Table Of Contents: How To Use iPhone Camera App

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1. Quickly Open The iPhone Camera App
2. Turn On The Camera Grid For Improved Composition
3. Choose The Perfect Shooting Mode
4. Switch Between Wide, Ultra Wide & Telephoto Lenses
5. Use iPhone 11 Night Mode To Capture Stunning Low Light Photos
6. Use Portrait Mode For Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds
7. Use Burst Mode For Amazing Action Shots
8. Shoot Live Photos To Bring Your Images To Life
9. Capture Photos & Videos At The Same Time With iPhone 11 QuickTake
10. Set The Focus For Pin-Sharp Images
11. Adjust Exposure For Perfect Brightness Levels
12. Use HDR To Capture More Detail In High Contrast Scenes
13. Access More iPhone Camera Controls

1. Quickly Open The iPhone Camera App

Do you often miss great shots because you can’t open the iPhone camera in time?

Fortunately, there are several quick ways to open the iPhone’s built-in Camera app.

If your iPhone is locked, tap the screen to wake up your phone (or press the Home button on older iPhones). Then swipe left.

The Camera app will slide onto the screen and you can start shooting immediately.

There are other ways to open the Camera app too. This video from my iPhone Photo Academy online course shows you three ways to open the camera. Click here to find out more about iPhone Photo Academy.

My iPhone Photo Academy online course shows you how to take incredible photos that everyone adores. Join now and discover how to create pictures that you’ll be proud to look at years later.

If you’re already using your iPhone when you want to take a photo, use one of the following techniques to open the camera.

If the Home screen is visible, tap the Camera app icon.

It’s a good idea to add the Camera icon to the dock at the bottom of the screen. This makes it easier to find, so you’ll be able to open it more quickly.

To add the Camera icon to the dock, tap and hold the icon until it starts to jiggle. Drag the icon to the dock at the bottom of the screen. Then tap Done at the top right.

Note that you can only have four icons in the dock. So if the dock is already full, you’ll need to drag one of the other icons out of the dock first.

What if you’re using a different app and want to quickly open the camera? There’s no need to close the app you’re using.

Instead, swipe down from the top right of the screen (on older iPhones swipe up from the bottom edge). This opens the Control Center where you can tap the Camera icon.

If you want to take great pictures with your iPhone, you have to be ready to shoot quickly.

With these iPhone camera tricks, you can start shooting in a second or two. So you’ll never miss a great photo opportunity again!

2. Turn On The Camera Grid For Improved Composition

The iPhone Camera app lets you display gridlines on the screen. The grid has two horizontal and two vertical lines as shown below.

These gridlines help you create photos with better composition. For example, you can use it to compose your shot according to the rule of thirds.

This rule states that it’s better to place your subject off-center, rather than in the middle of the frame. Use the grid to position your subject where two of the gridlines meet.

When shooting landscape photos, position the horizon along the top or bottom gridline, rather than across the middle.

The grid is also an amazing tool for keeping your iPhone straight when taking photos. You can line up the horizon with a horizontal gridline to ensure your photo is level.

To switch on the gridlines, open the Settings app and select Camera. Ensure the Grid option is on (green).

Close Settings, and open the Camera app again. The gridlines will be visible in the viewfinder.

Enabling the grid feature also activates the leveling tool. This tool helps you take level photos when shooting straight up or down.

It’s perfect for food photography and still life photography where you need to shoot from above. And it’s great if you want to shoot straight up, for example, to photograph a decorative ceiling.

When you point your iPhone up or down, you’ll see a pair of white and yellow crosshairs in the middle of the screen. When your iPhone is parallel with the ground or ceiling, the crosshairs merge into a single yellow cross.

3. Choose The Perfect Shooting Mode

The iPhone Camera app has several photo and video shooting modes.

Swipe left or right to scroll through the different camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

You can choose from Photo, Portrait, Pano, Video, Time Lapse, and Slo-Mo.

On iPhone XS and older, you’ll also have Square shooting mode.

To shoot in Square mode on iPhone 11, go to Photo mode, then tap the up arrow at the top of the screen. At the bottom of the screen, tap 4:3 and select Square.

So, what are each of these shooting modes for?

Photo mode captures a standard rectangular photo.

Square mode crops the frame to a square format.

Portrait mode lets you blur the background in your photos. It’s perfect for capturing beautiful portrait photos of people and pets.

Note that Portrait mode is available on the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. It’s also available on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Pano mode lets you capture super-wide panoramic shots. This is great for wide landscapes and cityscapes.

To capture a panorama, hold your iPhone in vertical orientation, then tap the shutter button. Move your phone across the scene in the direction of the arrow. Tap the shutter button to end the capture.

Video mode allows you to record videos with your iPhone. Use it to make home movies, or share short video clips on social media.

Slo-Mo mode captures slow-motion video. It’s perfect for slowing down fast-moving subjects.

Time-Lapse mode creates sped-up video footage. Use it to speed up the motion of slow-moving subjects, such as clouds moving across the sky.

Click the Play button to watch this time-lapse video of candles burning down:

4. Switch Between Wide, Ultra Wide & Telephoto Lenses

Do you have an iPhone with two or three rear-facing lenses?

If so, you can switch between the iPhone camera lenses to zoom in and out on the scene.

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have three lenses: Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto.

The iPhone 11 has two lenses: Wide and Ultra Wide.

Older dual-lens iPhones have the Wide and Telephoto lenses. And single-lens iPhones just have the Wide lens.

If you have a dual or triple-lens iPhone, read on to learn how to switch between lenses while shooting.

In the iPhone Camera app, you’ll see the Zoom icons at the bottom of the viewfinder.

0.5x is the Ultra Wide lens. 1x is the Wide lens. And 2x is the Telephoto lens.

Note that you’ll only see the numbers corresponding to the lenses that you have on your iPhone.

Tap 0.5x to use the Ultra Wide lens.

Tap 1x to switch to the Wide lens.

And tap 2x for the Telephoto lens.

The 1x Wide lens has a moderately wide angle of view. This lens is suitable for most shooting situations.

The 0.5x Ultra Wide lens has a much wider field of view. This lens lets you capture more of the scene, which is perfect for landscapes, cityscapes, and large buildings.

The 2x Telephoto lens lets you zoom in to get a closer view of distant subjects. It’s perfect when you can’t physically get closer to your subject.

5. Use iPhone 11 Night Mode To Capture Stunning Low Light Photos

Do you have the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max?

If so, your iPhone 11 Camera app comes with an amazing new feature called Night mode!

Night mode allows you to capture incredible color and detail in your low light photos.

The great thing about Night mode is that it comes on automatically when you’re shooting in low light.

Just make sure you have the 1x Wide lens or 2x Telephoto lens selected. (You can’t use Night mode with the 0.5x Ultra Wide lens.)

If the light is moderately low (but not very dark), the Night mode icon will be white.

This means Night mode isn’t yet active… but it’s available to use if you wish. To activate Night mode, tap the white Night mode icon so it turns yellow.

Note that if the scene has very low light, Night mode will automatically switch on.

The number on the yellow Night mode icon indicates the exposure time, e.g., 1 second, 3 seconds, etc. This is the time it will take to capture the image when you press the shutter.

You can adjust the exposure time using the slider at the bottom of the screen.

You can use the Auto exposure time, or drag the slider to the right to set the exposure time to Max.

To switch off Night mode, drag the slider left to the Off position.

When you’re ready to take a photo, tap the shutter button.

Hold your iPhone still until the shot is complete. The steadier your camera, the sharper your picture will be.

When using Night mode, keep in mind that you need some kind of light in the scene. It could be a lamp, a candle, street lights, or even car headlights.

If there’s no light in the scene, you won’t get good results. But with a bit of illumination, you can capture wonderfully detailed night photos!

Note that if you’re taking pictures in medium to low light, and Night mode isn’t switched on, your camera may use Deep Fusion instead.

Deep Fusion is an automatic camera feature (you can’t control it) that captures better texture and detail in medium to low light scenes.

6. Use Portrait Mode For Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds

Portrait mode is an incredible iPhone camera feature that blurs the background in your photos.

You can use Portrait mode to shoot stunning portrait photos of people and pets.

But you can also use it to blur the background behind any foreground subject.

Normally you could only achieve a shallow depth of field (blurred background) with a DSLR camera.

But Portrait mode lets you recreate this effect with your iPhone.

To shoot in Portrait mode, select Portrait from the list of shooting modes.

Ensure your subject is between two and eight feet from the camera. And wait for the yellow focus box to appear around the subject’s face.

When Portrait mode is ready, the words Natural Light appear in yellow. (On iPhone 7 Plus, you’ll see the words Depth Effect.)

On iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, you can switch between the 1x Wide and 2x Telephoto lenses if you wish.

When you’re ready, tap the shutter button to take a beautiful portrait photo.

Portrait mode is one of the best iPhone camera settings for shooting beautiful images. But you can do even more with Portrait mode after taking a photo!

On newer iPhones (iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, and XR) you can control the strength of the background blur.

Open your portrait photo in the Photos app, then tap Edit.

Tap the f/number icon at the top left.

The Depth slider will appear beneath your photo. Drag the slider left or right to adjust the blur strength.

Portrait mode also includes a Portrait Lighting feature. This allows you to add studio lighting effects to your portrait photos (not available on the iPhone 7 Plus).

You can change the Portrait Lighting mode at the time of shooting or afterward in editing. It’s easier to experiment with the different Portrait Lighting options after you’ve taken the photo.

In the editing screen of the Photos app, tap the Portrait Lighting (hexagon) icon at the top left. The Portrait Lighting icons appear beneath your photo.

Swipe across the Portrait Lighting icons and select an effect, e.g. Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, etc.

You can adjust the intensity of the light effect using the slider at the bottom of the screen.

Portrait mode is a powerful way of creating professional-looking iPhone photos. However, the results aren’t always perfect.

For example, some of your subject’s hair might appear blurred when it should be sharp. Or some of the background might appear sharp when it should be blurred.

If you’re not happy with the results, you can always remove the depth effect and revert to the regular image.

To do this, tap Portrait at the top of the editing screen. You can switch the blur back on at any time by tapping Portrait again.

When you’re happy with your edit, tap Done to save the changes.

7. Use Burst Mode For Amazing Action Shots

Burst mode is one of those hidden iPhone camera features that you might not even realize is there.

But once you discover it, you’ll see a huge improvement when photographing moving subjects.

Burst mode takes ten photos per second for as long as you hold down the shutter button.

This makes it easy to capture the perfect action as your subject moves through the scene.

On iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, activate burst mode by sliding the shutter button to the left. The camera will keep taking photos until you release your finger from the screen.

On iPhone XS and older, just hold down the shutter button to shoot in burst mode.

After shooting a burst of images, you can choose the best photos from the sequence and delete the rest.

To select the best images, open your burst in the Photos app. Tap Select at the bottom of the screen. Then scroll through the images and select the ones you want to keep.

Tap Done. Then tap Keep Only Favorites.

You should use burst mode whenever there’s movement or unpredictability in the scene.

It’s perfect for photographing children, animals, birds, and water splashes.

It’s also great for capturing magical moments in street photography. Try using burst mode to capture the perfect stride or pose.

8. Shoot Live Photos To Bring Your Images To Life

Live Photos is an exciting iPhone camera feature that brings your photos to life.

Rather than freezing a moment in time with a still photo, a Live Photo creates a wonderful moving image.

It works by capturing the moments before and after you take a picture. The result is a 3-second video, complete with movement and sound.

Below is a Live Photo shot at the beach. Hit the Play button to see how it captured the movement of the water and people.

Note that Live Photos is only available on the iPhone 6s and newer.

