Whatever stage you are at in your business, having the right photos is so important. Its the way people connect to you and what you do. Its the first thing your prospective clients see and its reflective of your brand and brand values.
We live in a visual world, where both photography, and increasingly videos, play an integral part in sharing your work. Social media is amazing and is a wonderful way to get your work out there, but it can be really stressful thinking what to share, how to get across what you do and having enough images to keep up with regular posts!
I am professional photographer, based in South London, with over a decade of experience. I specialise in beautiful, stylish and authentic photographs and love working with creative businesses to capture their work, their brand and their personality.
With over a decades experience I have developed a style and approach that really captures the businesses and people I photograph and produce images that stand out from the crowd.
From interiors and lifestyle imagery, to personal branding and product photography, I works closely with each client to focus on showcasing the brand and the personality behind it, as well as what is created.
Nothing will beat having a professional photoshoot for your business. However, I appreciate this isn’t always possible. Budget or time restrictions can mean you aren’t always in the position to get professional images taken. This is where your phone can do a great job, if you know what you’re doing.
I’m here today to share my 6 top tips for taking better iphone photos. This is all about improving your day to day images for social media and helping you feel more confident in capturing better photos of your work. (I have an iPhone so the references are primarily iPhone ones, however I am sure Android phones have similar options.)
1. The basics - clean the lens, turn the flash off and put the grid format on.
I know this sounds really obvious, but you would be amazed how few people think to give the lens of their phone camera a wipe before taking a photo. Give it a clean and make sure your image isn’t ruined by greasy marks and fingerprints.
You really do not need the flash on. The flash is overly harsh when close up and useless when far away.
Turning on the grid format to the screen will really help you with composition and making sure your image is straight! Small things but all make quite a difference.
2. Find the light
Natural light is your best friend and is all you need for taking photos most of the time. Start by turning off the overhead lights. Indoor lights massively affect the colour of an image. They can make your photos go orange or pink or in some cases green, depending on the light. Make the most of the windows you have. If you are shooting smaller items or details get closer to the window and use the natural light. Take a photo with the window behind you so there is lots of light on the room or subject you are shooting. If you can’t have a window behind you then make sure that there is still plenty of light coming into the room. Push back curtains slightly, or raise/open blinds. You can still show off the decor and designs and allow natural light to come in.
3. Get the right angle
I know we are restricted somewhat by social media crops, but think about what you are shooting and whether a landscape or portrait orientation works better. You might be surprised when you turn the phone sideways that it looks much better. Think about what you are taking a photos of and the space you have. Let that dictate the orientation of the shot, not the social media crop!
For full room shots keep an eye on the vertical lines. As much as possible you want them to be straight, so don’t automatically shoot from head height. If you do it’s likely you will get wall edges that are on an angle. Try to get lower and shoot near hip height, as this will help straighten the vertical lines in a room.
Work around the space to do a mix of pulled back shots and more detailed shots. Tell the story of the space and share all the interesting bits. Mix up the perspective by shooting through doorways, or past a plant and try a different angle when it comes to details.
4. Keep it steady.
Use your hand like a tripod to hold the phone steady. Wrap your thumb underneath and fingers up the side to hold more firmly. Rest your elbows into your hips, on your knee or on a table to keep the phone still.
A little top tip, you can use the volume button as the shutter release! This way you don’t need to stretch one finger over the phone to hit the button. From your steady position you can just gently push the volume button.
To give a extra hand if you are a bit wobbly, and if the light is low, use a tripod and set the self timer so as to not touch the phone.
5. Focus and change exposure
Being in control of the focus and exposure is a real changer in terms of taking a photo on your phone. The focus allows you to choose what you want to be the focal point of the photo. The exposure allows you to make the image brighter or darker.
Focus
• to set the focus, tap on the screen where you want the focus to be. You will see a yellow square appear.
• to lock the focus to that spot, tap and hold until you see AE/AF appear. The focus is then locked on the subject until you take the photos
Exposure
• when you set the focus, you can also set or change the exposure. When you tap on the yellow square you will see a little ‘sun’ on a line to the side of the square. Hold your finger on the and slide the brightness up or down to adjust the brightness. When you are happy with the level take the photo.
6. Use different shooting modes.
On a regular camera you use aperture to change depth of field. This is what allows you to take an image where either everything in the shot is clearly in focus or the focus is one the subject and the background/foreground around the subject is blurred.
On a phone you aren’t able to change aperture, but there are now different shooting modes. The standard ‘Photo’ mode will give you more in focus, so great for full room shots images where you want to see everything clearly. The ‘Portrait’ mode allows you to replicate a shallow depth of field where only the subject is in focus. In order to get this effect touch the screen where you want the focus to aim (see notes in point 5) and then you will see that the subject is in focus and the background blurs.
Now you are armed with 6 top tips for taking better iPhone photos and ready to go! The best thing you can do is to practice and try things out, see how you get on by following these tips. You should hopefully see a few changes in the photos you take. I am always happy to answer questions so feel free to get in touch.
Email - fiona@fionakellyphotography.com
Instagram - @fionakphotos
Facebook - @fionakellyphotography
If you have a DSLR camera and are interested in learning more I offer beginners photography lessons where you will gain the confidence and skills you need to improve your photography. And when you are ready to invest in professional photos for your website or social media get in touch. I love working with creative people and businesses to capture images that reflect your brand, personality and the work you do.
If you would like to book a shoot with me, mention this blog post & Precious Time Design to receive 10% off the shoot. (For the first shoot only)
Thanks for reading my post and do share how you get on!
Fiona x
