Taking photos using a BlackBerry® smartphone with v6.0 device software or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet is really quick and easy, and allows you to capture great photos in plenty of different environments. Today I’d like to provide an overview of some of the options available when taking photos so you can customize them as you see fit, as well as take advantage of some options you might not have previously used.

For this post, I’ll be focusing on BlackBerry® 6 device software, so if you are using an earlier version of BlackBerry device software, check the user guide for more information on available camera options. If you don’t know which version of BlackBerry device software you are currently using, check out our post on How to Identify your BlackBerry Device Software version.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

The events team has been hard at work giving BlackBerry PlayBook demos to CES 2011 attendees at the BlackBerry Booth. I grabbed my main man Jeff to give an overview of some of the PlayBook’s core multimedia features, such as the front and rear-facing cameras and Photos app, and using the HDMI output to display rich content on large screens (great for presentations!). Jeff also gives a sneak peak of BBM via BlackBerry Bridge, which allows you to pair your BlackBerry smartphone with the BlackBerry PlayBook. Cool stuff!

Post a comment and let us know what you think.

Welcome to our second installment of Inside the BlackBerry® Community, where we highlight the awesome things that Team BlackBerry does!

There’s one thing that we have started looking forward to every day and that’s #teamblackberry photography by @BB_photog. In August @BB_photog (aka Brian Lee), shared more than a dozen photos he’d taken with his BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone.

Since that first introduction, Brian has sent through some truly gorgeous photography. We were able to catch up with Brian over email last week to learn more about the man behind the camera.

Brian’s passion for photography started from watching classic films such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Casablanca.” Says Brian: “I became obsessed with ‘the vintage look’ of film and began collecting older 35mm film cameras from local pawn shops that could give a natural vignetting effect, which is a gradual transition from a brighter image center to darker corners. It was during this period that I taught myself the basic technicalities of photography through trial-and-error using film.”

Brian’s first foray into BlackBerry smartphone photography was with a BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone. “One of the many reasons why I started taking photos with this particular BlackBerry smartphone model was its ability to capture ‘film grain’ or image-noise similarly presented in traditional film. Photos from my BlackBerry Pearl 8100 smartphone were reminiscent of the classic Polaroid instant camera feel. Just as I did with my old film cameras, I could not stop taking photos with my BlackBerry Pearl.”

In 2009, Brian traded in his BlackBerry Pearl smartphone for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone. “This model enabled me to take more interesting photos due to its auto-focus lens. I especially liked the BlackBerry OS version 5.0.0.681 on this model because it had some advanced camera features such as Black & White, Close-Up Mode, and White Balance.”

What are some of the tricks that Brian uses to take stellar photos?

Low-light

“Under low-light conditions, it is important to keep the hand as steady as possible. Otherwise, it could result in shaky photos. I always like to take several shots under low light, usually starting with the flash off. At times, the BlackBerry smartphone camera can pick up enough image noise with its high ISO, giving off a film photo look. I also like to use flash under low light because a vignetting effect is common. But I think flash is a must when taking portraits of people in especially dark places, i.e. parties, clubs, etc.”

Focusing

“For starters, Focus Indicator is the rectangle meter on the screen when the camera is turned on. When the camera button (the Convenience Key) is slightly pressed down, the rectangle turns green when the lens is done focusing. At times, because the length of time for focusing depends on light conditions, it requires some patience and practice. Waiting for the rectangle meter to turn green is the key to a sharp photo.”

Close-Up Mode

“Because the camera focuses on a particular point in the Close-up Mode, I take multiple shots to determine the appropriate distance from the object. I usually hold and release the Convenience Key until I am able to focus on my subject. Although it took me some time to get used this feature, the end result was satisfying.”

BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone specific tips

I would first start by going to the camera menu and adjusting the Autofocus setup since the stock is set as “Continuous.” The focus meter will appear once it is set as “Single Shot.” I found the Scene Modes helpful but setting it as “Auto” captured a wide range of subjects without much trouble.

