Table Of Contents: Enlight App Tutorial

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

1. How To Use Enlight App: Overview
1.1 Open A Photo To Edit
1.2 Open Enlight’s Photo Editing Tools
1.3 Use Enlight’s Help Feature
1.4 Take A Tour Of Enlight Photo App

2. Canvas: Improve The Composition Of Your Photo
2.1 Crop Tool
2.2 Skew Tool
2.3 Refit Tool

3. Image: Enhance Color, Exposure & Clarity
3.1 Adjust Tool
3.2 Clarity Tool
3.3 Target Tool

4. Filters: Quickly Change The Look & Mood Of A Photo
4.1 Analog Tool
4.2 BW (Black & White) Tool
4.3 Duo Tool

5. Tools: Retouch, Blend & Selectively Blur Your Images
5.1 Mixer Tool
5.2 Reshape Tool
5.3 Heal Tool
5.4 Tilt Shift Tool

6. Artistic: Apply Paint & Sketch Effects
6.1 Painting, Urban & Sketch Tools
6.2 Elements Tool

7. Mask: Apply Your Edits Selectively

8. Brushes: Draw Special Effects On Your Photos
8.1 Doodle & Effects Tools

9. Text: Add Text & Captions To Your Images
9.1 Type Tool
9.2 Decals Tool
9.3 Meme Tool

10. Finalize: Add Borders Or Create A Collage
10.1 Border & Frame Tools
10.2 Instafit Tool
10.3 Collage Tool

11. Save Your Edited Photo

You can download Enlight from the App Store for $3.99. This price includes all of the Enlight photo editing tools. There are no hidden in-app purchases or subscription fees.

1. How To Use Enlight App: Overview

The Enlight photo app has a clean and simple user interface. But if you’re new to the app, you might struggle to find your way around.

In this section, you’ll learn how to navigate the Enlight app and open photos for editing. You’ll also discover how to access Enlight’s editing tools and Help feature.

1.1 Open A Photo To Edit

Your most recent photos are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Swipe across the row of images to view more pictures. Or swipe up from the small purple line to fill the entire screen with your images.

To open a photo from a different album, tap Albums at the top left of your photo library.

Tap a photo to open it. You’re now ready to edit your image.

1.2 Open Enlight’s Photo Editing Tools

To access Enlight’s editing tools, tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top right. The tools menu appears on the right of the screen.

You can also open the tools menu by swiping from right to left.

To close the tools menu, tap the Menu icon or swipe right over the menu.

Tap any tool in the menu to display the individual tools within that category. The individual tools appear in the menu beneath the tool category that you selected.

Tap on a tool to open its options and settings. You’ll learn how to use the Enlight editing tools shortly. Tap the X at the top left to exit the tool options.

1.3 Use Enlight’s Help Feature

Enlight has a useful Help feature that you can access whenever you’re editing a photo.

First, open an editing tool from the tools menu. Then swipe down from the arrow beneath the tool name at top of the screen.

The Help feature for that particular tool will appear. This Help screen provides tips and demonstrations that show you how to use the tool.

Swipe up to close the Help feature.

1.4 Take A Tour Of Enlight Photo App

Tap the Enlight icon at the top left to access the Backstage section of the app.

Select Enlight Tour to take a tour of the main features of the Enlight photo app. Or tap Tutorials to access a range of helpful Enlight tutorial topics.

Now it’s time to start editing your images with the Enlight photo app. In the following sections, you’ll discover how to use the tools from all eight categories in the tools menu.

2. Canvas: Improve The Composition Of Your Photo

The Canvas tools allow you to crop, rotate, adjust perspective, and even bring your subjects closer together.

Use this category of tools to improve composition, straighten your images, and correct perspective problems.

Open the tools menu by tapping the Menu icon (three lines). Tap Canvas to reveal three tools: Crop, Skew, and Refit.

In the video below, you’ll discover how to use Enlight’s Canvas tools to improve the composition of your photos.

2.1 Crop Tool

The Crop tool lets you cut away the edges of your image. Use it to remove distracting objects from the edges of a photo, or to improve the composition.

The Crop tool also has options for rotating, straightening, and flipping your image.

Open the Canvas tool from the tools menu, then select Crop. Tap the Crop option at the bottom of the screen.

Do you want to crop with a specific aspect ratio, such as square, 3:4, etc? Tap the Fixed Ratios tab at the bottom of the screen. Then select an aspect ratio option beneath your image.

To crop the photo, drag the corner handles.

If you want to undo your edit, tap the Undo button (left arrow) at the bottom left of your photo. You can redo an edit that you’ve undone by tapping the Redo button (right arrow).

Tap the checkmark at the top right when you’re happy with your edit. If you want to cancel the edit and exit the tool, tap the X at the top left.

To straighten a photo, tap the Straighten option in the Crop tool. Drag left or right over the photo to rotate it. Use the gridlines to help you get the photo level.

The Straighten tool is perfect for straightening horizons in your landscape photos.

2.2 Skew Tool

The Skew tool lets you correct perspective problems in your photos.

For example, if you photograph a tall building, the vertical lines of the building can appear to converge towards the top. The Skew tool allows you to straighten up the lines to make them vertical.

To correct perspective, go to Canvas > Skew. Select Vertical at the bottom of the screen.

Swipe left or right over your photo to skew the image vertically. Use the gridlines to help you get the lines straight. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

2.3 Refit Tool

The Refit tool is quite unique. It allows you to move elements of your photo closer together. This feature requires a fairly simple background to be effective.

Go to Canvas > Refit. Ensure Freeze is selected at the bottom of the screen.

Use your finger to paint over the subjects you want to bring closer together.

Select Horizontal if you want to bring the objects closer together horizontally. Then drag right to reduce the distance between the objects.

To bring objects closer together vertically, use the Vertical option.

3. Image: Enhance Color, Exposure & Clarity

The Image tools allow you to achieve perfect color, exposure (brightness levels), and detail in your photos.

Open the tools menu by tapping the Menu icon. Tap Image to access three tools: Adjust, Clarity, and Target.

Watch the video below to discover how to use the Image tools to enhance your iPhone photos.

3.1 Adjust Tool

The Adjust tool contains presets and manual adjustment tools for improving color, exposure, and detail.

Open the Image tool from the tools menu, then select Adjust. The Adjust options appear at the bottom of the screen.

To apply a one-tap preset edit, tap the Presets tab at the bottom of the screen. If you’d prefer to adjust the settings manually, tap the Tools tab.

A good way to get started with editing is to apply a preset, then customize it using the manual adjustment tools.

Ensure the Presets tab is selected at the bottom of the screen. Choose a preset from the options beneath your photo. Swipe left or right over your image to adjust the strength of the preset. A lower preset value creates a more subtle edit.

Now tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen. Select a tool beneath your photo, for example, Basic, Color, etc. Tap the setting you want to change, then swipe left or right across your photo to make the adjustment.

Tap the checkmark when you’re happy with your edit.

3.2 Clarity Tool

The Clarity tool contains presets and manual adjustment tools for bringing out detail in your photo. It also has tools for softening detail, which can be useful for portraits and photos that contain noise (grain).

Open the Image tool from the tools menu, then select Clarity. The Clarity tools appear at the bottom of the screen.

Select Presets to apply a preset adjustment to your photo. Or tap Tools to adjust the settings manually. You could also apply a preset, then customize it using the tools.

Remember, you can adjust the strength of a preset or tool by swiping left or right. Tap the checkmark when you’re happy with the edit.

3.3 Target Tool

The Target tool lets you apply targeted edits to specific regions of an image. It’s perfect for adjusting the color or exposure of only a certain area.

Go to Image > Target. The Target tools appear at the bottom of the screen. The white circle and red highlight shows which area is currently selected for editing.

To define which area is affected by your edits, drag the circle and pinch with two fingers to resize it. Only the area you want to edit should be highlighted in red. In the example below, the eye on the left is selected.

Tap Tone at the bottom of the screen. Select the tool you want to use, for example, Exposure, Saturation, etc. Swipe left or right to make the adjustment.

Tap the down arrow so that you can select a new area to edit.

To edit a new area, tap the Tools tab, then select Position. Adjust the position of the circle to make your selection.

Then tap Tone, and adjust the color or exposure settings using the tools at the bottom of the screen.

The Target tool in Enlight made it easy to enhance the color of the eyes in this portrait.

4. Filters: Quickly Change The Look & Mood Of A Photo

Enlight is one of the best photo filter apps for iPhone. The Filters tool has a wide range of color and black and white presets.

With a single tap, you can apply a filter to change the look and feel of your photo. But there’s more to Enlight filters than this!

Enlight’s filters are highly customizable. You can adjust the filter strength, as well as the individual edits that were used to create the filter.

So you can use a filter as a starting point for your edit, then fine-tune it to create the exact look you want.

Open the tools menu, then tap Filters. The Enlight filters are organized into three categories: Analog, BW, and Duo.

Watch the video below to discover the full power of using filters in the Enlight app.

4.1 Analog Tool

The Analog tool has a good selection of film-inspired filters. These are perfect for creating vintage-style images that look like they were shot with a film camera.

Open the Filters tool from the tools menu, then select Analog. The Analog presets appear at the bottom of the screen.

Tap a preset to apply it to your photo. Swipe left or right over your image to adjust the filter strength. A lower value creates a more subtle effect.

To customize the preset, tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen. Select the tool you want to use, then tap the setting you want to change. Swipe left or right to make the adjustment.

4.2 BW (Black & White) Tool

The BW filters are for converting your images to black and white. You can choose from a range of different black and white presets.

Go to Filters > BW. Select a black and white preset from the bottom of the screen. Swipe left or right to adjust the effect.

To customize the preset, tap the Tools tab. Select a tool, then tap the setting you want to change. Swipe left or right to make the adjustment.

4.3 Duo Tool

The Duo filters tint your image with a blend of two different colors. You can customize the colors and blending effects to suit your photo.

Go to Filters > Duo. Select a preset from the bottom of the screen.

To change the position of the colored gradient, drag or pinch the line or circle that appears on your image. In the example above, I used two fingers to rotate the line diagonally.

To customize the preset, tap the Tools tab. Here you can change the two colors that make up the duotone gradient. You can also change the blending mode which affects how the colors blend with your photo. In the example below, I used the Overlay blending mode.

