Table Of Contents: Prisma App Tutorial

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the article:
1. How To Make A Photo Look Like A Painting Or Drawing With Prisma App
2. Access More Prisma Artistic Filters
3. Fine-Tune Your Artwork With The Prisma Photo Editor
4. Save Your Prisma Masterpiece
5. Free Prisma App vs Paid Premium Subscription

The Prisma app is free to download from the App Store.

You get a good selection of artistic filters with the free app. But you can access more filters by paying a subscription fee.

You’ll learn more about the Prisma paid subscription later. But for now, the free Prisma app is all you need to get started.

1. How To Make A Photo Look Like A Painting Or Drawing With Prisma App

When you first open the Prisma app, you’ll see the in-app camera.

You can tap the shutter button to take a photo. Or tap Gallery to open an image from your photo library.

When you’ve opened your photo library, locate the photo you want to edit. Then tap on the image to open it in the Prisma photo editor.

When your photo is open, you’ll see a selection of artistic filters at the bottom of the screen.

These include a range of painting styles as well as drawing and sketch effects.

Swipe across the filters to view more styles.

Note that the Prisma photo to painting app releases a new filter every day. So you’ll always have a new artistic style to try out.

When you find a filter you like the look of, tap to apply it to your photo.

It takes a few seconds for the Prisma app to turn your picture into a painting or drawing. The triangle icon in the middle of the screen shows the progress of the edit.

When your photo has been processed, you’ll see the effect applied to your image.

If you don’t like the effect, tap a different art filter at the bottom of the screen.

Keep trying different filters until you find a style that you like.

After applying a filter, you can adjust its strength by swiping left or right over the photo. Reducing the filter strength tones down the effect for a subtler result.

The filters at the bottom of the screen are only a small selection of Prisma’s huge range of paint and sketch styles.

So how do you access more Prisma filters?

Read on to find out!

2. Access More Prisma Artistic Filters

The Prisma picture to painting app has over 500 artistic filters.

This gives you a huge range of options when it comes to choosing a paint or sketch style for your photo.

Whatever your artistic preferences, you’re sure to find something you like!

To view the entire collection of Prisma filters, tap Library to the left of the filters.

Ensure the Art Styles tab is selected at the top of the screen. Then scroll down to view the different categories of filters, e.g. Daily Releases, Editor’s Picks, etc.

Tap See More to view all of the filters within a particular category.

When you find a filter you like the look of, tap it. Then tap Add To Favorites.

Adding a filter to your favorites means you’ll see it at the bottom of the screen when editing your photos.

When you’ve finished adding filters to your favorites, tap Library at the top left. Then tap the X at the top left to return to the editing screen.

The filters that you added to your favorites will appear at the bottom of the screen. You may need to scroll across to find them.

To remove a filter from the bottom of the screen, tap and hold the filter. Then drag it to the Trash icon in the middle of the screen.

If you remove a filter, you can always add it back to your favorites by opening the Library again.

Note that the free version of the app only gives you access to filters in the Prisma Classic and Misc Collection.

The white padlock icons indicate filters that are only available with the paid version of the app.

If you want the entire collection of over 500 filters, you’ll need to pay for the premium version of Prisma.

Tap any padlock icon to open the subscription options.

Premium subscription costs $7.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

You get a free 3-day trial, so you can always try it out before committing to the subscription.

3. Fine-Tune Your Artwork With The Prisma Photo Editor

Once you’ve applied a filter to your photo, you can fine-tune the effect using the Prisma photo editor tools.

Tap the Adjustments icon (two sliders) above the row of filters.

You’ll see a series of sliders for adjusting light, color, sharpness, etc. You can scroll down to view more adjustment sliders.

To adjust a setting, drag the slider left or right. Watch how your photo changes as you move the slider.

When you’re happy with the adjustments, tap the checkmark at the bottom right of the photo.

4. Save Your Prisma Masterpiece

When you’ve finished turning your photo into artwork, you’ll need to save it to your photo library.

Tap the Share icon (square with up arrow) near the bottom right.

On the next screen, tap Save.

When the photo has saved, tap Cancel at the top right to return to the Prisma photo editor.

To edit another photo, tap the X near the bottom left.

5. Free Prisma App vs Paid Premium Subscription

The Prisma app is free to download from the App Store. But there’s a subscription fee for accessing the app’s premium features.

Subscription costs $7.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

The premium version of Prisma gives you access to the entire collection of over 500 filters.

But what are the other benefits of premium subscription?

One of the key benefits is that you get unlimited HD processing.

This means the app will save your creations at full resolution, rather than reducing the image size.

When you’re using the app, you’ll notice the SD and HD icons at the top of the screen. SD means Standard Definition and HD means High Definition.

With the free app, you only get the option to use SD. When you save your edit, the image gets saved at a smaller size with fewer pixels than the original.

If you print or view the image at a large size, you’ll probably see some quality issues.

If you just want to have some fun with an app that turns pictures into paintings, the free Prisma app may work fine for you.

But if you’re planning to print or share your creations, you’ll probably want to save them at the full, original size (HD).

In this case, you’ll need to subscribe to the premium version of Prisma.

To subscribe, tap the HD icon in the Prisma photo editor.

Note that once you’ve subscribed, you’ll get the option to use SD or HD when editing. Ensure you select HD before saving so that the image saves at full size.

One more benefit of subscribing to the Prisma app is that it’s advert-free.

So if you’re fed up of seeing adverts in the free app, you can rest assured they’ll disappear once you subscribe!

The post How To Use Prisma App To Turn Your iPhone Photos Into Paintings & Drawings appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Brushstroke App

The Brushstroke app ($3.99) converts your photo into a painting with just one tap.

It offers more than 50 different presets in a wide variety of painting styles.

These include watercolor, acrylic, oil, lead pencil, gloss, and abstract.

The Brushstroke app makes it very easy to turn a photo into a painting.

To apply a paint effect, simply select the style you want to use. You can adjust the paint intensity to achieve just the look you want.

After painting the photo, you can edit settings such as contrast, saturation, exposure, and sharpness.

You can also adjust the colors or change the background texture.

Do you want to see your masterpiece framed on your wall? It’s easy with Brushstroke!

You can order prints directly from the app and get them shipped straight to your doorstep.

If you want to create beautiful paintings using a wide range of styles, Brushstroke is the app for you!

2. Glaze App

Glaze is a free photo to painting app that converts your pictures into textured paintings.

With the free version of Glaze, there are 36 painting styles to choose from.

But you can unlock more styles for an additional $2.99.

The app also allows you to create your own presets by stacking different styles together.

Another great feature of the Glaze app is the mask tool. This lets you apply the paint effect to only certain parts of your photo.

However, to use this feature, you’ll need to pay an extra $2.99 to unlock the transparency pack.

Many of the Glaze painting presets are strongly textured. And some of the effects will create interesting abstract images.

You can use the Glaze paint effects on any photo. But I find it works best on pictures that have strong shapes and contrasting colors.

If you want to create paintings with a strong texture, Glaze is the perfect photo art app.

3. Waterlogue App

The Waterlogue app ($4.99) turns your iPhone photos into beautiful watercolor paintings.

This watercolor app is incredibly simple to use.

As soon as you open a photo, the app automatically turns it into a stunning watercolor.

There are 14 gorgeous watercolor styles to choose from. Each style varies in wetness, outline, and color.

After applying your chosen paint style, you can change the brush size and image brightness. You can also add a white border if you wish.

I find this app works best on landscapes, street scenes, and still life photos.

It works particularly well on landscape photos that have a blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

If you want to turn your photos into watercolor paintings, you can’t go wrong with Waterlogue.

It just a few seconds, this picture to painting app turns your photos into incredible works of art!

4. Portrait Painter App

The Portrait Painter app ($2.99) is designed for turning your portrait photos into stylized paintings.

But it’s actually ideal for any type of photo.

It does a terrific job of bringing out color and contrast, as you can see in the flower picture below.

There are over 25 different painting styles to choose from.

Styles are divided into two categories: Portrait Painter and Bright & Colorful.

The Portrait Painter styles retain the image’s natural colors. And the Bright & Colorful styles use bold, colorful brushstrokes.

You can customize your painting using a range of settings. These include brush size, skin smoothing, color enhancement, and canvas style.

If you want to create bold, colorful paintings on a textured canvas background, Portrait Painter is a great choice.

Remember, you don’t need to limit yourself to portraits of people and pets. This painting style can work on many different kinds of photo.

5. Tangled FX App

The Tangled FX app ($2.99) creates a truly distinctive look.

It turns your photos into paintings using “tangled” effects such as fibers, swirls, webs, and etching.

Tangled FX has 16 painting styles to choose from.

And you can fine-tune each style using a range of color and contrast settings.

You can also adjust the intensity of the effect to achieve the exact look you want.

If you want to add a unique, abstract style to your photos, try Tangled FX. You’ll be amazed at what you can create!

