Clean the Lens Before You Shoot

A phone lens lives in pockets and under thumbs, and a greasy smear turns bright lights into hazy glare and softens contrast across the whole frame. Wipe it gently with a clean microfibre cloth rather than a shirt hem, which can scratch the glass and its coating, and check that the case opening is clean too. Skip glass cleaner and alcohol wipes. Exercise: photograph a lit lamp or a streetlight at dusk without cleaning the lens, then wipe it and take the same picture again. The difference in the glow around the light is usually obvious, and the habit sticks once you have seen it.