5. Tools: Retouch, Blend & Selectively Blur Your Images

The Tools category contains tools for retouching your photos and getting creative.

You can remove unwanted objects, reshape certain areas, and apply selective blur. You can even blend two images to create beautiful double exposures like the one below.

Open the tools menu, then tap Tools. The four options in this category are: Mixer, Reshape, Heal, and Tilt Shift.

In the video below, you’ll discover how to use these Enlight tools to edit your own iPhone photos.

5.1 Mixer Tool

The Mixer tool lets you blend images together to create unique double exposure photos.

This tool doesn’t offer the same amount of control as dedicated blending apps like Superimpose X. But it’s a great introduction to double exposure photography.

Open the first image that you want to use in your double exposure, then go to Tools > Mixer. Select the second image that you want to use. The second photo appears on top of the first one.

Resize the top image by pinching with two fingers. Drag the image to change its position.

Open the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen, and select Blending. Try the different blending modes, such as Overlay, Soft Light or Screen.

Swipe left or right to adjust the strength of the blending mode. The screenshots below show the Screen blending mode applied at a strength of 100 and 75.

If you want to erase part of the top image, tap Tools at the bottom of the screen. Then use the Erase tool to brush over any areas you want to erase.

5.2 Reshape Tool

The Reshape tool is for stretching and reshaping elements in your photo.

This isn’t a tool you’ll need in everyday photo editing. If you do use it, only make small changes to avoid distorting the subject. Of course, you can also use it to produce fun or surreal effects.

Go to Tools > Reshape. Tap Tools at the bottom of the screen to access the reshaping tools. Drag over an object to reshape it.

To avoid reshaping certain areas, tap the Freeze tab. Ensure the Freeze tool is selected, then brush over the areas you don’t want to reshape.

5.3 Heal Tool

The Heal tool lets you remove unwanted objects and blemishes from your photos. It works by replacing one area of the image with pixels from another area.

In the example below, areas of the sky were used to replace the bird and the tree.

Go to Tools > Heal. The healing tools appear at the bottom of the screen.

Tap Mode at the bottom of the screen to access the two different healing modes: Heal and Patch.

Select Patch to copy pixels directly from one area of the photo to another. Select Heal to create a blended version of the two areas. The Patch option works best in most situations.

Now you need to move the two circles. Position the circle with the arrow pointing to it over the object you want to remove, e.g., the bird. Place the other circle over the area you want to use to replace the unwanted object, e.g., the sky.

Use the Feathering and Fuse options to ensure the area you replace blends seamlessly with its surroundings.

5.4 Tilt Shift Tool

The Tilt Shift tool lets you selectively blur your image in a number of ways. The most common use of this tool is to create a tilt shift effect where the scene looks like a tiny scale model.

You can also use the radial blur option to create a blurred vignette around the edge of your photo.

To create a fake miniature tilt shift photo, go to Tools > Tilt Shift. By default, the radial (circular) blur is applied to your photo. Tap the Shape option at the bottom of the screen.

Select the Mirror option. This creates a central area that remains in focus. Everything outside of the two lines will be blurred.

Pinch the two lines to adjust the distance between them. Drag the lines to ensure the focus area is in the correct position.

Tap the Tools tab, then select Intensity. Swipe left or right over your photo to adjust the strength of the blur.

6. Artistic: Apply Paint & Sketch Effects

Do you want to push your creativity even further? You should definitely try out the Artistic tools in Enlight. These tools let you quickly transform your photos into stunning digital art.

Open the tools menu, then tap Artistic. There are four tools in this category: Elements, Painting, Urban, and Sketch.

In this video, you’ll discover how to create unique art with your iPhone photos using the Artistic tools in Enlight.

6.1 Painting, Urban & Sketch Tools

The Painting, Urban, and Sketch tools all work in a similar way.

Open Artistic from the Enlight menu, then select the tool you want to use. In the example below, we’ll use the Painting tool. Next, select an effect from the presets beneath your photo.

Tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen. Use the options beneath your photo to customize the artistic effect. Just like the other Enlight tools, you adjust the intensity of an effect by swiping left or right over your photo.

Below are some examples of the artistic effects you can create with the Painting, Urban, and Sketch tools.

The Painting tool has a range of painterly effects. Use these to make your photo look like a painting.

The Urban tool has a selection of urban-style art effects, from grungy textures to graffiti-like art.

The Sketch option turns your photo into a drawing. There are different styles of pencil and crayon sketch effects to choose from.

6.2 Elements Tool

The Elements tool adds shapes and graphical elements to your photos. This is a fun way to add extra visual elements to your images.

Go to Artistic > Elements. Select an element shape from the options beneath your image. Drag to move the element, and pinch to resize it.

To customize the element, tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen.

Use the Blending option to change how the element blends with your image. In the example below, the Soft Light blending mode made the element semi-transparent.

Use the Color option to change the color of the element. You could also try adding a stroke (outline) or shadow to your element.

7. Mask: Apply Your Edits Selectively

Have you noticed the Mask option at the bottom of the screen when you’re using certain tools? This is a powerful feature that lets you selectively apply your edits to certain parts of the image.

For example, you could apply a black and white filter to certain areas of your photo, leaving the rest in color.

Simply apply the effect you want to use on your photo, then tap Mask at the bottom of the screen.

Select the Wipe tool. Now, use your finger to brush over the areas you want to remove the effect from. In the example above, I brushed over the boat to erase the black and white effect from this area.

If you make a mistake, tap Apply, then brush over the area to bring back the effect. You can change the size of the brush by tapping Set Brush.

Watch the video below to learn how to use the Mask tool to apply selective edits to your iPhone photos.

As you grow more comfortable with Enlight, you’ll find the Mask tool to be one of its most powerful features.

8. Brushes: Draw Special Effects On Your Photos

The Brushes tool lets you draw or paint special effects on your photos. In the photo below, the purple paint pattern was applied using this tool.

8.1 Doodle & Effects Tools

Open the tools menu, then tap Brushes to access the following tools: Doodle and Effects.

The Doodle tool lets you draw freehand on your photos. The Effects tool has a collection of different graphics that you “brush” onto your photo. These include abstract patterns, bubbles, hearts, snowflakes, leaves, and birds.

The example below shows you how to apply an abstract paint pattern using the Effects tool. The Doodle tool works in a very similar way.

Go to Brushes > Effects. Select the effect you want to use from the options beneath your photo.

Use your finger to brush over the areas you want to apply the effect to. You can remove the effect from certain areas of your image by going to Tools > Erase. In Erase mode, brush over the areas you want to remove the effect from.

9. Text: Add Text & Captions To Your Images

Do you like to add text or captions to your photos? Enlight’s Text tool offers a range of options for this purpose.

Open the tools menu, then tap Text. There are three text tools: Type, Decals, and Meme.

9.1 Type Tool

The Type tool offers full control over the wording and style of your text.

To add text to your photo, go to Text > Type. Tap and hold on the text that says Long press to edit.

Type your text, then tap Done. Choose a font style from the options beneath your image. You can drag the text to a different position, and pinch to resize it.

Tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen to further customize the text. Try changing the text color, adding a shadow, or using a blending mode to blend the text and the photo.

9.2 Decals Tool

If you’d prefer your text to be more stylized, the Decals tool is a great option. It has a range of pre-formatted text with a variety of common phrases.

To use the Decals tool, go to Text > Decals. Select a decal text template from the options beneath your image. Drag or pinch to move or resize the decal.

To customize the decal, tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen. Here you can change the color of the text, and add a stroke (outline) or shadow.

And you can also try out different blending options to blend the text with your image. In the example on the right below, the Color Burn blending mode was selected.

9.3 Meme Tool

The Meme tool in Enlight lets you create your own memes with the white blocky text that you see on social media. This can be a fun way to share an image with a humorous caption.

To create your own meme, go to Text > Meme. Tap the Top Text or Bottom Text icon, then use the keyboard to type your own text.

The only customizing you can do with a meme is to change the size of the top and bottom text. Tap either the Top Size or Bottom Size icon, then swipe left or right over your photo.

10. Finalize: Add Borders Or Create A Collage

The last tool in the Enlight menu is Finalize. This tool has options for adding borders and creating photo collages.

Open the tools menu, then tap Finalize. There are four tools to choose from: Border, Frame, Instafit, and Collage.

10.1 Border & Frame Tools

The Border and Frame tools allow you to apply a plain or decorative border to your photos.

Both of these tools work in a very similar way. The example below shows you how to use the Frame tool.

Go to Finalize > Frame. Select a frame from the options beneath your image.

To customize the frame, tap the Tools tab at the bottom of the screen. Here you can change the color, width, and opacity of the frame. You can also add a pattern to your frame.

10.2 Instafit Tool

The Instafit tool lets you position your photo on different backgrounds. The background can be a solid color, a pattern, or a blurred version of your photo.

Go to Finalize > Instafit. Pinch to resize and rotate the image. Drag to move its position.

The default background is a blurred version of your photo. If you want a plain colored background, tap Color. For a patterned background, tap Pattern.

You can also use the Stroke option to add an outline around your photo as shown on the right below.

10.3 Collage Tool

Finally, the Collage tool lets you combine several photos into a collage. This is a great option if you have a collection of photos that look good together.

Open the first photo you want in your collage, then go to Finalize > Collage. Select a layout from the options beneath your photo.

To add another image, tap on one of the blank placeholders in your collage. Then tap the middle tab at the bottom of the screen. This tab will have the name of the album you selected the first photo from, e.g., All Photos. Select an image, then repeat for the other blank placeholders.

To customize the borders in your collage, tap the Tools tab.

To change the width of the borders, tap Width, then swipe left or right over the photo. Tap Color to create colored borders, or Pattern to apply a pattern to the borders.

11. Save Your Edited Photo

When you’ve finished editing your image in the Enlight photo app, don’t forget to save it.

Tap the Share icon (rectangle with arrow) at the top of the screen, then tap Save Photo.

Your edited image will now be stored in the built-in Photos app on your iPhone.

The post Complete Guide To Using Enlight App For iPhone Photo Editing appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Zoom With The 2x Telephoto Lens

The regular iPhone 7 camera has the standard wide-angle lens, similar to previous iPhone models. But the iPhone 7 Plus has two separate rear-facing camera lenses. This is what makes the 7 Plus such an amazing camera.

