How to become a better photographer (the easy way) with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Trying to take good photos can sometimes feel overwhelming with the wealth of settings and modes that modern phones and cameras offer, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you get various tools that make taking photos and recording videos easier, whether you want to simply point and shoot, or actually want to learn to be a better photographer. So below, you’ll find examples of how the phone can help you effortlessly take better photos and record steadier videos.

TL;DR: With Galaxy AI¹ the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra can optimise camera settings automatically and apply edits for you, taking the hard work out of photography so anyone can take stunning photos.

1. Use Nightography to take sharp low-light photos effortlessly

Low-light photos and videos can be among the most challenging to get pleasing results with, since the lack of light can lead to noisy images that are lacking in detail. But with Nightography² on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you can get just as good results in darkened concert halls and streets after sunset as you can in bright light.

There are a few different factors working together to allow for this, including wider apertures on some of the lenses, allowing for 47% more light to be captured by the wide camera³ than with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and 37% more light to be captured by the 5x telephoto camera.

The front-facing camera also has upgraded AI-Powered Image Signal Processing, which can reduce noise, while night mode can combine 30 images into a single photo, so that every single pixel has optimised colours and details, and Nightography Video removes noise from low-light videos.

A lot of this stuff kicks in automatically, but if you want to make sure night mode is enabled just tap the moon-shaped icon that appears in the bottom-right corner of the viewfinder whenever you’re shooting a low-light scene. In most cases you’ll probably want to set it to ‘auto’.

2. Super Steady Horizontal Lock allows for shake-free recording

If you’ve ever tried filming something with your phone only to be disappointed when the resulting footage is shaky or uneven, then the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Super Steady with Horizontal Lock⁴ is the solution you need.

This uses AI paired with real-time gyro and accelerometer data to stabilise videos, so even if your hands are shaking a bit or you’re moving while filming, as you might when filming an event or a hike, the footage will remain smooth and level, letting you upgrade your videos without any upgrade in your skills.

3. ProZoom brings distant subjects close to you

Sometimes you can spend a small fortune on a ticket to a concert or sporting event and still end up a long way from the action, but with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra your phone can get the view you were dreaming of, as it offers both 3x and 5x optical zoom, along with 10x optical-quality zoom and up to 100x digital zoom — boosted by AI.

So even if the musician or athlete you’re watching is dozens of metres away, you can take photos and record videos that make it seem like they’re right by you.

And these camera capabilities can also be used for other scenarios, like getting a closer look at animals that might run away if they spot you, or shooting distant details when you’re looking over a city from a viewing platform.

4. AI scene recognition ensures the settings are always right

With the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you don’t need to worry about manually adjusting settings like exposure and ISO, as it can cleverly use AI to ensure the settings are always correct for the scene you’re trying to shoot, whether that’s an ultra-wide group shot, a bird in a tree, or anything else.

So you don’t even need to become a better photographer — at least when it comes to learning about settings — you can just focus on improving your composition, and trust that the settings are always optimal.

5. Use Photo Assist to make editing quick and easy

Photo Assist⁵ takes the pain out of editing by incorporating AI to make the edits — just tell it what you want changing with a text or voice prompt and it will do the hard work for you.

That can mean anything from removing people from the background of a shot to changing someone’s outfit or completely changing the time of day in a photo, so that your images end up exactly how you envisioned them.

6. Turn on Composition Guide to help frame your photos

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra can do most of the hard work for you when it comes to taking great photos, but it can also help you improve as a photographer, with tools like its Composition Guide.

Switch this on and you’ll see grid lines and a levelling tool over the viewfinder, so you can ensure shots are level and that they’re framed how you want them to be, making it easier to follow basic photographic principles like the rule of thirds.

With that, you’ll be able to more easily capture striking images, whether they’re selfies, scenes from a festival, a scenic hike, or anything else.

7. HDR upgrades help you get the most out of your photos

You might think that making use of the full megapixel count is always the best option, but with some phones that’s not the case, as they lack multi-frame HDR processing unless you shoot at a reduced megapixel count.

But the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t make you choose — you can use the full might of its ultra-high-resolution 200MP wide camera and still get full HDR, so your images are both detailed and display a wide range of colours, with great contrast between them, for truly stunning photos.

This ensures scenes look as lifelike as possible, so the next time you want to photograph a sunset it won’t look washed out.

So if you’re ready to improve both your photos and your own photography skills, head to the Samsung website to find out more.