When you imagine a photographer, what do you think of?

Do you think of a big camera with a huge lens and other fancy equipment? The truth is, it doesn’t matter what kind of equipment you have. You could have a top-of-the-line camera, but you can still take terrible pictures. Nowadays, you can even use your phone to take high-quality photos. Most of us use photography without even realizing it. From that selfie you took with your friends to the Snapchat of your lunch, you use elements of photography.

We share everything online nowadays, from videos to pictures. However, since everyone else does it, why wouldn’t you want your photography to stand out?

As a photographer with my own service, one thing that I’ve noticed is that some people view photography as a deep and expressive art form, but that’s not always the case. Sure, it’s an art to some, but it’s not something that’s only available to people with a creative mind – it’s just a matter of looking at the world around you a certain way. Anyone can take great pictures!

1. Consider your tech and settings.

Since we're talking about phones here, I’m more than positive that you have experience with yours and you know its strengths and weaknesses.

For example, Droid phones tend to have a delayed capture while iPhones can take multiple shots just by holding down the capture button. Now, think about the settings that your phone offers. Most phones today have filters and crop adjustments already applied before you even take the picture. Avoid these, you can alter the photo as much as you want later.

Also, back to what I said earlier about flash. Unless it’s pitch black, I highly recommend avoiding flash on a camera phone. On iPhones, for example, natural light looks great with their cameras. Their flash does not. People’s eyes look beady, any motion is just one big blur, and it doesn’t “reach” very far. Don't use it unless it's an absolute must in order to capture the moment.

2. Get creative! Pick a subject and visualize!

Choose your subject, the main point of your picture. This could be a person, a landscape, your food, or your feet! Once you’ve picked the subject that you want to use, this is when you get to be creative – visualize a composition. This is when you get to choose what goes in or out of the frame. Look around and get a good look at the lighting situation and adjust your settings accordingly. Also, pay attention to where your own eyes go – your viewers will probably do the same.

3. Move around to get a funky angle.

This is the fun part. Drop it low, lay on the ground, climb on a table, etc. Different angles other than holding the phone straight out never fail to wow. From left to right in the images below you have a lower-level angle, middle or 'eye-to-eye' in the second, and a birds-eye view in the far right.

4. Double-check that you're in focus and capture your photo!

Now that you’ve picked the angle that you want to use, make sure that the picture is in focus. What good is it if it’s blurry? As soon as everything’s focused to your liking, you are now ready for the next and most complicated step – press the button.

Always make sure to take more than one image! It's better to have plenty to choose from than to look back and realize that you didn't get a single picture that you liked.

5. Review and edit.

As a final step, it's important to review your photographs immediately after you take them. By doing this, you can decide if you like what you have or if you need to do it again.

Remember earlier how I said that you should avoid pre-set filters? That's where this last step comes in. Now that you have a base photo to work with, you can edit all you want.

Congrats, you've made it to the end of this article! With what I've shared with you today, you now have the know-how on how to take stunning photos on your phone. Now, go out there and put everyone else's Instagram posts to shame!