The first lens is the standard wide-angle lens, which is perfect for capturing a wide view of your scene.

The other lens, which you’ll only find on the iPhone 7 Plus, is a 2x telephoto lens. This lens allows you to capture a closer view of your subject without having to physically move any closer.

With other models of iPhone, you’d have to attach a third-party telephoto lens like those from olloclip, Moment or ExoLens onto the built-in wide angle lens in order to achieve this telephoto view of your subject.

When shooting with the iPhone 7 Plus, it’s easy to switch between the built-in wide-angle and telephoto lenses.

When you open the camera app, you’ll notice that it says “1x” at the bottom (or right) of the frame. That means you’re currently using the wide-angle lens.

To switch to telephoto mode, simply tap the 1x icon. It will now say “2x” which indicates that you’re using the 2x telephoto lens.

Selecting the 2x option gives you a closer view of your subject. This is great for situations where it’s difficult or impossible to walk closer to the subject.

In the example above, I would have had to stand in the middle of a busy street in order to get the closer view.

Below is an example of using the 2x telephoto lens to capture a closer of my subject without disturbing her and ruining the peacefulness of the moment. The telephoto lens was the perfect way to capture the intimacy of the scene from a respectful distance.

You can use the 2x telephoto function in Time Lapse, Slo-Mo, Video, Square and Pano mode, as well as the regular Photo mode. Being able to shoot 2x in different camera modes gives you more options to express your vision as a photographer.

Another thing you should consider when using the telephoto lens on the iPhone 7 Plus is that not only does it make the subject appear closer, but it also changes the relationship between the subject and the background.

Telephoto lenses appear to compress space, making the subject and the background look closer together.

Below is an example to show you what I mean. The images show how I photographed my friend, Rita, in three different ways: using the 1x wide-angle setting, the 2x telephoto setting, and then by walking closer to her and shooting her with the 1x wide-angle setting again.

The first two photos are exactly what we’d expect. By changing to the 2x telephoto mode, it makes the subject look a lot closer than it did before. But what’s the difference between the middle image and the right one?

Remember for the third image I walked closer to Rita to frame her approximately the same way that I did with the telephoto lens.

Notice the difference in the relationship between Rita and the background. Even though she’s standing in the same place for both photos, she appears to be closer to the background when shooting with the 2x telephoto lens.

That’s because a telephoto lens compresses space. In other words, it makes the distance between the subject and the background appear to be less.

The example on the right was taken with the 1x wide-angle lens which exaggerates the depth of a photo, making the subject feel farther away from the background.  

With this knowledge, you can now make a creative choice when shooting with the iPhone 7 Plus. If you want your photo to feel flatter and more compressed, use the 2x telephoto lens. If you want your photo to feel deeper, use the regular 1x wide-angle lens.

2. Beware Of Digital Zoom 

As well as the 1x/2x zoom option, the camera app also has a digital zoom feature which allows you to “zoom in” even closer.

It’s easy to activate – simply touch the 1x button with your finger and drag to the left. You’ll see that you can now zoom up to 10x closer.

While at first this digital zoom feature might seem like a great tool, the reality is that it’s not the same as having a real 10x “optical” telephoto lens.

To make things appear 10x larger, the iPhone is using a trick which enlarges everything on the screen. But because it’s doing it digitally, it’s really just blowing up the image that’s captured from far away, meaning that everything, including any digital noise, will also be enlarged.

You should only use the digital zoom feature if you absolutely have to. The 2x zoom is fine because it’s using the optics of the telephoto lens to make everything appear closer. But beyond 2x zoom you’re just degrading your image in order to make the subject larger.

Rather than using digital zoom, you’d be much better off “zooming with your feet.” In other words, by walking closer to your subject you’ll get a much better quality photo.

Below you can see the difference in quality by shooting this vase using the 10x digital zoom feature, and by shooting it close up with the 1x setting. Notice how the 10x image looks grainy, whereas the 1x image is clear and sharp.

To recap, using 2x zoom is great because it uses the built-in telephoto lens, but don’t zoom beyond that unless you absolutely have to. It’s probably better to shoot at 2x, and then use an editing app to crop in on the photo later if you want to get closer.

3. Create Shallow Depth Of Field With Portrait Mode

Up until now, one of the main limitations with the iPhone camera has been that you couldn’t control the depth of field like you can on a DSLR camera.

Depth of field refers to how much of the image is in sharp focus. Certain kinds of photos, such as portraits, often look better with a shallow depth of field where the subject is in focus but the background appears blurred.

This soft, blurry background is often called “bokeh” which comes from Japanese. Bokeh is highly sought after by many portrait photographers, and is a term worth knowing.

In the past, we’ve mostly just had the option to have everything in focus (unless the main subject was very close to the lens). But the iPhone 7 Plus camera allows you to easily mimic the look of DSLR and other high-end cameras that can capture a shallow depth of field.

This gives you unprecedented control over your iPhone photography. You can now create photos with a dreamy, blurry background, while putting the emphasis on your main subject. 

So how do you create this shallow depth of field effect? It’s actually very simple! You just need to select the new “Portrait” shooting mode in the camera app.

As the name suggests, this mode is particularly suited to shooting portrait photos of people. Shallow depth of field isn’t something you typically see in a landscape or architectural photo, where you want to see everything clearly – but it’s standard in portraiture because it emphasizes the person and makes the background secondary.

The first thing you notice when you select Portrait mode in the camera app is that everything gets bigger. That’s because the camera automatically switches over to the 2x telephoto lens.

Telephoto lenses are typically better for portraiture as they tend to be more flattering than a wide-angle lens. If you shoot a close-up portrait with the wide-angle lens your subject’s face can appear distorted, often resulting in their nose appearing larger than it is in real life.

When shooting in Portrait mode, the iPhone helps you by giving on-screen instructions. For example, you might see “Move farther away” or “More light required.” Use these tips to help you create the best possible photo.

Once you’re the right distance from your subject, the words “Depth Effect” will appear highlighted in yellow. You’ll also see four yellow crop marks on screen, roughly indicating the face of your subject.

The background should appear blurred, while your subject is in sharp focus. Now simply tap the shutter button to take the photo. 

Once you’ve taken the shot, you’ll notice that two versions of the photo appear in your photo library – one with the shallow depth of field effect (shown above) and one without (shown below).

Comparing the two images really shows how much nicer portrait photos look when they have a shallow depth of field.

If for some reason you’re not sure which of the two photos has the Depth Effect, it will be clearly labeled in your photo library as shown below.

4. The Importance Of Background When Using Depth Effect

The Depth Effect feature in Portrait mode works best when your subject is far away from the background, and when there’s something in the background to begin with.

The farther away the subject is from the background, the more pleasant blur you’ll get. Notice the difference in the amount of blur between these two photos which were both shot in Portrait mode.

So if you want more bokeh (blurry background), move your subject farther away from the background when shooting in Portrait mode.

It’s also important to actually have something in the background, so that you can take full advantage of the shallow depth of field in Portrait mode.

In the example below my subject is standing against a plain white background. Notice how little difference there is between the original photo and the one with Depth Effect.

While you can definitely see a difference, and the bottom image with the Depth Effect is nicer, the photo would be lot more dynamic if there were some details on that wall to show the blur effect.

5. Portrait Mode Isn’t Just For Photographing People

While Portrait mode is great for photographing people, it can be used to shoot other things too! Many subjects look better when there’s a soft dreamy background.

Using the Depth Effect in Portrait mode is great for photographing animals, as well as inanimate objects.

Creating a shallow depth of field is particularly useful in situations where the background is very busy and distracting. By blurring out the background detail, it puts the focus onto the subject in the foreground.

6. The Regular Camera Is Great Too!

With all the excitement about the new 2x telephoto lens and the Portrait mode Depth Effect on the iPhone 7 Plus, it’s easy to forget that the camera takes great pictures using the wide-angle lens and the regular camera modes that you’re already used to.

The image quality is fantastic, and the huge screen is bright and vivid. While the larger size of the iPhone 7 Plus might take a bit of getting used to if you haven’t previously owned a Plus model, the increased screen size makes it much easier to see what you’re doing.

The post How To Use Your iPhone 7 Plus Camera To Take Incredible Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Include A Main Subject

One of the most important rules of composition is that you need to have a main subject for your photo.

I’m surprised at how many photos I see that don’t follow this simple rule. Unless your goal is to create something abstract, your photo needs to be about something, and that thing should be your main subject.

Having a main subject allows your viewer to easily understand what the photo is about. It brings clarity to your image and creates a focal point which gives the viewer a place to rest their eye.

Take a look at the two images below. Notice how much more powerful the second one is because it has the canoe as a main subject.

A great example of this is when you go somewhere beautiful on a trip (like the mountains or the sea), and you want to record a photo of that beautiful place.

If you just take a picture of the place, you’ll probably be disappointed because the photo doesn’t give you the same feeling that you had when you were there.

But if you give your photo a main subject, such as a person looking at that mountain or sea, your photo will not only be more beautiful, but it will also carry a lot more of the emotion that you had when you were there.

2. Frame The Subject To Increase Its Importance

After you’ve decided on your main subject, you can use various tricks to increase the importance of that subject. One of the best ways to do this is by framing your subject.

“Framing” simply means using something in the environment to outline your subject, and therefore drawing more attention to it.

Often that framing will be something in the foreground that softens the edge of the photo, like some tree branches and leaves.

Other times the frame might just be an area of light or dark that surrounds your subjects, like in this photo of people standing in a parking garage.

Often a window or doorway is a great way to frame your subject, and again, that opening can be behind or in front of the subject.

Once you start looking for ways to frame your subject, you’ll find that you can use all sorts of things as a framing object. Be creative!

3. Use Leading Lines To Draw The Eye Into The Photo

Another great trick you can use in composition is to look for leading lines.

Leading lines are a great way to direct the viewer’s attention where you want it to go, usually right toward your main subject.

Look for lines in your scene, such as a road, path, fence, railway tracks, a long hallway, floorboards, or any other architectural or natural element that creates a leading line.

Then compose your shot so that the lines lead from the foreground of the scene into the distance.

