7 Tips for Better iPhone Photography

7 Tips for Better iPhone Photography
Interesting Photo of the Day: Skydivers Score Stunning View of Rocket Launch
How to Use Remote Camera Triggers for Sports Photography (Video)

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:14 PM PST

With the dawning of the iPhone, a whole new age of photography arrived: the iPhoneography era. Having a camera built into your phone makes it easy to take pictures on the fly.

“Last (Wo)man Standing” captured with an iPhone by Dee Ashley (Click image to see more from Ashley.)

The sheer size of a DSLR makes it less portable and convenient than a phone, which most people have on them at all times. With all the benefits and fun that come with these new smartphones, people everywhere are starting to play with iPhone photography. Here are just a few tips to help make the most of your iPhone photos:

1. Understand your camera’s limits

With the much smaller size and limited abilities, it is no surprise that the photos you take with your iPhone will not be the same quality as what you can get with your DSLR. Photos taken with a phone are going to be a much smaller file size, so they won’t be able to be printed very big. Also, camera phones are not designed to do well in low light situations; knowing this in advance can help you avoid situations where you may not be able to get the best quality photos.

2. Keep your camera steady

When you first start using your phone’s built-in camera, it’s natural to want to shoot pictures with one hand. However, holding your phone like a camera will steady it and ensure that your pictures are as crisp and clear as possible. For the greatest steadiness, be sure to keep your arms in close to your body (nice and tight), bend your knees slightly, and just lightly tap the shutter button with your finger.

“Zayed Mosque Reflection” captured with an iPhone by Alan Richardson (Click image to see more from Richardson.)

3. Don’t use the camera’s zoom

While most smartphones have a built-in zoom on them, I would never recommend using it. The minute you start using the zoom on the camera, you’re going to get some noticeable pixelation. It is far better to move yourself and your phone closer to whatever you’re photographing. Only use the phone’s zoom as an absolute last resort.

4. Take a couple of shots

The great thing about digital photography in general is that you can take more than one picture to be sure you get one you like. You can take the same shot from a couple of different angles. Make sure you’re steady and that your shot is in focus. Be sure not to delete any of these extra shots while you are out and about, because you may find when you get home that the shots that looked poor on your phone actually look much better on your computer monitor.

5. Understand the light

Just as with photographing with a traditional camera, light is crucial to taking great photos with your camera phone. As mentioned previously, low light situations can cause grainy and pixelated pictures. Unless you are taking pictures of the sun or the ocean, always try to keep the sun behind you and your subject. This will ensure that your subject is well lit.

“Road to Dibba” captured with an iPhone 4 by Usman Khan (Click image to see more from Khan.)

6. Clean the lens

This may seem like common sense, but it’s funny how easy this is to forget. Think of all the places you put your phone: your purse, your pocket, in your car. You may use it while you’re eating or cooking, or your kids may smear it with their fingers. With all the places your phone goes, it makes sense that cleaning the lens can make a huge difference.

7. Play with apps

Just because your phone comes with a built-in camera app, doesn’t mean that there is no other app out there you can take pictures with. In fact, there are a slew of them. Everything from camera apps like Camera+ and Synthcam to processing apps like Snapseed and Over. Play around and have fun. After all, that’s what iPhoneography is all about!

“Rustbucket” captured with an iPhone by John Mallon (Click image to see more from Mallon.)

As you can see there are pros and cons to using your camera phone, but the portability and convenience of your phone’s built-in camera make it worth having fun and playing with. Just remember the limitations and the little things you can do to improve your shots, and you’re sure to have a blast taking pictures using your iPhone!

Stephanie lives in a rural community in Central IL. She is married to her best friend and high school sweetheart, Ryan, and she enjoys spending time with her crazy pups, Kit & Lucy. She is the owner and photographer of Green Tree Media Photography and is incredibly passionate about photography and the business of photography.

About the Author:
Stephanie lives in Central, Illinois, is married to her best friend, Ryan, and enjoys the company of her rambunctious lab-beagle pup, Kit. She is the owner of Green Tree Media (greentreemediaonline.com) and is passionate about photography.

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Interesting Photo of the Day: Skydivers Score Stunning View of Rocket Launch

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 03:43 PM PST

Adrenaline-pumping activities like skydiving are exciting enough without spacecraft breaking through the clouds into your airspace. But that’s just what happened to Staff Sgt. Eric Thompson of Vandenberg Air Force Base in today’s featured photo:

Skydivers fall as rocket bursts through the clouds (Click for Full Size)

In fact, Thompson purposely timed his dive (located over Lompoc, CA) to coincide with the launch of a Delta II rocket carrying a satellite. As a result, he got to watch the rocket burst through a blanket of clouds with a beautiful sunrise as a backdrop. What a way to start the day!

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

How to Use Remote Camera Triggers for Sports Photography (Video)

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 12:37 PM PST

If you’ve ever done sports photography, you know that it can be difficult to get close enough to the action to get a really great shot. You don’t want to endanger the safety of the players, yourself, or your equipment. To get around some of these challenges, photographer Joe Brady has put together a tutorial on using remote triggers (namely, the PocketWizard Plus III) to safely put your camera where the action is:

Brady shows us two examples of his shooting methods: photographing a high school soccer game on a sunny day, and a high school football game at night. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of his tutorial:

Always ask permission! Make sure officials at the game are OK with you photographing, and with the placement of your cameras.
Come prepared with equipment to protect your cameras– in some cases, you can make it yourself, like the box Brady builds out of pine and Plexiglas. In another instance, he uses bungee cords to secure his cameras to the football goal post.
Be creative with the placement of your cameras, keeping in mind where the most exciting action of the game will be (i.e., home plate, behind the goals, etc.)
Once you place your camera, find the settings that will get you the best shots. Set your aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and focus (have a friend put themselves where the players will be if possible). This way, you can leave the camera on the Manual setting, and it will not continually re-focus on distracting objects around it.
Connect the PocketWizard to your cameras and decide how you will trigger it– manually or with a handheld camera.
Activate and deactivate cameras as necessary, depending on where the action in the game is, using the zones on the PocketWizard.
When triggering cameras from a longer distance (or if the camera is at ground level), you may have trouble transmitting a signal. To remedy this, place another PocketWizard on a tripod closer to the cameras and set it to Repeater mode, then handhold another trigger and bounce the signal back to the cameras.
For the shots you really don’t want to miss with your remote cameras, use the Test button on the PocketWizard (not the shutter of your handheld camera) for the strongest possible signal.

This striking image was captured with a camera in Brady’s homemade pine box, on the ground behind the net.

Feel free to experiment with different perspectives, and even to use this method for other kinds of photography– concerts, plays, dance performances, etc.

“By capturing those unique points of view, you can really add to the photographic interest . . . Your stuff is going to look more interesting and separate you out from the pack of sports photographers.” – Joe Brady

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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