How to take beautiful photos on Xiaomi: a complete guide from settings to processing

Xiaomi smartphones are no longer a budget compromise — even the Redmi Note series now has cameras that can compete with other brands’ flagships. But good tech is only 30% of the success. The other 70% depends on how you use the camera, understand the principles of composition and know how to work with light. This article is not about abstract “picture tips”, but about the specific settings and techniques that work on Xiaomi devices — from the POCO X6 Pro to the Mi 13 Ultra.

We'll break down not only the basic rules (which you already know), but the hidden features of the MIUI Camera that even the official guides keep silent about, like how to activate manual mode with full control of ISO and shutter speed on models where it's "officially not" or why night mode on Xiaomi sometimes spoils pictures - and how to avoid it. Ready to turn your smartphone into a tool for photos of the level of DSLRs?

1. Check the basic camera settings: what to turn off and what to turn on

The first thing to start with is to audit the camera's current settings, and many users have been taking default photos for years, unaware that half of them are preventing them from getting quality images. Open the Camera app, tap on the gear (⚙️) And go through the key points:

• 🔍 Photo resolution: Set the maximum (for example, 50 MP or 200 MP for flagships). ISOCELL (for example, Xiaomi 12T Pro) high resolution gives more detail when framing.
• 📏 Side ratio: Choose 4:3 for printing or 16:9 for storytelling. Avoid 1:1 - this cuts the field of view without benefit.
• 🌙 Night mode: Turn off the car! only manually turn it on when necessary (more on this in the section on lighting).
• 🎯 Focus: Activate Continuous Autofocus (AF-C) for dynamic scenes and Face/Eyes Focus for portraits.

Pay special attention to the Watermark item, which is better to disable immediately. Even if you like the idea of "signature" in the photo, Xiaomi watermarks add artifacts when processing in Lightroom. Instead, use separate signature applications, such as Snapseed.

⚠️ Note: On models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (for example, Xiaomi 13) the camera settings may hide the option AI-It's a stage optimization thing that should be turned off, because it aggressively paints the sky and the grass, making the colors look unnatural.

2. Shooting modes: which to choose for different scenes

Xiaomi's Camera app offers more than 10 modes, but 80% of users use only Photo and Portrait. Meanwhile, choosing the right mode can improve the quality of a shot 2-3 times without additional processing.

Most underrated mode - Long shutter speed (available in More → It allows you to create effects of light tracks from cars or blurred water on a waterfall:

1. Fix your smartphone on a tripod or resting on a hard surface.
2. Select exposure time (from 1/4s to 32s).
3. Click on the descent and do not touch the device until the end of the shoot.

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If the Long Shutter mode is not on the menu, try installing GCam (Google Camera) – it is available in most ports for Xiaomi.

3. Lighting: How to Use Light to Your Own Interests

The biggest mistake for beginners is trying to light up a scene with Night Mode or a flash, and actually, a good photo doesn't depend on the amount of light, it depends on the quality of the light.

• ☀️ Natural light: The best time to shoot is the golden hour (first hour after sunrise or before sunset). During this time, the shadows are soft and the colors are saturated. Use the PhotoPills app to find out the exact time for your location.
• 💡 Artificial light: Avoid mixing sources with different color temperatures (e.g. incandescent lamp) + LED). If this is unavoidable, turn on White Balance in the camera settings. → Automobile.
• 🌑 Darkness: In total darkness, night mode is useless - it will only increase the noise).

If you have to take pictures in bright sun, use the sun behind you rule: stand so that the light source is behind you. This minimizes the shadows on the face of the object. If the sun is in front, turn on HDR in the camera settings (it is activated automatically in Photo mode, but it can be forced to turn on in Professional).

⚠️ Note: On models with Sony sensor IMX707 (for example, Xiaomi 12S Ultra) when shooting against the sun, you may see purple edges on the edges of objects. To avoid this, shift the angle slightly or use manual focusing.

Light source one (no lamp mixing) |

Object not in the shadows |

The background is not overcast (no white spots)|

Color temperature neutral (no yellow/blue hue)-->

4 Composition: Rules that will turn your photos into masterpieces

Even the most advanced Xiaomi camera won't save a shot if it's randomly composed. Fortunately, there are universal composition techniques that always work:

• 📐 Rule of thirds: Enable the grid in the camera settings (Settings) → Grid: Place key elements at the intersection of lines (e.g., human eyes or horizon).
• 🔄 Leading lines: Use roads, fences, shadows to "lead" the viewer's gaze to the main object.
• 🖼️ Framing: Frame the object with natural frames – windows, arches, tree branches.
• 👁️ Viewpoint: Eye-level photography is boring. Sit down, stand on a chair or lie down on the ground for an unusual angle.

