How to take photos on Xiaomi: the secrets of the perfect picture

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are equipped with cameras that have long passed the threshold of amateur devices in terms of image quality. However, users often get mediocre pictures just because they are unaware of the hidden capabilities of the software. The standard point and shoot mode does work well, but it does not reveal the full potential of Leica optics or highly detailed sensors.

To turn your phone into a full-fledged creative tool, you need to understand the exposure, focus and processing settings of ISP algorithms. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to avoid common errors, use manual settings and apply post-processing to create professional photos.

You'll learn why automation sometimes lies and how to make the camera see light the way you see it. We're not going to use complex terms without explanation, but we're going to look at the key parameters that affect the outcome.

Interface and basic camera settings

Before you start a complex experiment, you need to get the app's main interface in order. Go to the settings menu by clicking on the three-bar icon in the top right corner, and select Settings, which is where the settings that determine the quality of your future default shots are hidden.

First of all, pay attention to the format of saving. If you are planning a serious processing, turn on HEIF or shoot in RAW (DNG) if your model range supports this function. However, for everyday shooting and quick posting on social networks, it is better to leave the JPEG format with the maximum quality, so as not to overflow the phone’s memory with huge files unnecessarily.

The important thing is to save geodata, and if you travel a lot and want to organize your archive by location, leave this option on, otherwise, for the sake of privacy, you'd better turn off the coordinate record so that when you send the original photo, no one knows your home address.

⚠️ Attention: The Portrait Improvement feature in basic settings often works too aggressively, creating a "plastic skin" effect. For a natural look, it is better to turn off the smoothing or minimize it.

Remember to clean your lenses periodically. Fat finger marks create distinctive glare and reduce contrast, which is especially noticeable when shooting against light. The simple action of rubbing the camera with a soft cloth can dramatically improve the sharpness of the shot without changing the settings.

Pro mode: manual exposure control

Going to Pro (or Manual) mode gives the photographer full control over the sensor settings, where you control shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus on your own, and it's the only way to get predictable results in difficult lighting conditions where Xiaomi's automation can go wrong.

The key is shutter speed (Time or S). Short values, such as 1/1000 of a second, allow you to "freeze" the movement of a running person or drops of water. Long shutter speeds, on the contrary, blur the movement, which is useful for creating the effect of silk water or drawing with light in the dark.

ISO is responsible for sensor sensitivity. The lower the value (ISO 50 or 100), the cleaner the image and less digital noise. An ISO boost is necessary in the dark, but it's always a trade-off: you get a brighter picture, but you lose in detail and dynamic range.

• 📸 Use a tripod when holding longer 1/60 seconds to avoid lubrication from hand tremors.
• 💡 Try to hold on. ISO minimally (100-200) for landscapes and static objects in good light.
• 🌇 To capture sunset or dawn, manually display white balance (WB) ranged 5000-6000K.
• 🔍 Focus in Pro mode is better to switch to MF (Manual Focus) and twist the slider until the characteristic red lines (picking) appear on the contours of the object.

Experiment with combinations. For example, to capture flowing water during the day, you'll need a neutral gray filter (ND) to be able to set long shutter speeds and low ISO without re-lighting the frame. Without a filter in bright sun, long shutter speed is impossible even at a minimum ISO.

Secrets of Night Mode Shooting

The night mode on Xiaomi smartphones works on the principle of stacking frames. The camera takes a series of images with different exposures and programmatically combines them to remove noise and draw shadows.

Night Mode automatically detects the scene and suggests that you increase exposure time. If you hold the phone in your hands, the system will limit shutter speed to a safe value (usually about 2-4 seconds) so that the grease is minimal. If the phone is on a support, you can force the shutter speed to 5, 10 or even 30 seconds.

⚠️ Warning: When shooting in long exposure mode, avoid moving objects (people, cars) in the frame, otherwise they may “smear” or disappear, as the algorithm will consider them noise.

There's also a Long Exposure mode in the add-on menu, which is specifically designed to create light tracks from car headlights, and a tripod is a must, because any camera vibrations will spoil the geometry of the light lines.

An interesting feature is the ability to shoot the starry sky. To do this, the phone must be completely stationary. Some Xiaomi models have a special Starry Sky mode in the "More" menu, which automatically selects the parameters for shooting the Milky Way.

