Take Better iPhone Photos With These Simple Tips
Creating photos and videos to use on your social media channels does not need a lot of fancy equipment or hours of study. For the majority of my content and my clients’ content, I simply use an iPhone!
But you can’t just point and click. There are a few small tweaks you can make to take your photos up a notch or two.
8 Tips to Take Better iPhone Photos or Videos:
One: Place yourself (or your products) in front of the lighting source.
This can be a window, lamp, ring light, or whatever. There have been times when I’ll open my front door, to let as much light in as possible and shoot from there. Other times I’ll open all the curtains in a room. Unless you are going for really artsy pics, avoid having the light behind you or to the side of you!
Pro Tip: The best lighting sources are made of diffused light. You don’t want to be directly in the sun or directly under a spotlight. Look for bright diffused spots of light and use those to your advantage!
Two: Wipe your smartphone lens!
Honestly, this is one of my biggest pet peeves and the first thing I do when I’m asked to take a picture with someone else’s phone. From your daily use, your skin’s oils, and the pocket or purse you keep it in, your smartphone is dirty. Just give it a quick wipe with your sleeve, and you’ll be amazed at the difference.
Pro Tip: I do this with my computer camera too before hopping on a zoom call!
Three: Use the camera timer to avoid blurry, unsteady shots.
Timers are your friends! Whether you use the built-in timer on your camera - 3 or 10 seconds - or you have a connected watch or another device, it’s worth exploring the timer function. When you aren’t taking all your pics selfie style, even if they are product pics, you’ll notice the images are just a little clearer!
FOUR: Use a tripod or something to prop your phone up, rather than holding your phone.
True confessions here, when I first started out as a fashion blogger, I was notorious for propping my cheap digital camera on all sorts of surfaces to get the shot. I’m talking hand railings, park benches, brick walls, mailboxes - you name it, and it was flat-ish I probably tried placing my camera on it. When I got a tripod, it was a game-changer. And it also saved me money from having to replace broken cameras that fell from their precarious placements.
A tripod can be used even if you are taking a selfie-style shot. It helps everything be just a little more in focus.
FIVE: Turn off Live Photo - It makes things a little blurry.
Granted, this is a total personal preference, but in my experience, the Live Photo option tends to make for blurrier pictures. It’s the default option on your phone, so you will need to actively opt out of it. But you’ll notice the difference - I certainly did.
And yes, I will turn this back on when taking fun group shots or at a family party, because the ability to turn these into mini videos and boomerangs is also cool.
SIX: Use the focus!
How do you do this? Simply tap the area on your screen that you want the camera to focus on and then take the pic. If you’re taking various photos in a row, you can even lock in the focus by hard pressing on the area.
I use my apple watch as my timer, and on the watch screen, I can tap the area I want the camera to focus on. Love that feature.
SEVEN: Use the grid.
Photos look better when you stick to the rule of threes - which is exactly what the grid helps you accomplish. So rather than having all of your subjects in the dead center box, consider shooting so your subject is along one of the grid lines instead.
Pro Tip: This is also a great way to film videos for Reels, making sure you leave the top third free for your text to be popped in. Making sure the essential things aren’t in the bottom third will also ensure they aren’t cut off by all the text and other IG features that live down there.
EIGHT: ONLY use the provided camera distances.
Yes, you can zoom in as much or as little as you want. 0.8, 1.7, 5.5 - whatever. But I’ve found when you use the standard distances (cameras) provided; your photos have much better quality. So rather than use those micro-adjustments, move a little closer or further from your subject and then use the most appropriate camera option.
