramatic.

4. Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation before applying filters.

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Filters are a dead giveaway. Instead, play around with your photo levels before applying that filter.

5. Create a makeshift tripod.

Rich Sipe (CC BY http://2.0) / Via Flickr: richsipe

You can use binder clips to create a makeshift tripod. Learn how to make and use the stand here.

6. Get your pets to actually look at the camera.

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The Look Birdy app (iPhone only right now) is the perfect way to get a child or pet's attention. Having them look at the camera creates a more captivating and dynamic shot.

7. Stop taking selfies with the front-facing camera.

Zach McKnight / BuzzFeed

Yes, you look fab. But show your true potential by using the back-facing camera; it has much better quality than your front cam.

8. Improve your selfies by using your headphones as a shutter remote.

Sirastock / ThinkStock

This is perfect for selfies!

9. Play with symmetry when shooting.

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See how perfectly the dock runs left and right in the image, and the part where the photographer is standing leads directly to the center? Using symmetry like this will help to draw attention to your subject and make your images pop.

10. Avoid using your phone's flash as much as possible.

Ted Drake (CC BY-ND http://2.0) / Via Flickr: draket

Instead, utilize natural light when you can. Move closer to your light source or shoot near a window to add light and contrast to your shot.

11. Play with reflections for interesting shots.

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Look at your surroundings. Shoot into puddles and other bodies of water for a different and captivating perspective.

12. Get clever with some of your shots using long exposures.

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Light painting is a fun and interesting way to take photos. If you're using an iPhone, you can achieve the look with the LightBomber app, and Android users can give Flashlight HD LED a try.

13. And experiment with double-exposure shots for a more artsy look.

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You can accomplish this using the Piclay app for iPhone and Android.

For the latest and greatest smartphones with phenomenal cameras, come to Best Buy.