Ten Tips for Taking Great Pics on Your Phone
Today I’m sharing how I shoot for my blog and Instagram when I travel solo. Below you’ll see images all taken by me (unless otherwise credited), and I’ll tell you how I created them with nothing more than my iPhone, a $20 tripod with remote shutter, and a little color editing. I love shooting with a professional photographer and nice DSLR camera (thank you @suddenlysee and @canonusa). However, if you don’t have any professional photographer friends, and you’re not ready to invest thousands of dollars in a high end camera, fear not…your phone photos can be absolutely beautiful!
TIP #1
Use the equipment you feel most comfortable with. (All the photos on this blog post were taken by my trusty iPhone)
In late July, I took a girls’ trip to Europe on an Amawaterways River Cruise (5 countries in 8 days). I knew we would be women on the move, and I would feel most confident and comfortable with my iPhone. So that’s what I used the whole trip, instead of a carrying around a bigger bulkier camera with multiple lenses.
TIP #2
Invest in a Bluetooth camera shutter remote control.
I have three remote shutters, but this one is my favorite…I used it my whole trip. I personally love this specific style because I can clip it onto my keychain when it’s not in use, so I never lose it. It has a hole in one side that fits just like a ring, so it’s super easy and convenient to snap pictures with one hand while moving around. It also has a 30 foot range, which I think is super important (some Bluetooth remotes only offer 10-20 ft). A remote can offer an advantage over a phone/camera timer because you can decide exactly when to snap your image. You can also take as many pics as you want in a row or over a period of time, helping you capture your ideal shot.
TIP #3
Invest in a tripod.
A tripod can help you capture level pictures from different heights and angles. While I used my purse more than once to prop up my iPhone for pics on this trip (🙈), I used my tripod the vast majority of the time. I have 4 tripods, but THIS is the exact one that came with me to Europe. I love its flexibility, durability and versatility. I was able to use it as a classic tripod base, a selfie stick, and I even wrapped it around the ledge of our ship’s outer railing more than once to get some beautiful time lapse videos (see my IG ❤️AmaMagma story highlights). It was also compact enough to fit in my purse which made it super convenient to bring on all the cruise excursions.
TIP #4
Take “live” pictures.
If you have an Apple iPhone, the “live photos” feature allows you to slide though a moving image and pick out the exact moment that captures your favorite picture. I love this feature, and I used it on many shots from my trip. If your phone does not support live photos, use your remote shutter to take a burst of many images quickly in a row for a similar effect.
TIP #5
Quantity
Don’t be afraid to take a lot of pictures. Below is one of my favorite images from the Melk Abbey Pavilion in Austria. I snapped over 20 pictures right here in less than a minute to capture this one image that I absolutely love. We’re all going for quality pictures, but when snapping phone selfies, I take more, not less pictures...you can always delete any “unflattering” images later 😉
TIP #6
Distance...create space
Remember that remote shutter with a 30 foot range I mentioned earlier? Here is one of the many places it comes in handy. I appreciate a close up selfie as much as anyone, but the more space you give yourself to play with, the more creative you can be when cropping your images. So if you’re capturing full body images, try not to cut off your feet or hands when taking your own pictures (you can always crop into them later if you want to). Sometimes it’s better to give yourself some space.
TIP #7
Natural Lighting & Time of Day
I love shooting outside, so I always keep an eye on the weather app on my phone for sunrise/sunset timing on the days I’m planning to shoot. I seek out as many quality “photo spots” as I can 2-3 hours before sunset and 1-2 hours after sunrise. This helps me avoid those harsh “sun beating down on my face” shots. I also get excited about gloomy days, because they can provide a natural, soft lighting effect. So don’t be discouraged when those clouds roll in…they might just help you capture a unique and stunning pic!
TIP #8
Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to play photographer.
I traveled to Europe prepared to take all my own pictures (iPhone, tripod and remote shutter in hand), but my wonderful friend, Michelle, offered to take many pictures for me. Some of the images she captured are my absolute favorites (she gets full credit for the beautiful image below). Even if your friends/family don’t know anything about photography, I bet they can tap a button on your phone to take a picture 😉. Just remember to be patient with them, and clearly explain exactly what you’re trying to capture. You might be surprised by the great images they help you create. There were also many times on my trip when I saw couples trying to snap selfies in famous locations. Often when I offered to take a picture for them, they were happy to return the favor…of course do this with your best judgement. 😉
TIP #9
Edit!
Don’t be afraid to edit your photos! I love using Lightroom, and I use it on almost every photo I post to IG…but going back to tip #1, use what works for you. Are you more comfortable with an iPhone editing app or certain presets? Then use those! And if this is all foreign to you, start simply by playing with the built-in editor on your phone…explore using different levels of exposure, saturation and contrast. This can make a huge difference in the look of your final image…and I guarantee almost all of those stunning images you like on Instagram have some sort of lighting edits! (Including mine 😉)
TIP #10
Make sure your camera lens is clean.
This might sound silly, but it doesn’t matter whether you’re using an old iPhone 6 or a brand new Canon 5D Mark IV. If you have a smudge or dust on your camera lens, your photos will suffer. It’s amazing how quickly your phone camera lens can get dirty, so just check and give your lens a quick swipe with a clean cloth before shooting. I like to keep a few of these wipes with me…they are super convenient and reliable.
So there you have it…some of the simple tips and tricks I used while shooting on my iPhone in Europe that helped me capture pictures I love. What are some of your favorite tricks to capture great phone images?
