10 Tips To Taking Better Phone Photos

The power we have in our pockets and purses to document and capture precious memories is something we often take for granted.

The advances in technology and camera quality means phone cameras can produce some fantastic images. They are also light weight and allow you to document time but still remain in the moment.

Making great images is of course a skill but it is also something that you can learn and improve on. Recently I was asked to present a workshop on taking better pics with your phone for the Port Fairy Womens Weekend.

This fabulous event will be held on the 24th and 25th of August. It will be a hands on workshop exploring light, subject and composition to enhance your own day to day picture taking. If you would like to join me then I would love you to head over and sign up.

Now I’m not going to give too much away but I though I would share some of my tips from the workshop to make you a better iPhoneographer!

HERE ARE My Top 10 Tips To Help You Become An iPhoneographer!

1) Clean the lens! Have you ever wondered why your photos are blurry or grey? Chances are your lens is covered in grubby fingerprints and smudges. Parents of toddlers are particularly susceptible to gunky lens syndrome. Have a look at the lens on the back of your camera and give it a wipe. You might be surprised at how much clearer and cleaner your photos are.

2) Use the swipe up. Did you know you can access your camera from the lock screen? If you swipe up before unlocking your phone you can hit the camera icon quickly and open the app. This allows you lighting fast access so you don’t miss the action while fumbling around trying to open the damn thing.

3) Don’t rely on the zoom. While phone camera technology has come a long way the ability to zoom in on anything is crap! Avoid it where you can. The easiest and most effective way to zoom in is to use your feet and get closer to your subject. Taking a few steps closer to your subject can make all the difference.

4) Look for light. Without light there is no photo. Great photography really does start with light. Have you tried to take pics on sundown or indoors only to find they are grainy and splotchy? The low light capability of phone cameras is not great. You are better to create pics in soft or flat daylight. Cloudy days are perfect as they soften shadows and highlights. Natural window light indoors is also great. Make sure you turn overheads and fluros off as mixed lighting conditions can wreak havoc on your portraits.

5) Frame your subject. Add a little depth or interest to your photos by framing your subject. There are many ways to do this using elements already in the scene. You can use walls as leading lines to your focus point, foliage to add depth around your subject even water and light can frame your pics. Adding different elements makes for a more engaging and interesting photo.

6) Nail Focus. Crappy focus can easily spoil an otherwise great photo. It is especially easy to tell your phone camera where to focus. Tap on the relevant spot on your screen and the focus square will appear over your subject. You can change focus by tapping on other areas or lock focus by tapping and holding, even if you move your phone the focus will remain locked on your subject. With this tap and hold technique you are also controlling your exposure by telling the camera how dark or light you want the pic to be.

7) Be aware of horizons. Nothing stands out more than an uneven horizon. It is easy to forget to look at the whole scene when you are concentrating on taking photos but this one is an easy fix. If you find that you are constantly taking photos with uneven horizons you can easily rotate and edit them later in iPhoto. It is however, always good to try and keep an eye on the whole frame not just your subject as you shoot.

8) Alternative shutters. I recently learnt this one too. Did you know you can use alternative buttons to release the shutter on your camera phone? The side volume buttons will also take pics. This is great for when you are mixing up your angles or trying to get difficult shots so have a play around with it.

9) Try new angles. If like me you take A LOT of photos then you may get sick of the same straight on point and shoot angle. Mix it up a little and get creative. Shoot from above your subject and below. Get down on the ground and shoot low. I love shooting through things like trees or using fence lines to direct the eye towards my subject. Hold your phone above your head and take a chance shot or shoot from the hip to be more discreet. The angles are endless. Try and find something new each and every time you snap.

10) Go easy on the filters. Editing photos is a huge part of photography. There are so many apps now that you can use to add filters and play with effects. I would recommend however going easy on them. You may find that heavy filters will date. Mixing up lots of different ones in your photos on the wall or on instagram can also look messy. Try and find a look you like then choose one or two colour and black and white filters that sit well together and stick to them.

BONUS TIP! My final tip which would have to be the most important one is - PRINT YOUR PICS!

I can’t stress this enough. As a photographer nothing saddens me more than having beautiful images stored in the deep dark depths of hard drives never allowed to see the light of day. So please just print ‘em people! xx

Some of my very own Apple iPhone 4 images below.