Having a subject at the end of the line, or somewhere along it, is even more powerful because the line leads the eye directly to the subject.

The great thing about leading lines is that they don’t even have to be lines! In the photo below, the bridge itself has many leading lines in it, but the shadows of the people are also leading lines in this composition.

That’s one of the great reasons to shoot at golden hour. Not only do you get beautiful light, but you can also get great leading lines from the long shadows!

4. Use The Rule Of Thirds

You might have heard of the rule of thirds before, because it’s one of the very first things that you learn as a photographer. In fact, it’s so useful that your iPhone has the ability to show you the rule of thirds as you’re shooting!

If you go to Settings > Camera, then turn on the Grid option, you’ll see the rule of thirds grid in the camera app.

The rule of thirds simply says that if you divide the screen into equal thirds both vertically and horizontally, you should place your main subject at one of the four points where the lines intersect.

I did that in the photo above by making sure the little house was right on one of those interactions.

The rule of thirds also suggests that you place your horizon line along either the top or bottom gridline for the most beautiful and balanced composition.

The rule of thirds is a pretty reliable rule, and if you follow it, your photo should feel balanced. However, there is some flexibility to the rule.

Note that in the photo below, my main subject sits on one of the intersecting points, but the horizon line doesn’t fall on either of the horizontal gridlines.

Nevertheless, the dark mass at the bottom of the frame roughly lines up with the bottom gridline, so I would still call this a good example of using the rule of thirds to create good composition.

Try looking at the world through your iPhone with the grid turned on, and lining up your main subject using the rule of thirds.

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make good photos simply by following this one rule.

5. Ignore The Rule Of Thirds!

Now that you’ve learned the rule of thirds, I’m giving you permission to break that rule sometimes!

If you’re shooting a photo with symmetry, you will often find that it looks better to put your subject in the very middle of the photo.

Symmetrical photos are a special case, where maintaining a mirror image between the two sides is so important that you have to keep your subject centered otherwise it will just feel wrong.

Square photos are particularly well suited to symmetrical shots that break the rule of thirds.

This is because the four sides of the image are equal lengths, and this suits symmetry really well.

So even though it’s great to be aware of the classic rules of composition such as the rule of thirds, sometimes it’s okay to break those rules if you have a compelling reason to do so.

6. Use Symmetry & Patterns To Your Advantage

Shooting photos that have symmetry or patterns is a great way to bring more visual interest to your photography.

The human brain is naturally attracted to symmetry. In fact, we’re symmetrical creatures ourselves, with a left and right side.

Symmetry can make for a very pleasing photo that will catch the viewer’s eye right away.

Building facades are a great place to look for symmetry as they’re often inherently designed to be symmetrical.

Patterns are often found with symmetry, but the two shouldn’t be confused.

In the photo below, you’ll notice that the composition is symmetrical because the left and right sides match, but you can also see that there’s a pattern of three red books that repeat throughout the photo.

When you use symmetry along with patterns, you can create a visually striking photo.

In nature you can often find symmetry by looking for water, and getting your phone down low so that the water reflects the upper part of the image.

In the city it’s usually pretty easy to find a symmetrical building to shoot, or you can make your own symmetrical shots by pressing the edge of your iPhone up to a piece of glass.

This allows you to capture your main subject reflected in the shiny surface, immediately creating a symmetrical shot.

Once you start looking for symmetry and patterns, you’ll be surprised at how they appear all around you.

7. Shoot From An Unusual Angle

We’re very accustomed to seeing the world from eye level, so you can easily surprise and delight your viewers by shooting from other more unusual angles.

Simply moving your phone to a different vantage point will give your photos a fresh and unexpected point of view.

A classic tactic for this is to look up above you. There are all kinds of interesting things happening right over your head every day!

Conversely, you can also try shooting from above so that you’re looking down on your subject. You can easily do this from a high story of a building or a bridge.

Lastly, you can also look for unexpected angles by positioning your phone in an unusual way.

In the photo below I was boarding a plane, and I noticed how funny the world looked as it was reflected in the plane’s shiny surface.

To add to the disorientation, I purposely tilted my phone so that the horizon line wouldn’t be instantly recognizable. To me, this canted angle makes the image feel surprising in a good way.

So whenever you’re out shooting with your iPhone, don’t just take pictures from standing height.

Try to look for places where you can shoot the world from an angle that you don’t normally see it from.

8. Include Foreground & Background Elements To Increase Depth

A photo is a two dimensional representation of three dimensional space, which means that it can be difficult to convey the sense of depth that you saw with your own eyes.

To make your photos more engaging, you need to carefully compose your shot to increase the sense of depth and make it seem more three dimensional.

Creating photos with depth is easy. You simply need to have something in the foreground and something in the background. It’s that simple!

The photo above has some depth to it. The water is in the foreground, and the grasses and trees are in the background.

But notice how much more depth the photo has when there’s something in the foreground as shown below.

Not only does this photo feel deeper, but it now has a main subject which also helps make it a stronger photo.

Photos with a lot of depth are appealing to us because they help us understand the three dimensional space that the photo is representing.

You can also increase depth by paying attention to patterns and lines, aligning yourself so that they recede into the distance.

The next time you’re out shooting, trying composing your photo so that there’s something in both the foreground and the background.

Once you start doing this you’ll find that your images will start to feel a lot more three dimensional.

9. Leave Active Space For Moving Subjects

Sometimes your main subject will be moving, and in these situations you need to be aware of another rule of composition, which is to leave space for the moving subject.

Unless you have a really good reason for doing otherwise, it’s usually best to leave more space in front of your subject than behind. This creates the feeling that they have plenty of space to “move into.”

It’s important to leave plenty of negative (empty) space so that the person doesn’t feel crowded in the frame.

You don’t want it to look like they’re about to run into anything. Well, maybe you do, but that’s a different type of photo!

You’ll find that if you frame your moving subjects this way, your photos will feel very natural and real. This is because we’re so accustomed to seeing images this way.

If you practice shooting a moving subject using this rule, it will soon become second nature.

10. Isolate Your Subject

One of the best things you can do to improve your iPhone photos is to make sure your subject is isolated from the background.

It’s important that there are no obstructions that overlap with your main subject. Any distractions can weaken your image and make it confusing for your viewers.

One easy way to make your subject “pop” is to make sure that the background behind your main subject is very light (assuming your subject is dark).

In the photo above, I got my shot lined up, and then waited for someone in dark clothing to walk by.

Of course, you can do the opposite too. Just use a dark background with a light-colored subject to make your subject stand out.

In addition to using light and dark to make your subject pop, you can also use color to help make your main subject stand out.

Our eyes will usually go to the brightest or most colorful part of an image. So if you keep the background color to a minimum, a bright color on your main subject will help draw attention to it, like the red hat on this man.

Conversely, you can make your background quite colorful, but have your main subject mostly colorless.

This is a great strategy if you’ve got a colorful wall, or if you’re at a time of day when there’s generally a lot of color, like sunset.

In this photo, the main subject stands out because he’s dark and the background behind him is light, but also because he’s in a colorful environment, but he remains mostly colorless.

Sometimes you might find there’s a branch or a tree that’s distracting, but there’s no way to exclude it from your composition.

Below is an example of this. The dark branch just behind my subject is distracting and interferes with the outline of the person.

In such cases, just take the photo, then use an app like TouchRetouch to remove the unwanted objects from the image. Below is the same image but with the branch removed.

The person now has a much clearer outline which creates a cleaner and more pleasing composition.

iPhone Photo Composition: Conclusion

While every scene is different, making use of these composition techniques will allow you to create more beautiful and powerful iPhone photos.

Here are the ten iPhone photo composition techniques that will dramatically improve your images:

1. Include a main subject
2. Frame the subject to increase its importance
3. Use leading lines to draw the eye into the photo
4. Use the rule of thirds
5. Ignore the rule of thirds!
6. Use symmetry & patterns to your advantage
7. Shoot from an unusual angle
8. Include foreground & background elements to increase depth
9. Leave active space for moving subjects
10. Isolate your subject

Of course, you won’t use every technique on every photo. It’s up to you as the photographer to work out which composition guidelines would best suit a particular scene.

If you try using these techniques on a daily basis, you’ll soon find that you’ll become a better and more confident photographer. And your images are bound to start getting more “likes” when you share them!

The post 10 iPhone Photo Composition Tips For Creating Striking Images appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Choose A Subject For Your Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Find Subjects That Are Similar

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

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

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

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

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

3. Shoot A Subject With A Clear Concept

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Shoot From Different Angles & Perspectives

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

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

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

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

5. Shoot Against Different Backdrops

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

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

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

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

6. Shoot In Different Seasons

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

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

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

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

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

7. Tell A Story With Your Series

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

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

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

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

8. Capture A Sense Of Place

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

1. Windows With Water Droplets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Frosted Glass

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Ice & Snow

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

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

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

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

4. Crystal Ball

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

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

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

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

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

5. Prisms

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

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

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

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

6. Other Transparent Objects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Windows & Door Frames

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Trees & Grasses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Other Solid Objects

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Get Creative

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

Of course, we could analyze the photos of Ansel Adams and dissect the techniques of this great artist’s work to try and see how he technically achieved his looks. But instead, we’re going to use some of his words as inspiration.

Below we’ll explore eight of his famous photography quotes to see how his ideas are still applicable to us as mobile photographers of the 21st century.

Please note that none of the photos in this article were taken by Ansel Adams… they were all shot by me on my iPhone!

1. “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

We’re so used to saying “take” a picture, which implies that the photo is waiting there for us, and we just need to grab it.

What this quote from Ansel Adams says to me is that we need to think about having a much more active role in creating our photographs, by paying attention to things like composition and lighting.

By making conscious decisions about where we stand, what we include in the frame, and at what time of day we shoot, we can exert a lot of control over our images and be more aware of each element in our photos.

Whether you’re shooting a beautiful landscape, a portrait of a person, a building  or a flower, remember that you’re in control of how the photo turns out.

Adams is encouraging us to be creative and think about the process as if we’re building or making something. By doing so, we can connect with the viewer and leave an emotional impact.

So don’t just “point and shoot.” Envision how you’d like the image to turn out, then use your skills and creativity to make the best image possible.