Other tips

“I also plug my earphones to mute the camera shutter sound in quiet areas. I initially became obsessed with taking photos with my BlackBerry smartphone because it is a ubiquitous device without being too intrusive when taking photos in public places.”

If you’re interested in Brian’s photos, check out his Tumblr® page http://bbphotog.tumblr.com and follow him on Twitter at @BB_photog!

Our team has been working hard to enhance the overall multimedia experience in BlackBerry® 6, and we’ve packed a lot of changes into the upcoming release. I’m very excited to be able to provide some more details about this aspect of BlackBerry 6 today.

In pulling together this update, the multimedia team focused on delivering an intuitive multimedia experience right out of the box – so whether you are a power user or new to mobile multimedia on BlackBerry smartphones, you can easily find and use the enhanced multimedia features.

There’s too much to talk about in just one post, so with that in mind, I picked some of my favorite new BlackBerry 6 multimedia features. Look for the Inside BlackBerry team to dive deeper into some of these features in future blog posts.

Music Album Art and Discovery

The minute you’ve loaded your music library to your BlackBerry smartphone via BlackBerry Media Sync, you’ll notice that we’ve added album art virtually everywhere for instant and easy recognition of your favorite albums. You will be able to navigate your music by using the interactive carousel to swipe through the album art. You will also quickly find other selections from the same album/artist by selecting the album or artist name for the song currently playing!

Organize Your Photos

With BlackBerry 6, we will also provide multiple dynamic ways to view and organize your photos, so thousands of photos can be organized intuitively. For example, photos will be able to be grouped by event or by date. You will be able to view the full picture or a slide show of pictures with transitions. BlackBerry smartphones with touch support are designed to easily zoom in on an area of interest with the “Pinch to Zoom” feature. BlackBerry 6 will also allow you to select groups of pictures to share, copy, paste or delete.

Streaming, Sharing and Searching for Videos

Searching through videos on your BlackBerry smartphone has been made easier in BlackBerry 6 with the new thumbnail view. There will also be more ways to view videos in BlackBerry 6. You will be able to opt to play video in various sizes (Original, Fit to Screen, Full Screen), plus instantly share your videos with the world using the new integrated YouTube® video uploader. Or perhaps you want to watch some online videos – no problem! The new universal search feature in BlackBerry 6 has been designed to enable you to search Internet video sites such as YouTube, and to enjoy higher quality YouTube videos when using Wi-Fi.

New Camera Controls and Supported Scene Modes

With BlackBerry 6, we focused on perfecting the point and shoot experience. Users can capture photos quicker and better than ever before with a variety of new features in BlackBerry 6. New onscreen controls means there is no need to hunt through menus for your favorite options. You will be able to access and review camera pictures, set popular options and pick from a variety of scene modes, all directly from the camera screen. You will also be able to capture video using the video camera application on the device.

New Podcasts App!

With the BlackBerry podcasts service, users will be able to experience the convenience of searching, subscribing and playing entertaining audio and video podcasts directly from their BlackBerry smartphone. This service will be preloaded with BlackBerry 6 in North America and is completely mobile (so no PC required) – and all of the content is available for free! Stay tuned to Inside BlackBerry for an upcoming post on the BlackBerry podcasts app.

Finding New Multimedia Content and Apps

If you have not yet loaded any multimedia content onto your BlackBerry smartphone or are looking for something new, no problem. Select “Explore Music Apps”, “Explore Video Apps” or “Explore Picture Apps” from the main menu screen within the media player, and you will be provided with a direct link to quickly discover popular media apps from each of those categories from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront (app availability dependent upon your region and carrier). This is one of many ways to start enjoying media right out of the box.

BlackBerry Desktop Software and Media Sync

On top of continued support of iTunes & Windows Media® Player music sync and 2-way photo sync, BlackBerry 6 has been designed to enable you to sync videos to and from your BlackBerry smartphone (BlackBerry to PC, or PC to BlackBerry). Plus there are now greater music sync options: in addition to playlists, users will have more flexibility and will also be able to sync by individual artists or genres. Stay tuned to a future post on Inside BlackBerry about BlackBerry Desktop Software with Media Sync.

