Ansel Adams once said that “the single most important component of any camera is the 12 inches behind it.” Whether you own the latest smartphone or a years-old model with a cracked screen, here are four simple tips to make you a better smartphone photographer:

Tap Your Subject

Touching the screen where your subject is located tells your phone to focus on that spot. Whether taking a photo of a face, a front door, or a fireplace, tapping the screen in that spot also sets the exposure so that object isn’t too light or dark. 

Hold Steady

If your photos look a little out of focus, you may be moving your phone while you shoot. It’s hard to keep your phone steady while holding it at arm’s length. Try to position your arms closer in, bracing an elbow on your body if you can. Or lean against a stationary object like a wall or street post. For the best results, buy a tripod or monopod for your phone.

Don’t Settle for First Impressions

When a photo looks washed out, tilted, tinted, or otherwise off, you can likely improve it with your phone’s built-in photo editing tools. Spend a few minutes playing around with the photo-editing options, or search the internet for a tutorial for your particular phone.

Keep On Shooting

Gone are the days when you had to pay for film and developing. Take a few more shots from new angles, change the lighting, move closer, move farther away, and adjust the settings available on your camera. The more photos you take, the better your chances of capturing an image you like, and you’ll be honing your photography skills as you go.