How To Turn A Picture Into A Drawing

Do you enjoy using iPhone photo painting apps? If so, you’ll probably enjoy turning your photos into drawings and sketches too!

Check out our comparison of the 6 best apps that turn photos into drawings.

The post 5 Best Painting Apps That Turn Your iPhone Photos Into Paintings appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Choose A Subject For Your Series

When thinking of a subject for your series, choose something that you can easily revisit and photograph whenever you want. It can be a building, a prop, a person, or whatever you like.

Think of places near you that are distinctive and photogenic. Is there a public place near your home or office that has great natural light or beautiful shiny floors?

By returning to that place on a regular basis you’ll start to notice where the good places are to shoot at that location, and you’ll learn the rhythm of what happens there.

After you’ve shot all the “good angles,” try to find another angle that you’ve never shot from before.

Try shooting from low down or high up, or shooting through something else. The goal is to get you to look at the space or subject in a new way.

You can also return to the location with different people, which will immediately give you variety for your main subject, even though the locations stays the same.

2. Find Subjects That Are Similar

If you don’t have a distinctive location that you can get to on a regular basis, try finding lots of locations that are very similar to one another.

By shooting a series of subjects that are related, your series will easily showcase what’s similar and what’s different about each subject.

It’s like finding a theme that you like and then looking for many variations on that theme.

Your subject could be a series of locations that are similar, or a bunch of props that have something in common with one another.

Almost anything can be a series, so pick something you like and start shooting!

3. Shoot A Subject With A Clear Concept

If you feel stumped for finding good locations, you can always force yourself to look at a familiar subject in a new way by making yourself shoot it with a clear, simple concept.

For example, autumn leaves are always pretty to shoot, but can you make yourself think about them in a whole new way?

How about putting a special rule in place, like “I’m only going to shoot minimal photos of autumn leaves.”

By adopting a restriction like that, you’ll be looking at trees and their leaves with fresh eyes. This will rejuvenate your photography and inject your work with new creativity.

You might find that you want to shoot using lots of negative (empty) space, or by collecting some leaves and shooting them against a solid background.

By making yourself shoot with a limiting concept, you access new areas of your brain and you’ll surprise yourself with how creative you can be.

4. Shoot From Different Angles & Perspectives

If the subject for your series is a single specific thing and it’s static (like a building or a sign), you can spark your creativity by looking for different angles and perspectives to shoot from.

After you cover all the basic angles, start to think about how many other ways you can photograph your subject.

Can you get directly below it or directly above it? Really close? Far away? Can you frame it in a way that will make it seem new?

Experimenting with angles will improve your eye for composition and force you to be more creative.

5. Shoot Against Different Backdrops

If your subject is portable, you can take it to different locations and shoot it in new environments. The subject will become the constant thing, while everything else around it changes.

Maybe your subject will be small enough that you can keep it with you all the time, and then whenever you’re someplace new, take it out and see if you can find a great location in which to photograph it.

Seeing your subject in unusual places will add variety to your series, and inspire you to think of even more unexpected places to photograph.

Don’t be afraid to carry interesting props around with you. As you can see, I’ve taken my favorite little red chair to all sorts of locations to create this particular photo series.

6. Shoot In Different Seasons

Another great way to build a strong series around a single subject or scene is to return to it at different times of year.

If you’re ever feeling stuck with your creativity, returning to a subject you’ve previously photographed is like seeing an old friend again.

Pay attention to how the subject is different during each season, and try to focus on that with your photos. Or maybe your subject never changes, but the world around it reflects seasonal changes.

Your seasonal subject can be a single tree, or an area that you like to go to and shoot from different angles.

Regardless, by focusing on the seasonal aspect of your subject you’ll easily be able to create a series that has variety and stimulates your creativity.

7. Tell A Story With Your Series

If you shoot a series over a long period of time, you’ll eventually start to build up a narrative of events that can tell a story. This is perhaps most easily done if the subject of your series is a person.

You might want to think about how many different ways you can shoot that person, or how many different locations you can photograph them in.

For example, I’ve been building a series of photos of my husband. I photograph him from behind in places that we visit. He even has his own hashtag on Instagram: #backofburtshead.

By looking at all the photos at that tag, the story of our life together starts to unfold by documenting all the places that we’ve visited together during the past few years.

8. Capture A Sense Of Place

You can also tell another kind of story with a series, by trying to capture the spirit of a place in a group of photos.

Maybe a place that you want to photograph is so large that you can’t possibly tell the story of that place in a single image.

Capturing a series of images at that location will create a more complete picture for the viewer, and it will get you thinking more creatively about how you take these photos.

If you’re trying to capture the feeling of what it’s like there, look for images that convey the different moods of the place.

Try photographing the scene at different times of the day to capture different kinds of light. Take some photos with people and some without.

However you choose to shoot your location, by trying to tackle your subject from different points of view you can capture a real sense of place.

Conclusion

No matter what you choose as the subject or theme of your photo series, giving yourself boundaries will force you to be more inventive as you try to work within those limitations.

By organizing your series of photos around a single specific subject, you can very quickly unleash your creativity and produce strong, meaningful images that will fascinate your viewers.

All you have to do is find a subject or location that you’d like to photograph, then spend some time exploring different ways to shoot it.

And the best thing about a photo series is that you can continue working on it indefinitely, giving you plenty of time and opportunity to come up with creative ideas and improve your iPhone photography skills.

The post 8 Ways To Create A Compelling iPhone Photo Series appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

How To Maintain Your Creativity

I’ve been teaching photography workshops around the world for many years, and the common theme amongst almost all my students has been a variation on this: “How do I keep creative when I don’t feel creative?”

If you’ve struggled with this, you’re not alone! In fact, you may be relieved to know that it’s normal to purposefully fan the flame of creativity, as creativity isn’t necessarily always switched to “on.”

Similar to how we can take vitamins and do daily exercises to help keep our bodies healthy, we can also take daily photo assignments to keep our creativity strong and vibrant.

The Learn Photo365 app is an iPhone photo assignment generator that pushes you to think outside of your photographic comfort zone.

When we’re encouraged to photograph subjects that we’re not used to photographing, we can advance in our photography goals quickly and more easily.

In the rest of this tutorial, I’ll take you through a step-by-step tutorial to show you how to use the Learn Photo365 app to generate a wide range of photography topics and ideas that will help you take your creativity to new and exciting levels.

How To Use The “Learn Photo365” App

The first step is to download the app to your iPhone. The developer has different versions of this app, so make sure you find the “iPhotography” version of Learn Photo365 on the App Store.

When you open the app, you’ll have a few options to choose from. You can browse through the full list of assignments, you can let the app randomly choose an assignment for you, or you can do a challenge:

To browse through the list of assignments, tap Choose From List, and you’ll be shown an extensive list of photography assignment categories:

Keep in mind that at any time you can hit the Random button at the bottom of that screen to get the app to choose a category for you.

Let’s do a quick practice to understand the menu layout. Within the Assignment Categories section, tap the Composition option. You’ll then see a brief description of the Composition section:

Tap the You Pick button, then tap on the Point of View option:

It’s at this level in the menu structure that you’ll see more detailed descriptions of practical and theoretical aspects of iPhone photography. Tap on the photo of the woman under the colorful parachute:

You should now see further detailed tips that will help you to shoot a similar scene:

When you’re done reading, you can tap Close, then Back, and Back again. You should now have returned to the Assignment Categories section.

Near the bottom of the app screen tap on Randomizer, then tap the Random Place option:

After a brief description of the Random Place section, the app will have randomly chosen a place for you. The app screenshot below has instructed us to shoot on an island:

But if that’s not possible, tap the New Place button to find another option that’s closer to home. By tapping through the places you’ll encounter such locations as Bowling Alley, Construction Site, Under A Tree, Elevator, etc.

Once you’ve chosen your Place, tap the Shooting Ideas button for more inspiration. Finally, tap Close, then Back, and then Back once more to return to the Assignment Categories section.

Let’s now explore the Creative Thinking option. By tapping on this link you’ll see a number of great options for assignments, but for this lesson we’re going to tap on Verse to Visual at the bottom of the screen:

The app developer has offered photo examples that also include a verse to show you what the lesson refers to.

Also, if you’re stuck for a verse, check out the sample verse near the bottom of the screen. If you don’t feel inspired by this verse, tap the New Verse button to generate another one.

As before, we’ll now return to the main Assignment Categories page by tapping Back twice.

The Creative Techniques section has some very interesting assignment options. At the bottom of that page, tap on the Shadows option:

This page gives you helpful advice on how to photograph shadows. Tap on any of the included photos to get even more examples of how shadows can be successfully captured.

When you’ve finished browsing, tap Close, then tap the Back button twice to return to the Assignment Categories page.

At this point hopefully you’re comfortable with the structure of the app, and how the Assignment Categories page acts as a springboard to explore the many different assignment combinations available.