Switch on Live Photos by tapping the Live Photos (circles) icon at the top of the Camera app. (If the icon has a line through it, Live Photos is off.)

When you press the shutter button, the camera saves video footage of the 1.5 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after that moment.

After shooting a Live Photo, play it back by holding down on the screen.

When you’ve captured a Live Photo, you can apply a Loop, Bounce or Long Exposure effect if you wish. To access these effects, open your Live Photo then swipe up.

Loop turns your Live Photo into a continuous video loop. Bounce makes your Live Photo play forwards and then in reverse.

Long Exposure creates a beautiful slow shutter effect, blurring any movement captured. This is perfect for creating a silky smooth effect on waterfalls and rivers.

What if you want to share a Live Photo?

Most methods of sending a Live Photo result in a still image. But there is an easy way of sharing a Live Photo: save it as a video, first! For more on this, read our guide: How to save a Live Photo as video.

Use Live Photos whenever there’s movement or sound in the scene that you’d like to capture. It works particularly well when photographing people – especially children. And it’s great for capturing scenes with flowing water.

Live Photos is also perfect for situations where the sound adds an extra sensory element. For example, you could capture birdsong or the sound of water when you’re shooting in nature. Or why not capture the sounds of a bustling city scene?

You’re unlikely to use Live Photos for all your shots. But it’s perfect for preserving those moments that you couldn’t capture in a still photo.

9. Capture Photos & Videos At The Same Time With iPhone 11 QuickTake

Do you sometimes wish you could capture photos and videos at the same time?

With the iPhone 11 models, you can!

The iPhone 11 Camera app has a new feature called QuickTake.

Rather than having to switch to Video mode to shoot a video, you can record video while you’re in Photo mode.

Simply hold down the shutter button to start capturing video. The shutter button will turn red. And the video timer will appear at the top of the screen.

Release your finger to stop recording video. Or, to keep recording video without having to hold down the shutter, slide the shutter button to the right and release it.

If you wish, you can tap the white shutter button on the right to take photos while you’re recording video.

To stop recording video, tap the red record/shutter button.

10. Set The Focus For Pin-Sharp Images

In many situations, the iPhone’s autofocus does an excellent job of capturing sharply-focused images.

But sometimes, you need more control over which area of the scene is in focus.

So, how do you set the focus point in your photos?

It’s actually very easy!

Frame your shot, then tap the spot that you want in sharp focus. This would usually be your main subject. A yellow square appears to indicate the focus point.

If you want to take several photos with the same focus point, you can lock the focus.

Lock focus by tapping and holding the screen where you want the focus to be. When AE/AF Lock appears at the top of the screen, release your finger.

When focus is locked, you can take as many pictures as you want without the focus point changing.

To unlock the focus point, tap anywhere on the screen.

Setting the focus point is especially important when shooting close-up photos.

When the lens is close to the subject, you’ll get a shallow depth of field. This means only a small area of the scene will be in focus, while the rest appears blurred.

As you can see, knowing how to take good photos with iPhone involves getting the subject in perfect focus. This is an easy way to start taking better photos today!

11. Adjust Exposure For Perfect Brightness Levels

Exposure is another important iPhone camera feature that you should master.

Exposure refers to the brightness of a photo.

An under-exposed photo looks too dark, while an over-exposed photo looks too bright.

A well-exposed photo will have great color and detail.

So how do you control exposure in the iPhone Camera app?

When you tap to set focus, the camera automatically sets the exposure (brightness) of the photo. It sets the exposure level based on the area you tap.

If you tap a bright area of the scene, the bright parts will be correctly exposed with plenty of color and detail. So in a landscape scene, you can avoid the sky being over-exposed by tapping an area of bright sky.

But keep in mind that the darker areas of the scene may appear under-exposed (which can actually look good if you want your subject to appear as a silhouette).

If you tap a dark area, the camera exposes for the dark parts of the scene. In other words, you’ll see color and detail in the dark areas of the image. However, the brighter areas, such as the sky, may appear over-exposed (as shown below).

Look at the examples below. Tapping to set focus on different parts of the scene has a big effect on exposure.

But you might not want the focus and exposure points to be the same. For example, you might want to focus on a subject in the foreground while exposing for the sky.

That’s not a problem! The iPhone provides an easy way to adjust exposure after setting the focus point.

After tapping to set focus, simply swipe up or down to adjust the exposure (brightness). Swipe up to make the image brighter or down to make it darker.

When the exposure levels look good, tap the shutter to take a photo.

12. Use HDR To Capture More Detail In High Contrast Scenes

How do you take perfectly-exposed photos of high contrast scenes?

You use HDR!

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Without HDR, your camera will struggle to capture all of the detail in a high contrast scene.

In the photo below, notice how the bright areas of the sky are completely white with no detail at all.

HDR allows you to create a well-lit photo with plenty of color and detail in both the shadows and the highlights.

It works by capturing several photos of the scene at different brightness levels. These images are then automatically blended to create an evenly-exposed photo.

HDR is ideal for landscape photography where you have a bright sky and a darker foreground. It allows you to capture stunning images that are rich in color and detail.

So, how do you use HDR in the Camera app?

You actually have two options:

You can switch on Smart HDR so the camera automatically takes HDR photos whenever necessary.

Or you can manually control the HDR setting in the Camera app.

If you have one of the iPhone 11 models, I’d recommend using Smart HDR.

Smart HDR on iPhone 11 creates stunning, well-lit images. And you won’t even have to think about it. The camera will just use HDR whenever it needs to.

If you have an older iPhone, you might prefer to control HDR manually.

Why? Because the HDR feature on older iPhone models doesn’t always produce the best results. Sometimes the non-HDR photo will look better.

Whichever iPhone you have, check your HDR settings by going to Settings > Camera.

If you want the camera to automatically use HDR, ensure Smart HDR (Auto HDR on some older iPhones) is switched on.

If you’d prefer to control HDR manually, switch Smart HDR off.

When Smart HDR is switched off, you’ll see an HDR icon in the Camera app.

Tap the HDR icon to switch it on or off. (HDR is off when there’s a line through the icon).

If you’ve chosen to control HDR manually, remember to switch it on when shooting high-contrast scenes. Otherwise, you can end up with over-exposed highlights as shown above.

13. Access More iPhone Camera Controls

If you have the iPhone XS or older, you’ll see a row of icons at the top of the screen.

From left to right, these icons allow you to adjust the following settings: Flash, HDR, Live Photos, Timer, and Filters.

But on the iPhone 11 models, some of the camera controls are hidden. To display the icons, tap the up arrow at the top of the screen. Or swipe up on the viewfinder.

A row of icons will appear near the bottom of the screen.

From left to right, these icons are: Flash, Night mode (only visible when shooting in low light), Live Photos, Aspect Ratio, Timer, Filters, and HDR.

(Note that you won’t see the HDR icon if you’ve switched on Smart HDR in Settings.)

Let’s take a look at the settings that we haven’t covered yet in this tutorial.

Keep the Flash setting switched off… unless you specifically want to light up the scene with flash.

You can capture photos using one of three aspect ratios: Square, 4:3 (standard rectangle), or 16:9 (wide).

Square and 16:9 will crop part of your image. So I’d recommend you shoot in 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Timer icon lets you set a delay between pressing the shutter and capturing the photo. If you don’t want to use the iPhone camera timer, ensure this setting is switched off.

The Filters icon allows you to quickly change the color tone of your photo.

Many of the filters add a vintage look to your image. And you can even convert your photo to black and white.

You can also apply or remove these filters when editing images in the Photos app. For this reason, it’s usually better to take the photo without any filter, and then experiment with them in editing.

To shoot without a filter, select the Original filter on the far left.

To hide the camera controls icons again, tap the down arrow at the top of the screen. Or swipe down on the viewfinder.

The post How To Use The iPhone Camera App To Take Incredible Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: 10 Hidden iPhone Camera Features

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the article:

1. Quickly Access Your iPhone Camera
2. Switch On The Camera Grid For Better Compositions
3. Set Focus & Exposure For High-Quality Images
4. Use Burst Mode For Incredible Action Shots
5. Create Stunning Long Exposures With Live Photos
6. Capture Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds With Portrait Mode
7. Use HDR To Capture More Color & Detail In Your Photos
8. Take Photos With The Volume Buttons
9. Shoot Discreetly Using Your Apple Headphones
10. Record The Location Of Your Photos (And View Them On A Map!)

1. Quickly Access Your iPhone Camera

Do you often miss a great shot because you can’t open the iPhone Camera app quickly enough? It doesn’t have to be this way!

There’s a simple way to open the iPhone’s native camera app in less than a second. You don’t even have to enter your passcode to unlock your phone.

When your iPhone is locked, wake up the phone by tapping the screen or pressing the Power button. (On iPhones that have the round Home button at the bottom of the screen, you can press the Home button instead.)

Then simply swipe left across the lock screen to open the Camera app.

There are some other quick methods to open the Camera app. This video from my iPhone Photo Academy online course shows you three ways to open your iPhone’s camera. Click here to find out more about iPhone Photo Academy.

In my iPhone Photo Academy online course, you’ll discover how to create stunning pictures with your iPhone. Join now and start taking incredible iPhone photos that everyone adores.

To open the Camera app when you’re already using your iPhone, use one of the methods below.

If you can see the Home screen, tap the Camera app icon. It’s a good idea to add the Camera icon to the dock at the bottom of the screen. This makes it easy to find, allowing you to open the camera as quickly as possible.

Add it to the dock by tapping and holding the Camera icon until it starts to jiggle. Drag it to the dock at the bottom of the screen, then tap Done (or press the Home button on older iPhones).

If you’re using an app and suddenly want to take a photo, you don’t have to close the app to get back to the Home screen.

Instead, open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right. (On older iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.)

In the Control Center, tap the Camera icon and you’re ready to shoot!

These iPhone camera tricks allow you to start shooting in only a second or two. So you’ll always be ready to shoot when a great photo opportunity arises.

2. Switch On The Camera Grid For Better Compositions

Did you know you can display a grid on the iPhone camera screen? This is an amazing tool for helping you compose your photos.

It ensures you get horizons level in your landscape photos. And you can use it to compose your shot according to the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds is a classic composition technique. It states that your photo will look more pleasing if you position your subject or horizon off-center.

Use the grid to position the horizon along one of the horizontal gridlines. Or place your subject at one of the intersections where the lines meet.

To turn on the camera grid, open the Settings app, select Camera, and make sure the Grid option is on (green).

When you switch on the grid, the leveling tool is also activated. This tool helps you take perfectly level photos when shooting straight up or down.

It’s ideal for still life flat-lays or food photography where you’re shooting from above. And it’s useful if you want to shoot straight up above you.

If you point your iPhone straight up or straight down, you’ll see a pair of crosshairs in the middle of the screen. These crosshairs will merge into a single yellow cross when the phone is parallel with the ground or ceiling.

3. Set Focus & Exposure For High-Quality Images

Here are two of the most important iPhone camera features to master:

Focus and exposure.

Making sure your subject is in sharp focus is really important. If the subject appears blurred, your photo will look like an amateur snapshot.

Exposure refers to the brightness of your image. If it’s under-exposed (too dark) or over-exposed (too bright) it won’t look good.

So how do you set focus and exposure in the Camera app?

It’s actually very easy. But most people don’t know about these hidden iPhone camera features.

To set the focus point, tap the area on the screen that you’d like in sharp focus. This would usually be your main subject. When focus is set, you’ll see a yellow square indicating the focus point.

Once you’ve set focus, you can adjust exposure (brightness) if necessary.

To adjust exposure, swipe up or down on the screen. Swipe up to make the image brighter or down to make it darker.

You can also lock the focus and exposure settings using the AE/AF Lock feature.

