Taking and Editing Pictures with Your Android Tablet
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
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Topics include the following:
- → Using the camera
- → Taking panoramic pictures
- → Taking Photo Sphere pictures
- → Synchronizing pictures
- → Viewing pictures
Most Android tablets have both front- and rear-facing cameras. The rear-facing camera is normally quite good, so taking pictures is not a disappointing experience. After you take those great pictures, you can share them with friends. You can also synchronize the pictures directly with your computer or using Google Photos in the cloud.
Using the Camera
Before you start taking photos, you should become familiar with the Camera application.
Tap to launch the Camera.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen to change the camera mode between still camera, panoramic camera, Lens Blur, Photo Sphere, and video camera. (These modes are covered in more detail later in the chapter.)
Tap to change the camera settings. (See the next section for more information about the camera settings.)
- Tap anywhere in the frame to make the camera focus specifically in the area.
- Tap to switch between the front-facing and rear-facing cameras, overlay a grid pattern on the screen, or manually adjust the exposure setting.
Tap to take a picture.
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Zooming In—Is It Worth It?
Before you snap your picture or record a video (and also while you’re recording a video), you can zoom in on the frame. To zoom in, place your thumb and forefinger on the screen and move them apart. To zoom out, move your thumb and forefinger back together. This is commonly called “pinch to zoom.”
When you slide your thumb and forefinger apart to zoom in, the Camera app is faking the zoom. Although the image appears to get larger, what is actually happening is the image is simply manipulated to appear like it’s zooming in. This is commonly called “digital zoom.” Optical zoom is when the camera actually zooms using a lens movement, which is something that this camera cannot do.
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Adjust Camera Settings
Using camera settings, you can change things such as the resolution of each picture, picture review time, filters, scene mode, white balance, and more. The settings that are not available when you’re in video mode are noted in the steps.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen.
Tap to see Settings.
- Tap to enable or disable embeding your GPS coordinates into pictures you take.
- Tap to enable or disable showing the manual exposure setting on the main camera screen.
Tap Resolution & Quality.
- Tap to adjust the resolution and format of the pictures taken with the rear-facing camera. Your choices range from a 5 megapixel 4:3 ratio image to a 0.9 megapixel 16:9 ratio image. The exact range depends on your tablet’s camera capabilities.
- Tap to adjust the resolution and format of the pictures taken with the front-facing camera. Your choices range from a 1 megapixel 5:3 ratio image to a 0.1 megapixel 4:3 ratio image. The exact range depends on your tablet’s camera capabilities.
- Tap to adjust the format of the video taken with the rear-facing camera. Your choices are HD 1080p, HD 720p, and SD 480p. The exact range depends on your tablet’s camera capabilities.
- Tap to adjust the format of the video taken with the front-facing camera. Your choices are HD 720p, SD 480p, and CIF. The exact range depends on your tablet’s camera capabilities.
- Tap to adjust the quality of the images taken with the rear-facing camera when shooting panoramas. Your choices are High, Normal, and Low.
- Tap to adjust the quality of the images taken with the rear-facing camera when shooting Lens Blur pictures. Your choices are Normal and Low.
Tap to save your changes and return to the main Settings screen.
Tap to save your changes and return to the main Camera screen.
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Take Regular Pictures
Now that you have the settings the way you want them, take a few pictures. You can jump to Step 5 and take the picture, but you might want to first set up your shot. Remember to always take pictures in landscape mode for the best results.
Tap the Camera icon.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen to change the camera mode.
Tap to select regular camera mode.
- Tap the area of the frame you want to focus on specifically. When you release your finger, the camera adjusts its focus.
Tap to take the picture.
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Take Panoramic Pictures
Your Android tablet can take panoramic pictures. Panoramic pictures are achieved by taking multiple pictures from left to right or right to left and stitching them together in one long picture. Luckily your Android tablet does all that work for you.
Tap the Camera icon.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen.
Tap to select Panorama.
Tap to select the type of panorama you want to take.
- Tap to shoot a horizontal panorama (left to right or right to left).
- Tap to shoot a vertical panorama (up/down or down/up).
- Tap to shoot a wide angle panorama.
Tap to shoot a fish eye panorama.
- Tap to start the panorama.
Move your tablet until the circle is over the closest white dot. This is your starting off point. After the dot turns blue, more dots appear to guide you.
Slowly move your tablet around, and guide the circle over the blue dots. Each time you line them up, another image is captured for your panorama.
- After you capture all the images necessary for the type of panorama you chose, the camera automatically stitches the pictures together into a panorama and saves it.
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Take Photo Sphere (360 Panoramic) Pictures
Your tablet can take 360-degree panoramic pictures—or, as Google calls them, Photo Spheres. Photo Sphere pictures are achieved by taking multiple pictures in all directions around you and stitching them together in one large sphere image.
Tap the Camera icon.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen.
Tap Photo Sphere.
Move your tablet until the circle is over the blue dot. After you have done that, wait until you see other white dots appear.
Slowly move your tablet around and guide the circle over the blue dots. Each time you line them up, another image is captured for your Photo Sphere.
- When you have captured enough images, the images are stitched together in the background. You can view your Photo Sphere using the Photos app, which is covered later in this chapter.
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Take Lens Blur Pictures
When you take a Lens Blur picture, you can change the focus of the picture after the fact.
Tap the Camera icon.
- Swipe in from the left of the screen.
Tap Lens Blur.
Tap to start the Lens Blur capture.
- Slowly move your tablet up as indicated by the arrow.
After the picture has completed, swipe in from the right of the screen to see the image and adjust the blur.
Tap to edit the blur.
- Tap the picture where you want it to be the clearest.
- Drag the slider to change how blurry the rest of the picture appears.
Tap Done to save your changes.
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