As you’ve already discovered, along with a general description of each assignment, there’s also a series of four to eight sample photos with detailed tips within each assignment. These photos will help steer you toward potential subject matter.

Now we’ll look at some of the app’s functionality. When you’ve found an assignment that you like, it can be useful to add it your Favorites so that you can come back to it any time. To do this tap on the Fav+ option at the top right of the screen:

With your favorites all in one place, you can come back to them any time you like by tapping Favs at the bottom of the screen:

Tap the Back button to exit your favorites, then tap the Home option at the bottom center of the screen. This takes you to the view that you started with when you opened the app for the first time.

Tap the Challenges button, and you’ll see four options: 365/52/30, Selfie 365, Scavenger Hunt, and 30 Day Subject. Tap the 365/52/30 option to see what it has to offer:

Here you can choose from an impressive list of one assignment each day for a year, 52 weekly assignments within a year, or a 30 day monthly challenge.

When you’ve finished your daily or weekly challenge, you can tap the X beside the name of the challenge to remove it from the list.

Tap the Back button, and return to the Challenges page. Not only do you have more than enough subject matter for a daily 365 challenge, but you also have the following options…

There’s a Selfie challenge, a very comprehensive scavenger hunt option, and a 30 day subject scenario whereby you photograph the same subject (type of thing) each day:

This last option is useful as it forces us to see and photograph everyday objects in creative and different ways.

Finally, when you’re back on the Home screen, tap on the Extras button to reveal app information, reminder options, tips on iPhone photography, plus some great sharing capabilities.

I hope that you’re now feeling inspired to kickstart your creativity and spend a year pushing yourself to new creative horizons.

Of course, you may be able to think of some great photographic ideas yourself, but if you’re looking for suggestions and inspiration, the Learn Photo365 app will help you on your journey.

The post Kickstart Your iPhone Photography With A Creative Photo 365 Project appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Windows With Water Droplets

A rain-covered window is a classic example of how shooting though an object can produce a more interesting and creative photo.

Shooting through raindrops on a window can add a wonderful mood to your photos. And it’s also great for adding an abstract quality to your images. As well as using raindrops, you could also use condensation water droplets on the inside of a window.

If you’re shooting at night, try to capture the street lights shimmering through the water droplets. This will add a dreamy and romantic atmosphere to your images.

You can experiment with different compositions to create different effects. For example, you could fill the entire frame with the water droplets, preferably with a colorful scene behind the window, such as the sunset in the photo below.

Allowing the water droplets to completely dominate the photo will give a fresh perspective on a familiar scene. It also allows you to create a stunning abstract image.

Another technique you can try is to frame just part of the image with the water droplets, as shown in the photo below. This gives you a sense of the window that you can just barely make out, and creates an interesting frame around the subject outside.

When shooting water droplets through glass, pay attention to your focusing point. You’ll need to decide whether it’s better to focus on the water droplets themselves or the subject on the other side of the window.

Both can make for great photos, but it’s important to make that decision and then tap to set focus on the relevant part of the scene. If you set focus on the water droplets, they’ll appear sharp while the scene outside will be blurred, and vice versa.

If you struggle to get the water droplets in focus by tapping on the screen, you could shoot with a camera app such as Manual which lets you manually set the focus exactly where you want it.

Capturing the sun as it shines through the water droplets will create wonderful sparkles in your photo. This is great for adding a a magical mood to your images.

Water droplets can also be used to obscure part of the scene, creating an air of mystery and intrigue in your photo. In the photo below of the runner on a rainy day, part of what makes the photo interesting is that the water droplets hide her face.

Note, too, that you can see the scene inverted in a couple of the water droplets, like the one over her black tights. The water droplets are refracting her image, making her legs appear upside down in the droplets.

As well as shooting through windows, how about getting even more creative and shooting through eyeglasses as shown in the photo below. I took this shot when I got caught in a rainstorm and had to run back to my car to seek refuge from the deluge.

Note that you can see the water droplets on my glasses in the foreground, as well as the water droplets on the car window just beyond that. This makes it a double shoot-through!

On a rainy day, look out for car windows, or windows in your home that you can shoot through. Such a simple thing gives you the opportunity to create truly unique photos.

2. Frosted Glass

In addition to shooting through clear glass, frosted or textured glass can also make for very interesting photos. This kind of glass allows you to create images that are halfway between silhouettes and a regular photo.

The photo below shows my friend, Corbin, leaning his head against the textured glass. This makes his forehead and glasses sharper than the rest of his body.

The texture in the glass helps to blur the image. The further away the subject is from the glass, the blurrier it will appear. Use this to your advantage, varying the distance of your subject until you achieve an interesting effect.

Sometimes glass is both frosted and textured, like the stairs at the Apple Store in New York City that I captured in the photo below.

Because of the frosting, you can’t really make out the people’s bodies – you just see the silhouetted shape of their shoes. This makes for an interesting photo as it isolates the shapes and textures of each person’s shoe.

You can also look for glass that’s partially frosted, which means that your subject will be partially hidden from view. In the photo below you can see the man partially through the clear parts of the glass, and his shadow is more prominent in the frosted stripes.

Frosted glass is a great way to create cool images. Make sure you play around with how much of the subject is clear and how much is obscured by experimenting with the distance between your subject and the glass.

3. Ice & Snow

A variation of frosted glass is shooting through ice. In the photo below, the ice on the car windshield is so thick that you can’t quite tell what’s going on, but it’s still a beautiful abstract image with fantastic texture.

Snow can also make for a great texture to shoot through. The photo below was shot from inside my car on a snowy day.

You can see both the snow on the window of the car that I’m in, as well as the snow on the window of the car next to me. This double snow effect adds an extra layer of visual interest to the image.

Shooting through ice or snow can be tricky because it’s often so cold that it’s hard to think creatively. So wrap up warm and take the time to look for opportunities to experiment with icy or snowy glass. The photographic rewards will be worth it.

4. Crystal Ball

Shooting through a crystal ball is a great way to bring a new perspective to a familiar scene. By introducing a crystal ball into your photos, you’ll immediately bring a special quality to the images because of the way that the ball refracts the scene.

Everything will appear upside down inside your ball, which makes the viewer look at things anew.

An added benefit of shooting through a crystal ball is that you’ll get a shallow depth of field, as long as you hold the ball fairly close to the camera. This helps to emphasize the ball and its magic by softening the background slightly.

Just make sure you tap on the ball on your iPhone’s screen to set focus on that part of the scene. Once you’ve done this, the scene in the background should appear blurred.

Crystal balls can be a little expensive, but they’re sure to spark creative thoughts any time you put them in front of your iPhone.

5. Prisms

Many children’s stores sell inexpensive prisms which you can use to refract your image in two different ways at once. Prisms are harder to work with than a crystal ball, but they can make for some interesting images.

It’s fun to experiment by placing the prism so that it covers part of your lens, as shown in the photo below. I covered the bottom part of the lens with the prism, which made my feet unexpectedly come into frame.

Try shooting in burst mode, and slowly moving the prism around in front of the lens. You can end up with some bizarre and fun effects by experimenting in this way.

Prisms aren’t for everyone because it’s hard to control what you see and what you don’t see, but if you like experimenting in your photography and creating abstract images, you might enjoy picking up one of these inexpensive objects to shoot through.

6. Other Transparent Objects

You can also make interesting photos by shooting through transparent objects that have a color or other texture in them.

Bottles that contain colored liquids can make stunning subjects for your photos, especially when there’s a light source behind them.

These maple syrup bottles were backlit, allowing us to see the varying colors of syrup through the glass. Without the light behind the bottles, these colors wouldn’t have showed up so well.

In the photo below, the numbers etched onto the glass make a standard photo of a tree much more interesting because of the way the textured glass refracts the light that passes through it.

Part of what makes the photo interesting is the contrast between the regular numbers and the organic tree shape behind the glass.

Lastly, how about looking out for some colored glass that might add a layer of strangeness to your photo?

In the photo above, I captured the legs of a window washer dangling down. Because the glass is an unusual amber color, it makes the image somewhat bizarre.

Colored glass can be found in many places, and using it to create some fun, colorful images is bound to get your iPhone photos noticed.

7. Windows & Door Frames

Framing an image through a window or doorframe is a classic way to add depth and dimension to a photo. Looking through a framing device gives the viewer context to the location, and it can help tell a story about what’s happening.

In the photo below, imagine what it would look like if we weren’t looking through the opening of this tent. It would still be a nice shot of a lake, but the framing of the tent’s door tells us a lot more about what’s happening, and where we’re at.

Similarly, the next photo shows a dirt road up in the mountains. But because we can see a fair amount of the vehicle in the photo, it gives us very different information than if we were looking through the window of a luxury car.

By shooting through the car window and including part of the car’s interior in the photo, it gives a lot of context to the image. It tells the viewer that I was in a very rugged area, in an old, ramshackle vehicle.

Simply shooting through a window or doorframe can take a very simple scene and give it visual tension. In the photo below, I was shooting up through a round skylight, and a bit of cloud was just making its way into the scene.