Tap and hold the screen for a couple of seconds at the point you want to focus on. A yellow box with AE/AF LOCK will appear at the top of the screen.

Now when you take a photo, the camera will keep the current focus and exposure settings ready for the next shot.

This is useful for situations where you want to take several photos of the same scene. It means you don’t have to set focus and exposure for each new shot.

To unlock focus and exposure, tap anywhere on the camera screen.

Knowing how to use iPhone camera features such as focus and exposure will really take your photos to the next level.

4. Use Burst Mode For Incredible Action Shots

Most people only discover burst mode by accident when they press the shutter button for too long. By holding down the shutter button, you can take a burst of many photos in quick succession.

This is one of the best iPhone camera tricks you can use when photographing moving subjects. It makes it easy to capture the perfect action shot as you’re bound to get at least one great photo in the sequence.

Burst mode is perfect when there’s movement or unpredictability in the scene. Use it for sports photography, street photography, and action photography.

Use it when photographing children or animals who won’t keep still. And use it to capture stunning water splashes or crashing waves.

Frame your shot, then hold down the shutter button while the subject moves through the scene.

Once you’ve shot a burst of images, you can choose the best photos and delete the rest.

To select the photos you want to keep, open the Photos app and tap on the burst you just shot. Then tap Select at the bottom of the screen.

Scroll across to view all of the images from the burst. Select the photos you want to keep, then tap Done.

Remember, burst mode is one of the best iPhone camera settings you can use for photographing moving subjects.

5. Create Stunning Long Exposures With Live Photos

Did you know you can take beautiful long exposure photos with the iPhone’s built-in Camera app?

The long exposure feature lets you create a slow shutter effect. This makes any movement appear as motion blur.

You can use this setting to create a stunning veiling effect on waterfalls and rivers. Or use it to capture dramatic light trails at night.

So where is this long exposure setting hidden?

You’ll actually find it within the Live Photos feature of the Camera app.

First, you’ll need to switch on Live Photos using the circles icon at the top of the Camera app.

When you tap the shutter button, you’ll record a 3-second Live Photo complete with movement and sound.

To turn the Live Photo into a long exposure, swipe up to access the Live Photo Effects. Swipe across the effects and select Long Exposure.

Any movement in your Live Photo will appear as motion blur, while stationary objects remain sharp.

If you change your mind, you can remove the long exposure effect by selecting Live in the Effects section.

6. Capture Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds With Portrait Mode

Do you want to know how to blur background on iPhone camera?

Creating a shallow depth of field is typically only possible with DSLR cameras.

But with many of the newer iPhone models, you can use Portrait mode to create a shallow depth of field effect.

Portrait mode is available on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max. You’ll also find it on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR. iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 7 Plus.

So, how do you use Portrait mode?

Open the Camera app, then select Portrait at the bottom of the screen.

Ensure your subject is between two and eight feet from the camera. Portrait mode won’t work if the subject is too close or too far away.

When Portrait mode is ready, you’ll see the words Natural Light in yellow. (On the iPhone 7 Plus, you’ll see Depth Effect instead.)

When you take the photo, your subject will appear sharp against a beautifully blurred background.

Do you have one of the latest iPhones (XS, XS Max, or XR)? If so, you can change the strength of the background blur… after taking your shot.

Simply open your portrait photo in the Photos app, and tap Edit at the top right.

Then use the Depth slider beneath the photo to adjust the background blur. The lower the f/number, the blurrier the background becomes.

If you’re not happy with the blur effect, you can always convert the photo to a regular image without a blurred background.

To remove the blur, open the photo and tap Edit. Then tap Portrait at the top of the screen. To switch the blur back on, tap Portrait again.

When you’ve finished editing your portrait photo, tap Done to save the changes.

As you can see, Portrait mode is a fantastic photography tool for creating beautiful background blur.

It’s perfect for shooting portrait photos of people and pets. But you can use it blur the background behind any kind of subject.

7. Use HDR To Capture More Color & Detail In Your Photos

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. And it’s one of the best iPhone camera features for creating perfect exposures in tricky light conditions.

HDR lets you capture more color and detail in both the dark and bright areas of your photo. It’s perfect for high contrast scenes, such as a landscape with a bright sky and dark foreground.

Without HDR, the sky is likely to be over-exposed. Or the foreground might be under-exposed.

In the photo below you can see the foreground is correctly exposed. But the sky has over-exposed areas that are far too bright.

Using HDR lets you create a more balanced exposure with detail in both the dark and bright areas. The next photo shows the same scene taken with the HDR setting switched on.

So how do you use HDR in the iPhone Camera app?

First of all, you’ll need to check your iPhone’s HDR settings. Go to Settings > Camera.

Ensure Smart HDR is switched off (if it’s on, you won’t see the HDR icon in the Camera app. Also, ensure Keep Normal Photo is switched on.

Open the Camera app. You’ll see the HDR icon at the top of the screen. You can tap the HDR icon to switch the feature on or off.

If HDR is switched off, the HDR icon will have a line through it. So if you want to shoot an HDR photo, ensure the icon doesn’t have a line through it.

Now all you have to do is compose your shot and press the shutter button.

The camera works behind the scenes to create a balanced exposure.

How does it do this?

When you press the shutter, the camera actually takes several photos at different exposures (from bright to dark). It then combines these different exposures into a single photo with good exposure throughout.

It sounds complicated… but remember, the camera does all this behind the scenes. All you have to do is switch on HDR and shoot!

8. Take Photos With The Volume Buttons

Did you know that pressing the on-screen shutter button isn’t the only way to take a photo?

You can also use the volume buttons on the side of your phone.

This is useful if you’re holding your iPhone in horizontal orientation as shown below.

With your phone in this position, it can be awkward to press the shutter button on the screen.

Using the volume buttons means you can hold your phone steady with both hands while pressing the button with your index finger. This makes your iPhone feel more like a traditional camera.

The one downside of this method is that you have to press the volume button quite hard. This might cause your phone to move, resulting in a blurry photo. So make sure you hold your iPhone really steady.

9. Shoot Discreetly Using Your Apple Headphones

Another little-known iPhone photography trick is to use your Apple headphones as a shutter release. Connect them to your phone, then use either of the volume buttons on the headphones to take a photo.

This method is great when you want to be discreet while taking photos.

It’s perfect for street photography. You can pretend to be listening to music or making a call while you’re actually taking photos.

You can also use your headphones as a remote shutter release when shooting with an iPhone tripod.

Even with a tripod, pressing the shutter button on the iPhone screen can cause camera shake. But with your headphones, you can take a photo without having to touch the phone at all.

A remote shutter and tripod are just two of the 8 essential iPhone camera accessories that we recommend.

10. Record The Location Of Your Photos (And View Them On A Map!)

Did you know that your iPhone can record the location every time you take a photo?

This means you’ll always know where you took a particular picture.

In the Photos app, you can search for images based on location. And you can even view your photos on a map.

You can turn Location Services on or off by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Ensure Location Services is on (green). Then ensure the Camera option is set to While Using.

When you open a picture in the Photos app, the name of the place it was taken appears at the top of the screen. Swipe up on the photo to view a map of that location.

Note that the location will only be shown if Location Services was enabled when you took the photo.

To find photos you took at a particular location, tap the Search icon (magnifying glass) at the bottom of the Photos app. Type the place name into the Search box at the top of the screen.

To view your photos on a map, go to the main Albums screen of the Photos app. Open the Places album and ensure Map is selected at the top of the screen.

Pinch to zoom in or out on the map. Tap on a set of photos to see more images from that location.

With Location Services enabled, your iPhone’s photo library will turn into an exciting collection of places you’ve visited.

And if you ever need to find all the photos you took in a certain place, it only takes seconds!

The post 10 Hidden iPhone Camera Features Every Photographer Should Use appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Keep Your Photos Simple

Do you want to know how to take good photos with your iPhone? Start by keeping your pictures simple.

New photographers often overcomplicate their photos. But too many details distract the viewer. A busy scene makes it hard to create a beautiful composition.

One interesting subject is all you need to take great pictures. It’s easier to create a strong composition when your picture only has one subject.

Don’t worry if most of your photo is empty space. In photography, we call this negative space. It’s a great way to make your subject stand out.

Before you take the shot, check the scene for any distracting elements. Move closer, or change your viewpoint, to remove unwanted objects from your photo.

Minimalist compositions are ideal for sharing on Instagram. Your photos are more likely to stand out on the small screen of a phone if you keep it simple.

Always aim to create clean and simple compositions. This is one of the easiest, yet most powerful iPhone photography tips you can learn.

2. Shoot From A Low Angle

Most people take iPhone photos from chest height. This is usually the most convenient way of taking a picture.

But there are usually more creative options for taking great photos. Learning how to take a good photo involves thinking outside the box!

An easy way to improve your photos is to shoot from a different perspective. Often the best way to do that is to shoot from a lower angle.

There are three great reasons to take pictures from a low angle. First, your photo will be more intriguing. It shows the world from a new perspective.

Second, shooting from a lower angle shows your subject with nothing but sky in the background. This is perfect for removing unwanted distractions. It makes your subject stand out against the plain background.

A third benefit of shooting from low down is that you can show interesting details in the foreground.

Are you shooting landscape photos? Try shooting from low down to include flowers in the foreground. Or capture ripples and reflections in water.

For the ultimate low angle shot, try kneeling or even lying on the ground!

3. Show Depth In Your Photos

Most photos look better when they convey a sense of depth. Creating depth helps draw the viewer’s eye into the scene. This is especially important in landscape photography.

There are several techniques to create depth in your photos. One of the most powerful methods is to use leading lines in your composition.

Roads, paths, railway tracks, rivers and fences make excellent leading lines. At the beach, use the water’s edge or ripples in the sand.

Compose your photo so the line leads from the foreground into the distance. This draws the viewer through the scene, making your photo more engaging.

Another way to create depth is to include something in the foreground. Look for rocks, flowers, leaves or other interesting objects.

If you’re struggling to include foreground objects in your photo, shoot from a lower angle.

Try to include subjects in the foreground, middleground and background. This simple iPhone photography tip will immediately make your images more three-dimensional.

A third way to create a sense of depth is to use something in the foreground to frame the scene. You could use archways, window frames or overhanging tree branches.

Shooting through a frame draws the viewer’s eye through the frame to the scene beyond. This is a great way to create a stronger feeling of depth in your photo.

Never under-estimate the power of composition in photography. If you’re wondering how to take good photos with iPhone, this is one of the key skills to master.

4. Capture Close-Up Detail

One of the biggest photography mistakes is not getting close enough to the subject. This is particularly important when photographing objects with intricate details.

If you shoot from too far away, you won’t capture the amazing details of your subject. Close-up patterns, textures and colors will bring your photos to life.

Flowers, leaves, water droplets and other textured subjects look more exciting up close.

Moving in close is also a good technique to use in portrait photography. Getting close lets you capture your subject’s facial features and emotions. This gives your portrait photos far more impact.

Shooting up close works when photographing both people and pets. Get down to the level of your subject and don’t be afraid to get in close.

Keep in mind that your iPhone won’t be able to focus if the lens is too close to your subject. To capture extreme close-ups of tiny detail, you’ll need an add-on macro lens.

Macro lenses allow your camera to focus very close to the subject. There are many different macro lenses on the market.

Olloclip and Moment are two popular lenses to check out. The Hitcase macro lens also produces great results.

Of course, for genres like landscape photography, you’ll be photographing distant scenes. But you can still include close-up detail in the foreground. This is a great way to add extra visual interest and a stronger sense of depth.

Don’t be afraid to get up close to foreground objects when you’re shooting scenery. It might make all the difference to your photo!

