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If you want to take better photos with your iPhone, I have 9 awesome tips that will help you. I use my iPhone to take a lot of the pictures for my blog and all of the pictures on my Instagram. I always have my phone with me, so it’s just convenient to use it and the iPhone takes really great pictures, so for me, the iPhone has become my go-to camera. I recently got the iPhone 6s and the camera quality is so good!
Since I basically only use my iPhone to take all my pictures, I thought I’d share my tips for how to take better photos with your iPhone! Here are my 9 tips:
Natural Lighting is KEY
Bright, natural lighting will help you to get the best possible photo. If you’re indoors, try to take your photos near a window and if you’re outside, use the light to highlight your subject. Certain times of day will be better for taking pictures outdoors — harsh, direct light can wash out your image or create weird shadows; instead, take your pictures when the sun is lower in the sky.
Use the Grid
Framing your subject is really important when taking pictures. I like to use the grid feature on the iPhone to help me keep my photos straight and also to use the Rule of Thirds to keep my photos interesting. You can access the grid feature from Settings > Photos & Camera and it’s under the “Camera” heading. Especially with scenic images, it’s really important to have a straight horizon line. The grid will help you straighten up your image easily, but you can also edit your picture after the fact.
Tap to Focus
The iPhone software is so good at helping you take better picture — the tap to focus feature is super important. I look back at my old photos and I cringe at how many photos are out of focus. A sharp, in-focus photo looks best and the iPhone makes it easy. While viewing your image through the camera app, just tap on the subject of your photo — the yellow box will let you know that the iPhone is focusing on that area. This is especially important when the subject of your photo is off to the side or you want to play around with blur. You can also lock the Auto Focus by tapping and holding on the if screen — with the AF lock on, you can shift your phone, but that area will still be in focus.
Pay Attention to the Background
A great picture of your subject can be ruined if your background is a mess or distracting. But an OK picture can be made great with an interesting background or cool textures. For better photos with your iPhone, the background is just as important as your subject and framing. You should clean up your background or remove distractions before taking pictures if you can. Or if you are taking a more close up shot, or a top down image, try to play with layering your background with different textures to add dimension.
Angles Are Your Friend
I like to try to get level with my subject or get really close to the subject of my picture. I think this works especially well with pictures of pets or macro shots. It’s nice to play around with your angles to find the composition that works best for your subject.
Take Multiple Photos
Seriously, my camera roll is filled with a bunch of basically the same picture…but each is slightly different. It’s just nice to have options when selecting the best photo for your blog or your Instagram. With multiple photos, you can really take your time to find the best one. I find that it’s better to have a lot of options than to end your photoshoot and feel like you never got the shot you were looking for. More = better.
Edit Your Photo
I’ve been using Hipstamatic, LINE Camera, Faded, Union, A Color Story, and I recently re-downloaded VSCO to edit my photos. I usually like to filter the brightness up or make the colors more vibrant. You can see other iPhone apps that I really like in my What’s On My iPhone post.
Use Lenses
I did a review of these iPhone lenses and I still love them, but I haven’t tried them out on my iPhone 6s yet (plus, i’m not sure the ring would fit the camera lens with my current iPhone case). The macro lens is my favorite, so if you only get one, definitely get it.
Try Out a Light Box
This Foldio 2 pop up light studio was on my birthday wish list and it’s really awesome for taking pictures indoors of a smaller subject. The light is super bright and clean — plus, there are multiple back drops you can use. I have only used the white background so far, but I love it. It’s great being able to have bright & even lighting at any time and I like how the edges are not harsh since the backdrop curves up in the back.
Do you have any tips for taking the perfect photo?
Leave a link to your Instagram account below. I would love to check it out!
PS. Follow me on Instagram @ MuffinChanel 🙂