2. “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”

At first this quote might seem a little discouraging, because if one of the greatest photographers that ever lived expected to make only twelve “significant” photos in a year, how could any of us possibly make any more than that?

Well, for a start, we have the advantage of shooting digital so we can take a lot more photos to begin with. This gives us a better chance of ending up with more than twelve great photos in a year.

But what I think Adams is saying here is that we shouldn’t expect every photo we make to be great. In fact, many photos we make will not be that good. But that’s okay – it’s how we learn.

The trick is to not share every photo with the world, but rather to be selective about what we post so that we only show off our best photos.

As soon as I finish editing a photo I always think it’s good, because I’m aware of how much work went into making that image, and I remember the good feeling I had when I shot it.

But I’ve learned that those feelings can cloud my judgment about the quality of a photo, so I’ll usually step away from it for a day (or more) so that I can look at it with fresh eyes.

When I do, I’ll often have an immediate negative reaction and wonder, “What was I thinking?!?” because I can see a way to improve the image now that I’ve taken a break from it.

It’s hard to self-edit, but it’s important that we make sure we only send our best images out into the world. That means having patience and self-control when it’s time to publish or post our photos. The challenge is to not just be good, but to try to be great.

3. “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.”

This quote makes me smile, because I feel like Adams is poking gentle fun of those of us who are obsessed with photography gear.

Many times I’ve heard people ask a talented photographer, “What kind of camera do you shoot with?” as if the camera was the thing that made that person’s photos interesting.

What Adams is referring to, of course, is our brains. Yes, the camera records the image, but as photographers, we’re the ones making the decisions about what’s going to be in the picture.

This quote is particularly apt for us iPhone photographers because there certainly are cameras out there that are technically better. But in Adams’ mind, gear was secondary and the artist’s vision was primary.

So the next time you’re taking photos with your iPhone and someone is next to you with an expensive DSLR, stop worrying about their camera and instead focus on making your own great images.

4. “There’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.”

You can create a photo that’s technically perfect, but still won’t have an impact if there’s no concept behind it. The best photos tell us stories about what we’re seeing and they affect us emotionally.

Make sure that every photo you take has a strong focal point, and draw attention to your main subject with good composition and lighting.

Sometimes you have to shoot very fast in order to catch a moment that’s happening in front of you, and Adams’ quote encourages us to focus more on the emotion in our subjects than worrying too much about whether everything is technically perfect.

Someone with a great eye for photography who has a terrible camera is going to make much better photos than someone with no talent and the best gear in the world.

5. “I am sure the next step will be the electronic image, and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative eye will continue to function, whatever technological innovations may develop.”

Adams was pretty forward-thinking to recognize that digital photography would eventually become the predominant way that most of us create and experience photos.

Since he was a true artist, he worried less about the tools that he used to make his images, and more about how those images would affect people.

I’m sure if Adams was still alive today, he’d be a rock star on Instagram, with over a million followers! Developing the “creative eye” was what interested him… not the device he used to create his images.

Sometimes we can focus too much on the technicalities of the iPhone, especially with so many photography apps available. But the most important thing in photography is to develop your creativity and vision.

6. “Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.”

From the beginning of photography and film’s history there has been a split between photographers who wanted to document the world around us, and photographers who wanted to create something that was limited only by their imaginations.

Ansel is somewhere between the two. Yes, he documented some of the most beautiful parts of the American West, but he was also known to spend a lot of time in the darkroom, editing his photos.

He believed that our duty as photographers is to capture the spirit of the place that we saw with our naked eye, even if that means changing the brightness and contrast of various parts of a photo. (“Dodging” means to brighten an area of a photo, and “Burning” means to darken it.)

Our eyes work very differently than our iPhones, and often what we capture with our cameras doesn’t match how we saw the scene.

Adams is saying that it’s okay to go ahead and edit our photos in order to make them have more impact. The color might need to be tweaked or one part of the photo might need to be brightened or darkened.

For example, he would usually darken the edges of his photos to help draw the viewer’s eye toward the center, whether or not it actually looked like that in real life. This dovetails perfectly into another of my favorite quotes from Adams…

7. “Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art.”

Some of the photos I like to make have a fantasy theme to them, and I believe that Adams would have thought that was a great use of photography.

Whether we’re creating a fantastic world based largely on our own imagination, or shooting a real-life event like a birthday party, Adams would have wanted us to focus on the emotion of the scene and the story behind it.

Unless you’re a photojournalist, you shouldn’t get too bogged down with what’s “real” in any given image, but instead communicate the feeling that you’re trying to express.

Photo shot by @ahbeel & edited by Eric Mueller

8. “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”

This last quote by Adams is the most liberating because he’s saying that we can break all the rules if we think a photograph calls for it.

It’s usually a good idea to follow the basic rules of photography, like the rule of thirds, isolating our main subject, and having a clear central focus. But if you have a vision for something and it breaks those rules, go for it!

You can create whatever you want with a photograph. Nobody can tell you that you can’t do something the way you want to do it.

It’s important as an artist to stay true to your own aesthetic, even if it means you have to break a few rules to do so.

Final Words

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Ansel Adams’ approach to photography. His vision and dedication to this wonderful art form are an inspiration to us all, and his ideas are timeless.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting with a traditional film camera, a digital SLR, an iPhone or any other mobile camera, because it’s you as the photographer who creates incredible photos – not the camera!

The post 8 Famous Quotes From Master Photographer Ansel Adams (And How To Use Them To Improve Your iPhone Photos) appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Find Interesting Architecture

The first thing you need to do is find something interesting to shoot! Architecture comes in so many different styles, shapes and sizes that you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a great subject.

Look for different types of facades, or buildings that have interesting details to photograph. Once you start paying attention, you’ll notice all kinds of great architectural photo opportunities.

Explore lots of different types of buildings. A parking lot can be just as photogenic as a cathedral or modern office block.

Think about the different types of buildings you see on a regular basis, such as houses, apartment blocks, shopping malls, subway stations, churches, skyscrapers, factories, workshops, etc. Then try to photograph each one to gain experience with shooting different types of architecture.

Look at buildings of different styles and try to notice the unique features of each one. Old buildings with traditional features and new buildings with modern architecture both make great subjects for your iPhone photos, but in different ways.

If you often pass the same building, study it at different times of day. When does it look its best? What’s the best angle to shoot from in different types of light? Take photos of the building at several different times of day to see how the lighting affects your photo.

And remember that architecture doesn’t have to just be buildings. Bridges, parking garages, or any other man-made structure can make for a great architectural photo.

2. Shoot From Different Perspectives

Sometimes a building looks great when you shoot it straight on. But other times looking for a unique angle can make for an amazing architectural photo.

Try looking straight up at a building and playing with how much of the sky you include or exclude. Or look down from a high building instead, which can momentarily confuse your viewer in a fun and unexpected way.

Often, holding your iPhone up against a glassy or metallic building can make for a unique perspective.

Lastly, framing your photo in an unusual way, such as leaving a lot of negative (empty) space, can make the difference between a good photo and a great one.

3. Shoot Interiors

In addition to photographing the outside of buildings, don’t forget to explore the inside of these structures too.

Interiors can make for great architectural photos, and you’ll often discover more interesting features and angles to photograph.

Windows control the amount of light coming into the building, so pay close attention to them. Often, a single window will make a great setting to place a person or another subject for a dramatic photo.

By looking through a window to the subject beyond, you create a natural frame around your main subject. This is a great way to improve the composition of your photos and draw attention to the subject.

Creating silhouette photos is an excellent way of adding a sense of mystery and drama to your indoor architecture shots.

To create a silhouette, simply position your subject in front of the window and shoot towards the light. Tap the screen to set focus where you want it, then swipe down on the screen to reduce exposure until the subject appears as a dark silhouette against the bright background.

Interior photos can also be good for conveying a great sense of space. Building lobbies, airports, or other public spaces often make large interior spaces that are perfect for architectural photography.

4. Use Leading Lines

Leading lines are one of the best things you can master in order to create good composition in your photos. A leading line is simply a line in the scene that leads the viewer’s eye from one part of the frame to another.

Leading lines are great for creating a sense of depth in an image, and they add a strong design element to your photos.

Architecture is the perfect subject for finding leading lines. A classic example is a shot looking up at a building facade, where the rows of windows recede into the distance. The lines draw the eye from the bottom of the building to the top.

Inside buildings, look for interesting corridors or stairwells that feature great perspective shots using lines. Lines can be straight like the corridor in the example above, or curved like the spiral staircase shown below.

Leading lines can also be things like shadows as shown in the example below. Any line in the scene that draws your eye into the picture can be used as a leading line in your architecture photos.

5. Look For Symmetry

Symmetry makes for an engaging composition in photography, and architecture is one of the best places to create symmetrical mirror-image shots.

Because of the way that buildings and bridges are built, they will usually have strong symmetrical elements. For example, the main facade of a structure, the lobby of a large building, or a long corridor with pillars or doors on either side.

To use the building’s symmetry as a strong compositional element, ensure you position the line of symmetry perfectly central.

This means standing in the middle of the building or corridor and keeping your photo level. Switch the gridlines on in your Camera app to help you achieve this (Settings > Photos & Camera > Grid).

6. Fix Perspective Problems

Often when we shoot architectural photos we have to tip our phones back to get more of the building in the frame. This will create “keystoning” where the building’s vertical lines appear at an angle, instead of being straight up and down.

A classic example is when you shoot a tall building from ground level, and the lines converge together towards the top of the photo.

Sometimes this angling works well as it emphasizes the height of the building, but in many cases you might want to avoid it so that your vertical lines appear perfectly straight.

The best option is to avoid the perspective problems in the first place, but the only way you can do this is to get your iPhone high enough (and level with the subject) to avoid the keystoning effect.

This can often be difficult or impossible, so the next best option is to use an app like SKRWT to fix any problems with perspective in post-processing.

SKRWT is an amazing app that produces great results. For step-by-step instructions on how to use this app, check out our in-depth tutorial on how to correct perspective with SKRWT.

7. Capture Small Details

Often when we think of architectural photography we imagine big buildings and enormous interior spaces. But for a fresh idea, try heading in the opposite direction and shooting the small details of buildings.