5. Take Silhouette Photos

One of the best iPhone photo tips is to shoot silhouettes. A silhouette is the dark shape of an object taken against bright light.

Silhouettes create stunning photos that catch the viewer’s attention. And they’re actually very easy to achieve.

So how do you shoot an incredible silhouette photo with your iPhone? All you need is an interesting subject. Then shoot towards the light.

For great results, ensure your silhouette appears nice and dark. In the Camera app, tap to set the iPhone focus. Then swipe down to darken the exposure. You can always darken the silhouettes further with an editing app.

Silhouette photography works best during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. With the sun low above the horizon, it’s easy to position the light behind your subject. And you’ll get a beautiful colored sky as your background.

Sunrise and sunset are perfect for taking silhouette photos. But you can create them wherever there’s a light source behind the subject.

If you’re shooting indoors, place your subject in front of a window or lamp. In the photo below, I created a silhouette by using the reflected light from the floor tiles.

Silhouettes create dramatic and eye-catching images. So this might be one of the best iPhone photography tips that you learn today.

6. Include Shadows In Your Composition

Shadows provide another way to improve your photography with iPhone. Photographing shadows adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to your images.

Shadows are often more interesting than the subjects themselves. They create fantastic visual interest in the foreground of the scene. And they can even act as leading lines, like the shadows of the trees in the photo below.

The longest shadows appear when the sun is low in the sky. So shoot during golden hour to capture long shadows in your iPhone photos.

Ensure the shadows appear dark enough by adjusting exposure when shooting. In the camera app, tap to set focus, then swipe down so that the shadows appear nice and dark. If necessary, you can darken shadows in post-processing.

You can use shadows to create stunning abstract images. So keep your eyes peeled for interesting shadow patterns.

When photographing shadows, think about what you want to include in your shot.

You could include both the subject and its shadow in the frame. Or photograph only the shadows for a more unique and abstract image.

7. Photograph Reflections

Reflections make wonderful iPhone photography subjects. You can find reflections on many different surfaces including glass, metal and ice. But water is the best surface for reflection photography.

Ripples and waves on the water’s surface add an extra dimension to your reflection photos. They produce distortions in reflections which create a beautiful painterly effect.

If there aren’t any waves, create them yourself by moving your hand through the water.

In most cases, it looks best if you include both the subject and its reflection. Creating a symmetrical composition will have a very strong visual impact.

But in some cases, photographing only the reflection creates a beautiful abstract image. The photo below captures the reflection of a tree in shallow water.

Once you start paying attention, you’ll notice reflections everywhere. And they’ll look stunning in your photos!

8. Use Symmetry

Using symmetry is a fun way to create a striking image. Challenge yourself to find symmetrical scenes wherever you go. Then compose your shot so that both halves of the photo are identical (or almost identical).

Reflections provide an easy way to create perfectly symmetrical images. Position the line of symmetry across the center of the frame to create the symmetry.

But reflections are only one way to create symmetrical compositions. Architecture and other man-made objects are often designed to be symmetrical.

Composition guidelines such as the rule of thirds don’t encourage central subject placement. But sometimes it’s okay to break the rules!

9. Use Diagonal Alignment

Are you serious about learning how to take better pictures with iPhone? If so, you need to develop an eye for balanced compositions.

One of the best iPhone photography tips for creating visual harmony is to use diagonal balance in your photos.

If you have two or three main subjects in your scene, try positioning them in diagonal alignment.

This is an easy way to create a more balanced composition. And it encourages the viewer’s gaze to flow through the scene.

If everything is on one side of the frame, your photo can look unbalanced. Diagonal balance will make a real difference to the impact of your photo.

With certain kinds of photography, you can control subject placement.

With still life and portraits, you can move your subjects. Take a few moments to position the main elements in a diagonal composition.

In other situations, you won’t have any control over the position of your subjects. For example, in landscape photography the objects are usually static and too big to move.

In environments like this, you’ll need to move yourself around the scene. Find a perspective where the main subjects appear in diagonal alignment.

In the photo above, the ferns create diagonal balance with the cliffs in the distance. In the photo below, the two boats are in diagonal alignment.

You can even use leading lines to create diagonal balance in your photos. In the photo below, the line of the water’s edge leads diagonally towards the hill at the top right.

Train your eye to notice diagonal alignment of subjects. Then compose your shot to create a balanced composition. This will make your photos more engaging and interesting to look at.

10. Edit Your Photos With VSCO Filters

Do you want to know how to turn a good picture into an amazing one?

It’s simple. You just need to do some basic iPhone photo editing.

But you don’t need high-end editing skills or expensive photoshop apps to add beauty or drama to your iPhone photos.

The easiest way to apply powerful yet subtle effects to your photos is to use VSCO filters. VSCO is the best filter app for applying beautiful, understated filters to your images.

Open the VSCO app, tap the plus icon (+) at the top right of the screen, and import the photo you want to edit:

Now tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the screen. Select a filter of your choice:

To reduce the intensity of the filter, tap the filter name, then drag the slider. Tap the checkmark at the bottom right when you’re happy with the effect:

To save your edited image, tap Save at the top right. On the next screen, tap the three dots icon at the bottom right, select Save To Camera Roll, then select Actual Size:

VSCO presets allow you to apply beautiful filters that enhance your photo in seconds. The filters are quite subtle, so it’s very difficult for you to over-edit your photos.

There are plenty of filters to choose from in VSCO. You can create classic black and white images, crisp clean edits, or faded vintage photos.

The app does offer more advanced VSCO photo editing tools. But you don’t need any technical knowledge to create amazing edits with VSCO presets. And the VSCO app is even free to download!

The post 10 iPhone Photography Tips To Quickly Improve Your Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: Snapseed App Tutorial

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the Snapseed tutorial.

1. Open An Image In Snapseed Photo Editor

2. Enhance Color, Exposure & Detail
2.1 Tune Image
2.2 White Balance
2.3 Details

3. Modify Individual Edits

4. Improve Composition
4.1 Crop
4.2 Rotate
4.3 Perspective

5. Clean Up Your Photos For Flawless Edits
5.1 Healing
5.2 Portrait

6. Use Selective Editing Tools
6.1 Brush
6.2 Selective
6.3 Masking
6.4 Vignette

7. Change The Mood With Snapseed Filters

8. Use Looks As A Starting Point For Your Edits
8.1 Apply A Look To Your Photo
8.2 Customize A Look
8.3 Create Your Own Custom Looks

9. Save Your Snapseed Edit

You can download Snapseed from the App Store for free. There are no hidden in-app purchases or subscription fees.

1. Open An Image In Snapseed Photo Editor

In the Snapseed app, tap Open.

Tap Open From Device to access your iPhone’s photo library and albums. Or swipe across the row of image thumbnails to see your recent images. Tap on the photo you want to open.

There are two Snapseed photo editing areas within the app: Looks and Tools. Switch between these areas by tapping Looks or Tools at the bottom of the screen.

In this Snapseed tutorial, you’ll learn how to use Looks and Tools to create beautiful iPhone photos.

2. Enhance Color, Exposure & Detail

In this section, you’ll discover how to improve color, exposure (brightness levels), and detail in your photos. With a few simple edits, you can turn an ordinary dull photo into a spectacular masterpiece.

Open a photo, then tap Tools. You’ll see the menu of Snapseed photo editing tools as shown on the right below.

2.1 Tune Image

The Tune Image tool allows you to get perfect color and exposure in your photos.

This is the tool you’ll use most often in Snapseed editing because it greatly improves any photo.

The example below shows how you can turn a dull, dark photo into an eye-catching image with amazing colors.

In the Tools section of Snapseed, tap Tune Image. Swipe up or down on your photo to open the Tune Image menu. Select the tool you want to use, e.g. Brightness, Contrast, etc.

Here’s how the Tune Image tools affect color and exposure in your photo:

• Brightness: Darken or brighten the entire image.
• Contrast: Increase or decrease the difference between the dark and bright areas.
• Saturation: Make the colors more or less vibrant.
• Ambiance: Adjust color saturation and contrast at the same time.
• Shadows: Darken or lighten only the shadows (dark areas) in your image.
• Highlights: Darken or lighten only the highlights (bright areas) in your photo.
• Warmth: Add a warm orange or cool blue color cast to your image.

When you’ve chosen a tool, swipe left or right over your photo to make the adjustment. You’ll see the setting value at the top of the screen.

The example above shows how you can adjust the color vibrancy using Saturation. The example below shows how you can warm up or cool down the colors with Warmth.

To open the Tune Image menu again, swipe up or down. Choose another tool, then swipe left or right to adjust the setting. Repeat this process to use any other tools in the menu.

Compare the before and after versions of your photo using the icon at the top right. Tap and hold the icon to see the original photo. Release your finger to return to the edited image.

When you’re happy with your Snapseed edit, tap the checkmark.

Watch this video from my iPhone Editing Academy online course to discover how to create stunning Snapseed edits with Tune Image.

My iPhone Editing Academy online course shows you how to use photo editing apps to make ordinary photos look spectacular. Join now and learn how to use photo editing apps to create beautiful iPhone photos.

2.2 White Balance

The White Balance tool lets you enhance your photo by applying different color tints.

Use these tints to enhance colors, correct unwanted color casts, or change the mood of a photo.

In the Tools section of Snapseed, tap White Balance. Swipe up or down to open the White Balance tools, then select a setting from the menu.

There are two White Balance tools:

• Temperature: Make the colors in your photo cooler (more blue) or warmer (more orange).
• Tint: Add a green or pink color tint to your image.

When you’ve chosen a tool, swipe left or right to adjust the setting.

The example above shows how you can cool down or warm up colors using Temperature. Warming up the colors is perfect for enhancing your sunset photos.

Temperature is also useful for correcting warm or cool color casts. In the photo below, the snow appears blue. To fix this, increase the Temperature to warm up the colors and make the snow appear white.

The next example shows how you can use the Tint setting to bring out the greens in a photo. This is great for boosting the colors in your photos of leaves.

When you’ve finished using the White Balance tool, tap the checkmark to apply your edits.

2.3 Details

The Details tool brings out the texture and fine detail in your iPhone photos. This tool works well on photos with an interesting texture, such as rust, wood grain, peeling paint, etc.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Details. Swipe up or down, and select the setting you want to change.

In most cases, Structure produces better results. The Sharpening tool often reduces the quality of your image by introducing grain. If you do use Sharpening, use it in moderation.

Like the other Snapseed tools, swipe across the screen to adjust the setting.

When using the Details tool, zoom in to see your adjustment more clearly. To zoom in, place two fingers on the screen, then pinch outwards (drag your fingers apart). While zoomed in, check your adjustment hasn’t introduced quality issues such as grain.

The Details tool is fantastic for giving your texture photos the wow factor. But keep in mind that it won’t improve all of your pictures.

For example, you wouldn’t want to bring out the texture in a portrait photo. This would make the person’s skin look bad, and make them look a lot older!

3. Modify Individual Edits

Before we explore more Snapseed editing tools, you’re going to discover an incredible feature of this app.

Snapseed uses “non-destructive editing.” That means you can delete or modify any individual edit at any point in the future.

After you’ve applied some edits to a photo, tap the Edit History icon (square with a curved arrow) at the top of the screen. Then tap View Edits in the menu.

At the bottom right you’ll see the edit stack. This contains all of the edits you made, with the latest edit at the top of the stack. Tap any edit in the stack to reveal three options.

Use the Trash icon to delete that edit from your photo. Tap the Sliders icon to modify the edit. This opens up the editing tool where you can change the settings you originally applied.

The Brush icon opens up the masking options. Masking allows you to apply the edit to selected parts of the image. You’ll learn about masking and selective editing in section 6 of this tutorial.

When you tap an edit in the stack, the edits above it are temporarily removed from your image. But you can bring these edits back by tapping them in the stack.

