If photography is something that’s always interested you then I’m sure the thought of getting a few extra tips to take your photography game up a level, and especially photography with an iPhone, has got your creative brain lit up. You are definitely in the right place!
As you may, or may not know, I was a professional photographer for over 10 years. A wedding photographer. Which means I mastered lighting, angles and flattering strapless dress photos plus got really good at Keeping thousands and thousands of photos organized for my clients!
Enter my children! My DSLR was a little heartbroken as my iPhone started to get way more love when it came to snapping memories of my kids! I began the process of figuring out how I could get the very best photos on my iPhone, since it was way easier to edit and store those then it was to try and upload from a memory card, convert files, edit, and backup photos for my big girl camera!
HOW DO I TAKE HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS WITH MY IPHONE?
Before we get into the nitty gritty of taking a high quality photo with your iPhone we have to back it up a few steps.
I’m going to go out on the limb here and say that if you grabbed your phone right now and clicked over to your camera roll you might have overwhelming feelings of chaos and bewilderment come upon you! There are just so many photos, what on earth are you supposed to do with all of them?
I’m also guessing that if you’re a mom you also wear the title of “memory keeper”! As women we hold that roll near to our heart! Desiring to capture emotion and wanting to preserve the moment! Hoping that our kids won’t forget their past but will be gently reminded of their sweet lives as they scroll back and look at their memories!
But is that whole “kids being able to look back at their memories” thing happening? Or are all your precious little photos living disorganized on your phone memory?
I’m definitely not wanting to queue in feelings of anxiety as I talk about this! But I might have accidentally started a chain of thoughts in your brain ending with: I’ll be 80 and my kids will be 50… my grandkids will be in their twenties and we will have no proof of any of our lives because everything will be floating around in digital space somewhere, and I have no idea where! My roll as “memory keeper” has been an utter and total fail. Oops.
If the desire to get your phone photos organized is real … but so is taking better phone pics, you’re on the right track.
See, if you know how to take really great pictures with your phone then you, inevitably, will have less photos to organize.
For example if you were to try and organize your closet before you went through and got rid of your 8th grade favorite t-shirt or that college dress you hope to one day fit into but know you never will! Then you’re really just moving around stuff that has no purpose or sense of belonging.
But if you first learn to identify what you truly want to keep and what is special to you and get rid of all the other stuff, ie the dark, blurry, so-so pictures! Then you are going to have a much easier time getting your camera roll organized which means you’ll have a much easier time getting photos printed in an album or to put in a keepsake box! Meaning in the long run your job as “memory keeper” will be a success.
And it all starts with taking better iPhone pics.
I feel like I need to be clear here for a second! These photography tips for an iPhone are mostly for snapshots of your life! I’m not talking about taking professional-level artistic pictures of flowers or lighthouses or someone’s senior photos in a field of wheat over here! I’m talking about your everyday!
Next time you pull out your phone to click some pics of just the ordinary, it’s okay to put a little bit of creative thought behind that moment!
Remembering why you are taking the picture in the first place! There is a long-term mindset that needs to pop into your brain! How will I use this photo later? How will I share it? How will I use this photo to narrate my family story? I know these questions seem big, but your story is special and it deserves some big thoughts!
TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (WITH IPHONE)
The word photography actually means to draw with light! So of course my very first tip, and if you only remember one thing from this podcast remember this. Lighting.
Instead of putting light behind your subject try and let their faces be lit. If you’re standing near a window instead of putting them in front of the window turn around so the window is illuminating their face! When you are taking a photo with an iPhone you can always make sure that the face is properly exposed by tapping on your subjects eyes until the little square comes around their face. This also makes sure that they are in focus.
Another tip for photography with your phone is too, of course be mindful of your subject, but also be mindful of the background and what is around you. Is there trash on the counter? Is there a telephone pole sticking out of someone’s head? Could you close a big door or move to a blank space?
I found that with an iPhone whatever is closer to the phone is always bigger so if you have a shot of someone sitting down their knees, they’re going to wind up being bigger than their faces! Unless you angle and crop the photo so that their knees are just slightly out of the picture then you have the correct proportions for what counts!
That’s a great lead-in for angles.
When you’re taking a photo with an iPhone try and be aware of the angle or perspective in your photo! It’s always nice to take a photo from eye level or slightly above!
Without fail every time I’m pregnant on a date or a getaway with my husband we ask somebody to take our picture! For some reason this kind and helpful stranger decides to hold the phone at their belly button and take a picture of my belly button! This makes my already huge tummy look gigantic! Remember eye level or slightly above when it comes to angles!
TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS OF KIDS
First it’s time to take it back to intentionality and purpose! If you have little kids, like I do, you know that you really only have one or two shots to get it! After that smiles turn into looks of torture and fire ants bite feet and the moment has passed!
When you are taking a photo of your children remember that less is more! I know your kids are precious and nobody sees them quite as adorable as you do! But remember to take time and see them through your own two eyes instead of behind a phone!
The less snapping in their face and the less pulling out of your phone you do throughout the day the more intentional you will get with the photos when you do take them! Try for just a second, to put yourself in their shoes! I’m pretty sure you don’t absolutely adore having your photo taken! You like holding the attention of the person you’re with and engaging with them! Your kids are the same way!
Spend time over the next few days and just keep your phone locked and put away! Notice the moments, notice the emotions! Notice where you would like to be taking a picture! Then when you do pull your camera out, be purposeful with the amount of time you put your children behind your phone and the amount of time you put them in front of your actual eyes.
TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR AMAZING PHOTOS ORGANIZED
I’ve always absolutely loved the power of editing photos! You’re not always going to be in a position to get great lighting! Or maybe you forgot to look out for that random person walking through the back of your photo! And a little cropping would be nice! I’d like to introduce you to the app – Lightroom + my free preset that goes with it!
FREE RESOURCE – Lightroom Editing Preset
Editing plays a huge role and acts as a bridge between your photo and keeping your photo organized! An organized photo is going to be a photo that does not go forgotten! It’s going to be a photo that’s accounted for, a photo that tells a story, a photo that lasts!
After you’ve taken your intentional and well-lit photo! It’s time to run it through the Lightroom app and edit it to make it just a little bit better! When you export that photo it’s going to wind up back in your camera roll. But it’s going to look a little bit different than all the rest of the pictures! It’s going to be a little bit lighter, maybe the tones are a little bit warmer, maybe you’ve cropped some of the extra out! This is the photo you’re going to save in your album on your phone to be printed up and preserved for years to come!
Photo organization Is. My. Jam! I have a clear-cut system and plan for keeping your photos organized and for organizing that mass of photos that seems like a mountain you will never be able to chip away at completely! Secret, it’s way easier than you think (and won’t take nearly as long as you’re imagining)! Allow me to help you cut some corners and jump straight to the progress point!
If you’re ready to dive in deep to getting all of your awesome photos organized I have a 30-minute Workshop that is completely free. I would absolutely love nothing more than to see you be able to share your story through photos without the overwhelming feelings of having to organize hundreds of thousands of photos by yourself!
FREE RESOURCE – The Photo Organization Workshop: Why organizing your photos is actually way easier than you think!
Come get signed up now and finally do what you have been longing to do for some time now! It’s that nagging feeling in the back of your brain that you really need to say goodbye to!
Since it’s nice to have one take away from a lesson like this that’s full of tips and ideas, I want you to remember L.I.O.
Light, Intentionality, Organize.
Mentions:
Lightroom Presets || Photo Organization Workshop
