In the first of a series of beginners tips, we’ll be taking a look at iPhone photography.
Why? Well, most of us have a phone with a camera in our pockets most of the time. Those that do, often have an iPhone. And, to be honest, the last phone i had that wasn’t an iPhone was named after a different fruit. So i wouldn’t even know where to start with an article on taking pictures with an Android handset!
Street, Architecture and Landscape photographers shouldn’t be afraid to go out without their cameras every now and then. After all, the best camera you have is the one you have with you - and if that’s an iPhone, then you shouldn’t be afraid of not being able to take good pictures.
For any shooters out there armed with only their iPhone, here’s some helpful tips to get the best you can out of it.
#1 - Composition
Composition is basically rule number one in photography. Know what you’re about to shoot, get the composition correct and you’re good. That’s of course the great thing about smartphone photography - composition is pretty much the only thing you need to worry about!
You know about the rule of thirds right?
If not, let google be your friend.
To help you execute the rule of thirds correctly, you can activate an SLR-viewfinder-style grid.
Head to Settings / Camera / Grid to turn it on.
I’ve circled the areas where, when following the rule of thirds, you subject would normally be placed.
Of course, composition is really up to you, and your style.
#2 - Stop Camera Shake
The shutter on the iPhone activates when your finger leaves the screen. This action of tapping the screen to take a photo can sometimes result in camera shake - especially in poor light.
Luckily, there is another way to take a shot. Your iPhones volume up button also acts as the shutter button when in the camera app. Nice!
EDIT YOUR PHOTOS IN ONE CLICK WITH LIGHTROOM PRESETS - ALSO FOR LIGHTROOM MOBILE
#3 - Use Burst Mode When Capturing Action
There have been some changes to the camera app in iOS 13 which have left some users pissed by the removal of burst mode.
Before iOS 13, holding the camera shutter button on-screen produced a burst of shots for the length of time you held your finger there. Now, it activates video recording.
Don’t worry though! The Burst feature is still there - it’s just been changed.
Hold your finger on the shutter button and swipe to the left (if you're shooting vertically), keeping your finger held on the screen. Boom! Thank me later for that one!
#4 - Portrait Mode
Want to get some sexy background blur when you’re taking shots of a friend? If you have an iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus or later, you can utilise Portrait Mode.
Slide along the menu in the bottom of the camera app to reach it.
Your subject needs to between one and three meters away, and you need good light to get the best performance from the camera.
image ©Apple
Once you get a yellow box appear around your subject you’re ready to shoot! You can also use Burst when in portrait mode to make sure you catch the perfect expression!
Furthermore, you can adjust the depth of field (how blurred the background is) and the lighting style afterwards in Edit.
#5 - Try Out HDR Mode
HDR or High Dynamic Range, is ratio of light to dark in your images. With phones smaller sensors, and the exposure often being controlled by software automatically, it can be difficult to get a correct exposure in scenes with lots of detail.
The HDR mode works by shooting three images at different exposures. One underexposed, one correctly exposed, and one overexposed. These three images are then combined in-phone to produce a final images with lots of detail and contrast in the highlights, shadows and subject.
#6 - Take More Photos Than You Need
Sounds a bit crazy i know, but, why would you just take one shot of something? Take 10, or 50, then choose the best one.
Use burst if your subject is moving, HDR if it isn’t and try shooting your subject from different perspectives and angles. Unwanted photos can always be deleted later!
#7 - Try Some Third-Party Apps
There are a bunch of apps out there for your iPhone which can help you take images, edit them, post them, etc etc.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative with your editing. The main thing is to have some fun!