When you’ve finished modifying edits, tap the back arrow at the top right to exit the Edit History screen.

4. Improve Composition

In this section, you’ll learn how to improve the composition of your photos with Snapseed editing tools. The Crop, Rotate and Perspective tools help you turn an amateur snapshot into a high-quality professional image.

Open your photo in Snapseed, then tap Tools.

4.1 Crop

The Crop tool lets you cut away the edges of your image. It’s like cutting off the edges of a printed photo with scissors.

Cropping removes distracting elements or empty space from the edges of the frame. It can also improve composition and emphasize the essential aspects of the photo.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Crop. Select an aspect ratio, e.g. Original, Square, 4:3, etc. Or select Free if you prefer to crop without being restricted to particular dimensions.

In the example below, the Square aspect ratio is selected. A square crop removes the empty space at the bottom of the image, placing more emphasis on the child and birds.

Drag the corner handles to adjust the crop position. Tap the checkmark to complete the edit.

Now, cropping might sound simple. But learning which parts of the image to crop out, and which to keep, is more complex. To create the most striking compositions, you must learn the art of cropping.

In this video, you’ll master the hidden art of cropping your photos to create more eye-catching compositions.

Join my iPhone Editing Academy course and discover how to create beautiful masterpieces through editing.

4.2 Rotate

Nothing screams unprofessional, amateur photography more than a horizon that isn’t straight.

But don’t worry if you didn’t hold your iPhone perfectly level when taking a photo. The Rotate tool in Snapseed makes it easy to straighten your image.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Rotate. Snapseed analyzes your image and attempts to automatically rotate and straighten it.

Sometimes Snapseed doesn’t get the rotation right. Or it doesn’t automatically rotate your photo. To rotate your photo manually, drag your finger over the image. Use the gridlines to help you get the image straight.

When you rotate a photo, the tilted edges get cropped. Check that you’re not going to lose any important elements from the edges of the frame. If you’re happy with the edit, tap the checkmark.

The Rotate tool is perfect for straightening horizons in your landscape photos. But you can use it to fix any photo where the important elements aren’t level.

4.3 Perspective

The Perspective tool offers more ways to straighten elements and correct perspective problems.

One of the most common perspective problems occurs when you tilt your iPhone upwards. For example, if you shoot a tall building, the vertical lines don’t appear straight. Instead, they converge toward the top of the image.

Learn how to use the Perspective tool in this video from my iPhone Editing Academy course. These techniques turn your ordinary images into incredible photos that you’ll be proud to share.

Join my iPhone Editing Academy course and become an expert at using apps to enhance your iPhone photos.

In the example below, I shot the door with the iPhone tilting slightly up. So the vertical lines don’t appear parallel.

To fix this, open the Snapseed Tools, and tap Perspective. Select the Tilt option beneath your image.

To correct the vertical perspective, drag down over your photo until the lines become parallel. To correct horizontal perspective, drag left or right. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

When adjusting perspective, be aware of the black areas that appear around the edges. Snapseed will automatically fill in these empty space. It uses pixels from the surrounding area to fill in the gaps.

If the edges of your image are fairly plain, such as sky, grass or sea, it usually does a good job of filling these gaps. But if the edges have a lot of detail, you may not get good results.

So when applying perspective correction, always check the edges of your image. If the results aren’t good, undo the edit and try again. Or crop the edges of your photo using the Crop tool.

5. Clean Up Your Photos For Flawless Edits

In this section, you’ll discover two Snapseed photo editing tools for creating flawless images.

The Healing tool removes unwanted objects from your photos. And the Portrait tool is perfect for enhancing your portrait photos.

5.1 Healing

The Healing tool in the Snapseed app lets you easily remove unwanted objects from your photos.

It’s perfect for removing small objects, spots, and blemishes. You’ll get the best results when the object you want to remove is surrounded by plain detail, such as skin, sky or sea.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Healing. Pinch outwards with two fingers to zoom in on the object you want to remove.

Use your finger to brush over the object. The area you brush over appears highlighted in red. When you release your finger, the highlighted object gets replaced with pixels from the surrounding area.

If the result isn’t perfect, tap Undo (curved back arrow) at the bottom of the screen. Then try brushing over the object again. Sometimes it can take a few attempts to get a great result.

5.2 Portrait

You’ve seen how the Healing tool can remove blemishes in portrait photos. But you can take your portrait photo editing further in the Snapseed app.

The Portrait tool is an amazing tool for enhancing your portrait photography. Use it to brighten faces, create smoother skin, and make eyes sparkle.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Portrait. Select a preset beneath your image, e.g. Spotlight 1, Smooth 1, etc. This is only a starting point for your edit, so don’t worry if your image doesn’t look perfect yet.

Next, swipe up or down to access the Portrait tools: Face Spotlight, Skin Smoothing, and Eye Clarity.

Select the option you want to change, then drag left or right to adjust the setting. Here’s what each setting does:

• Face Spotlight: Brighten your subject’s face, while making their surroundings slightly darker.
• Skin Smoothing: Make your subject’s skin appear smooth and flawless.
• Eye Clarity: Make your subject’s eyes sparkle.

Be especially careful not to overdo the skin smoothing and eye clarity. You still want your subject to look natural after editing.

6. Use Selective Editing Tools

In this section, you’ll discover the hidden power of selective photo editing. Selective editing tools let you edit different parts of your photo separately.

The ability to edit your photos selectively is incredibly powerful. Mastering these tools will take your Snapseed editing to a whole new level.

6.1 Brush

The Brush tool gives you ultimate control over selectively adjusting brightness and color. It’s perfect for photos where different parts of the scene need brightening or darkening.

In the example below, the original image (left) was edited using the Brush tool (right). The rocks were brightened, the clouds darkened, and the sunset colors made more vibrant.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Brush.

If you don’t see the brush tools beneath your image, tap the Brush icon at the bottom of the screen. Select the Dodge & Burn brush to brighten or darken certain areas of your photo. Tap the up or down arrows to adjust the tool’s value.

A minus value darkens the image, while a plus value brightens it. Use your finger to brush over the areas you want to adjust. In the example above, +5 was used to brighten the rocks in the foreground.

In the examples below, I used the Dodge & Burn brush at -5 to darken the clouds. Then I used the Saturation brush at +5 to make the orange colors slightly more vibrant.

To see which areas you’ve adjusted, tap the Eye icon. Any areas that you’ve brushed over appear highlighted in red.

If you made a mistake, you can erase your edits. Tap the up or down arrows until the value is set to Eraser. Then brush over the red areas to remove your edits. Switch off the Eye icon to hide the red highlight.

This video from my iPhone Editing Academy course shows you how to use the Brush tool to add dramatic clouds to your photos.

Join iPhone Editing Academy to discover how to make full use of Snapseed’s professional selective editing tools.

6.2 Selective

The Selective Tool lets you edit different colors in your photo individually. After selecting a particular area of color, you can adjust its brightness, contrast, saturation or structure.

This tool is useful when you want to apply different types of adjustment to different colored areas.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Selective. Tap on the area of color you want to adjust. This adds an adjustment point (small circle) to your image. In the example below, the adjustment point is on the orange roof tiles.

Pinch in or out with two fingers to adjust the scope of the selection. The areas that will be affected by your edits appear highlighted in red.

Now, swipe up or down to access the four adjustment tools. From top to bottom, the letters stand for Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, and Structure. Select a tool, then drag left or right to adjust the setting.

Only the area of the color you that you selected will be affected by the edit.

To edit a different colored area, tap the + icon at the bottom of Snapseed. Then tap on the image to position your new adjustment point.

Pinch to change the size of the selected area. Swipe up or down to choose a tool. Then swipe left or right to adjust the setting.

You can add as many adjustment points to different colored areas as you like. Tap the Eye icon to view your image without the adjustment points. When you’re happy with your Snapseed edit, tap the checkmark.

6.3 Masking

Masking allows you to apply any Snapseed edit selectively.

With masking, you could apply saturation, brightness, or warmth to only certain areas of your photo.

You could bring out detail in a textured subject, while leaving the rest of the image untouched.

Or you could turn a photo black and white, while keeping the main subject in color.

So how does masking work in the Snapseed photo editor? It’s actually very simple.

First, you apply your adjustment to the entire image. Then you use the Mask tool to apply that edit selectively.

In the video below, you’ll learn how to use Snapseed’s Mask tool for ultimate control over selective editing.

Join my iPhone Editing Academy online course to discover how to harness the full power of the Snapseed photo editing app.

In the example below, you’ll discover how to use masking to create a black and white image with a pop of color.

In the Snapseed Tools, select Tune Image. Set the Saturation to -100, then tap the checkmark.

Don’t worry that the entire image is black and white. You’ll now use the Mask tool to apply the effect selectively.

Tap the Edit History icon (square with a curved arrow) at the top of Snapseed. Select View Edits.

In the edit stack, tap Tune Image, then tap the Mask tool (brush icon).

In the masking window, ensure the Eye icon is switched on. This helps you see which areas you’ve selected by turning them red.

Brush over the area that you want in black and white. In this case, we want everything to be black and white, except for the girl. Zoom in to ensure you make an accurate selection around the edges of your subject.

If you make a mistake, you can erase it. Tap the down arrow at the bottom of the screen to set the value to zero. The Mask tool then works as an eraser. Brush over the red highlight to remove it.

When you’re done, tap the Eye icon to remove the red highlight. The areas you selected will appear black and white. Tap the checkmark to apply the edit. Then tap the back arrow to exit the Edit History screen.

You can use this technique to apply any edit or effect to selected parts of your photo.

6.4 Vignette

The Vignette tool allows you to subtly darken or brighten the inner or outer parts of your image. It’s most commonly used to darken the outer edges of a photo.

If vignetting is overdone, it can ruin a photo. But when used carefully, a vignette helps to draw the viewer into the image and toward the main subject.

In the Snapseed Tools, tap Vignette.

Drag the blue circle to the area you want to keep bright. You can change the size of the vignette area by pinching in or out with two fingers.

Swipe up or down to open the vignette tools: Outer Brightness and Inner Brightness. These let you control the brightness of the areas inside and outside the vignette area.

By default, Outer Brightness is set to -50. A minus number darkens the image, while a plus number brightens it. To adjust brightness, swipe left or right. The brightness value appears at the top of the screen.

In the example above, the Inner Brightness is set to +30 to brighten the area around the child. The Outer Brightness is set to -50 to darken the edges of the image.

This combination draws the viewer’s eye to the more important, brighter part of the scene. It also darkens the sky, making it more dramatic.

7. Change The Mood With Snapseed Filters

Snapseed filters let you quickly change the look and feel of your photo. With a single tap, you can change the mood of your image or add an artistic touch.

Each filter is fully customizable, making Snapseed one of the best filter apps for iPhone.

Let’s take a look at the Vintage filters for this demonstration. These filters offer an easy way to create faded, vintage-style edits. In the Snapseed Tools, tap Vintage.

Tap on the different colored gradients beneath your image to try out the range of vintage filters. To customize the filter, swipe up or down, then select a tool from the menu. Swipe left or right to adjust the setting.

To add a subtle blur around the edge of your image, tap the Blur icon at the bottom of the screen.

Other filter categories to try out include Black & White, Retrolux, Grunge, Noir, and Glamor Glow.

The Grunge filters are particularly unique as they add grungy textures to your image. You wouldn’t want to apply these filters to every image. But they’re worth experimenting with if you want to get creative.

All of the filters work in a similar way. Select the filter you want to use, then swipe up or down to access the customizable settings. Use the icons at the bottom of the screen to access more filter options.

8. Use Looks As A Starting Point For Your Edits

The Looks section of Snapseed contains a collection of preset edits that you apply with a single tap.