Close up photos of a door knob, light fixture or other interesting details can often make for a striking photo that conveys some of the finer details of a building’s architecture to your viewers.

Look for ornate door handles, hinges and stair railings. Maybe an interesting piece of furniture such as a colorful chair might catch your eye.

Keep your eye out for textures and patterns that you could use to fill your frame. Peeling paint, rough concrete, tiles, wallpaper or frosted glass are all great subjects for this kind of photography.

Notice how different corners of an interior space come together, and how shadows appear at different times of the day. Capturing these small details will help to tell a more complete story of the building you’re photographing.

8. Create Abstracts

Because buildings are usually built with a regular pattern, they’re great candidates for abstract shots. The aim of an abstract photo is to capture the essence of your subject without revealing it as a whole.

Abstract shots are more about capturing shapes, patterns and textures, so that these elements become the main focus of the photo, rather than the subject itself.

Look for repeating patterns in the building’s facade and see if you can frame it in such a way that the pattern jumps out at you, so that you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking at initially.

Filling the entire frame with the pattern is often the best way to create an abstract image. Often it’s more important to eliminate certain details from the frame in order to create a great abstract architectural shot.

Shapes such as circles, squares and triangles make really powerful abstracts, and you’re sure to find plenty of strong shapes in architecture. Train your eye to notice shapes in buildings wherever you go.

Lines are also great for creating wonderful abstracts. Stairs are the perfect place to find lots of repeating lines to produce this kind of effect.

9. Capture Reflections & Shadows

Reflections and shadows are a photographer’s best friend because they can make a photo more intriguing and interesting to the eye.

Architecture can make for some amazing photos simply by paying attention to the reflections and shadows inside and outside the building.

Look for interesting reflections in a shiny metallic building. Or pay attention to how the windows of a building reflect the sky, or even another building across the street.

In wet weather, look out for reflections of buildings in puddles on the sidewalk. Puddlegrams, as they are often referred to, are a really creative way of capturing a building in a unique way.

You should also look out for shadows in your scene. They can add more visual interest to your photo, creating amazing abstract patterns in your image.

Shadows will appear whenever you have a strong directional light source such as an indoor light fixture or sunlight streaming through a building’s windows.

10. Include A Human Subject

Lastly, including a human subject in an architectural photo is a great way to make the image stronger. There are a number of reasons why this technique is particularly effective.

Firstly, while architecture can be stunning to look at, sometimes it lacks a strong focal point. A focal point draws the viewer to the image and gives them a place to rest their eye. An image without a focal point won’t keep the viewer’s attention for long.

Having a person in the shot also gives the viewer a sense of scale, so they can see how big the architecture really is. This works especially well when your architectural subject is very large.

A tiny human figure can help convey how big and amazing the building or space actually is, giving your photo some extra punch.

A person in the photo can also help tell a story about what’s happening, prompting your viewer to ask questions such as, “Where is that person going?” or “Why are they doing that?”

If your viewer is asking questions, it means that your photo is engaging and it’s evoking emotions or reactions, which is ultimately something we all want as photographers.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial has helped you think about architecture in a new way. We see and use buildings every day, but we often overlook their amazing aesthetic qualities.

By thinking about architecture as a photographic subject, you’ll start to see details and angles that you didn’t notice before.

So from now on, start exploring the exteriors and interiors of different types of buildings with a more careful eye.

If you train your eye to notice architecture with photography in mind, and employ the tips covered in this article, you’ll soon be capturing amazing architectural iPhone photos that you’ll want to show off to the world!

The post 10 Tips For Shooting Amazing iPhone Photos Of Architecture appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

We recently published a tutorial on how to find and create amazing symmetry in your iPhone photos. This article showed you how to find symmetry in cities and in nature, and how to create your own symmetry using reflections and apps. It also pointed out that symmetrical images which feature a non-symmetrical element can delight and surprise your viewers.

The beauty of a symmetrical photo is the mirroring that happens on either side of the line of symmetry. The scene itself can be gorgeous in a restrained, minimal way, but creating a perfectly symmetrical photo can also be a testament to the skill of the photographer.

So let’s take a look at eight ways to improve your iPhone symmetry shots by looking at shooting techniques, how to test whether your photo is truly symmetrical, and how to fix photos that aren’t quite perfect out of the camera.

1. Stand In The Middle

Once you’ve found a symmetrical subject or scene, you need to compose your shot so that the line of symmetry is perfectly central. To achieve this you have to make sure that you’re centered with regard to your subject.

If you’re shooting a building, look at the structure to help you find the exact middle. You can count the number of windows or columns to find the center, and then make sure you’re aligned with that central point before you even look at your phone.

The building can also give you other clues, for example, there might be a light fixture over the door which you can make sure lines up with the doorway. If you’re not standing in the EXACT center, it’s not possible to get a perfectly symmetrical shot.

If you’re inside, the clue to finding the center might be right overhead or below your feet. Perhaps the lights are lined up along the center of a hallway, or maybe there’s a pattern on the floor that will help you find the central point.

Making sure that you’re standing in the middle is the most important step in taking a symmetrical photo. Practice finding the central point and then composing your shots to create better symmetry in your pictures.

This is also a good time to make sure that everything in the frame is aligned correctly. Maybe you’re standing in the exact center, but there’s some furniture that isn’t arranged symmetrically.

Now is the time to go fix that! If you don’t put something perfectly symmetrical in front of the camera, you won’t end up with a symmetrical photo.

2. Use The Grid

One of the things that makes it difficult to shoot symmetry is that it’s very easy to have your phone at a slight angle. If you’re shooting a highly symmetrical subject, any small error will easily be noticed.

You have to make sure your phone is completely level, as well as square to the subject. It’s easy to accidentally have the left or right side of your phone slightly closer to the subject. Even a few millimeters can ruin your shot.

Fortunately, there are tools that can help make your photos more symmetrical, and one of the best is the grid overlay in your camera app.

The native Camera app on the iPhone has a grid that you can turn on by going to Settings > Photos & Camera > Grid. This grid can help you make sure that your image is symmetrical by comparing the lines of the image to the lines of the grid.

Most third-party camera apps, such as ProCamera, 6×6, and VSCO Cam have a grid feature that you’ll be able to switch on using an icon or the by going into the app’s settings.

Since the subject you’re shooting is symmetrical, look for clues all around the frame to help you line the camera grid up perfectly.

Check to see if the distances are the same on both sides of the frame, and look for matching shapes to see if they’re the same size. Keep looking around the frame until you get everything even, and then shoot away!

3. Use A Level

In addition to the grid, several apps have a built-in levels feature which uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to check if the phone is level. Having a level shot will go a long way to making your end result perfectly symmetrical.

The camera built into the VSCO Cam app is great for this. It gives intuitive feedback to let you know whether your camera is level left to right, as well as front to back.

The LVL app works similarly, although it doesn’t seem quite as precise. However LVL has a setting where it will automatically shoot once your phone is level, which is handy for tricky situations where you need to shoot one-handed.

4. Shoot In Square Format

Sometimes it’s easier to get a perfect shot if you shoot in square mode instead of the normal rectangle aspect ratio. This is especially true for subjects that are round.

Using square format for round subjects makes it easier to compare the distance between the circle and the edge of the frame on all four sides. Getting your subject perfectly central is the key to creating amazing symmetrical photos.

This photo was shot using square mode in the ProCamera app, so that I could align the center dot with the center of the dome.

Square format allowed me to easily check if my phone was completely level by looking at all four sides of the image. All I had to do was to ensure the edge of the circle was aligned perfectly within the square.

5. Hold Your Breath & Shoot a Lot!

Once you’re aligned correctly, take a breath and hold it so that you can freeze your body position for a few seconds. It might sound crazy, but holding your breath can help prevent a tiny movement that will throw your careful framing out of balance.

Once you’re perfectly aligned and holding your breath, make sure to shoot a lot of photos. You can even shoot in burst mode by holding down the shutter button. Then you can go back and look for the one shot that’s perfectly symmetrical.

Remember that it’s smart to give yourself choices when you go to edit your photo later, so don’t be afraid to overshoot and take a lot of photos. When I’m trying to achieve perfect symmetry my camera roll will often look like this:

It’s full of images that are virtually the same, but each one will have subtle differences due to tiny movements that I made while taking the photos. Somewhere in there will be the perfect symmetrical shot!

6. Use An iPhone Tripod

iPhone tripods are especially useful for shooting symmetry. You can tweak your framing to make sure the photo is perfectly aligned, and then compose the rest of the shot. And you don’t have to hold your breath while you shoot!

For this shot it was too difficult to hold the phone in the perfect position as well as hold the crystal ball where I wanted it. Since I was by myself, I positioned my iPhone in the center of the room using a MeFoto Sidekick360 Plus phone holder and Pedco UltraPod II tripod.

I could then concentrate on holding the ball in the middle of the frame with my left hand, while I pushed the shutter button with my right. This shot would have been very difficult to get right without a tripod.

If you don’t have a tripod, sometimes you can rest your phone on a railing, wall, table, bookshelf, or other solid surface so that at least you’ll know your phone is level and somewhat steady.

7. Use Apps To Check Your Symmetry

So now that you’ve shot what you think is a perfectly symmetrical photo, how do you check to make sure? It’s easy to be off a tiny bit, and if you’re a perfectionist you’ll want to have a way to test whether the photo is a perfect mirror or not.

The easiest way to test your shot is to bring two copies of it into an app like Superimpose or ImageBlender, and then flip one of them so you can check your symmetry. Below I’ll show you how to do this in both of these apps.

Check Symmetry With Superimpose

Open the Superimpose app, then import the same image into both the foreground and the background:

You now want to flip the top image horizontally. To do this, tap on Transform at the bottom of the screen, then tap Flip Horizontally at the top:

Superimpose imports the foreground image at a smaller size than the background, so you need to make them the same size. To do this, tap on Fit To Background at the top:

Now you need to make the top image partially transparent, so that you can see through it to the bottom image to check if they line up. To do this, tap on Settings in the upper right, then move the Opacity slider at the bottom to somewhere in the middle:

Now you can compare the two images. In this case I did a pretty good job of getting them lined up, but it’s not perfect. You can see the tracery in the window at the back doesn’t quite line up.

