Camora

Light is the most important effect

Every live effect looks better in good light. Phone cameras have small sensors, and in dim conditions they compensate by raising sensitivity, which adds grain and softens detail. Facing a window, stepping outside or turning on an extra lamp makes a bigger difference to the final image than any filter.

Soft light, such as an overcast sky or a window without direct sun, flatters faces and keeps colours even. Harsh midday sun creates strong shadows, which can look dramatic with high-contrast effects but unflattering on portraits.

Composition basics

Placing your subject slightly off centre, roughly a third of the way into the frame, usually looks more natural than centring everything. Leave space in the direction a person is looking. Check the edges of the frame before you shoot, since stray objects at the border are easy to miss in the viewfinder.

For selfies, holding the phone slightly above eye level and turning a little to one side is generally more flattering than shooting straight on or from below.

Getting sharp results

Hold steady for a moment after tapping the shutter, especially in lower light, because the camera may still be capturing. Tuck your elbows in or lean against something for extra stability. For video, move slowly and smoothly; sudden movement is much more noticeable in a recording than in a still photo.

Trying effects

Because Camora previews each effect live, the quickest way to find the right look is to try the same scene with several effects before capturing. Some effects suit bright, colourful scenes; others work better on simple backgrounds where the effect itself is the focus. Captures save straight to your gallery, ready to share.

Shooting video the right way up

Decide where a video will be watched before you start recording. Clips for stories, reels and short-video apps are shown full screen on a phone held upright, so record them vertically. Anything meant for a television, a laptop or a widescreen video site looks better recorded horizontally, because a vertical clip on a wide screen ends up as a narrow strip with large empty bars on either side.

Turning the phone halfway through a recording usually produces a clip that flips sideways for part of its length, which is hard to fix afterwards. Pick an orientation, hold it for the whole shot, and start recording a second or two before the moment you want so the beginning is not cut off.

Sharing without losing quality

Many messaging apps shrink photos and videos before sending them to save data, which can blur fine detail and add blocky patches, especially in low-light shots and videos. If quality matters, look for an option to send the file as a document or an original, or share a link from a cloud service instead.

Avoid zooming in digitally while shooting when you can step closer instead, because digital zoom simply enlarges part of the image and throws away detail. It is usually better to capture the full scene and crop it later, when you can choose the framing with care.

Is Camora free?

Yes, Camora is free to download and use. It is out now on Google Play.

Does it work with the front camera?

Yes. You can switch between the front and back camera at any time.

Where are my photos saved?

Captured photos and videos save to your device gallery, ready to share.