Xiaomi's smartphones have a hidden feature called horizon level, which helps to avoid a blockage of images, and activate it:

1. Open Professional Mode.
2. Slip on the level icon in the upper right corner.
3. Line the horizon in a white stripe.

For portraits, use Portrait Mode, but remember the distance to the object. The optimal is 1-2 meters. If you get too close, the bokeh effect will look unnatural, and if you go too far, the camera will lose the object and blur everything.

5 Hidden features of MIUI Camera: What your Xiaomi can do, but you didn’t know it

MIUI hides some useful features that are not advertised in the official instructions, and here are the most useful ones:

• 🎬 Capture RAW: In professional mode, tap on RAW This will save the raw file without compression, which can then be flexibly processed: RAW borrower ~30MB in the photo, so don’t forget to clean your memory.
• 🔄 Double press volume button: In camera settings (Quick keys), you can assign a double press on the volume button to quickly start the camera – even if the screen is locked.
• 📱 Camera gestures: Include in Gesture settings → Turn your wrist to quickly open the camera with a turn of your hand (works on Mi 10 and newer).
• 🔍 Macro mode on the main camera: On some models (for example, POCO F4 GT) The main camera can focus closer than the macro module. Try to hold the object 3-5 cm and tap on the screen to focus.

Another little-known possibility is manually adjusting white balance in professional mode, instead of relying on the Auto, scroll through the WB (White Balance) slider manually:

• 3000K-4000K: for warm light (incandescent lamp, sunset).
• 5000K-6000K: for daylight.
• 7000K+: for cold light (LED, overcast day)

If your model supports the Leica Authentic Look (like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), experiment with Leica Vivid and Leica Natural profiles. The former adds contrast and saturation, while the latter retains realistic colors - ideal for post-processing.

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Shooting in RAW + hand white balance = maximum control over colors during processing.

6 Post-processing: how to turn a good photo into a great one

Even professionals process the images — the only question is how natural it is to do it. For photos with Xiaomi, we recommend the following tools:

The main edits that are worth making almost any photo:

1. Pruning: Remove the extra elements at the edges, align the horizon.
2. Exposure: Raise Shadows by +20-30 to work out the details.
3. Contrast: Increase by +10-15 for the “juicy” of the picture.
4. Noise: In Lightroom, use Denoise at 20–40 levels (more, a plastic effect will appear).

Avoid overusing filters, which kill naturalness, and adjust Temperature and Tint by hand instead:

• For a warm shot: Temp: +5-10, Tint: +2-5.
• For cold: Temp: -5-10, Tint: -2-5.

⚠️ Note: When processing photos with Xiaomi, do not increase the Brightness (Exposure) more than by +0.5 is going to make noise in dark areas, and instead, work with Shadows and Blacks).

7 Accessories That Take Your Photography to the Next Level

The good news is that you don't have to buy expensive equipment for high-quality photos on Xiaomi.

• 📸 Tripod: Even a small desktop tripod (such as the Xiaomi Mi Portable Tripod) will help avoid “wisps” when shooting in low light or long exposure.
• 💡 Ring lamp: Models with adjustable color temperature (e.g. Xiaomi) LED Desk Lamp is suitable for portraits and shooting objects.
• 🔍 Camera nozzles: Macro-lens (+10) or wide-angle adapter (0.6x) stand ~500 rubles and significantly expand the capabilities of the smartphone.
• 🎤 External microphone: If you shoot video, even budget Boya BY-M1 Improves sound by 10 times compared to the built-in microphone.

You can use a flexible tripod octopus (like the Joby GorillaPod) to wrap around a tree branch or a bridge railing for non-standard angles, and if you often take pictures of food or small objects, look for a minisoftbox that scatters light from the lamp evenly, removing sharp shadows.

Don’t forget about the camera care:

• Clean the lenses with a soft lilaless wipe (for example, Xiaomi Microfiber Cloth).
• Avoid direct sunlight on the sensor – this can cause overheating and deterioration of the quality of the images.
• If the camera began to “fog” after the cold, do not turn it on immediately – let the smartphone heat up to room temperature.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions