Photograph: Henrik Sorensen/Getty Images
The principles for taking photos on a regular camera still apply: composition is king, so follow (or deliberately break) the rule of thirds to place your subject deliberately off centre.
Lighting is vital for cameraphones even if, like the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, they have wide apertures to let in more light. Flash is to be avoided for best results.
Details such as white balance are as important here as on a camera, so flick between settings and see the results on the phone’s display before you take the shot. Plenty of cameraphones have extra features like sepia finishes, or HDR (high dynamic range), where several shots are taken at different exposures and combined for dramatic results. But don’t forget other tricks, like playing with focus, for intentionally blurred backgrounds.
The standout feature of the Lumia 1020 is that it has a sensor with a resolution to beat most SLRs: it’s 41 megapixels, which makes up for the lack of optical zoom.
In addition to the waterproof Xperia Z1 Compact, whose 20.7-megapixel sensor makes for outstanding shots, Sony offers the QX10 and QX100 smart lenses – screenless cameras that link wirelessly to smartphones and turn them into 18.2-megapixel beasts with 10x (3.6x for QX100) optical zoom.
Photo fans will also like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, which has a proper 10x optical zoom and as many scene settings as a dedicated camera.
Finally, because your phone is always connected, sharing photos online is quick and simple. Uploading images is quicker via 4G or Wi-Fi. Check out the 4G comparison hub (carphonewarehouse.com/4G-comparison-hub) to make sure you get the best deal using the Carphone Warehouse tariff checker.
Essential photo apps for phones
Our pick of the hundreds of camera apps that can tweak or improve your images
Instagram (free)
Essential, not just for its cool and enjoyable filters to spice up your shots, but for making use of your phone’s connectivity and letting you add a caption to add more value.
Paper Camera (£1.19)
This turns your photos into cartoon and painting-effect shots. It performs these transformations as you shoot, so it’s enormous fun to use.
Tilt Shifted (free)
A cute way to turn buildings, cars and people into miniatures. Takes practice, but neat.
Camera Zoom FX (£1.79)
This app is full of useful features, from stable shot (only takes a photo when the camera’s still enough) to voice-activated shooting.