For years a DSLR or film camera was the only way to get professional-looking photos. Phone cameras have now caught up to the point where many people use nothing else, and the iPhone is the most popular of them.
Even so, a little know-how makes a big difference. Here are seven tips for taking iPhone photos that are good enough for a picture frame.
1. Use HDR
HDR stands for high dynamic range. The phone takes several shots at different exposures in quick succession, some brighter and some darker, and merges them. The result keeps detail in both the bright sky and the dark shadows, where a single shot would lose one or the other. Recent iPhones do this automatically.
2. Keep the phone steady
Tapping the screen can jog the phone and blur the picture. Hold it in both hands, tuck your elbows in and press a volume button to take the shot instead. Just make sure a finger is not covering part of the lens!
3. Shoot a burst
For anything that moves, such as children, pets or sport, take a burst: a rapid series of photos from which you pick the best. On recent iPhones, slide the shutter button to the left and hold. On older ones, just hold it down. Modern iPhones are fast enough that you will rarely miss the moment.
4. Learn to use Portrait mode
Portrait mode, on the iPhone 7 Plus and later, mimics the shallow depth of field of an expensive lens. In plain terms, it blurs the background while keeping your subject sharp, which is ideal for portraits.
Within Portrait mode you can change the lighting effect. Natural Light leaves the picture much as it is, Studio Light brightens the face, and Stage Light puts your subject against a black background. You can also adjust the depth control (the f-number) to make the background more or less blurred.
5. Use Night mode after dark
Low light used to defeat phone cameras. Night mode, on the iPhone 11 and later, comes on automatically when it is dark. It gathers light over a second or more, so hold the phone as still as you can, or rest it on something. Crosshairs appear on screen to help you keep it steady. The result is brighter and sharper, with far less grain.
6. Clean your lens
It sounds too simple, but a smeared lens is one of the commonest causes of hazy, soft photos. The lens spends its life in pockets and under fingers. Wipe it with a soft, clean cloth before you shoot, especially for close-ups. Fingerprints also catch the light and cause flare and streaks around bright lights.
7. Turn on Live Photos
A Live Photo records a moment of video and sound either side of the picture. Afterwards you can choose a different frame as the main photo, which is handy when somebody blinked in a group shot.
Live Photos take up more space than ordinary ones, and not every app or website shows the moving part, but the still image can be shared and printed like any other.
Conclusion
Photography takes time and patience, so do not be discouraged if you do not get it right first time. Keep shooting, keep trying new things, and your photos will get better. When you have one you love, EasyFrame can frame it.
Call EasyFrame on 01234 856 501 or email sales@EasyFrame.co.uk. We are happy to talk it through even if you do not want to buy.