I think this photo is interesting because of the contrast between the perfectly round, man-made skylight, and the organic shape of the puffy cloud that can be seen through the window.

Look around you right now, and notice how different things look when they’re framed by a doorway or a window.

Using this method allows you to decide which parts of a scene to omit by simply framing them out of the shot. This in turn will bring emphasis to your main subject.

8. Trees & Grasses

Shooting through trees, leaves and grasses is another easy way to make your photos more interesting. In addition to creating depth in your photos, it also helps frame your subject in a pleasing way.

When capturing scenes like this, think carefully about how you expose the image. Do you want to capture color and detail in the branches as shown above? Or would you rather capture them as dark silhouettes like the photo below?

If you want to place focus on the scene in the background, it’s often helpful if the foreground branches are dark. This allows you to capture the framing objects as simple shapes, helping to draw your eye toward the main subject in the distance.

To adjust the exposure of the image, simply swipe up or down on the screen after tapping to set focus. To create a silhouette you’ll need to ensure that the background is fairly bright.

Sometimes it can be beautiful to have the object you’re shooting through appear very bright. This works particular well when shooting through backlit leaves as it allows you to see all the variations in color and brightness.

When photographing the sun shining through leaves, don’t forget to step way back and shoot through an entire tree, instead of just a few branches. This is a different kind of “shoot through” photography, but it’s equally effective.

Lastly, be on the lookout for grasses which can be lovely to shoot through. This works particularly well when the sun is low in the sky.

You’ll be able to capture the sun through the grasses, and get some flares when the sun interacts with the grass tops.

9. Other Solid Objects

Although trees are one of the easiest things to shoot through, there are all kinds of other solid objects that you can use as beautiful framing devices for your photos. Framing devices can be natural or manmade.

Architecture is a great place to find interesting frames to shoot through. Once you start looking, you’ll begin to notice all kinds of interesting apertures in buildings that you could use as a frame.

If you’re out shooting landscapes, look out for natural frames at your location. In the photo below, I was standing behind a waterfall during wintertime.

Including the sharp icicles at the top of the photo helped to add extra context to the picture, emphasizing the ruggedness and coldness of winter.

While most of this tutorial has focused on shooting through something to frame your main subjects, sometimes the thing you’re shooting through can be so interesting that it can become the main subject itself.

Look for graphic shapes in the environment that have an open framework. Often it’s helpful to get underneath these types of structures and shoot through them so that the sky peeks through the inside and outside of the framing device.

10. Get Creative

Finally, let’s explore a few more ways to get really creative. You can often make interesting photos by using ordinary, everyday objects that you probably have lying around your home.

This photo of a yellow flower was shot looking through a green drinking glass. It creates a really unique frame that draws your eye toward the flower and distorts parts of the scene in interesting ways.

Glass bowls with interesting patterns make great “shoot through” objects because they transform the light and emphasize the texture and patterns of the glass.

Sometimes you don’t need any kind of main subject because the pattern is beautiful all on its own. Other times you might want to put something on the other side of the object to help make the photo more interesting.

You can also put a subject in front of the “shoot through” object, as shown in the photo below. I put some bubble wrap against a window, letting the sun come through and highlight all the wrinkles in the bubble wrap.

While the bubble wrap made a great photo in itself, using my hand as a silhouette in front of it provides a counterpoint and helps to ground this abstract image.

You can also look for opportunities to shoot through clear glass when you’re in an usual situation, like going through a car wash. These types of shots would be impossible get unless you were shooting through glass.

Lastly, you can also create your own scenes with some creative thinking. Let’s say you want to do a rainy-day photo, but you don’t actually have a window with raindrops in the place where you want it.

It’s very easy to create your own “window” by using a CD case that you spray with water. This is exactly what I did to create the photo shown above.

I simply sprayed some water onto a clear plastic CD case, then brought it outside to look for an interesting subject to capture through the “window.”

Why not take a look around you right now, and see how many ordinary objects you can find that you could shoot through? Experiment and let your creativity run wild.

Conclusion

By now you should have all kinds of ideas about different objects that you could shoot through. Glass is a really great material that offers lots of photographic opportunities.

Look out for glass that’s clear, textured, frosted, colored, patterned, covered in water droplets, or somehow altered. You can also use other clear glass objects like orbs and prisms that will distort your subject in interesting ways.

You can also use solid objects to shoot through, like windows, doorways, trees, grasses, and other interesting architectural shapes. Both man-made and natural objects offer plenty of opportunities for finding “shoot-through” objects.

Lastly, you can get creative by looking for items around your house that you can shoot through. Any of these methods will get your creative juices flowing and allow you to make more interesting iPhone photos.

Why not challenge yourself right now to find at least one object to shoot through. Experiment with different ways to shoot it, and you’re sure to create something truly unique.

The post How To Create Unique iPhone Photos By Shooting Through Objects appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Experiment With Perspective & Angles

There are so many ways to photograph an object, and capturing it from an interesting angle or perspective will make your photos more unique.

Rather than always taking the shot from standing height, why not try capturing your subject from high up or low down? Or how about moving closer, moving further away, or taking a few steps to one side?

Shooting from a low angle is a great option if you want the object look big, mighty and powerful. It can also allow you to capture more foreground detail which is perfect for creating depth in landscape photos and for shooting puddle reflections.

A low angle is also a good choice when you want to eliminate a distracting background. The ski lift in the photo above is actually in the middle of the city, but shooting it from a low angle allowed me to get just the sky in the background.

Shooting from a high vantage point has a completely different effect, making the subject appear small compared to its surroundings.

And when you shoot from a high angle, the ground becomes the backdrop for your photo which works really well for creative portraits like the one below.

As well as experimenting with the height that you shoot from, you can also get creative with your shooting direction. Rather than always photographing your subject from the front, you can often create more interesting shots by photographing them from behind.

This is especially effective when photographing people. Hiding the person’s face from the viewer creates an air of mystery and suspense.

It can make the viewer intrigued about who that subject is and why they’re not looking at the camera. Mystery is a great way of creating an interesting story in your photography.

Whatever subject you’re photographing, always explore different shooting angles, perspectives and viewpoints. It’s amazing what a difference it can make to the creative impact of your photo.

2. Play Around With Scale

Creating a sense of scale is a great way to show the true size of your subject. To give the viewer an idea of the size of the subject in your photo, you need to include another subject of a known size as a reference point.

For example, when I was photographing the tree shown above, I decided to include a person standing next to it. This emphasizes just how huge the tree is. Without the person in the scene it would be difficult to gauge its true size.

Scale can also be manipulated for creative effect. By using a technique called “forced perspective” you can create the impression that certain objects are bigger or smaller than they actually are.

This is a fun technique to try out and you can end up with some really creative results. To create this effect, simply position your iPhone close to a small object in the foreground, such as the globe in the photo above.

Then position a larger object such as a person behind it. The person needs to be far enough away so that they appear very small relative to the foreground object.

This optical illusion of scale will add a fun and creative edge to your photography, and it’s so easy to set up. You should definitely give this a go!

3. Create A Shallow Depth Of Field

Depth of field refers to how much of the image is in focus from front to back. A large depth of field means that everything is in focus. A shallow depth of field has only a small part of the image in sharp focus, while the rest of it appears blurred.

A shallow depth of field is great for placing the main focus on a certain object within the scene. The viewer’s eye will naturally be drawn to the sharpest part of the image.

On a DSLR camera you adjust the aperture setting to control depth of field, but you don’t have this control on an iPhone.

Do you want to know how to blur background in photos on your iPhone? It’s actually very simple. All you have to do is make sure you have an object close the the iPhone’s camera lens, then tap the screen to set focus on that area of the scene.

Focusing on a close-up subject will automatically blur the background to create a shallow depth of field. If the background doesn’t appear blurred, just get a bit closer to your foreground subject.

Alternatively, you can use the Portrait mode feature of your iPhone camera!

A shallow depth of field also works well if you want to create a sense of mystery in your image. For instance, by blurring out a person in the background, the image can become more intriguing because the viewer will wonder who that figure is.

Depth of field is great fun to play around with and will produce some really interesting results. Just remember to always tap on the subject that you want to appear in sharp focus.

4. Create Abstracts

Some of the most creative photography comes in the form of abstracts. Abstract images can be created by photographing fundamental elements such as textures, patterns, lines, shapes, colors and light play.

An abstract photo tends to just capture the essence of the subject, rather than the entire thing. So when you spot a subject that would make a good abstract image, always move closer and fill the entire frame with the texture, pattern, etc.

By capturing only a small part of the subject without any of its surroundings, you’re taking the object out of its context. This allows you to take a very ordinary subject and create something new or different.

While getting close to your subject is a great way of capturing intricate textures and detail, not all abstracts have to be shot from close up.

A field of crops or the waves on an ocean can also make great abstracts, even when photographed from a distance.