If you’re not sure how to edit an image, trying out some different Looks is a good way to get started. You can then modify the Look to fine-tune the edit.

You can even create your own Looks based on edits that you’ve made. This is useful if you want to edit several photos using the same or similar effects.

8.1 Apply A Look To Your Photo

Tap Looks at the bottom of the screen.

Tap on the different Looks beneath your photo to see how they alter the image.

If you’re happy with the edit, tap the checkmark. To cancel the edit, tap the X. Or customize the Look using the instructions below.

8.2 Customize A Look

To customize a Look, first apply it to your photo and tap the checkmark.

Tap the Edit History icon (square with a curved arrow) at the top of the screen. Select View Edits.

The edits that make up this Look appear in the edit stack at the bottom of the screen. Tap any edit in the stack for more options.

Use the Trash icon to delete the edit. Tap the Sliders icon to modify the edit. Or tap the Brush icon to apply the edit selectively using masking.

8.3 Create Your Own Custom Looks

Do you often find yourself editing multiple photos using very similar edits? If so, you can save time by creating your own unique Looks.

Creating your own Looks is also a great way to come up with new ideas for editing your photos. You can quickly apply them to new images to see which edit looks best. This is an easy way to test out different edits that you might not have thought of otherwise.

This video from my iPhone Editing Academy course shows you how to create your own Looks to generate new editing ideas.

Join my iPhone Editing Academy course and discover fresh ideas for creating spectacular Snapseed edits.

To create your own Look, first edit your photo using any combination of Snapseed editing tools. When you’re done editing, tap Looks at the bottom of the screen.

Swipe across to the far right of the Looks, then tap the Add Look (+) icon. Type a name for your Look, then tap OK.

Your new custom Look appears in the Looks at the bottom of the screen. You can apply this Look to any photo that needs similar editing in the future.

9. Save Your Snapseed Edit

When you’ve finished editing your photo, you’ll need to save it. Saving your Snapseed edit ensures the image gets stored in your iPhone’s built-in Photos app.

Tap Export at the bottom of the screen. Snapseed has three saving options: Save, Save A Copy, and Export.

Save overwrites your original photo with the edited version. You’ll no longer see the original unedited image in your Photos app. The photo saves with “non-destructive editing,” so your edits can be removed or modified at any time.

Save A Copy saves your edit as a separate photo. You’ll have both the original and edited versions of the image in your Photos app. The image saves with “non-destructive editing,” so your edits can be removed or modified in the future.

Export saves your edit as a separate photo with permanent changes. Your edits can’t be undone or changed after saving.

The best option is to Save A Copy. Your original unedited image will remain in the Photos app. And the edited version is saved with non-destructive edits. These edits can be removed or modified at any point in the future.

The post Complete Guide To Using Snapseed To Edit Your iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: HDR iPhone Photography

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the tutorial:

1. What Does HDR Mean?
2. What Is HDR On iPhone Camera?
3. When To Use iPhone HDR
4. When Not To Use HDR
5. How To Take An HDR Photo With Your iPhone Camera
6. Use Pro HDR X App For Ultimate HDR Control

1. What Does HDR Mean?

HDR is one of the best iPhone camera settings in your Camera app. But what does HDR mean?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It works to create perfectly lit photos with more color and detail in both the bright and dark areas.

Dynamic range refers to the difference between the lightest and darkest tones in a photo.

The human eye can see a much greater dynamic range than any camera. You can easily see the details of a dark subject against a bright sky. But what happens when you take a photo of a scene like that?

Your iPhone camera isn’t capable of capturing detail in the very dark and very bright areas at the same time. If you’re shooting a high contrast scene, you’ll likely have exposure problems in your photo. (Exposure refers to the brightness of an image).

Your photo might have shadows (dark areas) that are well-exposed with plenty of color and detail. But the highlights (bright areas) are over-exposed (pure white with no color or detail).

Or the highlights will be well-exposed with plenty of color and detail. But the shadows appear under-exposed (very dark with no color or detail).

The HDR setting on your iPhone will solve these exposure problems. With HDR you can capture well-lit photos with a balanced exposure throughout.

The HDR photo above shows how much color and detail can be captured in both the dark and bright areas of the scene.

If the HDR meaning sounds complicated at first, don’t worry! HDR is super easy to use on the iPhone. And it means you no longer have to worry about exposure problems in your photos.

2. What Is HDR On iPhone Camera?

So, how exactly does the HDR iPhone camera feature work? When you use HDR, the camera captures several different exposures at different brightnesses. The camera then blends the best parts of these exposures to create a single well-lit image.

As a result, the dynamic range of the photo increases. This means you’ll see more color and detail in both the shadows and the highlights.

While this process might sound complex, the good news is that the iPhone does it all for you. All you need to do is switch on HDR and take a photo. The camera will shoot and combine the three exposures to create your HDR image.

3. When To Use iPhone HDR

The iPhone HDR feature is great for shooting high contrast scenes with dark shadows and bright highlights. With HDR switched on, you’ll be able to capture far more detail in both the bright and dark areas of the scene.

HDR is perfect for landscape photography. Landscape scenes are often high contrast, with the foreground much darker than the sky.

The photo below was shot without HDR. The brighter parts of the sky are completely over-exposed. They appear pure white with no color or detail. The darker areas, such as the boat and plants in the foreground, appear slightly under-exposed. It’s difficult to make out the detail in these areas.

Now compare the above image to HDR version below. Using HDR has resulted in a perfectly lit photo with plenty of color and detail in both the foreground and the sky.

Of course, HDR isn’t only for landscape photography. It can be used in other shooting situations with tricky lighting conditions.

If you’re photographing an object in direct sunlight, dark shadows are likely to be cast within the scene. Using HDR will brighten up the shadows while ensuring the highlights aren’t over-exposed.

If your subject is backlit (with the light source behind them), use HDR to ensure the subject doesn’t appear as a dark silhouette against the bright background.

The examples below show how you can use HDR when photographing a shaded subject against a bright sky. Rather than having to choose between a subject that’s too dark, or a sky that’s too bright, HDR gives you the best of both.

As a general rule, use HDR if you’re struggling to get a good, balanced exposure. If the shadows appear too dark or the highlights are too bright, switch on HDR in the Camera app.

4. When Not To Use HDR

There are, of course, times when you shouldn’t use HDR. Knowing when to use it, and when not to use it, is key to capturing the best quality photos in different situations.

If you want to intentionally capture the high contrast nature of a scene, keep HDR switched off. For example, if you’re shooting in harsh sunlight, the contrast between light and shade can create wonderfully dramatic compositions.

If you want to create a silhouette photo, where the subject appears completely black against the bright background, don’t use HDR. If you switch on HDR, the shadows will appear brighter and you won’t get the dark silhouette effect.

The new iPhone XS camera, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR have a Smart HDR feature. This allows you to capture sharp HDR photos of moving subjects.

But the older iPhones don’t have Smart HDR. If you have an older iPhone, be wary of using HDR when photographing moving subjects. If the subject is in different positions in each exposure, you’ll get a ghosting effect as shown below.

The same goes for situations where you can’t keep your iPhone steady enough while the photo is being taken. This is especially important when shooting HDR photos in low light.

For best results, use an iPhone tripod and iPhone tripod mount. If you don’t have a tripod, keep your phone steady against a solid surface. This ensures it remains perfectly still while capturing the multiple HDR exposures.

5. How To Take An HDR Photo With Your iPhone Camera

Now that you understand what HDR is, and when to use it, let’s look at how to shoot HDR photos in the native Camera app.

Before you open the Camera app, you need to check your HDR settings in the Settings app.

Go to Settings > Camera. Then ensure Smart HDR (Auto HDR on older iPhones) is switched off. If Smart HDR is on, you won’t have the HDR option in the Camera app.

Also, ensure Keep Normal Photo is switched on. This tells your iPhone to save a non-HDR version of the photo too.

Close the Settings app, then open the Camera app.

Ensure the HDR icon at the top of the screen is switched on (the icon appears without a line through it when it’s on).

On some older iPhones, you can set HDR to Auto, On or Off. If you have these options, choose On.

When you switch on HDR, your iPhone automatically captures HDR photos whenever you press the shutter button.

Note that it takes slightly longer to capture an HDR photo than a regular one. This is because the camera has to capture three images at different exposures and combine them into a single photo.

Because of the extra time required to take an HDR photo, it’s more likely that you’ll move the iPhone slightly during the capture. Any movement would result in a blurred photo caused by camera shake.

For this reason, it’s important to hold your iPhone very still, or mount your phone on a tripod while taking HDR pictures.

HDR is an amazing tool for helping you create better exposed photos. However, HDR photos don’t always look better than regular ones.

Remember, your iPhone saves a non-HDR version of the photo whenever you shoot an HDR image (as long as you switched on Keep Normal Photo in Settings).

So always compare the HDR and non-HDR versions in the Photos app, and use the one you like the best.

When you no longer want to shoot HDR photos, tap the HDR icon to switch it off.

6. Use Pro HDR X App For Ultimate HDR Control

The HDR feature in the iPhone’s native Camera app is fairly subtle. If you prefer images with a more dramatic HDR effect, you’ll need to download a dedicated HDR app.

One of the best apps for HDR photography is Pro HDR X ($1.99). It has a range of HDR shooting and editing options, allowing you to customize the final result.

The photo below was taken using the Pro HDR X app. It has vibrant colors, and lots of detail in both the shadows and the highlights.

HDR photo taken with Pro HDR X app

For comparison, below are two photos of the same scene that were shot with the native Camera app. The first image was shot with HDR switched on, and the second one is the non-HDR version.

HDR photo taken with native Camera app

Non-HDR photo taken with native Camera app

The difference between the two native camera photos is quite subtle. The HDR photo has more detail in the bright areas of the sky, and slightly more detail in the shadows. But the result is very different compared to the same scene shot with Pro HDR X.

The Pro HDR X app does a great job of creating a balanced exposure throughout the entire scene. It also produces vibrant colors that could normally only be achieved with a photo editing app.

When you’re ready to shoot a HDR photo, open the Pro HDR X app. The camera screen will appear as shown below.

If this is the first time you’ve used the app, it’s worth checking the app settings. Tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines), then open Settings (gear icon). Check the options are set up as shown below, then tap Done.

Tap HDR on the camera screen to choose between Auto HDR and Manual HDR. You can also turn HDR off to take an ordinary photo with no HDR effect.

I’d recommend using Auto HDR to start with. But if you’re not getting the results you want, switch to Manual HDR.

If you choose the Manual HDR option, you’ll see three blue boxes on the screen. Drag these boxes around to select which parts of the image you want to expose for, e.g. sky, a building, and the foreground.

When you press the shutter button, the camera needs to take three separate photos at different exposures. To avoid any blurring in the final image, hold your iPhone steady or mount it on a tripod.

The example below shows what happens if you move your iPhone while the camera is taking the pictures. When the three photos are merged, they don’t align properly. This results in a blurring or “ghosting” effect.

When the app has captured and blended the three exposures, the resulting HDR image is displayed. You’ll also see some icons and sliders as shown below.

The HDR effect can be overpowering to start with. The colors might look over-saturated, and the highlights may appear too dark or grainy. You might also see a bright halo effect around the darker areas of the image.

If the HDR effect is too strong, make adjustments to the image using the sliders in the editing panel.

Dial back the HDR slider until you’re happy with the result. There’s also an exposure slider and contrast slider that you can use to fine-tune the image.

You can access more editing options by tapping the icons at the bottom of the screen. Tap the left icon for exposure sliders, the middle icon for color sliders, and the right icon for cropping, filters, frames and text.