Check Symmetry With ImageBlender

Open the ImageBlender App, then load the same image on both sides, and leave the blending percentage at the default which is right in the middle.

Now you want to flip one of them so that you can see if they line up. To do this, go to Arrange by tapping the cross with arrows at the top of the screen:

Now tap on the three circles in the bottom left:

Then tap on Flip in the menu that appears:

If you move the dot on the bottom slider from left to right, you can see if the images line up perfectly. In this case, I didn’t quite get my line of symmetry right down the middle. As I moved the slider I could see the image “dance” from left to right:

8. Use Apps To Fix Imperfect Symmetry

Now that you’ve learnt how to test your images to see if they’re symmetrical, what can you do to fix them if you didn’t shoot them perfectly? If you’re still at the location, it might be best to just try re-shooting the picture.

But if that’s not possible, there are apps that can help you fix small problems that happened during shooting. With apps such as FrontView, SKRWT and Superimpose, you can easily correct skewed images to create perfect symmetry in your iPhone photos.

Each app works a bit differently, so I’ll show you how to use the three I just mentioned.

Use FrontView To Fix Symmetry

Frontview is great for transforming images by skewing them in certain directions. This allows you to correct problems where you haven’t shot the symmetrical scene from quite the right angle. I often depend on FrontView to fix my symmetry photos.

When you load the photo into Frontview, you’ll notice that the app puts a box with four red circles on top of your image:

You can move the bounding box by moving those four circles, and wherever you place them is where FrontView will make the corners of the new image. But before you touch them, take a look at how the box fits over the image because it gives you a clue about what you need to do:

I’ve circled two areas in yellow. Notice how the triangle made by the corner on the right side is bigger than the one on the left. We want the image to be symmetrical, so we need to make the right side a little smaller to match the left.

And remember the results of our test in the previous tip? It told us that the bottom of the photo lined up pretty well, but the top of it was uneven. This was because I shot it with the line of symmetry aligned at the bottom but not the top.

So now we know we just need to adjust the top right part of the photo, and move that corner in toward the middle. Go ahead and push the other three circles completely into the corners, but leave the top right one out just a little bit:

If you tap on the arrow in the bottom right, you’ll get a preview of your transformed image. Our goal is to make the shapes of the bluish walls on the left and right equal:

If they’re not quite equal, you can use the left arrow to go back and adjust everything. When you think you’ve got them even, go ahead and tap the Save button in the bottom center of the screen.

Now you can bring the photo into ImageBlender or Superimpose (as described in tip 7) to check how you did:

In this case I got it right on the first try! There’s a tiny bit of imperfection, but it’s so close that I don’t think anyone will notice.

Use SKRWT To Fix Symmetry

SKRWT is a great app for perspective correction, and by extension it can help fix symmetry on photos that were shot imperfectly.

In this image of the Kimbell Museum, my line of symmetry is pretty good. But the photo is a little crooked and I had the phone tipped back, so the vertical lines of the building aren’t straight up and down. Can you see how the vertical lines converge towards the top of the photo?

In SKRWT I started by adjusting the angle so that my horizontals were level. Then I used the vertical adjustment to make the building’s lines go straight up and down. The grid really helps you to line up the vertical and horizontal elements:

Finally I cropped it to omit the side walls. After color correction, the final result looked like this:

It’s worth mentioning here that the Instagram and Snapseed apps now also have perspective correction tools, much like those available in SKRWT.

Use Superimpose To Fix Symmetry

Sometimes when you look back at your photos, you’ll notice something about the space you were photographing that wasn’t quite symmetrical. When I was shooting these doors, I made sure I was lined up in the center of them and shot this photo:

I thought it needed something extra, so I added in some light rays (using the Rays app) and I liked how it looked after I made it black and white:

But then I noticed two problems. I didn’t realize that the rug in the foreground was too far to the left when I shot this, and the shadow of the doorframe on the left was giving away the direction of the sun, which didn’t line up with my light rays:

At this point I could have started all over on the edit, but there’s an easier fix that you can do in the Superimpose app to create a perfectly symmetrical shot. Basically, you can just mirror the shot (like you saw in tip 7 above), and then mask out the problem areas:

I decided to leave some sections of the photo as they were in real life, so that it wouldn’t be a perfect mirror. Here was the end result:

Conclusion

In this tutorial you’ve learned tips to make it easier to shoot perfect symmetry, and also some tricks to help you fix small mistakes that happened when you were shooting.

Sometimes you’ll nail symmetry perfectly when you shoot, which is a great feeling. But other times you might need a little help from an app or two.

Either way, with dedication and perseverance you’ll soon be creating perfectly symmetrical photos that are guaranteed to wow and mesmerize your audience.

The post 8 Ways To Create Perfectly Symmetrical iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

What Is Symmetry?

Symmetry is when one side of the frame mirrors the other side. The two sides correspond in size, shape, and position to create a perfectly balanced and symmetrical image.

The pleasing balance of a mirror image catches our eye, creating a strong and striking composition. We obviously find symmetry satisfying – we’ve been building symmetrical buildings for centuries. Maybe it’s because we humans are symmetrical.

Or because we often find symmetry in leaves, plants or a perfect tree. Or maybe it’s because our brains are wired to pick up patterns, and a symmetrical image is a very simple pattern.

Symmetry is most easily found in buildings or other man-made environments, but it can also show itself in nature. And anything can be made symmetrical through a reflection in a mirror, water or other shiny surface.

While perfect mirror images are fascinating, in this article you’ll also discover how photos that aren’t perfectly symmetrical can actually be more interesting than ones that are.

So let’s take a look at seven tips and techniques for finding and creating the most amazing symmetrical images with your iPhone.

1. Keep The Line Of Symmetry Central

The dividing point between the two sides of a symmetrical composition is called the “line of symmetry.” The image on either side of that line of symmetry is a mirror of the other.

In a perfectly symmetrical photo, the line of symmetry will always run through the very center of the frame.

This line can run horizontally, vertically or even diagonally. In the photo above I’ve added a red dotted line to show the vertical line of symmetry.

The picture above has a horizontal line of symmetry. And the one below has a diagonal line of symmetry.

You can also make an image appear more symmetrical by placing the main subject in the very center of the frame.

While the photo of this leaf isn’t perfectly symmetrical, it can still be pleasing in the same way, and placing it in the middle of the frame helps to create a sense of symmetry.

It’s very important to think about the line of symmetry when you’re looking for a subject, but once you become conscious of it, you’ll quickly find that it becomes second nature.

2. Find Symmetry In Urban Scenes

Cities are probably the easiest place to find symmetry. Many things that we build are symmetrical, so it’s just a matter of paying attention and looking for interesting subjects to shoot.

If you look for regular patterns in the world around you, you’ll find that they’re symmetrical. Because we generally build things in an orderly manner, architectural structures will often be symmetrical.

Start with the facades of buildings. They’re usually the most formal part of the building and will often be symmetrical.

Scenes that include leading lines often create symmetrical shots. I think of those lines as pointing the way to a great photo. Leading lines are everywhere – in building exteriors, hallways, even swimming pools!

In addition to buildings, bridges are great places to find symmetry. They’re usually built that way so that they hold the load evenly, which is a bonus for us symmetry-lovers!

Repeating patterns can add a fun twist to symmetrical photos, emphasizing the graphic quality of the subject that you’re shooting.

Look around at the floors, ceilings and walls of buildings, and you’ll likely find a repeating pattern. Then you just need to figure out if there’s a place you can stand so that you can make that pattern appear symmetrical.

Adding a human figure can make a symmetrical photo even more interesting. Just make sure that your subject stands in the middle of the scene and that they strike a symmetrical pose.

In the photo above, I asked my friend to stand with her arms like that because it echoed the symmetry of the painting in front of her.

3. Find Symmetry In Nature

Finding symmetry in nature is harder than in the city. Unless you live near someone with a formal French garden, the plants and trees in the world around us tend to grow in more random patterns.

But even though it’s hard, it’s not impossible to find symmetry in nature. One of the easiest places to do that is with smaller details, like a flower, leaf or spider web.

Even though your subject might not be perfectly symmetrical, placing it in the center of the frame will help make your composition seem more even, and increase the symmetrical feeling.

Another way you can take symmetrical photos of nature is by careful framing and cropping. Maybe the entire tree isn’t symmetrical, but you might be able to frame it in such a way to make it seem like it is.

Lastly, a path or trail will often be a great way to find symmetry outside. Look for paths where the trees protrude evenly into the sky, so that you can get a nice “V” shape that will make everything seem more symmetrical.

Paths, trails and rivers can all help to give you a strong line of symmetry for your nature-based symmetrical photos.

4. Use Reflections To Create Symmetry

In addition to finding symmetry in cities or in nature, you can also take great symmetrical photos by using reflections. Water, glass, mirrors, or any highly polished surface can be used to create a symmetrical photo.

Water is the most obvious choice. If you can find a nice reflecting pool or puddle, you’ll be able to make a strong symmetrical image by just making sure your horizon line matches the central line of symmetry.

A reflection in water can make a nice scene even more beautiful because it’s now symmetrical.

One photographer I know carries bottles of water in his car at all times so that he can make his own puddle whenever he wants, and shoot a symmetrical photo anywhere that he finds an indentation in the ground!

Glass is another great opportunity for symmetry. In the photo above, I placed the edge of my iPhone against the window of the building, and made sure the line of symmetry ran right down the middle. To me, this photo is much more interesting because of the reflection on the left side.

Mirrors are also an obvious choice for symmetry, since you’re trying to make a “mirror-image.” Experiment with placing your phone right up against the mirror and see what the world looks like when everything is doubled.

Reflections mean that you don’t always have to look for a symmetrical scene to create a symmetrical photo. You can use reflective surfaces to create your own symmetry simply by where you choose to place your phone.

5. Fake Symmetry In Apps

Besides having an eagle-eye for symmetrical scenes or reflective surfaces, you can also create symmetrical photos using apps on your iPhone.

Apps like Diptic, Layout and Sparkmode can make any image symmetrical with the push of a few buttons. You can use apps like this to create fantasy scenes that don’t actually exist.

Sometimes it’s fun to take a scene and mirror it just to see what it looks like. Or you can use apps to create abstract images that clearly aren’t trying to look real, but can still be attractive.

