Even with just a smartphone, you can take stunningly beautiful portraits. From practical know-how on natural poses to lighting techniques, 25-year veteran photographer Lee Kang-shin shares it all. Remember that impressive photos come not from special equipment but from 'genuine interest in your subject' and a few key principles. Packed with practical tips that anyone from beginners to photography enthusiasts can apply right away!

1. Why Your Photos Always Look Awkward — and the Fundamental Fix

People who struggle with photos share a common pattern. For example, they often wonder, "Why do legs or heads always get cut off in my photos?" — recurring composition mistakes. Photographer Lee Kang-shin advises:

"You need to scan the whole frame. Before pressing the shutter, don't just look at the person's face — scan the entire frame in an X pattern to check for anything unnecessary or missing, then press the shutter."

He points out that most people only focus on 'pressing the shutter button' without actually training themselves to see the entire subject. He also adds, "People think they know someone well, but many men don't even know where the moles on their own face are." In other words, if you want to take beautiful photos, start by practicing how to 'truly see' your subject.

2. Portrait 'Composition' and the Formula for Minimizing Distortion

The standard smartphone lens (24mm) has a wide angle and strong distortion, so extra care is needed for portraits. Both full-body and face shots will distort body proportions if the subject is off-center.

The key formula photographer Lee emphasizes is using the 'Grid'.

"In the nine-square grid, always place the face in zone 5 (the center square). Only the center avoids distortion."

• Tight face shots: Use the telephoto lens (2-3x zoom), face in zone 5
• Full-body shots: Hold the smartphone low (or flipped upside down) to make legs appear longer. However:

  "Simply flipping the phone doesn't automatically make legs look longer. Make sure the face is in the center, and legs are slightly elongated from the bottom."

He also adds the practical tip that "if there's too much distortion, you can crop just the edges in editing for a clean result."

3. How to Create Natural, Beautiful 'Poses' and Expressions

Many people feel awkward with their hands and expressions when standing in front of a camera. The key is to use the hands and redirect the gaze.

"Give them something to hold and they'll relax right away. A handbag, a book, accessories — holding anything makes them look natural."

He particularly emphasizes that "if you have them look away from the camera while chatting, their expressions and movements become much more natural."

Here are additional tips for creating good poses, expressions, and atmosphere:

• Direct the gaze toward grid corner intersection points, leaving space in the direction they're looking
• Use bags, props, etc. to naturally occupy the hands
• Don't say "Ready, one two three!" — instead, engage in casual conversation and press the shutter naturally

"The key is capturing the moment when their expression changes while they're talking!"

4. The Real '3 Formulas' for the Perfect Shot (Light, Distance, Unusual Perspective)

Photographer Lee particularly emphasizes three things: light, camera distance (perspective), and unconventional composition.

Light

"The most important thing in portrait photography is light. Absolutely avoid facing the sun directly. Squinting ruins expressions, and shadows under the nose are unflattering. The best time is when the sun comes in from the side or behind at about a 45-degree angle — the golden hour."

• He also emphasizes that the soft light of an overcast day is actually better than bright sunshine.
• Different lighting angles can create various moods

Distance

• When shooting tight and close, facial charm that's normally invisible is maximized.
• For unfamiliar subjects, he suggests using the telephoto lens to zoom in from a distance

Composition and Perspective

• "When photographing children or animals, you must shoot from 'their eye level' to bring out vividness."
• Like the English word 'shooting' implies, timing the shutter while waiting is crucial!

  "Rather than demanding poses, waiting and capturing 'the decisive moment' is the secret to natural photos."

5. Tips for Shooting Landscapes and Flowers 'Differently' from Everyone Else

The common assumption is 'landscape = wide shot,' but:

"No need to go wide. Instead, let the subject take up only 1/3 of the frame and fill the remaining 2/3 with sky or sea for a stable composition."

Adjust exposure by tapping the screen where you want the light to be:

"Only photos with vivid colors can be edited effectively. If there's no color in the sky, the photo is a dead photo." "The same goes for flower photos. Remove unnecessary backgrounds and focus on the subject as much as possible!"

• The difference between backlight and front light
• When there are many flowers, capturing the overall pattern makes for an impressive shot
• The repeated key point: 'Photography is about subtraction, not addition'

6. Final Summary and the Scientific Tip About the 'Left Side of the Face' Myth

The most important elements when shooting are once again light, telephoto lens, grid and intersection points, and composition. He emphasizes this applies equally indoors and outdoors.

At the end, there's also a fun tip:

"More than 85% of people look better from the left side. Look at which corner of your mouth goes up — close your mouth and smile, and the side where the corner rises is your more attractive side!"

In summary:

• The left side of the face being more attractive is statistically true
• It varies by individual face shape, so "the side where the mouth corner and eye corner go up is the attractive side" — a quick self-check tip.

Conclusion

This video, generously sharing 25 years of expertise, reminds us once again that the essence of photography lies not in technique but in "how attentively you observe your subject." Just remembering a few principles makes it entirely possible to take exceptional photos with just a smartphone! Keep these four things in mind — 'light, composition, distance, and natural poses' — and starting today, you too can take photos worthy of a professional photographer