Before the world of the iPhone, you had to have a big, often clunky, and definitely expensive camera to take nice photos. The world of photography was incredibly limited and difficult to break into. Thanks to the introduction of smartphone cameras, photography has recently become more accessible than ever. As a portrait and sports photographer who has owned many cameras, my favorite is still my phone. Why? It is versatile, portable, and accessible. When I want to capture something, I always have my phone to do it. With these few tips and tricks, you can take your photos from middle-of-the-road to magnificent. Trust me, everyone can do it. Next thing you know, people will be asking you, “what camera did you shoot these on?”
Tip 1 – Clean your lens.
This might sound insanely obvious, but trust me: just a simple, clean lens can make all the difference when you are shooting on an iPhone. We often forget how dirty our phones are, and the camera is no exception. They’re always being put in random places, touched by different people and things, and carried in our pockets and purses. Taking pictures with a dirty lens is a fast track to blurry images. So take a few seconds and wipe your lens before you shoot! A microfiber cloth is ideal, but a soft shirt is also okay in a pinch. Remember, paper is made from wood, so paper towels or tissues are not the best for wiping something as fragile as a camera lens. You can even buy a cheap lens cleaning spray and a cloth to carry with you, for easy cleaning and accessibility.
Tip 2 – The Rule of Thirds
To level up your photography, you need to start thinking like a photographer. The 1st rule of photography and the easiest strategy to learn is the rule of thirds. The basis of this theory is that the human eye is most attracted to subjects placed on the lines or where the lines intersect on the grid split into thirds. Digital Photography School states that, “According to the rule, by positioning key elements along the gridlines, you’ll end up with better compositions. Therefore, to apply the rule to your photos, simply use the gridlines to position essential compositional elements.” This can be achieved in both the original composition of your image and in editing by cropping.
To begin, turn on the grid on your iPhone (found in the “settings” app under camera) and start lining up your subject to the grid. This rule is not the end-all, be-all, but it is a good place to start when composing your shots. Try keeping this grid on and paying attention to how you are framing your subject in your photo.
Tip 3 – Changing your exposure and locking your settings
Most people know that you can tap the screen and drag your finger up and down to change the exposure of your camera while shooting, but this is a much more powerful tool than most would think. Using this tip, as well as selecting your focus point by tapping the screen, can be important steps to take to take more professional images. Another way to level up your exposure skills is to lock your settings. Tap where you want to focus your image and hold down until the “AE/AF Lock” appears, then drag your finger to set your exposure. It will then remain locked until you tap the screen to unlock it again. This feature allows for more freedom in shooting and more dynamic shots with various focus points.
Tip 4 – Editing and Filters
The iPhone has some amazing in-app editing features, and they can make a serious impact on the quality of your shots. Editing can take your photo from entry-level to professional grade with only a few taps. My first tip is to crop, crop, crop. Crop out anything that is not essential to the photo, crop to improve composition, and crop to straighten out the image. You can also use cropping to draw attention to a different part of the image, or to make creative choices such as flipping it upside down or tilting the photo.
Besides the crop feature, using the basic editing tools such as exposure, highlights, shadows, and contrast can dramatically impact the quality of your photo. Play around with these settings and make your colors, lighting, and shadows stand out. I’d also recommend checking out the free filters that are offered on the iPhone, as they can create an instant mood shift to your image. I am constantly surprised by what these filters do to my photos and how gorgeous they can be.
Tip 5 – Portrait mode
That’s right, portrait mode isn’t just for loving parents who think every photo looks better with it on– it can be for you too. The amazing thing about portrait mode is that it creates the illusion of a larger sensor within your phone camera and allows for a shallower depth of field. The blurred background that you get from portrait mode can create dramatic and impactful images. Turning on portrait mode and learning how to control it can make a huge difference in shooting on your phone.
Portrait mode is best used on subjects up close, not on wide shots. When using portrait mode, press the “f” icon in the corner to change your F-stop. The lower the number, the more ‘blurry’ the background will be, and the higher the number, the more in focus. Play around with this and create interesting compositions!
Tip 6 – Use your light!
Lighting is by far the most powerful tool of photography. Natural light is almost always ideal, but no matter your light source, it is important to control your light. Position your light behind you, and not behind your subject. For example, if you are shooting a subject near a window, don’t take the photo directly into the window, as that will overwhelm your camera with light. When dealing with low light, the iPhone has an excellent feature called “night mode”, which slows the shutter speed and allows more light into your iris. Ensure that you toggle this feature on whenever in low-light scenarios, and experiment with the exposure to achieve great results.
Taking all of these tips into account while you shoot and edit your photos will open up a whole world of possibilities, with just your phone and the world around you. Besides having tons of fun, taking gorgeous images can brighten up your Instagram feed, your portfolio website, and your future memory box. Whether photography is your greatest passion or you simply love capturing the moment, smartphones enable everyone to unleash their inner paparazzi.