Quick Tips For Better iPhone Photos

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iPhone Pics

I think that it is a safe assumption that most of us have a iPhone in our hands or nearby during a large portion of our day. It is how we communicate with each other through a phone conversation, email or text. Suffice to say that we also rely on it to document our day-to-day lives. Where would we be without the iPhone camera? How many moments would we have missed without this amazing technology? Today I wanted to share some quick tips for getting better iPhone photos, without stressing over 18,000 steps on how to do it.

*Disclaimer that most of these tips will apply to all smartphones, but one or two might be iPhone specific. Yes, I am an Apple nerd. Nothing personal against Samsung, LG, or HTC  fans.

1. Turn off the flash. If there is only one tip you follow here today, please let it be this one. Natural light is your friend. The flash is not. It does no one, no favors. Many camera phones are able to sense low light situations and can adjust accordingly. Rarely should you use your flash.

PicMonkey Collage
In the photo on the left, I used the flash in a low light situation. In the photo on the right, I turned off the flash and allowed the camera to adjust itself. The photo on the right shows more details, where the photo on the left is darkened in some areas due to the flash.

2. Change your perspective. Get on your subject’s level and get close. It is so hard to not just pull your iPhone camera out and capture a shot because of the fear of missing THAT moment. However, I encourage you to slow down for a second and compose your picture. Think about changing your stance and distance from the subject when taking the photo. Proximity to a person or thing can make all the difference.

In the photo on the left, I just took out my iPhone in order to capture my daughter going through the car wash. In the photo on the right, I thought about how I wanted to recompose the shot to show a different perspective.

3. Use the rule of thirds. Blank space in a photo is not a terrible thing. It can add to the story and make the moment more interesting. Not every single photo has to be taken with the person or subject right in the center.

Using the rule of thirds, I placed my subjects in the right 1/3 of the frame. This shows movement and a different composition.

4. You have a shutter button! iPhone users you have a wonderful feature that allows you to take rapid fire photos in succession to catch those fleeting and fast motion moments. All you need to do is hold down your shutter button and snap away. Later you can edit out the pictures that do not make the cut. Hooray for fewer blurred photos!

One of my favorite pictures courtesy of the shutter button! I was able to capture my son jumping in the pool just as he hit the water.

5. Don’t say “cheese.” Everyone says cheese. While it creates a smile like response for some people, for most people it does not. Especially when working with kids, say something funny like “chicken nuggets,” or “elephant shoes.” The candid laugh you will capture in response will far outweigh any “cheese” smile.

Many of these tips can be applied when using your personal camera. Do you have any favorite quick tips for getting better iPhone photos? Happy Picture Taking!

Link is for the kiddie car wash pictured above.  It has been a summer hit at our house, and saves mommy from getting in the pool (some days, not all). Also, it was very easy to build.  The painstaking part was gathering the supplies at Lowes with two small yahoos in tow.  

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