How to take better photos with your smartphone

We’ve all had that moment. You open up your phone’s gallery to swipe through the family pictures you shot on your beach vacation, at the lake, or on some random day with the kids.

Whomp, whomp, they’re blurry, everyone looks caught off guard, and there’s a random guy and his dog in the background of the one good option. You poor thing. I can help.

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Use your phone’s timer

Both iPhones and Android have built-in photo timers. Using a timer, you don’t have to ask some random stranger to take a photo, which could lead to something worse. My friend handed her phone to someone to take a picture of her and her daughter, and the guy ran away with her phone.

For your iPhone:

◾ Open your Camera app and tap the arrow at the top. Scroll to the right in the menu, tap the clock icon, and pick the 10-second delay.

◾ After the countdown, your phone will automatically snap a 10-photo burst. Go to the photo and tap Select in the bottom right to choose the keepers.

On Android:

◾ Head to your phone’s camera app, select Timer and turn it on.

◾ Select your delay interval (two, five, or 10 seconds), then it’s time to shine!

Stability, people

Tripods are one pro secret to getting amazing shots. No more balancing your phone on something and hoping it stays. You don’t need to be anything close to a pro to use this secret yourself.

◾ This inexpensive option is both a tripod and a selfie stick, and it comes with a wireless remote.

◾ This top-of-the-line version has a stabilizing gimbal and is good enough for pro-quality video footage.

Get better smiles

“Say cheese” is the classic photo prompt, but it can result in fake-looking smiles. Your best bet is to make a joke about eight seconds into that 10-second timer to get everyone to smile. I like this one: “I love to go Komando!”

Otherwise, try a word that ends with an -uh sound, like “yoga.” It always works best to pick a word to make your people laugh or smile.

Clean up your pics

At a family barbecue? You might not want that beer bottle or red plastic cup spoiling your pic.

Facetune (iOS, Android) is the big app everyone’s using these days – so much so that when people think a pic is edited, they accuse it of being “Facetuned,” not “Photoshopped!”

If you’re on a Mac, a touch-up tool is built right into the Photos app.

◾ Open the pic, then select Edit > Retouch. Adjust the brush size > click and drag the brush over the object you want to erase.

On a PC, you can use the new Generative Erase tool in the Windows Photos app. It uses artificial intelligence to remove something you don’t like in a pic (a rando in the background) and fill it in with something you want (the sunset).

◾ Open a pic in Photos, then click the editing icon on the far left. Select Erase, “paint” whatever you want to get rid of, and then click Erase again.

One final word of advice: Genuine smiles and real moments always make the best photos. Encourage your family to relax. That means no more yelling “Hold still and smile,” OK?

Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.