The third thing you can do is to use apps to create a symmetrical photo, but then change some parts of the image so that the mirroring is less obvious.

You’d be surprised how much mirroring you can sneak into a photo to make it seem more symmetrical than it actually was in reality.

In the photo above I couldn’t quite get the shot right when I was shooting, so I mirrored the scene using Sparkmode, then I changed some subtle details to hide my tracks.

For instance, I used the TouchRetouch app to erase some of the sprinkler heads in the ceiling so that the left and right sides would be slightly different. Even changing just a little bit of your photo can trick the viewer’s eye so that they don’t realize you “cheated.”

6. Break The Symmetry

I’m assuming that if you’re reading this tutorial, you think symmetry is beautiful. But sometimes adding one non-symmetrical element to a photo can be a nice twist, and make for a delightful surprise. This is called “breaking the symmetry.”

Images that are mostly symmetrical can be even more wonderful because they add a surprise element to an otherwise symmetrical scene.

By placing your main subject slightly off center, you’re purposely making a statement that you wanted to create a photo that wasn’t about perfect symmetry.

In the photo above, I framed up the scene so that the steps were centered, and then waited for someone to walk through and break the otherwise perfect symmetry.

I thought about positioning the plane facing straight up in this photo, but to me it seemed more fun if it was intentionally facing off-center because it plays with the viewer’s expectations. Photos where one element is purposely askew can bring some much-needed humor to an otherwise rigid scene.

7. Use Partial Symmetry

After you’ve become an expert at finding symmetry, as well as practiced breaking symmetry, you’ll find you can incorporate symmetrical elements into many of your photos.

This is called “partial symmetry.” Partial symmetry is when one side mostly mirrors the other, but has significant differences.

Partial symmetry is also when you place the line of symmetry someplace other than the very center of the frame.

Partial symmetry is often found in nature, where a strong leading line can act as a line of symmetry, giving the photo a symmetrical feeling even thought it’s not a perfect mirror image.

Photos that feature perfect symmetry, and ones that have partial symmetry, can both be beautiful.

With practice, creating symmetrical images will become second nature to you, so you might find that you’re incorporating symmetrical elements into your shots without even realizing it.

How To Shoot Perfect Symmetry

Once you start looking for symmetry you’ll begin to see it everywhere. But once you’ve found symmetry in a scene, what’s the best way to capture it in a photograph?

There’s actually a lot more to shooting symmetrical compositions that you might think. And there are many camera features and apps that can help you to shoot perfectly symmetrical iPhone photos.

That’s why we’ve created a separate tutorial on how to use your iPhone camera to shoot perfectly symmetrical photos in all kinds of shooting situations.

The post How To Find & Create Amazing Symmetry In Your iPhone Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

With more than 70 million photos posted to Instagram each day, you have to do everything you can to make your images stand out from the crowd and jump out at the viewer on their small screen. Mobile photo sharing begs for a special aesthetic, and the best photos will get noticed because of their bold simplicity.

Do you sometimes find that your photos don’t look as good as the way you remember the scene? That’s because our eyes and brains are great at focusing on what’s important in a scene, whereas a camera captures every detail, even the unimportant ones.

As photographers, we need to make it clear to viewers what they should be looking at through choices we make about composition, lighting and color. This is especially true for photos shared via iPhone apps like Instagram and VSCO Cam because the screens on the mobile devices we view them through are small.

So, let’s take a look at eleven techniques to help you compose stunning photos that will have maximum impact on the small screen of an iPhone.

1. Use Minimal Compositions

It can be tempting to pack our images full of all kinds of interesting things, but having a minimal composition is a sure way to get your iPhone photos noticed on a small screen.

Because we all see so many images every day, simple ones that use minimal compositions will usually get a lot of likes because they have a place for our eyes and brains to rest, and focus on a single subject.

A photo of a single person or tree makes it very clear what the subject is about, and can create a very strong composition when there’s nothing else to distract the viewer. Because there’s so little in the frame, everything in it becomes more important, even if the subject is small.

2. Isolate Your Main Subject

For visually striking photos that will get people to stop scrolling and take notice, it’s usually best to simplify the image so that you can emphasize your main subject. Separating your main subject from the background is one of the best tricks to good photography.

Before you take a photo, look at your subject and see if there’s anything behind it, like a distracting branch or pattern that will interfere with the shape of the subject.

If there is, try changing your perspective by shooting from a higher or lower angle to help isolate the subject from the distracting background. Shooting from a low angle is a useful way to get more sky behind your subject.

Light and dark are also great ways to separate your subject. If your subject is dark, try to compose your shot so that there’s a light area behind it, or vice versa. Remember, you want the composition to be very clear and clean so that it will be easily seen, even when it’s on a small screen.

3. Incorporate Leading Lines

Leading lines are an excellent way add visual interest to your photos, and this is especially true when it comes to small-screen images. Lines are one of the most powerful ways to create a striking composition.

Leading lines help draw the viewer’s eye to the main subject or point of interest, and create a sense of depth in the image. Your eye can’t help but follow the lines from the foreground into the distance, especially if you use parallel lines to create a symmetrical composition like the one above.

Lines also add boldness and clarity to a photo which will help get your photos noticed on a small screen. It’s usually best to have your lines starting at the bottom corners of the image so that the eye is drawn from the foreground into the distance.

Standing at the bottom of a building and looking straight up often gives you a great opportunity to incorporate leading lines into your composition.

4. Look For Strong Shapes

Strong shapes instantly catch our eye because of their boldness. A photo that has a strong graphic composition is especially well suited to small-screen photography because the clarity of the shape works at any size.

Circle, triangles or squares are great choices for eye-catching photography. Once you start looking for them you’ll see them everywhere!

The more space the shape takes up in the frame, the bigger the visual impact will be, so don’t be afraid to get up close and fill the frame with strong shapes.

5. Use Patterns For Visual Interest

Similar to the last tip, patterns can also give your photos a strong graphic quality. Our brains naturally notice patterns and repetition, so using them will help bring attention to your images.

Buildings are great for finding patterns because of their regularity. Look out for shadows too as they can often create interesting patterns. You can also find plenty of patterns in nature, such as pebbles on the beach, a pile of chopped logs or the veins of a leaf.

Look for any man-made or natural patterns, then experiment with the composition until you find the angle that works best. Don’t be afraid to get close and fill the entire frame with the pattern.

6. Create Symmetry

Symmetry creates powerful compositions that catch the eye and intrigue the viewer. Look out for symmetry in architecture and nature, and compose your shot so that one side mirrors the other. Keep the line of symmetry perfectly central for the most impact.

At first you may find it difficult to spot symmetrical compositions, but once you start looking you’ll notice them more often. Buildings are good places to find symmetry, but a straight road leading into the distance also works well.

Don’t forget to look up as you might be missing out on an interesting symmetrical subject right above you. You can also create your own symmetry by placing your phone up against a reflective surface and shooting the scene and its reflection.

Glass is perfect for reflections, but all kinds of shiny surfaces will allow you to create symmetry wherever you are. And of course, you can also create symmetry using reflections in water.

7. Use Lots Of Negative Space

Another way to get attention is to use unconventional framing in your photos. Instead of the normal rule of thirds, try placing your horizon line very low in the frame or position your subject in one corner of the frame, which will make the space seem much larger.

A large section of emptiness in a frame is called negative space, and it’s a great choice for mobile photography because it can help create a simple, strong composition.

The space actually draws attention to your main subject as there’s nothing else in the frame competing for attention. Don’t be afraid to leave a lot of empty space in your photos.

8. Shoot High Contrast Scenes

High contrast scenes are also a great choice for small screens. The contrast between the dark and bright areas will usually help define the subject clearly and add some drama to the scene.

Try shooting in harsh light where you’re likely to get strong shadows, and use the shadows as part of your composition.

Backlighting is also a great choice for high contrast images. If the sun or light source is behind the subject, they will appear as a dark silhouette against the bright background. Instead of being a recognizable person, they become a universal person that’s easy for the viewer to relate to.

Using artificial light can also work well to create high contrast images. Just ensure you set exposure for the highlights (bright areas of the scene) so that the shadows stay nice and dark. Remember, we’re aiming for strong, simple images.

9. Use Color Wisely

Color is a very strong way to get someone’s attention. By using a single spot of color in an otherwise neutral background you’ll make the viewer zero in on the burst of color. It’s a great way to isolate your main subject in a way that we haven’t discussed yet.

Red is especially powerful. A person wearing red clothing will stand out really well against a neutral background or landscape, even if they’re very small in the frame.

Conversely, you can use a single dominant color as a method for making your photo noticeable even when it’s small. A field of color will make your neutral-colored subject stand out in an unexpected way.

10. Eliminate Clutter

Sometimes we can’t help but include some unwanted elements in the scene. But you can easily eliminate clutter from your iPhone photos in post-processing. TouchRetouch is a great app for this, allowing you to quickly clean up your image in under a minute.

Get rid of any extraneous details that aren’t important to the final image, like leaves on the ground, wires in the sky or distracting reflections on buildings. This will bring more attention to your main subject and give the image more impact on a small screen.

The shadows and silhouettes in this photo have a strong visual impact, but the parking meter in front of the people is an unnecessary distraction that doesn’t add anything to the composition.

Using the Brush tool in TouchRetouch, I simply “painted” over the parking meter to select it, then pressed Start to remove the object. Below is the processed image with the distraction removed.

Removing unnecessary elements will make your images stronger and your main subject stand out. It might not seem that important, but this small step can make the difference between a good image and a great one.

11. Look At Your Thumbnail

When you think you’re done editing, make sure you look at your photo as a small thumbnail in your camera roll. Does it work even when it’s tiny? Does it catch your eye? If you’ve used any of the steps above, it probably will!

Having a strong thumbnail is a great way to get new people to notice your photography when it appears on the Explore page in Instagram. It’ll be a little jewel that shines, catching people’s eyes and making them take notice.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of why it’s important to have strong images with clear subjects, minimal compositions and a graphic quality that will stand out even when it’s just a tiny thumbnail.

With a little practice, your photos will get noticed and you’ll be appreciating that well known maxim, “Less is More!”

The post 11 Tips For Getting Your iPhone Photos Noticed On A Small Screen appeared first on iPhone Photography School.