- October 27, 2018
- Instructions
- Daria Lomparter
Every day, millions of people on Instagram post their photos. Hundreds of them are real masterpieces, which is why every social network user wonders how to take a photo on an iPhone like their favorite blogger. First you need to awaken the beauty in yourself and follow some tips that are described below.
Photo processing
After the photo has been taken, you need to bring it from good to perfect condition, and this is what third-party applications are for. First of all, the most popular today is VSCO, it has both paid filters and free options. Thanks to this application, you can make Instagram in the same style; for this, each photo must be processed with the same presets.
Another program that is also popular and created for photo processing is called Lightroom. This is a mobile version of a full-fledged computer editor from Adobe. This application is already more difficult to use, because you need to edit it yourself. There are sliders for this and many windows for changes.
But despite this, you can also create your own presets or search for them on the Internet to make your Instagram page in the same style. Now the question of how to make a beautiful photo on both an iPhone and a phone has been answered.
Adjustment
Random images can be perfected later. Correction of defects is done using a button in the Apple Gallery application. There are cool filters here that will significantly improve your footage.
The Apple store has many photo editing utilities. Adobe Lightroom is the best way to change the color scheme. Snapseed is also great. Both tools are ideal for producing highly artistic graphic content. You should pay attention to Prisma, PicsArt and Photoshop - these applications turn ordinary photographs into works of art.
Picture in my head
If you need to shoot a stationary object that will not disappear in a split second, then you need to imagine in detail what the end result will look like. This is necessary so as not to take a million pictures and not worry about how to take a photo on an iPhone like your favorite blogger. Another tip is that if the photo is intended for Instagram, then it is better to immediately shoot it in a square form so as not to lose significant details.
Look for natural light
Not everyone has the opportunity or need to buy studio light, especially since the effect of using natural light is often no worse. So, an ordinary photo of breakfast can be turned into a beautiful photo for Instagram if you simply bring coffee and dessert to the window, choosing the right background and arrangement of objects. And sometimes, on the contrary, you can use not natural light, but its absence - for example, the contrast between soft and hard light. Putting a subject (or a person) in the shade while there is bright sunlight will have a much more dramatic effect than just taking a photo with natural light.
No need to buy softboxes to take juicy shots
Rule of thirds
You can take beautiful photos with an iPhone, just like when shooting with a professional camera, subject to certain rules. The most important thing is the rule of thirds, the essence of which is quite simple. It is necessary to mentally or using the settings draw two lines along and two lines across the image so that all the squares are symmetrical.
The rule says: the ideal photograph is obtained when the main thing in the photograph is at the intersection points of these lines. On your iPhone, you can turn on the grid option, this will be an additional help when photographing using the rule of thirds.
Record video on iPhone 13
iPhone 13 has four modes for shooting video:
- Ordinary.
- Delayed.
- Time lapse.
- "Cinema Effect".
The latter is one of the features of new Apple smartphones.
When shooting videos, users will be able to change the quality (from 720p to 4K) and frame rate. The corresponding settings are located at the top of the screen. However, the most interesting thing for owners of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini should be the “Cinema Effect” mode. Essentially, it's a bit like portrait mode for photography. However, in the case of video, users have more settings and editing options.
When shooting a movie in Cinema Effect mode, you can choose the depth of field, change the exposure, and turn the flash on and off. But the real “magic” begins to happen in the process of editing such videos. You can do this in the Photos app.
For videos shot in Cinema Effect mode, users can change the focus points. This allows you to highlight the main characters or objects that the user should pay attention to at a specific moment in time.
Flash only as a last resort
Despite the fact that the latest iPhones have a significantly better camera, not everything is so smooth. As before, flash can give the skin or even the entire photo an unwanted tint, which is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get rid of.
If the lighting leaves much to be desired, then after you’ve finished taking pictures with your iPhone, you can use the “Exposure” parameter during processing and increase the brightness of the image.
But don’t forget that the flash still exists, and sometimes it really helps.
What and when to shoot
Sunrises, sunsets and nature
iPhone cameras have a significant advantage over others - they help produce such spectacular shots of nature, especially sunrises and sunsets, that likes pour in like a cornucopia. The iPhone excels at capturing contrasts, shades, and dynamic range. This is especially noticeable if you enable the smart HDR function in the camera settings.
More styles
Explore different shooting styles. Following the previous advice, you should not limit yourself to nature or monotonous selfies, although it is not necessary to completely exclude them. The iPhone does a great job with street photography. For example, these smartphones manage to successfully capture the movement of people and cars.
The iPhone is used to successfully photograph interiors, objects, portraits and, of course, food. So in terms of genres, you have a huge choice.
"Golden Watch"
For mobile photography, the same rules that reign in the world of professional photography are largely relevant. Namely, the “golden hours” for filming: right before dawn and after sunset. At this time, the shadows are the softest, the lighting plays with incredible colors and there is almost no reason to be afraid of overexposed frames. But during the day, in bright light or in cloudy weather, you will always have to pay attention to what the sky looks like. If it's too bright, try swiping your finger across the screen to adjust the brightness of the frame.
During the “golden hours” the city or nature works especially well. Photo: @austinmann/instagram.com
Continuous shooting
When you need to photograph a moving object, you can use an iPhone function called burst shooting. This will allow you to take several photos at once during a sporting event or when you want to take a photo with animals. Turning on this mode is very simple; to do this, you just need to hold the shutter button until you get tired of it.