I’m very excited about the new multimedia experience that will be offered in BlackBerry 6! Post a comment and let us know of the multimedia features that you use today, or those that you’re most looking forward to in BlackBerry 6.

Over the last few months our team has been working feverishly on adding photo sync functionality to BlackBerry® Media Sync.  With the release of BlackBerry Media Sync v3.0 at 12pm EST today, not only can you easily sync your music playlists, but you can now easily get photos to and from your BlackBerry® smartphone. Click the link below to learn more about BlackBerry Media Sync v3.0.

You can still sync your iTunes® & Windows Media® Player music library in BlackBerry Media Sync v3.0.  I have a huge digital collection of music and use BlackBerry Media Sync to sync them seamlessly to my smartphone.  I use my BlackBerry smartphone as my primary portable music device because it’s always with me and it’s easy to enjoy my playlists during downtime.

What’s new: Photo Sync

We’ve changed the layout of BlackBerry Media Sync from the previous version. There are now tabs for accessing Music and Photo functionality. There is a preview pane that allows for viewing the contents of a playlist, as well as the pictures to be synced.

Although music sync is available for both PC & Mac computers, photo sync is currently only available for the PC.

BlackBerry Smartphone to PC Import

I like having a collection of all my pictures stored on my home PC. The BlackBerry smartphone to PC Import functionality allows me to copy all the photos I’ve taken with my BlackBerry smartphone to my PC. Every time I connect via USB, BlackBerry Media Sync lets me know if there are new pictures to import so that I always keep my collection up to date. It’s a nice way to backup my device pictures and a handy option for those who like to carry out photo editing on their PC.

This is my favorite feature in BlackBerry Media Sync! It allows me to sync my photo collection from my PC to my BlackBerry smartphone. Most of us have been in a situation where we are giving an account of a recent trip or some huge milestone like our baby’s first steps… but have to end it with the line ‘You should see the pictures that I have at home.’

I recently visited the African Lion Safari in Southwestern Ontario (I love animals). In my humble opinion, this place is a hidden gem and a must visit if you’re in the area. While there, I was merely feet away from lions, cheetahs and a rhino and I got some really excellent close-up pics on my digital camera. With BlackBerry Media Sync, I was able to put my entire photo collection on my BlackBerry smartphone.

The best part about this feature is that picture file sizes are compressed so that they can be viewed optimally on the BlackBerry smartphone. Some pictures are reduced to about 2% of their original size! I have an 8GB card; with this optimization feature I can store a huge amount of pictures. The compression feature is the default option. However if you prefer to have the raw images transferred, you can always change the setting in the Options menu.

Now that I have some of my favorite edited snapshots on my smartphone – I use these to frequently update and personalize my BlackBerry smartphone background screen.

Post a comment below and let us know how you’re using the new photo sync functionality – or if you are just discovering the music functionality for the first time. To download BlackBerry Media Sync v3.0, go to: http://blackberry.com/mediasync

iTunes and Mac are trademarks of Apple, Inc. Windows and Windows Media are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Apple, Inc. does not endorse, sponsor and is not otherwise affiliated with Research In Motion Limited and/or its products and services.

Probably the biggest one is that you can easily share photos with friends or your online communities. After you’ve taken your photo, you can start sharing it within two clicks.

Here’s how:

After taking your photo, select the “send as” icon on the screen.  If you can’t find it, you can also select “send as” from the menu.  You can find the menu by pressing the menu key – this is the key with the “BB” on it.

Once you have selected the “send as” options, you can select where you want the photo to go.

Most devices have email, Messenger Contact (BlackBerry Messenger) and MMS (also known as picture SMS).  You can also send photos to Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, GoogleTalk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Windows Live Messenger.

Try sharing photos from your device today by downloading one of the social networking and instant messaging applications.