If you use the editing tools to adjust the image, save the edited version to the Photos app by tapping the Save button (floppy disk icon).

If you don’t make any adjustments after taking the photo, tap the camera icon to return to the Pro HDR X camera.

When you open the Photos app to view your images, you’ll see several versions of the same photo. There will be three separate images taken at different exposures, followed by the HDR version which is a combination of the three photos. If you edited the image within the Pro HDR X app, you’ll also see the edited version in the Photos app.

It’s not always convenient to edit the image in Pro HDR X immediately after taking each shot. It’s often easier to take all your photos first, and then tweak the HDR effect later. You can easily do this, as long as you’ve chosen to save THREE bracketed images in the app settings.

To edit the HDR effect after taking photos, tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in Pro HDR X. Then tap the Photo Library icon (between the gear icon and timer icon).

The Library Mode message will appear asking you to select up to three exposures. Tap OK.

Open the All Photos album, then select the three exposures (dark, bright and medium) that you took with the Pro HDR X app earlier. Tap Done. The three images will be merged to create the HDR photo.

You can now use the Pro HDR X editing tools to customize the HDR effect to your own preferences. Save the image when you’re happy with the edits.

The post How To Use The HDR iPhone Feature To Shoot Perfectly Exposed Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

My @iPhonePS Instagram Account

How To Become Instagram Famous: Introduction

When I first signed up to Instagram, I struggled to get my first 30 followers. Even my best photos were getting only a few likes. And I wasn’t getting any feedback on my pictures.

That’s when I realized I needed to learn how to get popular on Instagram. And now I have over 128,000 followers.

From personal experience, I can tell you that Instagram gets a lot more fun when more people are following you!

Read on to find out how to get famous on Instagram… and gain more genuine followers who really appreciate your photography.

Step 1: Build A Stunning Instagram Feed

Knowing how to become famous on Instagram involves several key factors. But the most important is to make your Instagram profile look great. Nobody is going to follow a profile that has poor quality images.

If your goal is to showcase your photography, your photos must look amazing. It’s better to post nothing than to post a bad photo.

The first thing to do is upload about 15 – 20 of your best images. If you don’t have that many, keep working on it. Make sure you only post high quality eye-catching photos.

If you’re starting out on Instagram, it’s a good idea to improve your iPhone photography first. People only like to follow photographers with interesting photos.

To improve your photography, work on creating images with excellent composition. And learn how to use light to create more stunning and dramatic photos. 

Learn how to use your camera’s settings. You might also consider using a more advanced iPhone camera app. Edit your Instagram photos with a photo editor app to ensure they look their best before sharing.

Taking time to improve your photography will more than pay off when you try to get Instagram famous.

Keep in mind that certain types of photos do particularly well on Instagram. In my experience beach photos, reflections, silhouettes and sunsets get the most likes. Portrait photos are generally not as popular.

This sunset reflection photo got more likes than a lot of my other photos that I’ve posted on Instagram.

If you want to get popular on Instagram, post the kind of photos your followers want to see. This is why I often share beach and sunset photos.

If you want more followers on Instagram, it’s a good idea to post the kind of photos that get more likes.

If you share photos of you hanging out with friends, don’t expect people to start following you. These aren’t the kind of photos any serious photographer would want to share.

Never post text images or jokes, no matter how cool you think the text is. Also, avoid posting random screenshots as most people don’t like them.

Before you go to the next step, make sure your Instagram account is public. If your photos aren’t public, you’ll have a much harder time attracting new followers.

To make your Instagram feed public, go to your profile and tap the Settings icon near the top right of the screen. Go to Account Privacy and make sure the Private Account slider is off.

Finally, write a profile description that will motivate people to follow you. Describe yourself in a meaningful way to attract the right kind of followers. Don’t overcomplicate this step. Something like “iPhone landscape photographer and surfer” is all you need.

Step 2: Get Your Instagram Photos Noticed

Once you’ve uploaded some great photos, it’s time to attract everyone’s attention. Your aim is to get more Instagram followers, as well as more likes and comments on your photos.

In this section, you’ll learn how to get noticed on Instagram. There are several ways to get your photos noticed and gain more followers.

First, reach out to your existing friends and followers from other social networks. Since those people already know you, they’re more likely to become a follower. You can send a message or share a post inviting your friends to follow you.

To get your Instagram photos in front of more people, consider using hashtags. Adding hashtags when you post a photo means your image will show up in Instagram’s hashtag feeds.

To add a hashtag, use the caption box when you’re posting a photo. Type the hashtag symbol # followed by an appropriate word to describe your image.

Ensure you only add relevant hashtags to your photos. There’s no need to spam your posts with dozens of irrelevant hashtags. That will only make you look like a spammer.

Are you posting a sunset beach photo with silhouettes? Use the hashtags #beach, #silhouette, #sunset. If you’ve used a particular app to edit your photo, you could use the app name as your hashtag.

Another easy way to get your photos in front of other Instagramers is to follow a lot of people.

Find someone with photos like yours, and start following the followers of that person. They’ll get notified that you’re following them, and many will check out your profile.

But knowing how to become popular on Instagram involves more than just following people. You also need to interact with people that you follow. If you follow someone and don’t like or comment on any of their photos, you’re considered to be a ghost follower.

You’ll get better results if you comment on the photos of people you’re following. That way they’ll know you’re a real person.

You might find that following lots of people is impractical. If so, you can still get a lot of exposure by leaving meaningful comments on photos – even if you’re not following them.

If you leave a positive comment, the photographer may check out your profile. And if your profile is good, you’ll get a new follower.

Your comments are more likely to get noticed by people who don’t have lots of likes or followers. You’ll also have more chance of getting noticed if you comment on recent photos.

Leaving comments on the iPhone can be slow and tedious. So you might want to use a web service such as IconoSquare. This allows you to leave comments from your computer.

Ensure you only leave comments for people who have a high chance of becoming your followers.

So how do you find such people? It’s easy! All you need to do is use hashtags to search for people who do the same kind of photography as you. You can do this in the Tags section of Instagram’s search facility.

Are you a landscape photographer? Search for hashtags such as #landscapes, #landscapephotography or #mountains. People using these hashtags are more likely to enjoy your profile and follow you.

You can also browse through photos with a particular hashtag using IconoSquare.

Step 3: Engage With Your Instagram Followers

Everyone gets obsessed with the number of Instagram followers. But becoming Insta famous isn’t just about the number of followers you have.

Keeping your followers happy and engaged is important too. Your aim is to build a relationship with them and get the most out of your Instagram experience.

Post photos on a regular basis so people don’t forget who you are. I aim to share a photo every day on my @iPhonePS account. I’ve built a large and responsive community of people who look forward to seeing more photos from me.

But at the same time, you don’t want to post too often. Sharing lots of photos at once since will take up a lot of space in the feed of your followers.

If somebody doesn’t like one of your photos, the chances are they’ll still keep following you. But when you post three photos in a row, you’re more likely to lose a follower.

For this reason, I don’t recommend posting more than once every six hours. Remember that quality always beats quantity. It’s better to share only great photos, even if that means posting less often.

Interacting with your followers is a great way to keep them happy and engaged. There’s nothing more rewarding than building lasting relationships with your Instagram followers.

The post How To Become Instagram Famous In 3 Easy Steps appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Problem 1: Your Photos Are Out Of Focus

Inappropriate focus in one of the most common reasons why iPhone photos end up blurry. You know the focus is wrong when the important parts of the image are blurry while others are sharp, or when everything is blurry even though there’s abundant light in the scene.

In the photo above, the focus is incorrectly set to the extreme foreground. While the apples in the foreground are in focus and show a lot of detail, the more important human figures are blurry and out of focus.

Most iPhone users don’t adjust the focus themselves, and that works a lot of the time. With that said, there are times when autofocus fails, particularly when your photo has large uniform areas, when some parts of the photo are close to you while others are far, or when the scene changes rapidly.

Interestingly, you’re more likely to experience problems with focus on the newer iPhones, especially iPhone 5S which has a significantly smaller depth of field. While the small depth of field (which is caused by larger aperture) is awesome, it also means that you have to set your focus more carefully.

Solution: Stop Relying on Autofocus

The best thing you can do to avoid out-of-focus images is to always set the focus yourself. Simply tap on the part of the image that you want to be in focus, and your iPhone will take care of the rest.

In this example I tapped on the tennis ball in the foreground, which set the focus (and exposure) on the ball. Notice how the ball is now really sharp, while the building in the background is blurry. You want to make sure that the important parts of the image are in focus by tapping the screen there.

However, even when you set the focus perfectly, the iPhone will automatically try to change it as soon as anything changes inside the frame. This can get quite annoying, especially if you’ve set the perfect focus yourself and all of a sudden it’s lost just because somebody walks into the scene.

Even worse, sometimes the iPhone will try to refocus exactly when you’re trying to take a photo, which is what happened to me in the photo above. I was actually waiting for the woman to enter the frame so that the photo would have an interesting subject, but then the iPhone started refocusing and the moment was gone.

I should have locked the focus, which prevents the iPhone from refocusing when there are changes in the frame. You can lock focus (and exposure) easily by holding down your finger for a couple of seconds where you want the focus to be – a large yellow square and the text AE/AF LOCK appears when the focus is locked.

When the focus is locked, you’ve essentially disabled autofocus and the iPhone won’t adjust focus no matter what happens inside the scene, which is particularly useful when you expect someone to walk inside the frame and you want to make sure that the focus stays unchanged. To exit focus lock, simply tap the screen again.

While it requires more effort to set the focus manually every time you take a photo, it’s definitely worth doing if you want to make sure that your iPhone photos are always sharp.

Problem 2: Camera Shake

Before we discuss the other reasons why your photos may end up blurry, we have to take a step back and consider how the iPhone camera works. Even though we think about photos as moments frozen in time, it actually takes time for the iPhone to capture a photo, and if anything is moved during that time, that movement will result in blur.

When the light is abundant, as it is outdoors in the middle of a sunny day, the shutter stays open for such a short period of time that you don’t have to worry about camera shake. But when there’s less light in the scene (which is almost always the case indoors), the shutter stays open much longer and even moderate movement of the iPhone will be a problem.

To give you an example, the following photo is extremely blurry since I couldn’t keep my iPhone steady. I know this photo was blurred by camera shake because stationary objects both in the foreground and background are blurry as well.

Solution: Keep Your iPhone Steady

Now, what would happen to the same photo, taken from the same spot with the same iPro telephoto lens, if I could keep my iPhone more steady?

As you can see from this example, how steady your iPhone is makes a world of a difference, especially when the light in the scene is not abundant. But what can you do to actually keep your iPhone steady?

The first tip that I have for you is to take multiple photos. Since camera shake is random and unpredictable, it varies a lot between otherwise identical photos. So if you want to make sure your low light photos are less affected by camera shake, take multiple identical shots and some of them will always be sharper than others.

However, there are times when simply taking multiple photos won’t be enough and it’s really helpful to physically support your hands. There are many different ways you can do this. You can support your hands on a table or a railing, or support your entire body against the wall, all of which will make your iPhone more steady.

If no external support is available, try supporting your elbows against your torso, or crouch and support your iPhone on your knees. It also helps to relax and slow down your breath. Many photographers have found that their hands are more steady immediately after the exhalation.

When lighting is abundant, I typically take photos with the volume buttons on the side of the iPhone. However, unlike the shutter button of dedicated cameras, the volume buttons of the iPhone need to be pressed quite hard, and that will almost always lead to some camera shake. For this reason I recommend using the on-screen shutter button or the volume buttons on your white Apple earbuds for taking photos in low light.

