Summer iPhone Photo Tips 5

Tip#6 Selfies.  Let’s be honest, we ALL take them.  Selfie-sticks became a huge seller because of them.  We all take them for different reasons so I thought a few quick tips to taking better selfies would be helpful and I’m going to break them down into categories. 

Online dating apps.  –  Your goal with your first profile photo is to get people to linger on your photo long enough to “swipe right” – not left!  If you’ve ever been on one of those apps you know how quickly people review those photos and swipe.  You can’t control whether or not you are someone’s ‘type’ but you can take a great photo to give yourself shot.  Here are a few quick tips:

  • Check the background.  You want people looking at your face, not the background.  If you’re taking that shot indoors then check the background to make sure it’s uncluttered.  For god sakes, pick up your dirty clothes off of the floor!  Make sure there’s nothing in the background that’s sticking out of the top of your head.  In fact, if you have a plane or uncluttered wall behind you.  I fact, try the “portrait mode” feature that will blur that background.
  • Find some good natural light – try taking the shot by a window.
  • If you’re shooting outdoors, stay out of direct sun, find a shady place with light bouncing off of bright surface to light your face.  Again, find an uncluttered background.  For a dating app shot, it isn’t about ‘where you are’ it’s about YOU.
  • Don’t be a super model, be yourself.  Have something interesting going in your eyes.  So many selfies look posed and forced.  Take a second, think of someone that makes you smile or a memory that gives you a good feeling; then look at the camera and take a few shots.  Having something interesting in your eyes draws the view in. 
  • Wardrobe and Hair – take some time to make sure your hair is on-point and if you can keep the wardrobe simple and make sure it doesn’t clash with the background.  Again, you want the viewers eye to be drawn to your face, not your outfit.
  • SMILE.  You can certainly take a bunch of shots but make sure you take a bunch where you’re energy is happy – smile!

Vacation Selfies –  These are shots that show you off  in the location where you’re having a great time.  Here’s a few things to remember:

  • If the most interesting location is below for instance; The Grand Canyon, you’re on top of a tall building, your best friend is passed out on the dance floor after a night of drinking lol – lift the camera up high and shoot down to make sure you highlight those locations.
  • Shooting a landmark like the Eiffel tower or Washington Monument? Take that shot from a distance so the whole landmark is in the shot.  Put yourself to one side and have fun with it.
  • The time of day that you take that shot can make it magical.  Take most of your vacation selfies early morning or sunset when the light is beautiful and golden.
Motorcycle trip

 Group selfies – These are fun and can be a challenge if you have a big group. 

  • Get everyone to bring their faces together
  • Try shooting in “Burst Mode”.   Take a few shots and if you hold that button down your camera will shoot rapid fire shots for as long as your hold it down.  You can get some of the most fun and spontaneous shots that way.
  • Use the 3-second timer if your arm is stretched out so far you can’t reach the shutter button.
My favorite “group selfie” – My amazing Mom.

Just for fun.  I don’t really have many tips about this one. This is the where you get to just experiment as a photographer.  Break all of the above rules or tips and just shoot! 

Happy Shooting!

Summer iPhone Photo Tips

Tip#5 – Moments Pro Camera App.   I’ve been using this app for a few days now and I’m very impressed by it.  Unlike the photo editing Apps on the market the “Moments Pro Camera” app interfaces with your camera and turns it into a fully functioning DSLR.  It allows you to control white balance, shutter speed, aperture, ISO settings, dual focus and exposure points, and like a DSLR, if you press the shutter lightly it will focus and then press harder and it will take the photo.  One of the coolest features is the “long exposure settings”.  If you have a simple iPhone tripod you can increase the shutter speed and play with long exposure shots!  This is the hottest app on the market right now and it’s available for both ISO and Android.

The design of the app is simple, elegant and intuitive. Even if you’re not experienced shooting in manual mode on a DLSR, this app will show you in real time the changes in your photos as you play with the different settings.   It gives you options to shoot in JPG (the default for all camera phones) or for you DSLR buffs out there; it will even shoot in RAW format. 

