Taking photos like a pro: tips & tricks

It’s travelling time! Now that flying restrictions are lifted around the world, it’s time to visit new places and collect more memories! In today’s blog post, we will be highlighting some tips & tricks to taking great photos on your trip. If you’re interested in photos of scenery, portraits, or food, these tips will place you in good stead to wow your friends on instagram, or frame that photo up on your wall when you’re home.

1. Rule of Thirds

We’re pretty sure most of you have heard of this before. This rule divides an image into a 3 by 3 grid. To do this, turn on grid mode on your iPhone. Head to Settings > Camera > turn Grid mode on.

Rule of Thirds on iPhone photo taking
Credit: iPhone Life

2. Incorporating Symmetry

The most important thing to note when incorporating symmetry is to make sure that you’re standing in the middle when composing the shot. Again, use the grid lines on your phone to help with this. You might need some practice trying to find the central point, and making sure everything is aligned. Make sure your phone is level, and square to the object. The effect of symmetry is enhanced when you capture a moving object (think people, or animals) which makes it imperfect somewhat, but adds character to the symmetry. It also proves that you didn’t just grab the shot online.

Symmetry iPhone Photography 60
Credit: iPhone Photography School
Symmetry iPhone Photography 54
Credit: iPhone Photography School

3. Shooting in Square Format

On a related note to symmetric photos, shoot in square mode to capture images that are round. It’s key to get your shot perfectly central to nail that symmetry shot.

Processed with VSCOcam with k3 preset
Credit: iPhone Photography School

4. Find leading lines

When you have long, straight lines in your photo, you lay out a guide that helps people make sense of the image. Interestingly, the phrase leading lines came about because they lead the eye around the picture.

person descending an elevator in black and white
Credit: John T on Unsplash

Leading lines that run from the edge of the field toward the center of focus give your photo a greater sense of depth.

leading lines showcasing rail freight
Credit: Andrew Coop on Unsplash

5. Taking food photos

Shoot In Natural Light: As much as possible, use natural light when photographing food. It will make your products look more appealing and flattering, and will bring out their true colours.

Try photographing from different angles
When it comes to the angles of your photographs, you want to think about what part of the food you’re looking to emphasize. A sandwich, for example, might look best cut in half and shot from the side, emphasizing the texture and juiciness of the beef.

Side-shots won’t work for every food, though. Things like salads or charcuterie boards are best shot from an overhead, flat-lay style in order to show the intricacies of the arrangement of elements.

Credit: Ice Cheeseboards

6. Taking beautiful portraits

iPhone has a Portrait mode which allows you to take beautiful portrait shots easily. First, select Portrait mode on the bottom of the camera page with all the available shooting modes. Make sure you stand at least 2 feet away (or 60 cm) and not more than 8 feet away (2.4m). Take the picture! You will see that the portrait is taken with a softly blurred background that just brings out the person you’re photographing.

portrait photography
Credit: iPhone Photography School

Additional tips for Shooting Portraits: Shoot in the best light

The best light for indoor portraits is diffused window light. Using a window produces rich, directional light.

portrait photography
Credit: iPhone Photography School

When shooting outdoors, it’s best to work when the sun is low in the sky. The lovely golden hours of early morning or late evening are perfect.

Overcast skies are also great for portraits. An overcast day provides subtle, diffused light. It’s best to avoid shooting portraits in bright sunlight. Bright sunlight causes harsh, unflattering shadows.

7. Shoot landscape photos at dawn or dusk

Easier said than done? It takes a lot of planning, or waiting to get the perfect shot. To get a warm glow on your landscape shot, aim for 30 min after sunrise and before sunset. During blue hour capture the clouds of the sunset 30 min after the sun sets.

Beautiful Landscape Photos with Phone
Credit: Picxtrix

Hope you found the tips useful! Now you’re certainly prepared for taking the best shots on your phone when you travel or even for everyday situations. Stay tuned for our next post which will teach you how to print these photos in the best format now that you’ve taken such great shots!

Cheers!