Portrait photography and work with bokeh

Portrait uses telephoto or depth data from the main sensor to create a background blur (bokeh) effect. The main task here is to properly separate the object from the background. Xiaomi algorithms do a good job with the contours of hair, but can go wrong on complex textures.

You can change the blur in the portrait settings. The slider is usually in the top corner of the screen. You don't have to twist it to the maximum (f/0.95 or f/1.0) because it looks unnatural. The optimal values for simulating aperture optics are in the range f/2.8 - f/4.0.

The lighting in the portrait is crucial. The built-in studio light effects (side, counter) are software-intensive. They add shadows and glare to the model's face. Use them carefully, because in bright daylight they can create unnatural contrast.

• 👤 Keep track of the distance to the object: the camera will tell you when to come closer or move away to activate the mode.
• ☀️ The best light for a portrait is soft diffuse light in the shade or in cloudy weather, avoid hard midday shadows.
• 🎨 Use black and white filters in portrait mode to create dramatic and artistic shots.

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The quality of a portrait depends on the correct lighting and distance to the subject, not just the camera settings.

If the background is too colorful, the blur algorithm can go around the edges of the object, in which case it is better to take a step back to increase the distance between the model and the background, which will increase the natural optical blur and help the software.

Comparison of processing modes: Leica Authentic and Vibrant

Xiaomi’s flagship models, developed in conjunction with Leica, have two basic color reproduction profiles available, and understanding the difference between them allows you to immediately get the desired artistic effect without further processing.

Leica Authentic mode retains high contrast, darkens the edges of the frame (vineting) and conveys colors more realistically, sometimes even “severely”; this profile is ideal for street photography (street photography), reporting and black and white shots where texture and volume matter.

Leica Vibrant makes colors juicier, raises exposure in the shadows and reduces contrast. It's lighter and more familiar to most users, reminiscent of the standard processing of other smartphones. It's a great choice for taking pictures of food, nature and travel.

You can switch between profiles right in the viewfinder by clicking on the profile name icon. This takes seconds, but it changes the mood of the frame dramatically. Try shooting one scene in both modes to feel the difference.

Macrograph and ultra-wide angle

Many users ignore the ultra-wide-angle module, considering it less quality, but it allows you to shoot unique shots with distorted perspective and often has a macro function. Switching to "wid" often happens automatically when you bring the phone close to the object.

In macro mode, the focal length shifts, allowing you to approach the object at a distance of 2-4 cm This opens up a world of textures: villi on the leaves, tissue structure, details of mechanisms. Light in this mode is always not enough, since the aperture of a wide module is usually narrow (f/2.2 or f/2.4).

For high-quality macro shooting on Xiaomi, you need good lighting. If there's not enough light, the algorithms will start to "noise" to turn the texture into porridge, use external lighting or shoot in bright daylight.

⚠️ Attention: Autofocus in macro mode can "scour": fix the focus manually by pressing and holding your finger on the screen at the desired point, or use Pro mode with manual focusing.

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Use 2x or 3x zoom (optical or digital crop from the main sensor) instead of physically approaching your legs. This flattens perspective and makes portraits and objects more proportional.

Experiment with angles. The ultra-wide angle is great for architecture and interiors, allowing you to fit more space into the frame, but watch the lines at the edges of the frame - they can be very curved, which does not always look aesthetic.

Post-processing and preservation of the result

A picture taken on a phone is just a digital negative. Even Xiaomi's built-in editor (Mi Gallery) offers powerful tools to improve your shots. Don't be afraid to adjust exposure, contrast and saturation after shooting.

For serious color and light work, use apps like Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed, which let you work with curves, spot color correction and masks. RAW, if you've shot in it, gives you tremendous freedom to recover over-lit areas and pull details out of deep shadows.

And don't forget framing. Often, just turning the horizon or cutting the extra parts around the edges (the rule of thirds) makes the composition much stronger, and straightening the horizon is the first thing you do when you're processing architectural and landscape images.

• 📱 Save the original file before editing so you can always go back to the source.
• 🎨 Use filters carefully, reducing their intensity to 30-50% natural-looking.
• ✂️ Frame the photo so that the main objects are at the intersection of grid lines.

Regular practice and analysis of successful shots will help you quickly train your discretion.The phone is always with you, making it the perfect tool for daily improvement of your photography skills.