It is worth remembering the main rule - the camera on the iPhone should move after the object. For example, if this is a race, then when the athlete runs past, the phone should seem to move behind the person. This is also necessary to ensure that the pictures do not become blurry. This simple rule will give any user amazingly beautiful shots.
iPhone 12 camera specs
The iPhone 12 series features two different camera systems: a dual-camera system on iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, and a triple-camera system on iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. In this article I will focus on the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini since I am using the iPhone 12 Mini. The only features missing from this camera system are the ability to record 4K video at 60fps and support for Apple ProRAW for images.
- Main camera sensor: 12 MP, f/1.6, with OIS
- Ultra-wide camera sensor: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120°
- Flash: Dual-LED, Dual-Tone
- Front camera sensor: 12 MP, f/2.2
HDR mode
When a photo turns out to be too dark in a certain part or overexposed, it is worth using a function such as HDR. It will come in handy, for example, when you need to photograph a room with a window, and behind it there is bright sun that does not allow you to do this. If you select light metering for the apartment, the street will be overexposed. And if you choose the sun, then nothing will be visible in the room.
HDR is metering in several places at once. The only big disadvantage of this mode is that you can only shoot stationary objects, otherwise the frame will be blurry. It is best to use a tripod or something similar when taking photographs. But thanks to this function, you can create stunningly beautiful and most natural pictures and no longer wonder how to take a photo on your iPhone like your favorite blogger.
Exposure control
Although the twelfth smartphone from Cupertino independently selects the correct amount of actinic radiation, sometimes it requires outside help. Complex scene variations (for example, a bright sky with dark shadows) often confuse the optical instrument.
In this case, a number of adjustments need to be made. The iPhone 12 camera must be properly exposed. It is recommended to drag the small slider. It appears on the side of the field that pops up when you press the shutter. The mechanism will allow you to lighten or darken the frame. If the scene looks quite bright, you should touch it and the tone will change.
Android App Review
You can take a photo using standard means, in other words, through the standard “Camera” application. However, here are several auxiliary programs for owners of smartphones based on Android OS.
Photos for Android documents
One of the most popular shooting utilities on the Play Market. Has wide functionality. In the settings there is a tool for selecting photo sizes (10x15, 40x30, 45x35 and others). Pictures taken with this program are obtained in jpeg resolution. There is an option to create black and white photos. Printing from your phone is available.
FaceShot app
Requires Android OS version 5.0 or later. The program has special capabilities for editing and sorting images.
The main feature of the application is the function of adjusting the format before printing. It allows you to optimize the image based on the required size (30x40, 10x15).
Photos for documents
The program has many useful features:
- setting a white background;
- advanced format and resolution settings;
- sending the photo to the editor (for a fee) so that he can evaluate the photo for compliance with the requirements.
The only drawback of the application is the $2 fee for access to full functionality. To people who often draw up documents, it will seem quite insignificant.
Part 1. Preparatory
Before we begin the difficult path of an “iPhonographer,” let’s figure out what functionality we are armed with.
Tip #1 . The best moment for shooting is the most unexpected, so such a criterion as efficiency is of great importance. Much faster access to the camera can be obtained from the control center, or simply swipe left from a locked phone
So, we are in the “camera”, let’s quickly go through the top icons:
- Lightning is the flash modes;
- HDR - the so-called “high dynamic range”, allows you to take pictures at different shutter speeds, then combine them into one image with excellent exposure and color rendition.
- The clock is a timer. You can set the “click” delay to 3 and 10 seconds.
- The last icon is filters . You can choose different ones, you will see what changes. We will return to them later. At the bottom are the shooting modes:
- Time Lapse - Mode of symbiosis of photo and video. It’s not very easy to explain in words what this mode allows you to achieve, so watch the video example.
When shooting in this mode, keep in mind that the subject should be moving, but at the same time smooth and not too fleeting. Otherwise, chaos will reign on your screen. Another option is to photograph clouds, people walking along an alley, the road home, etc.
- Slow motion - turn on this mode and film any movement. Cool, isn't it?
- Video - you shoot a very high-quality video.
- Photo - I don't think there's any need to explain
- Square - perfect for Instagram
- Panorama - After tapping the shutter icon, slowly move your phone in the direction of the arrow (tap the arrow to change direction) until you capture the entire frame. When shooting in this mode, try to hold the phone smoothly and at the same level. This will make the image better and clearer.
Tip 3: Don't move
Hold the camera firmly while shooting to avoid blurring the shot. I advise you to press the button as you exhale, pressing your elbows to your body.
Many DSLR cameras have stabilization features that can help you take clear photos even in low light and with long shutter speeds. But do not turn it on when the camera is mounted on a tripod: you may damage the camera.
To make sure you take a clear photo, zoom in on the image in playback mode. If the image is blurry, retake it.
Mobile devices have applications for stabilization, such as Camera+, Top Camera and ProCamera. Did you know that you can lay your iPhone on its side and use the volume button to release the shutter? In my opinion, this helps achieve sustainability. You can also place your phone on a tripod or monopod. I have a Ped3 iPhone stand that I attach to a tripod.