Capture the Underground: Top Tips for Taking Award-Winning Photos
Article by Mike Flynn, Competition judge and Director / Lead Photographer at The Palms Agency
As you may have heard, AusIMM is holding an exciting photography competition, open to anyone in the resources industry, held in conjunction with the Underground Operators Conference 2025 in Adelaide this April.
To inspire you to participate and help you capture the best possible images, here are our top five tips for taking striking underground photos with your mobile phone:
1. Choose Captivating Subject Matter
The key to a great photo is an interesting subject. Look for moments or scenes that tell a story or evoke curiosity. This could be a dynamic shot of equipment in motion, workers collaborating, or a visually exciting moment underground. Ensure your image has a clear focal point and sufficient light to highlight the subject. Think about what will make viewers pause and take notice.
Remember, we get to work in an amazing industry, full of exciting moments that are worth sharing!
2. Keep It Sharp and In Focus
The underground environment can challenge your phone’s camera. To avoid blurry or out-of-focus shots, do your best to minimise all camera movement while you take your shot:
- Use a tripod to stabilise your phone.
- If you don’t have a tripod, stand your phone up against something sturdy, like a drink bottle, on a flat surface.
- Set a timer to take the shot. Using the inbuilt 10-second timer in your camera app, it will give you time to position the camera and step away, ensuring stability and limited movement.
Be patient while the camera processes the image – the less movement, the sharper the result. Bonus tip: Using a timer is also a great way to capture yourself in action, But remember to hold still!
3. Light Is Your Friend
Lighting is crucial for clear and impactful photos. While modern phones handle low light better than ever, aim to position your shot near a strong light source. Use permanent fixtures, vehicle headlights, or even your head torch to illuminate the scene. Remember: more light equals more detail and clarity in your image.
4. Enhance Your Photos
Once you’ve captured your shot, take a moment to make it pop! Both iPhone and Android devices have editing tools to adjust:
- Exposure
- Brightness
- Contrast
- Color
You will find controls to edit these adjustments usually in your phone library’s image settings. Also, look for auto-enhance controls, as these adjust all elements quite effectively. Experiment with these tools to make your photo sharper, more vibrant, and impactful. Even small tweaks can transform a good photo into a great one.
5. Share in High Resolution
To preserve the quality of your photo, avoid sending it through apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, which compress images. Instead:
- Share via email: Attach the photo directly in your email app and select “Actual Size” to retain its full quality.
- Use file-sharing platforms: Platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox allow you to transfer the original file without compression.
When sending by email, always ensure you select the largest available file size option, such as “Actual Size” or “Full Resolution.” This ensures your submission looks sharp and professional, whether it’s displayed on a large screen or printed.
Submit Your Masterpiece
We hope these tips inspire you to create your own submission for the competition. There are incredible prizes to be won, and you could very well be a winner! Your work will be judged by a panel of experts, and finalists will have their photos exhibited at the Underground Operators Conference in Adelaide. Don’t miss out—this is your chance to shine!