However, the same rules apply as close-up abstracts. You should still fill the entire frame with the abstract element that you’re attempting to photograph.

Abstract photography is easier than you might think. There are so many objects that can be used to create an abstract.

You just need to start looking at everything a little differently and train your eye to notice the patterns, textures, shapes, colors, etc. around you.

5. Include A Person In The Scene

One of my favorite ways to make an ordinary scene more interesting is to add a person into the composition. This is such an easy thing to do, but it has a huge impact on a photo.

Including a person in the scene is a great way of adding a strong focal point. This is especially useful in landscape photography where you have large expanses of open space without any defining features.

Having a person in the scene gives the viewer something to focus on – a place for their eye to rest. This is really important in photography as a photo without a focal point isn’t very interesting to look at.

People also add a wonderful storytelling element to your photos. They bring the photo to life, creating a connection between the viewer and the subject.

The viewer will try to identify with the person in the photo, creating a story in their mind about what’s going on. I can’t emphasize enough how powerful this technique is!

If you want to capture people in your photos, you might be lucky enough to get some great shots of strangers, especially in street photography.

But if you’re shooting out in the countryside you’re unlikely to find many people, so ask a friend to join you to act as your model.

Photographing someone you know gives you more control over where you place your subject in order to tell the story that you envisioned.

You can even ask them to wear certain colored clothing or bring props that will add an extra visual element to the image.

If you’re out shooting on your own, don’t worry. You can simply use yourself as the subject.

All you need is a small iPhone tripod. Then use the self-timer in the camera app or a remote shutter to give yourself time to position yourself in the frame before you take the shot.

6. Create Silhouettes & Shadows

Silhouettes and shadows offer an exciting way to create more intriguing images. The darkness will add a wonderful sense of mystery and drama to your photos.

Capturing them is all down to knowing how to make the most of the available light. To create a silhouette, start by positioning your subject in front of a light source.

If you’re shooting outdoors, this could be the sun or a bright sky. And if you’re shooting indoors, just place your subject in front of a window or an artificial light source such as a lamp.

Once you’ve composed your shot, tap on the screen to set focus where you want it, then reduce the exposure by swiping down on the screen. The aim is to darken the image until your subject appears as a dark outline against the brighter background.

To capture dramatic shadows, you’ll need to shoot in harsh light. A bright sunny day will create the strongest shadows.

If you want to capture really long shadows you’ll need to shoot when the sun is low in the sky, so the golden hours of sunrise and sunset are the perfect times for this.

If you want to create a mysterious portrait, ask your subject to wear a large hood or hat. You can then position them so that it creates a dark shadow over their face.

You can also create shadows photos indoors using window light or an artificial light source.

Keep your eyes peeled for interesting shadows throughout the day. They’ll change in appearance as the sun moves through the sky, so each new hour will present a different shadow opportunity!

7. Use Props

I love to use props in my photography. They add a fun and creative element to your photos, and you can use them in so many different ways.

Umbrellas are one of my favorite props. You can use them to add a fantastic splash of color to your images, and their strong shape creates a great focal point in your composition.

Another prop I like to use is a little red chair. It’s perfect for spicing up an ordinary landscape shot, and it contrasts especially well with a green background.

Props are also useful for portrait photography. You could ask your subject to wear a hat, hold a flower, or hold up an empty picture frame around their face.

I love the way this yellow hat matches the color of my subject’s clothing, as well adding an air of mystery by hiding her face.

If you take a few minutes to look around your home, you’re sure to find a whole range of props that you could use to enhance your next photo shoot.

8. Photograph Your Subject In Different Ways

When you find something you want to photograph, challenge yourself to find at least three different ways to photograph it. This will really improve your creative eye and develop your skills as a photographer.

Don’t be satisfied with just one decent shot. Push yourself to explore more creative options so that you come away with several great photos of the same subject.

Below is photo of a mosquito net out in a garden. It instantly caught my eye as it was catching the beautiful light from the setting sun.

The net was swaying gently in the wind, creating a dreamy scene where it looked like it was dancing across the garden. That was the first thing that I wanted to capture, and so I took the photo shown above.

I was happy with the shot and started to walk away. But then I realized this net could maybe offer some more photo opportunities.

So I moved closer and found the texture of the net to be quite captivating. The sunlight that hit the net created dramatic shadows and lines.

The pattern was highly abstract but I found it mesmerizing and started shooting. For good measure I stuck my hand in there, and at last I got a shot that I really liked.

Even though I’d already taken several great shots, I still wanted to experiment with the net some more. So I called my daughter over and asked her to play around in the net. Adding a human presence created a completely different photo again.

These examples show how I captured one subject in several ways to create three very different photos. Using this technique on any subject that you’re shooting will train you to think in a more creative way.

9. Look For The Common Elements

Another very effective approach is to look for the same thing in different environments. What I mean by this is that no matter where you’re shooting, you could look out for common elements such as leading lines, symmetry or colors.

If you enjoy composing your urban shots using strong leading lines and symmetry, try to look for the same things in nature.

For instance, you can create very similar symmetrical compositions in a subway station, on a street, and with a row of trees along a country path.

Or how about finding similarities using the same shooting angle? The two photos below are an example of this.

If you look directly above you while standing beneath a tree, the lush canopy can be portrayed in the same way as a futuristic and symmetrical ceiling in a mall. The fact that both images contain a strong yellow element helps to emphasize the similarity.

As well as training your eye to spot common compositional elements in different kinds of scene, this technique also encourages you to come up with ideas even when you’re not out shooting.

For me, the process of creative thinking is just as important as executing the shot itself. Many of my shots are the result of spending time thinking about what I want to capture.

This thinking process can lead from one thing to another, based on common elements of different types of scene.

So once you start thinking about that tree you want to photograph from a certain angle, that can lead to other ideas for shooting different subjects in a similar way.

10. Revisit Places You’ve Already Photographed

A good way to develop your creativity is to revisit places that you’ve already photographed and challenge yourself to take a completely different picture than you did the last time.

Choose any place or object that you’ve photographed before, such as a building, tree, lake, spiral staircase, etc. Then go back and attempt to create some different shots.

Maybe you could visit at a different time of year, in different weather, or in different light. This can really alter the mood of the photo.

Try shooting the subject from different angles and from different distances. Add a person or prop into the scene to create a new story. Sometimes it’s enough to just add a hand or a foot into the frame to get a brand new version of an old shot!

Conclusion

Boosting your creativity is all about pre-visualization, practice and experimentation. By thinking about what you’d like to create before you actually pick up your iPhone, you’re taking the first step toward a more creative approach to photography.

And the more photos you take using different techniques and in different environments, the more interesting and unique images you’ll begin to create.

The techniques covered in this article are a great starting point for developing your photographic eye. And once you’ve mastered them you’ll be equipped to keep on growing as a photographer.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it’s all part of the learning process! If something doesn’t work out, evaluate what went wrong and think about how you could improve the photo next time around.

The great thing about photography is that you learn something new every time you take a photo. Your creative development is ongoing, so you can only get better!

The post 10 Easy Ways To Shoot More Creative iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Collaborate With Businesses

Businesses are always looking for new ways to grab the public’s attention, and you can help them achieve this through your photography.

Photos of their merchandise can be used for their social media channels. Photos of scenes that portray current trends can be useful for their displays, for example, a patriotic theme for the 4th of July, summery scenes, winter scenes, cityscapes, etc.

And of course they appreciate any photos of their goods that you share with others on your own social media.

So how do you get a business to start using your photography? Well, unless you’re already an established photographer, they’re unlikely to come to you. So you’ll need approach businesses and retailers with your ideas.

Here’s an example of an opportunity that arose for me recently… I’d been occasionally chatting with a local boutique on Instagram – just commenting on one-another’s photos.

One day I drove by their store and decided to pop in. It was so fun to meet the owners in person and we all hit it off right away.

We chatted about their upcoming projects, and one fun project they had in mind involved displaying some pink plastic lawn flamingos in their window.

As they described their window creation, I started to get excited at the thought of taking photos of these pink flamingos. I asked if I could borrow them for a few days before they used them.

This wasn’t a paid commission – it was simply born out of my love for finding unique and fun subjects to photograph.

The store owners also became excited about the idea and asked if they could use a few prints of my shots as a part of their window display. My photos in a window display?! Sure!!

A few days later I went out and photographed the flamingos in different locations. It was wonderful because there were no requirements – only to have fun!

When I returned the flamingos and showed the boutique my photos, they loved them so much they offered to sell a limited edition collection of greeting cards.

Suddenly I had a retail presence… and an income! And the best part was that we spoke about doing collaborations like this for their future window displays as well.

Obviously, not all creative collaborations will end in a retail deal, but just putting yourself out there and offering fun ideas for local retail businesses is a great way to start.

Of course, if you start working as a paid photographer, it’s important to have a photography contact in place. 

