I've said it before, and I'll say it again - my iPhone might not be the most powerful camera I own, but it's the one I use most often.
And that fact makes it an incredibly powerful photography tool.
Even better, as iPhones and other smartphones continue to advance as cameras, there's more and more features, functions, tools, and tips to help us take improved photos.
With that in mind, consider these iPhone photography tips as essential to helping you maximize the quality of the photos you take.
Steady as She Goes
Just like any other camera, your iPhone will produce the best results if it's steady for the shot.
As far as giving your phone a stable base, a tripod is the ideal choice. But as anyone that's taken photos with an iPhone knows, it's not always practical to use a tripod.
That being the case, there are a few things you can do to stabilize the camera better as you hold it.
That includes holding it like you mean it by tucking your elbows into your chest to give your hands and arms more support.
But you can also steady the camera better by triggering the shutter with the volume buttons on your earbuds.
Naturally, this won't work for newer iPhones that don't have a headphone jack, but if you're still rocking an older iPhone, this trick is invaluable for taking pictures with an iPhone.
Learn More:
- Essential Tips for Better Photos With Your iPhone X
- iPhone Photography Tips: 5 Tricks to Master Landscapes With Your iPhone
When Taking Pictures With an iPhone, Aftermarket Lenses Help
As advanced as current iPhones are in the camera and lens departments, it certainly doesn't hurt to help them out a little bit to capture higher-quality photos.
For a couple of months now, I've been working with SANDMARC iPhone lenses, and without equivocation, they are the cream of the crop when it comes to aftermarket lenses for iPhones.
In the past, I found that the lenses I used with my iPhone produced images that were blurry, low contrast, and lacked color, among many other problems.
That's simply not the case with my SANDMARC lenses, though.
In addition to being impeccably made with high-quality, multi-coated optics that minimize aberrations, these lenses are just plain simple to use.
I've taken a liking to clipping the lenses onto my phone, that way I can quickly switch between my wide-angle, macro, and fisheye lenses.
But for those of you that prefer the lens to be mounted to a case, SANDMARC has you covered with the world's thinnest case mount.
I've been totally impressed with the sharpness of the images I've taken with my SANDMARC lenses.
What's more, I appreciate that they offer colors and contrast that are true to form, unlike the lenses I've used in the past.
In other words, though the gear you use isn't the most important factor in taking high-quality shots, it sure doesn't hurt your cause!
And if you shoot with your iPhone, well, there's no better gear to add to your kit than these awesome lenses.
Learn More:
- Take Control of Your iPhone Camera With These Mobile Photography Tricks
- iPhone Photography Tricks You Don't Want to Miss
Use the iPhone's Built-In Camera Tools to Help You
iPhone cameras have all sorts of gizmos and gadgets that can help you take better photos.
The rule of thirds grid will help you create more balanced and interesting smartphone photos.
The straighten feature (which is accessed by tapping the crop tool) allows you to fix crooked horizons for a better final result.
Portrait lighting - a feature on newer iPhones like the iPhone X, gives you an incredible amount of control over how the image appears from an exposure and lighting standpoint.
And these tools just scratch the surface!
The point is that our phones are incredibly powerful and convenient photography tools, and if you approach mobile photography in the right way and utilize add-ons like high-quality lenses, there's no stopping you from taking pictures with your iPhone that have tons of impact.