That's one of the reasons why I'm having difficulties with phone photography. I can't control it like I would want it to be!
I'm going all mysterious and ask - what do you want to take photos with? How much are you willing to invest?
DSLR's are awesome, but they need a lot of investments to give the full flexibility they deserve. However, pocket cameras can be great or disappointments. I'll try to look for decent options depending on the price you are willing to pay :)