In fact, even if you’re not getting paid for the project, it’s still a good idea to have some form of contract to ensure your rights are properly protected.

2. Promote Property For Realtors

Realtors love to come up with unique ways to market their property listings. If you’re fortunate enough to find a realtor who’s open to ideas, there’s a lot of room for mutually beneficial projects.

One fun project would be to ask if you can take some creative photos of one of their visually appealing properties. Modern decor, lovely landscapes and uncluttered living spaces all provide wonderful backdrops for photos.

Bring a friend in a dress or some cute props, and photograph the property in a creative way that hasn’t been done before.

The realtors have probably already paid for a service to take the typical listing photos of the architecture and space… but they most likely don’t have any fun, unique and creative shots in their files.

Realtors can use your photos to promote the property in their social media outlets. They benefit by sharing photos that are unique and could even go “viral.”

In return, you get a beautiful backdrop to shoot, a job to add to your resume, and your name and skills shouted out to the world.

Other realtors and potential home sellers will be exposed to your name and photos, which may result in further photographic opportunities.

3. Take Photos For Bloggers

Bloggers are paid to write about products, people, places, etc. They’re experts in their areas, however, they may not enjoy (or be any good at) taking photos for their articles.

Many bloggers welcome photography help with open arms. For example, fashion bloggers have great outfits to wear and promote, but need to be photographed in the clothing.

Offering to do a photo shoot with a local fashion blogger might well result in great day out, in a wonderful location, with some great models and clothing to photograph.

Try using Google to find guides to local blogs, then check out their websites and Instagram feeds. Make a note of the ones that don’t have great photos as these are your best options for offering your photography services.

Perhaps start to follow a few of your favorites blogs and build a relationship by leaving positive commenting on their work. Eventually you can offer to do a collaboration.

Once bloggers post your photos on their sites and give you exposure, there’s a good chance that you’ll be asked to shoot for other bloggers as well. After you increase your demand, you may be able to turn it into something profitable.

Remember that you might already have a lot of photos in your collection that you could offer to bloggers of different topics. So you don’t necessarily need to go out to shoot new photos every time.

4. Contribute To Local Websites

Local online guides are always looking to add content to their websites. If you live in a city, you could ask to do a “top ten” guide for them, using your own photos in the article.

For example, you could create a top ten photo essay of your favorite restaurants, parks or romantic date spots. Take some interesting pictures at each location and include them in your article.

If you live outside of a city, offer to do a photo essay on a weekend get-away, the farm life, or anything that makes your homeland unique.

Getting your name in a site like this is a great addition to your resume. And it can also lead to a regular paid gig!

5. Photograph An Event

Do you have a favorite event that you go to every year? A carnival, a 5k run, an art show, etc? A month or so before the event, contact the organizers and ask them what their plans are for covering the event on social media.

If they don’t have any plans set out, offer to cover the event on their Instagram feed and their other social media channels. Suggest some unique ideas of what you’d like to shoot.

Perhaps you’d take portraits of the people behind the scenes, or document the set up and tear down of the event. Approach them with a plan. Often, your help is just what they need!

It’s a win-win situation. The company benefits from your coverage, and you benefit from the exposure to all of the patrons of the event.

Plus you might get free entry into the event, and make a lot of new friends when you become part of the official team of volunteers!

6. Make Prints Of Your Photos

Seeing your images being promoted online by businesses, bloggers and events can be really rewarding, and may even lead to opportunities for paid photography work.

However, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing physical copies of your favorite photos in the form of beautiful prints. And these items are often easier to sell than online photos.

You could get your photos printed as greetings cards, framed prints, large canvases, or any number of other creative options offered by print companies.

You’ll need to put in a small investment of time and money up front, but taking part in a creative project like selling your own notecards or prints may just be the perfect first step into retail.

Whether you decide to sell your prints yourself, or through another retail outlet, this process will force you to go through all of the necessary steps it takes to be in business.

When you’re first starting out, it isn’t really about the quantity of goods, but instead the learning process involved. It’s also incredibly inspiring. The more you force yourself to go through these steps, the more ideas you’ll come up with!

Perhaps you’ll decide to start a line of prints for nurseries or children’s store. Or get involved with your local tourism department.

You never know where your hard work will lead you to next, but if you’re looking to grow, this is a great way to get started!

7. Exhibit Your Work

Once you’ve got physical prints of your photos, many more options will open up to you. For maximum exposure, you should try to get your work into as many public places as possible.

A good first step is to ask a local business, cafe or library if they’d like to exhibit some of your prints in exchange for a percentage commission on any sales.

This is a mutually beneficial situation. You get your work seen by lots of members of the public which will hopefully result in a few sales. And the exhibitors get to have some lovely photos brightening up their walls, and hopefully earn a bit of money in commission.

If you’re feeling a bit braver, how about approaching a local art gallery or exhibition space to see if you can arrange to have your own exhibition that runs for a few weeks.

If you’re going to put your photos into an exhibition like this, it’s usually best if your images have a theme such as landscapes, abstracts, black and white, street photography, lonely trees, etc. This makes for a more coherent and meaningful collection of work.

Another great option is to rent a booth at your local art fair. It may be too expensive and time consuming for you to do it on your own, but if you pair up with other local photographers it can easily lead to a successful venture.

Or you could even pair up with a different type of artist. Perhaps you and a painter or jewelry designer could share a booth. Or look into the possibility of selling your work on the walls of a booth that’s already established, such as a jewelry designer, soap manufacturer, etc.

8. Get Paid For Stock Images

My final piece of advice is to register with some stock photo sites. Stock agencies act as an intermediary between the photographer and businesses or individuals who want to purchase the images.

The stock library takes a commission, and you get the rest of the money. Prices for stock images vary hugely, depending on what the image will be used for.

But even if it’s just a few dollars to start with, it’s worth it as this can build up into a regular income over time.

There are several stock image libraries that accept mobile photography, including Stockimo, Snapwire, EyeEm and Getty Images.

Each of these agencies have an app that you can download onto your iPhone from the App Store. You then simply upload the images that you’d like to sell, and wait and see what happens!

Each app functions in a different way, but they all work to give your photos exposure and pair you with buyers who are looking for unique photos.

If you have the time, it’s worth uploading as many photos as possible to as many stock libraries as you can find. That way, you’re giving your photos maximum exposure and the best chance of getting the most sales.

Conclusion

Whether you just want to get some exposure for your iPhone photography, or go further and start earning money by selling your images to individuals and businesses, I hope these tips have given you lots of new ideas for how to go about this.

It can take a bit of time and effort to start with – establishing some good contacts and finding a print company that you trust.

But if you’re serious about your photography and want to start getting it seen by more than just your Instagram followers, it’s definitely worth putting in a bit of effort for the rewards that you’ll get!

The post 8 Ways To Get Great Publicity For Your iPhone Photos (And Hopefully Earn Some Money!) appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

What Is A Rotational Slow Shutter Image?

In my early years as a young aspiring photographer I really set my foundations on nature photography, learning from the excellent books of photographer and author Freeman Patterson.

In many of his books he introduced new ways of creating painterly images by using multiple exposures, slow shutters and camera rotations.

While the results are impressive, the technique is actually quite simple. You set your camera to use a slow shutter speed (long exposure time) of several seconds, then you rotate the camera in a circular motion while the photo is being taken.

The combination of the rotation and the slow shutter speed creates a beautiful circular motion blur effect.

By varying the exposure time and the speed that you rotate the camera, you can achieve different degrees of motion blur.

The faster you spin the camera, the more blurred it will become. A slower rotation will keep more sharp detail in your subject, especially in the centre of the image.

Slow Shutter Cam App

Instead of using slide film like Freeman did, we’ll be using our iPhones to create similar results. While the iPhone doesn’t really have a manually adjustable shutter speed option like that of an SLR camera, there are apps that mimic the slow shutter effect.

One of the best apps for this kind of photography is Slow Shutter Cam ($0.99). It’s useful for many different types of artistic iPhone photography.

The most prominent uses of this app are to create beautiful long exposure photos of waterfalls, soften flowing water, and create light trail images. But for the purpose of this article, we’ll only be using the app to create rotational multiple exposures.

How To Create Your Slow Shutter Image

Once you’ve downloaded the Slow Shutter App from the app store, you need to find some plants or flowers to photograph. So get out into your garden, or head out into the woods or to your nearest public garden.

What you should be looking for is a tight grouping of similar sized leaves or flowers. If one flower or leaf stands out in particular, you can use that specific item as the center of your camera rotation.

In my example shot below, you’ll see that one leaf stands out a bit more than the others, so I placed it in the center of my composition. This is the user interface view that you’ll see when you open the Slow Shutter Cam app:

Before you start shooting, tap on the little gear icon at the bottom right of the screen to access the settings:

I suggest that you change your Picture Resolution to the highest setting possible, e.g. 8MP (the latest iPhone 6s models have 12 megapixels):

The other features can remain at their default settings, although for advanced photographers you may want to switch JPG for TIFF in the Picture File Format menu.