If the photo doesn’t have any movement, another great way to stabilize your iPhone is using the Image Stabilization mode that you can find in dedicated camera apps such as Camera+. To access Stabilizer in Camera+, tap on the gear icon next to the shutter button and select Stabilizer. Now the photo will only be taken when the iPhone is steady, which may take a few seconds depending on how shaky your hands are.

Another obvious way to reduce the camera shake is to use an iPhone tripod, but there are clearly some disadvantages to carrying around a tripod with you. I use the Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod with Manfrotto 804RC2 tripod head, which provide great stability but are somewhat bulky. Smaller tripods have been a disappointment to me, which is why I recommend using a serious tripod that could also support a DSLR.

That’s me shooting with a tripod

You’ll also need to attach your phone to the tripod using an iPhone tripod mount. While there are many different tripod mounts on the market, nothing beats Glif+ in terms of how securely the phone is attached. Glif+ is available for iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5/5S and iPhone 6s/6s Plus. When using a tripod, use the headphone shutter release so that you don’t shake the iPhone when pressing the shutter.

Problem 3: Motion Blur

Just like camera shake, motion blur occurs when movement is captured while the shutter is open. But unlike camera shake, motion blur refers to the movement of the subject itself. Just like camera shake, motion blur is more common in low light settings and practically non-existent in abundant light.

The above photo is a typical example of motion blur. The image itself is in focus and my iPhone is reasonably steady, so the man standing still at the back is perfectly sharp, except for his moving hand. However, the other man is blurry and this blur is caused solely by the fact that he’s rapidly moving through the scene.

Solution: Reduce the Effects of Movement

There are several things you can do to reduce the effects of motion blur. The two most obvious options are increasing the amount of lighting and asking for your subjects to stand still. Of course, these are often not practical, but it’s something you should consider when taking photos of people you know.

Just like with camera shake, the effects of motion blur can be reduced by taking multiple versions of the same photo. If the movements are unintentional, as they often are when taking photos of people you know, they tend to be quite random and some photos will naturally be much sharper than others.

It’s also good to know that motion blur becomes weaker and less prominent if the moving subjects are further away from your iPhone, which is a good option to consider when you have no control over the movement of your subjects.

Finally, you can reduce both motion blur and camera shake by setting exposure for the highlights, which in turn makes the photo darker and requires the shutter to stay open for a shorter time. After you’ve set focus by tapping on the screen, you can adjust the exposure by sliding your finger up or down on the screen. Slide up to increase the exposure (making the photo brighter) or down to decrease the exposure (making it darker).

Even though it was already close to sunset and there wasn’t much light left in this scene, I could still capture a sharp photo of birds taking off by setting exposure for the highlights.

The post How to Never Take a Blurry iPhone Photo Again appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Most people first noticed this issue when iOS 5 was released. This was the first time that you could take a photo using the volume up button. This is an awesome feature and I use it all the time.

The only problem is that when you hold your camera with the volume buttons pointing up, your photos will be upside down on most Windows machines.

How Could Apple Make Such A Silly Mistake?

Let’s step back for a second. If you rotate your iPhone, the camera sensor won’t know about it. It will simply record the image and save it to a file, letting the software on your phone do the rest.

To make sure that your photos are displayed correctly, your iPhone adds information about the correct rotation of the photo to the properties of each image, which are specified in EXIF tags.

Your iPhone doesn’t convert any images to the correct orientation because that would keep it busy for a few seconds. Instead it simply saves all photos as they were recorded and adds information about their correct orientation to EXIF tags.

This means that your iPhone is ready to shoot another photo within a fraction of a second, which is just awesome. The only problem is that some software developers, including Microsoft, ignore the information that’s stored in EXIF tags.

There’s a huge debate about who’s right and who’s wrong in this situation, but I bet you don’t really care about that. What you really want to know is how to solve the problem of your photos appearing upside down.

How To Solve This Problem

You can prevent any rotation issues in the future by taking your iPhone photos and videos with the volume buttons pointing down. However, it’s not as convenient as holding your iPhone with the volume buttons pointing up, especially if you use those buttons to take photos. That’s why I almost always prefer to keep the volume buttons up and deal with possible problems later.

You can also use a dedicated camera app such as Camera+ for all your photo needs. Unlike the iPhone’s native camera app, Camera+ actually recodes all your photos into the correct orientation.

Unfortunately this takes a bit more time (and more battery), so you have to wait a little while for your photos to be saved to camera roll. Unfortunately Camera+ can’t help you with shooting videos.

If you already have a lot of photos that are shot upside down, it’s best to use software that knows how to deal with EXIF correctly. All Apple software falls into this category, so if you’re a Mac user, you probably haven’t even noticed this issue.

On Windows I recommend Picasa for managing photos and iTunes for dealing with videos. You can also use QuickTime for video playback. If you want to fix the orientation of your entire library at once, it’s best to do it in Picasa. Simply select all the photos you want to rotate (Ctrl+A to select all) and choose to save changes (Ctrl+S).

Depending on the size of your library this may take a few minutes, but once you’re done, all your photos will be in the correct orientation forever.

Unfortunately it’s harder to do the same with videos. If you don’t have any professional video editing software, it’s probably best to purchase QuickTime Pro from Apple. This software isn’t free, but it provides a quick one-click solution for rotating your iPhone videos.

If you have to upload photos and videos to the internet, it’s best to do this from your iPhone directly. When you upload your media to Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and other similar sites, your iPhone will take care of all the necessary conversions for you.

The post Why Your iPhone Photos Are Upside Down & How To Fix That appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Get A Tripod

You really need an iPhone tripod to do long exposure photography. Since long exposure photography captures movement in the scene over time, you have to make sure your iPhone remains steady during the capture to make sure you don’t take blurry photos. It’s one of the reasons a tripod features in our top 6 Essential iPhone Camera Accessories.

That’s me using the gear listed in this post

While any tripod can be used for long exposure photography, I prefer to use a relatively serious tripod that remains stable on slippery surfaces such as ice and wet rocks.

I use Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod with Manfrotto 804RC2 tripod head, which provide great stability and a lot of control for getting the composition and framing exactly right.

And this is the photo I was taking

You also need to attach your iPhone to the tripod. While there are many different tripod mounts for iPhone, nothing beats Glif in terms of how well the phone is attached. With Glif+ I can carry the tripod around with the iPhone attached and facing down – I don’t think that’s possible with any other tripod mount.

Finally, I recommend using your white Apple earbuds for shutter release. If you plug in the white earbuds that were included with your iPhone, open the Camera app and press the volume up button, you’ll be able to take photos without physically touching your iPhone. This trick is great for further reducing camera shake while using a tripod.

Download The Right App

The iPhone doesn’t support true long exposure photography (the shutter can’t stay open for a long period of time). However, clever app developers have found a way around this problem by digitally combining multiple exposures of the same scene to simulate long exposure photography.

While there are multiple apps that can achieve this effect, the one I use and recommend is called Slow Shutter Cam. When you first open Slow Shutter Cam, make sure you visit app settings to select the highest Picture Quality and turn on the Volume Shutter (or else the earphone trick won’t work).

Select The Best Exposure Settings

Once you’ve framed the shot, you have to select the right exposure settings which can be found under the exposure icon next to the shutter button. Once you tap there, the following dialog will appear.

Here you can select Capture Mode, Blur Strength and Capture Duration. For most day-to-day shooting in good light conditions you should select Motion Blur capture mode.

I can’t give you the exact settings to use for the other two parameters since every photo is different. I generally use medium or high blur strength and a capture duration between 4 and 30 seconds. Experiment with different combinations of these settings until you find the ones that work best for each particular photo.

Slow Shutter Cam digitally combines multiple photos to create one long exposure, so you’ll get more natural results with longer shutter speeds since the app has more images to work with. However, if the shutter speed is too long, you risk blurring out your subjects altogether, which is why you should experiment with these settings for each photo.

Photograph Moving Water

Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to find the right conditions for long exposure photography. With varying success you can take long exposure photos of pretty much any moving subjects, but the one situation where it really makes sense to use long exposure is when capturing moving water.

In this example you can see a river scene where the flowing water and ice are frozen in time using the iPhone’s native Camera app.

And here is the same scene captured using long exposure. As you can see, using long exposure allowed me to blur out all the moving water and ice to create a beautiful dreamy look in the river, while also emphasizing the speed at which the river is flowing.

In a similar manner long exposure photography can be used to enhance any landscape photos that contain moving water, including rivers, lakes with waves on the surface, and even the shore of the ocean.

While long exposure photography is great for blurring out any moving water, it really works great when taking photos of waterfalls.

While blurred-out waterfalls can create wonderful photos, you have to be a little careful with exposure, particularly on sunny days when you should always set exposure on the brightest parts of the waterfall to avoid overexposing the white water.

Even if you don’t have any great waterfalls in your area, you can still get interesting results if you’re creative with the angle you take photos from. To give you an example, the following (artificial) waterfall is only about a foot (30cm) high, but thanks to the close-up angle it still results in an interesting and unique photo.

Finally, I don’t recommend using long exposure for huge waterfalls because the large volume of water will be blurred out excessively as seen on the left side of the following image.

So if your goal is to capture the power of a massive waterfall, you’ll get better results without using long exposure as that allows you to freeze the falling water in time.

Photograph Light Trails

Besides moving water, light trails are also great for long exposure photography.

For light trails you need to select Light Trail mode in the exposure settings of Slow Shutter Cam as shown above. You then need to find the correct light sensitivity value based on how bright the lights are relative to the rest of the scene.

Finally, you have to select the right capture duration, or you can select Unlimited capture time as shown above. In that case you need to press the shutter again when you’re happy with the photo that’s developing in front of your eyes.

You’ll generally get more interesting light trail photos if you focus on red taillights as opposed to white headlights. If you’re going to use both in the same photo, keep in mind that headlights are significantly brighter than taillights.

The post How To Take Stunning Long Exposure Photos With iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Kate is now in charge of the weekly iPhone photography contest, conducting interviews with other iPhone photographers, and writing tutorials as well as editing and posting tutorials from other writers. Now that Kate has joined IPS, you can expect more great iPhone photography content – a lot more than I would be able to create on my own.

Kate has already written several iPhone photography tutorials including her excellent post on composition as well as her iPhone beach photography tips, and she is also taking care of the tutorials that are submitted by other writers.

I will continue to work full-time on this blog and iPhone Photo Academy training program to make this community even better in the future. I will also continue writing tutorials for the blog as time permits, but Kate will take care of most day-to-day operations of the blog.

And now I’ll let Kate introduce herself to the IPS community.

I live in the beautiful countryside of Wales, United Kingdom. I work as a teacher in adult education, writing courses and teaching a wide range of digital photography and computer skills.

I’ve always loved photography and have had a DSLR for many years, but in 2011 I bought my first iPhone and quickly became an iPhoneography addict! With the iPhone I’m never without my camera and I love the convenience of being able to edit and share your photos on the go.

On New Year’s Day 2014 I began a “Photo365” project with the aim of posting a photo every day of the year. I started this to encourage myself to take more photos and become more creative with my photography. I firmly believe you can never stop learning new skills and improving your photography, and this project has been a fantastic challenge for me.

Shooting photos every day is a great way to improve your eye for photography. It’s made me more aware of the importance of composition and lighting, encouraged me to seek out interesting subjects and scenes, and has improved my photo editing skills using a variety of apps.

Taking the step to share my photos more on social media and enter contests has also given me more confidence to carry on – there’s nothing like getting lots of likes and positive comments to spur you on to take more photos!

I’m really excited to be writing and editing for the iPhone Photography School blog and judging the weekly photo contest, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge and passion for iPhone photography with you.

You can view my photos on Instagram (@kate.wesson) and EyeEm (@kateIPS).

The post Meet The New IPS Writer And Editor Kate Wesson appeared first on iPhone Photography School.