For close-ups zoom with your feet

Unlike cameras, which have an “optical zoom” lens that physically moves closer to the subject, phone cameras have a digital zoom, which enlarges the center of the image to make it appear nearer. But this enlarges each pixel, leading to a fuzzy shot. That’s why savvy shutterbugs step closer to their subject. “I take advantage of this trick whenever I can,” says Kara Markovich, whose photos are so good that they were sold to a stock photo agency. “My favorite shots of people are when I get super close.”

ALSO SMART: To ensure the stillness needed to snap a perfect shot, Michael Lancashire, a photographer in Traverse City, Michigan, advises turning your body into a tripod: Hold the phone with both hands; stand with legs apart and elbows pressed into ribs.