You can now tap Done to return to the camera view. There’s one more step before you start shooting, and that’s to set the capture settings. Tap the little circular camera iris icon at the bottom left of the screen:

For our purposes we only need to change the Blur Strength from Medium to High. The default Shutter Speed of 8 seconds is usually fine, but feel free to experiment with other shutter speeds if you like.

Motion Blur is active by default, and this is the only option that we’ll be using for this tutorial. When you’re ready to leave the menu, simply tap on the same round camera iris icon on the bottom left to return to the camera view.

There are other options on the top row (flash, magnification, Auto Exposure Lock, Auto Focus Lock, and flip camera) but we don’t need them for creating our painterly abstract iPhone photographs:

You’re now ready to start shooting! You should have the normal camera view on your screen that looks similar to this, but with your own flowers or plants:

Ensure your chosen, well defined plant is in the dead center of the frame. Then tap the shutter button (circle with camera) at the bottom of the screen, and slowly rotate your iPhone either clockwise or counterclockwise. Try your best to keep the main flower or plant in the center of your rotation.

When the 8 second exposure is finished, you’ll be shown three options near the bottom of the screen (Clear, Edit and Save):

If your image looks like a mess, don’t feel discouraged! It took me several tries to get this particular image. If you don’t like your results, press Clear and try again.

I included this example to show that even if you were a little off-center by mistake, the photo can still be salvageable via cropping, or simply having a very acceptable off-center composition.

At this point you may rightly say that the photo looks washed-out and uninspiring. This is normal for the app, which is why they also add an Edit option just after the exposure is finished. Tap on Edit, and you’ll see the following screen:

We don’t need to do anything with the Freeze option that comes up as the default, so we’ll start instead with Contrast:

I usually like to jack the contrast up to maximum as I find that the image straight from the camera is very low contrast. You don’t need to follow my order, but I often do Contrast first, then boost the color Saturation to almost maximum.

If I feel that the image is then too bright or too dark, I’ll make a small adjustment with Brightness. And then finally I like to work on my green colors by adjusting the Hue slider:

If you’re photographing vegetation that’s not green in color, the Hue option may be unnecessary. However, for green subjects the Hue option can bring even more green into the scene if you feel it adds to the final image.

When you’re finished with your creation, tap the Save option at the top right of the screen, then close the Slow Shutter Cam app.

Crop The Image (Optional)

Now I’m going to crop my image, but if you like your photo the way it is, you can skip this step. I’m going to show you how to crop using the native iOS Photos app, but you can use a different editing app if you prefer.

Open the Photos app and locate the image within your Photo Library. Tap the Edit option at the top right of the screen:

Tap the Crop tool at the bottom of the screen (in between the blue Cancel option and the three interlocking circles icon). You’ll now see a view that looks similar to this screenshot:

Click the Aspect Ratio icon which is located at the bottom right of the screen, just above the faded-out Done option. Your next screen will have many crop ratio options which are all usable, but for my purposes I want a square crop for easy Instagram upload:

After selecting your aspect ratio, drag the image if necessary to crop away the areas you don’t want, then tap the yellow Done option at the bottom right.

Congratulations! You’ve completed your nature abstract image.

Further Inspiration

If you want to take this slow shutter abstract technique further, here’s a bit of extra inspiration. If you live in or near the woods, you can use a group of trees to create a slow shutter painterly image.

But instead of a clockwise or counterclockwise circular camera rotation, why not try a vertical panning motion?

You can follow all of the same steps that have been laid out in this tutorial, except for this technique you’ll be holding your iPhone out in front of you, moving it up and down in a vertical motion.

Of course, you don’t even have to stick to photographing nature. You could try out this technique with any subject. The key is to experiment as you never know what the results might be.

Whatever you decide to photograph with the Slow Shutter Cam app, you’re sure to create some unique abstract images with your iPhone. Have fun!

The post How To Create Beautiful Slow Shutter Abstract Photos On iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

How To Shoot Without Looking

The photography term “shooting from the hip” means taking photos from waist level without using the viewfinder to frame and compose the shot. But there are other ways of shooting without looking, and this doesn’t mean taking photos blindfolded!

You could hold your iPhone above your head to shoot from a higher angle, rest it on your lap while riding on public transport, or place it on the dashboard of a car you’re traveling in. My personal favorite is to shoot with my iPhone in my bag or purse.

In these situations, you can use your Apple earbuds to snap the photos. Simply plug them into the iPhone and press one of the volume buttons on the earbuds to release the shutter in the Camera app. This is my primary method of taking photos when I’m out in public.

If you’re wondering why you would ever want to shoot without looking at what you’re photographing, and how this could possibly help your iPhone photography, the six tips below will demonstrate just how effective this technique can be.

I would recommend trying this technique for one week, or just a few days if you take a lot of photos. Obviously not all of your shots taken in this manner will turn out well, but the point of the exercise is to give yourself more creative freedom without the limitations of the technical aspects of photography.

Just shoot and see what happens. In many cases you’ll be surprised at how good the photo turns out. You’ll start producing photos that you never would have created if you were looking through the viewfinder, and each of these images will teach you something about how to improve your iPhone photography.

1. Pre-Visualize Your Shots

The main purpose of this experiment is to learn to develop a clear vision of the shot before you shoot. Think about what you’re trying to capture, and what story or mood you’d like to convey.

When you’re new to iPhone photography, everything looks like the perfect subject through your viewfinder. New iPhone photographers will often take a photo of anything and everything, without considering the reason why it might make a good photograph.

But without your iPhone’s viewfinder, you still have the most important tool for iPhone photography – your eyes. Instead of using the viewfinder, use your eyes to explore potential photo opportunities.

Before you look through the viewfinder, look at the scene and consider the aesthetic, composition, framing, distance, perspective, story and mood.

The goal of taking a photo is to capture a particular moment in time. However, the first step is conceptual. It involves seeing a potential story in your mind’s eye and imagining how that story will look visually.

This is often easier to do if you look at the entire scene with your eyes, rather than looking at only a small portion of it through the viewfinder.

When I found myself walking behind the mother and daughter in the photo above, I decided that I wanted to capture the story of their bond from the child’s perspective. So I shot from the hip to capture the scene from the height of the child.

Pre-visualizing your shot without using your viewfinder helps you develop a better eye for photography. It gives you a chance to interpret the scene and make decisions about how to capture a certain story or mood.

2. Anticipate Shots With Movement

Shooting without looking also trains you to anticipate shots with movement. You may be trying to photograph a moving car, people walking on a crowded street, or a bird in flight.

By the time you pull the iPhone up to look through the viewfinder, you may have already missed the shot. Instead, look at the scene with your eyes to help you anticipate the direction and speed of your subject.

Point your iPhone at the scene, but keep your eye on the subject so that you know when they’ll enter the frame. Shooting with burst mode allows you to capture a sequence of shots as the subject moves through the frame.

Sometimes it’s not the subject that’s moving – it’s you. The photo below was taken while traveling in a car with the iPhone on the dashboard. I used the Apple earbuds to snap the photo.

It required me to anticipate the movement of the car and when it would pass the telephone poles. I doubt I could have taken such a perfect shot if I was actually looking through the viewfinder. I needed to be looking at the actual scene to know the best time to take the shot.

3. Create Unusual Angles

What I really love about shooting without looking is the unexpected angles I get, especially when I have the iPhone in my purse or bag.

When you take photos using the viewfinder, it’s likely that you’ll compose the shot so that everything’s straight. For example, you would usually try to ensure the horizon or other lines in the photo are level.

But when you shoot without looking at the viewfinder your photos don’t usually end up straight. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. Tilted photos can actually have a wonderful creative quality.

For instance, when I went to an art museum I decided to shoot with my iPhone in my purse so that I could be more discreet. While I was strolling around, the iPhone tilted a bit in my purse.

This resulted in an unusual perspective where none of the lines or angles are level.  I would never have intentionally shot these photos at such angles, but it actually gives this series of photos a really unique quality.

So when you’re shooting without looking, don’t worry about whether the iPhone is perfectly level. The angles that you might end up with can add a more interesting and dynamic quality to your images.

4. Limit Tunnel Vision

It’s easier to see the whole story when you shoot without looking at your iPhone. You lose awareness of your surroundings when you look through the viewfinder because it narrows your field of vision.

While this can be a useful aspect of photography, it also narrows your perspective on what you’re actually shooting. Unless you’re doing still life photography, in most cases your scene is dynamic, which means that it’s changing as you take the shot.

For example, I took the above photo of a sign and was pretty content with it. Then I looked up from my viewfinder and shifted my focus to the entire scene.

It was only then that I noticed a young man walking toward the sign, and I thought this would make a more compelling photo. The subject shifted instantly from the sign to the man walking in front of the sign.

When shooting with your iPhone, train yourself to look at the scene through your own eyes rather than just through the viewfinder. This will make you more aware of your surroundings and prevent you from missing out on some great photo opportunities.

