Smartphone photography in a photo studio: how to get started

More and more people book our studio with nothing but their smartphone in their pocket. And rightly so: the camera in your trousers is better today than most compact cameras from ten years ago. What holds a phone back at home is rarely the camera itself, but the light and the background. Those are exactly the two things a photo studio gives you in abundance. In this guide we explain which studio lights work with a smartphone, which settings to change and how a single lamp already gets you a professional result. No technical jargon, just doing it.

Flashes do not work with your smartphone, video lights do

Let us clear up a misunderstanding first. Studio flashes fire a short, powerful burst of light at the exact moment a camera takes the picture. For that, the camera needs a trigger on its hot shoe, and your smartphone does not have one. A studio flash and a phone simply cannot work together.

The good news: continuous light works perfectly. Our six LED video lights (two 720W Nanlite FC-720C full-colour spots, two 200W bi-color spots and two 300W RGB spots) are simply on all the time. What you see on your screen is exactly what you capture. Nothing to pair, nothing to configure, nothing to guess. You move the lamp until the light looks right and you press the button. For beginners that is even easier than flash, as we explain in studio flash vs. continuous light.

The most important tip: set your own exposure

Your phone's camera app runs in automatic mode by default. That automation assumes an average scene is middle grey. Put someone in front of our large white infinity wall and the phone mostly sees white, thinks "too much light" and darkens everything. Result: a dull grey background and a face that is too dark. In front of a black wall the opposite happens and everything becomes too bright.

Here is how to fix it:

Android: press and hold on the image for a couple of seconds until exposure and focus lock. A small sun icon appears next to the frame. Slide that sun to the right to brighten the image (for the white wall) or to the left to darken it (for the black wall).

iPhone: tap your subject's face, then hold for a moment to lock the setting (you will see "AE/AF Lock"). Then slide the sun icon next to the yellow box up for brighter, down for darker.

Do this once per setup and every photo in that series is instantly consistent. It is a five-second move that makes the difference between "phone photo" and "studio photo".

Smartphone settings that make the difference

• Use the main camera (1x) or the telephoto (2x or 3x). The ultra-wide (0.5x) distorts faces: noses get bigger, ears smaller. For portraits, step back a few metres and zoom in slightly with the real telephoto lens, not digitally.
• Turn off your phone's flash. The tiny LED on your phone competes with the studio light and gives flat, harsh photos.
• Clean your lens. Sounds silly, but a greasy smudge on the lens creates a hazy glow that no lamp can fix. A T-shirt will do.
• Turn on the grid. It keeps your horizon straight and the curve of the infinity wall tidy.
• Portrait mode in moderation. The artificial background blur works well on a plain wall, but sometimes cuts away hair and fine edges. Take the same shot without it too.
• Highest quality. Pick the highest resolution and, if you want to edit later, RAW or the "Pro" mode. There you can also set ISO manually low (50 to 100) for the cleanest image.
• Timer or remote. Are you in the photo yourself? Put your phone on a small tripod or simply on one of the white plinths, use the timer, or trigger with your smartwatch or a Bluetooth remote.

One lamp is enough to start

The biggest beginner mistake is switching on three lamps at once. Start with one LED spot in a softbox. Place it about 45 degrees to the side of your model and slightly above the face, pointing down. On the other side, put a white reflector (there is one in the studio) to lift the shadow side a little. That is all you need for a portrait that instantly looks "studio".

Want the white wall to be truly white? Then aim a second lamp at the background itself. Want a dramatic look instead? Work on our black wall with one lamp from the side and leave the rest in darkness. With the bi-color lamps you choose warm or cool light; set all lamps to the same colour temperature and close the blackout curtains so daylight does not confuse your colours. Your phone will then handle white balance flawlessly on its own.

You will find a more extensive overview of lighting patterns in our portrait photography guide for beginners. Everything in it applies just as well to a smartphone.

Choose your background and your props

This is exactly where a studio differs from your living room. At Studio BoenkOp you choose from the 5-metre-wide white infinity wall, a black wall, a modern wooden slat wall. For product photos there are also small backdrop panels in wood, concrete and black. On top of that there is furniture and props ready to use: a sofa, a white bench, a foldable bed, wooden crates and plinths, wicker baskets, fur rugs and children's chairs. All free to use, no surcharge.

That way you can easily create five completely different looks in a single two-hour session: clean on white, warm on wood, bold on black, cosy on the sofa and a product series on the plinths.

Checklist for your smartphone shoot

1. Phone fully charged, plus your charging cable or power bank.
2. Enough free storage (a session quickly produces hundreds of photos).
3. A small tripod or phone holder if you want to be in the picture yourself.
4. A clean lens and your phone's flash turned off.
5. Clothing in plain colours, maybe a second outfit for a second look.
6. A list of five images you definitely want, so you do not start from a blank page.

Want to try it yourself?

You book our studio for smartphone photography online like everyone else: from 95 euro for two hours, all lights, backgrounds and props included. You get an access code, let yourself in and nobody looks over your shoulder. Exactly the calm you need to experiment and learn. Check availability and just bring your phone. The rest is ready.