Separate focus and exposure points.

The app isn’t free; it’s $5.00, which is the price of a large Latte and it’s well worth it. There is educational support if you want to learn more about the functionality in the form of YouTube tutorials or weekly newsletter tips.  This app is a game changer for unlocking the true potential of your camera phone.

Happy shooting!

Summer iPhone tips 3

Tip#4 VIDEO! – Todays tip deals with shooting video on your iPhone, specifically if you want to capture fast moving action shots.  There is a setting on your iPhone that will allow you to change the default video setting and give you the best quality video for those shots when you really need it. 

Your camera’s default setting for video is 1080p at 30 frames per second.  It’s the default because it saves storage space and for most videos it’s sufficient. Most of us never change this setting because it is perfect for viewing on your phone and posting videos on line.    But if you enjoy shooting sporting events or just a day of fast moving action you can change the default setting to 60fps (Frames per second) in 1080p and that will handle most of your sporting event needs and will still be a manageable files for posting online.  I recommend only using this feature for the shots or events you are shooting and then change it back to the default to save storage space on your camera.

To change the video settings: 

Go to SETTINGS – CAMERA – RECORD VIDEO.  You can make your changes there. 

(Don’t forget to change back when you no longer need fast capture)

Shooting 4k Movies to be viewed on a big screen.  Did you know that some filmmakers have used the iPhone to shoot feature films?  When the newer iPhones with better cameras came out, there were film making competitions to showcase the features of the camera.  The 4K setting was designed to give you the best resolution for showing your videos on a big screen.  These files take up a lot of storage so you can’t store them on your phone for long.  If this is a bigger video project, you’ll most likely be using a computer to edit your videos so I recommend transferring them to a hard dive and backing them up and then deleting them from your phone when you’re ready to free up space.   If you’ve ever been bitten by the filmmaking bug, this is an ideal and inexpensive way to take on a fun project.  

Happy shooting!

Summer iPhone Photo tips 2

#tuesdayphototips

Tip#3 Burst Mode. This is such a great feature for shooting action stills! To use Burst Mode, hold down the red shutter button on your screen when you’re ready to take the shot.  The longer you hold it down the more frames your camera will capture.  There’s a little indicator on the screen that will show you exactly how many frames you’ve shot.   To choose the best capture from the bunch, go to your photos, you’ll see one image that represents the burst of photos. Click on that image and then tap “select”: you’ll see all the burst images from that capture.

Shoot in BURST MODE to make sure you capture the perfect frame.

Tip#3 Quick exposure advice. It’s easier to brighten up an underexposed photo than it is to darken and over exposed photo.  Editing software and all of the photo editing apps can handle brightening up a photo as long as it’s in the ball park of correct exposure.  But if you over expose too much, there’s not enough information on the image and your attempts to darken it won’t be too successful. If you have to err on the side of over or under exposing – UNDER is better.

Too Dark JUST RIGHT Too Bright

Summer iPhone photo tips!

Every Tuesday I’ll be posting two quick iPhone tips to help you make the best of your summer photo opportunities.

#tuesdayphototips

Tip#1 Clean your lens you filthy animal! This is so basic but you handle your phone all day long with your oily hands and when you’re not using it, it sits in your dusty pocket.  That lens usually has a dusty, oily film on it and it shows up in your photos.  If you have a soft dust free cloth with you give it a wipe before you start shooting.  If not, I’ve used my shirt or my friend’s shirts if they look cleaner.

This is my phone – I’m a filthy animal lol

Tip#2 Shoot during golden hour.   Lighting is everything!  I know, sometimes you don’t always have the luxury of waiting for the perfect light but at some point at the end of the day, when the sun is low on the horizon the perfect light shows up – Take advantage of it and take some photos.  If you’re taking selfies or group shots, make sure the golden light is hitting the subjects face.  And if you love landscape photography, shoot that sunset!   A little sunset tip:  put some people in your shot and embrace the silhouette. Having people in a sunset shot makes it more than ‘just another sunset’ – it makes it a story.  

Having people in your sunset shot elevates it to a story.