5. Be More Discreet In Street Photography

Shooting from the hip is often used in mobile street photography. The problem with photographing strangers is that it can be daunting for you as the photographer, and once your subject knows you’re taking their picture they’ll start to act differently.

Shooting without looking at your iPhone allows you to be more discreet. It lets you capture more natural, candid and intimate moments that might not be possible if the subject knew you were taking a photo.

Shooting with your iPhone at hip level can also help you capture more unique angles in street photography. Another technique you could use is to crouch down as if you’re tying your shoe laces so that you can shoot with your iPhone pointing upwards.

Capturing your subjects from unusual angles or with interesting framing helps make your shots more unique.

6. Stop Overthinking

Perfection is a limitation in iPhone photography. Sometimes, when we think we have a formula for the perfect shot, we’re afraid to shoot anything unless we know it will be perfect. This inhibits your creativity and experience.

When you look through the viewfinder, it’s easy to overthink the shot. You’ll try to get everything perfectly centered, eliminating all the shadows and background noise, second guessing your decision about the focal point, and the list goes on. This suppresses the spontaneity of the photographic process.

In the photo below, I snapped the crosswalk sign without looking. Being a perfectionist, if I’d looked through the viewfinder I would have centered it and eliminated the street in the background.

But, it’s actually a more interesting and dynamic photo with the sign positioned slightly off-center and the background included to show context.

Sometimes, it’s just best to shut up and shoot. Shooting from the hip frees you from seeking the perfect shot. Since you don’t know what the shot actually looks like, you’re free to experiment and explore different perspectives.

Before You Begin

Before you begin this experiment of shooting without looking, ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s the story you wish to capture?
• Where do you need to stand to tell your story or capture the mood photographically?
• What’s the best way to hold your iPhone for the shot you wish to take?
• Is your subject moving, and how can you match or follow its speed and direction?

Take a few shots, then look through the viewfinder to see if you might adjust anything about your position to get a better composition or framing.

Practice this with a static scene first, before moving on to shooting a dynamic scene like street photography. Remember, this is just an experiment to improve your photographic eye. Use it as a tool to expand your spatial awareness and boost your creativity.

Shooting without looking teaches you to recognize interesting subjects that you might not spot if you’re just looking at the iPhone’s screen. It encourages you to experiment with more creative compositions and capture fleeting moments that you might normally miss.

You can then take these skills and use them to take better photos with your iPhone, whether you’re looking at the viewfinder or not.

The post Use The “Shoot Without Looking” Technique To Improve Your iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

The Importance Of Emotion In Photography

The most impactful images are those that evoke emotion in the viewer. If the person looking at your photo develops an emotional connection with the subject, your image is a success.

While a landscape photo may be beautiful, capturing an emotional moment within that landscape will make it stunning and much more memorable for the viewer.

There are many different emotions that you can capture in your photos, but fun, humor and enjoyment are my favorite. Not only does it make the viewer smile, but you get to have a lot of fun in the process!

So let’s take a look at nine techniques that are guaranteed to add a sense of fun and excitement to your iPhone photography.

1. Capture A Humorous Scene

The most obvious way to create a sense of fun in your photos is to actually experience humor while taking the photo.

If something makes you laugh out loud, it will probably do the same for others. So if you see something funny, photograph it with your iPhone.

Try to capture it in a tasteful and artistic way, and make sure your lighting and composition is spot on before you shoot.

Don’t forget to increase your odds of catching funny moments by keeping your iPhone with you at all times. Keep your eyes peeled for funny interactions, humorous street signs and variations of daily life, and shoot them before the moment is gone.

2. Make Sure You’re In A Good Mood

Shooting while you’re in a good mood will shine through in your photos. If you’re dripping with sweat, your arms laden with grocery bags, crying children at your side, and mentally exhausted, then the mood conveyed in your photos probably won’t seem fun either.

However, if you’re laughing hysterically while chasing the world’s cutest superhero through the grocery store, your photos will ooze with positivity.

If you want to shoot something “fun” or “funny” but can’t get out of the ho-hum mood you’re in, try taking a walk or jog for twenty minutes.

Getting that heart pumping and having some time to treat your body well will usually jar you into a lighter mood!

3. Make Your Subject Laugh In Portraits

When photographing people, it’s important to capture genuine emotion rather than a forced smile. When photographing children, saying something funny or acting silly while you’re behind the camera usually works.

Or simply catch photos of your kids as they play. Children almost always have faces filled with joy and bodies expressing the same emotion when they’re playing.

For adults it can be a bit more challenging. One of my favorite tricks is to get the person into position and tell them to smile, then I take a few shots as they expect me to. Then I say, “Okay, all set” and that’s when I really start to fire off the shots.

More often than not, the subject will smile in relief that they’re done with their session and you’ll catch a genuine relaxed look of joy. To me, capturing those candid moments is more important than the staged ones.

4. Shoot With Plenty Of Light

Light and airy photos tend to convey happiness more than dark photos. So if you want to create a sense of fun in your iPhone photos, avoid shooting in low light or indoors on a dull day.

If you’re wishing to create a sense of fun in your photo, perhaps move your subject into a space where there are a lot of windows, or ideally go outdoors where you can have a beautiful blue sky as the backdrop.

Before you take the shot, tap to set focus where you want it. If the photo looks too dark after setting focus, increase the exposure by swiping up on the screen. The aim is to make the picture nice and bright, but without over-exposing the highlights.

And don’t forget to add light to your photos in post-processing. I usually turn up the exposure a lot in my editing process. Try making your photo as light as it can go without losing any of your color saturation or contrast.

5. Use Vibrant Colors

The addition of color almost always adds a positive aspect to a photo. People often say, “the more colorful the photo, the more cheerful it is.”

If you’re in an area that happens to be lacking in color, such as a snowy or urban scene, you could add a cheerful pop of color with a prop.

Be creative – anything will do. A hat, umbrella, shirt, flag, toy, plant, vintage accessory, food item, etc. can all add great pops of color to your photo.

You can also use the colors available in nature. Blue sky, vibrant green grass, turquoise waters, red berries, etc. can all portray happiness in a photo.

6. Capture Motion

Catching your subject in the perfect stride or with their body in a position that conveys a certain emotion is often critical to setting the mood of the photo.

The easiest way to capture just the right moment when your subject is moving is to use the burst mode feature in your iPhone’s camera app. Nearly every time I shoot motion I use burst mode to capture a sequence of images in quick succession.

After shooting in burst mode you can select the perfect image from the sequence. I chose the photo above simply because I liked the slack in the balloon string.

Be very critical of which image you select from the burst sequence. Small details like that can have a really big impact on the mood of your photo.

Catching a person who’s active can really lead to a sense of fun in your photos. Rarely do I take a photo of a person just standing there.

Instead, I ask them to do all sorts of different actions like jumping in the air, running around, kicking a ball or flying a kite. You can’t help but smile when you see a person in action.

7. Use Props & Outfits

Don’t be afraid to do something ridiculous and completely different than what you normally do! Using props can help with this.

Lug a piece of your living room furniture to the local park. Have a friend wear a costume. Buy balloons for no reason.

Once you’ve chosen an unusual element, try to photograph it in a way that tells a story. Be imaginative and have fun in the process!

Use your prop in an unconventional way. Throw the umbrella into the air, put an apple pie on hot asphalt, swim in your clothes, or bring a huge stuffed animal into the forest.

Photography is considered an art. Art is all about being creative and challenging yourself, so go ahead and do something different. After all, you’re an artist!

8. Be Creative With Traditional Elements

Play with traditional photography techniques like scale, shadows, light, and composition. Make something appear unusually large by using forced perspective, or make the subject look tiny by positioning them next to a large object.

Take a photo using mostly the shadow or reflection of your subject. This will add a fun sense of mystery to your photo, making the viewer more intrigued.

Another technique is to include only part of the subject in your scene, such as their hand, arm, foot, leg, etc. Again, this creates a more intriguing image for the viewer.

Compose your shot in unusual ways and shoot from different angles. You could also try flipping your photo upside down in post-processing to create an alternative version of reality.

9. Have Fun With Photo Editing

Sometimes you’re in a great mood, ready to run out and catch a fun image, but the rest of the world doesn’t seem willing to participate.

If you can’t find anything cheerful to photograph, perhaps stepping out of your comfort zone and adding some humorous or fun elements through editing would be a neat thing to try.

Editing apps like Superimpose X, Reflect Mirror Camera and TouchRetouch can help you transform a photo into a humorous vignette.

Create fun fantasy images by combining elements from different photos, adding a reflection or adding fun elements such as balloons, alien sky effects and other special effects.

Once you know how to use a few simple editing apps, the possibilities are limitless to what you can create!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas on how to add some humorous and exciting elements to your photos. Now go out with your iPhone and have some fun!

The post 9 Ways To Create A Sense Of Fun In Your iPhone Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.