Are you a freelancer or employee, perhaps a journalist, a communicator or a marketer? You may be out at events and events and need to cover it with reportage photos or you have been asked to do employee portraits or take stillife and product photos. You may have been to the photo shop and bought a camera and a small flash kit, but so what?
At Theilgaard Academy, we are experts in dressing as a photographer who is NOT a trained photographer, but still need to take pictures and maybe make video in one for web and SoMe, in connection with internal communication, sales and marketing and much more.
When we go out to companies and organizations to teach, and at the courses we hold in our studio at Frederiksborggade mit in Copenhagen, we hear about all the challenges that are typical when you have to deliver pictures without really being dressed for it.
So here are a number of good tips and tricks we have collected together, for your inspiration and further development on the way to make good pictures without stress and nervousness about whether it is now “good enough”.
Mobile cameras have become impressively good, and even professional photographers use them occasionally. But if you want to develop as a photographer and take pictures at a more professional level, there are clear limitations to the mobile camera. A real camera gives you better control, greater creative freedom and significantly higher image quality.
Hos Theilgaard Academy we offer courses and workshops where you learn how to make optimal use of your camera.
So here are a few examples of where mobile falls short:
1. Better image quality
Although mobile cameras have many megapixels, this does not necessarily mean better images. Mobile cameras have small sensors and simple lenses as well as over-process your images, which often result in unnatural colors, low color contrasts and are less detailed.
2. Low depth of field and background blur
Background blur depends on sensor size, lens aperture, and distance to the subject. The small sensors of the mobile usually mean that almost everything in the image becomes sharp.
Some phones can make some AI fix faxes and thus make a “cheat” background blur, but it is by no means good enough or reliable enough for professional use.
The only way to work is with a real camera and a bright lens, so you can control the depth of field yourself naturally.
3. Focal length and flexibility
Mobile phones have multiple lenses, but they can't match the range of lenses for a real camera. Cameras from Nikon, Sony, Canon and Fuji offer everything from wide-angle to telephoto lenses, giving you full control over perspective and composition. Only in this way can you go in and work consciously to choose the focal length and brightness that suits what you want to photograph and the way you want to do it.
4. Better ergonomics and focus on photography
A mobile is convenient because it is small and always at hand. However, as a photographic apparatus, it has clear disadvantages.
Disturbance: First, you use it for everything else, and it's not good to be disturbed by calls or messages while photographing.
Controls: A camera is made for one thing. It gives a completely different sense of control, focus and exhibits professionalism towards those you photograph.
5. Sensitivity to light
One of the main disadvantages of mobile cameras is their poor performance in low light.
The tiny sensors have limited light sensitivity, which means more image noise and poor color reproduction. A real camera with a larger sensor and a bright lens captures more light and detail — without relying on artificial noise reduction.
6. Professional flash and art light
If you want to work seriously with flash, a mobile phone is not an option.
No manual flash: Mobile cameras provide no control over flash systems.
More creative options: Even an inexpensive flash on a tripod with a hard standard reflector opens up new possibilities.
Learn to work with flash and art lights by reading our tips and tricks here.
7th. Uniformity and workflow
A camera allows you to shoot in RAW format, which ensures better color management and flexibility in post-processing. It gives far better opportunities to over or under expose a bit and still get good pictures. When shooting RAW, you can easily adjust exposure and white balance, making post-processing faster and more accurate compared to mobile compressed JPEG files.
Read Part 2 here >
In doubt?
If you have any doubts about which photography education or course is relevant for you, you are always welcome to contact Helga or Michael by phone or email.
Clarifying conversation
You can also book a clarifying conversation here if you are considering a longer course. It is free and non-binding and you get the opportunity to get a pair of Denmark's sharpest eyes on your photographs and your photographic practice, regardless of your level.
Sign up for clarifying conversation here >
Theilgaard Academy offers photography courses at all levels, both for amateur photographers, professionals or those who work with communication, content creation and SoMe and would like to have new skills in portrait photography and photography in general.
If you want to be taught by two of Denmark's best photographers, take part in one of our popular photo workshops at and around our beautiful photography school in the middle of Copenhagen.
I’m a visual artist and photographer, and over the past 20 years I’ve created a number of significant nationwide exhibitions and book publications — most recently the exhibitions I’m Here Now and The Rootless – We Who Remain.
I also work with communicating and teaching art and photography through workshops and talks, and I’ve helped hundreds of professional, independent and emerging photographers define their photographic language and make their images truly stand out.
I trained under Rigmor Mydtskov, Photographer to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark, as well as at Fatamorgana – The Danish School of Art Photography, and the European Film College.
If you have any questions, you’re welcome to contact me at
or by phone on +45 26 84 40 43.
I’m a photographer and image retoucher, and an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop. I trained as a photojournalist and have worked as a photographer for more than 20 years for magazines, publishers and companies.
Alongside this, I have specialised in post-production and portrait retouching, as well as finishing fine art prints for museums and exhibitions. I also work on my own artistic projects.
Over the years, I’ve taught at institutions including Fatamorgana – The Danish School of Art Photography, and the Photography Programme under KTS/Next.
If you have any questions, you’re welcome to contact me at michael@theilgaardacademy.com or by phone on +45 31 79 94 79.
