You can find my
Tips for Better iPhone Photography at Alhurra TV’s online news platform. Alhurra TV is a United States-based Arabic-language satellite television channel funded by the U.S. Congress. I was asked to give four tips — pretty tricky, when I can think of so many more.
View my tips in Arabic at Alhurra.com (
note: the photo of the lake and the photo of the butterfly in the article are not mine, but all others are). Below are my tips in English…
Tips for Better iPhone Photos:
1. Use your phone’s native camera or a camera app with high-resolution output.
You want to make sure that the mobile photographs you take are of the highest resolution possible, especially if you are interested in printing them. Your phone’s native camera will do a fine job, but does not have the special features that can be found in many of the camera apps out there (like a self-timer, built-in filters, cropping ability, a horizon level option, and exposure settings to name a few). Camera apps I love and use on a regular basis include Camera+ (it has some great filters and exposure correction options), 6×6 (which takes square-ready photos for Instagram), Camera!, and 645 Pro. You will want to make sure to go into the settings of these camera apps and adjust the photo quality to best output. Also, be aware that the iPhone’s front-facing camera feature has a very low resolution output.
2. Keep still.
Be sure to hold still when taking a photograph, to ensure the best possible focus and clarity. I recommend holding your arms in close to your body, holding your breath, then snapping the photo. Some camera apps, like Camera+, have an image stabilization feature that will only allow you to snap the photo once the camera is still. Did you know you can turn an iPhone on its side and use the ‘volume control button’ to take the picture? I find that this method promotes camera stability. Setting your phone on a tripod/monopod is another possibility. I myself own a Belkin mount that I attach to my regular DSLR tripod.
3. Make your photos more interesting and creative by editing with photography apps.
There are so many to choose from (especially if you have an iPhone). Here are a few you might want to try:
• Camera+ has a plethora of great filters, including Lo-Fi, HDR, Cross Process, Pinhole and Ansel (my favorite black and white filter). Other filter apps I use are Afterlight, MullerPhoto, and MagicHour.
• PicFX and ScratchCam have fun filters, textures, and scratches.
• PhotoWizard and Filterstorm offer stellar general editing tools (similar to Photoshop).
• BlurFX will allow you to add a number of creative blurs to your images.
• Glaze and Aquarella can give your photos cool painterly effects.
Tip: Try app stacking, where you run your photo through several apps to achieve the final result. I will generally take my photos through no less than four apps a piece to achieve a final product.
4. Capture symmetry, pattern, and repetition.
These compositional components will create a sense of balance, organization, and rhythm in your photographs. Look for them in architecture, as well as in environments where they naturally occur. Symmetry with a focal point draws the eye to the subject and gives the photo a sense of balance.
Book Giveaway!:
I am hosting a giveaway for the book Crafty Birds, a North Light Books publication! It’s filled with ‘birdy’ projects from a variety of North Light authors, myself included (A Photoshop tutorial from my book Digital Expressions is featured in the book).
