More and more cell and mobile phones these days have cameras attached. While the images that can be taken with these cameras aren’t as good as using a dedicated camera, you can still get some great shots. And as we will see, camera phones are useful for situations where you can’t (or won’t) take your camera.

Use the highest resolution possible. Using the highest resolution will ensure your image is as sharp as possible. Lower resolutions have a smaller file size, but you won’t be able to use the image for much other than small online images.

Make sure your subjects are well lit. Camera phones have very small lenses that don’t let much light in, so the more light around you the better. Particularly avoid shooting at night, or low light indoor scenes.

Hold the phone steady. Another by-product of the small lens size is that the exposure time (ie shutter speed) is longer than you would expect . which means it’s more likely to get a blurry image. I like to rest my phone against a ledge or pole when taking a shot.

Get Close. My Digital Photography Move Closer Secret is even more relevant for camera phones as the images tend to be small in size. Better to have a full frame of your subject than a tiny spot in the middle of your image! Oh – don’t get too close either, as this can cause distortion of your subject due to the camera’s lens.

Use a plain background. Again, the small image size means your subject could tend to get ‘lost’ in the photo of the background is too busy. You want your subject to be the focus of your viewer’s attention, not the background.

Take full advantage of your phone’s capabilities. Some phones can associate a picture with a person in your address book, and display a photo caller ID whenever they call you. Other phones allow you to control the camera’s white balance. Learn the specifics of your particular phone.

Know where your images are being stored. Images take a lot of memory, so it’s usually best to save your photos to a storage card rather than your phone’s built in memory. And make sure you’ve copied your images from the phone before deleting them!

Clean your lens! This sounds simple, but it’s surprising how often a great photo is ruined because of a fingerprint on the lens. A clean cloth is preferable to clean your lens, but in a pinch your shirt will work too.

And finally, here are some great uses for your camera phone

Taking photos where cameras aren’t allowed. More and more sporting events are restricting or banning the use of cameras. But they still allow camera phones. Take photos of your team’s big win on your camera phone – a lower quality image is better than none at all.

New Baby pictures. Send photos of your new arrival to your relatives minutes after the birth.

Capture a last minute inventory for insurance purposes.

In fact, a camera phone is very useful in ANY situation where you are afraid your regular camera could be damaged or stolen. Or if your camera is one extra item you just don’t want to take.