iPhone Photography For Dummies

Mark Hemmings can be found traveling the world conducting photography workshops with a big emphasis on iPhone photography. He has a great passion for teaching iPhone camera best practices, which shows in his daily Instagram photo lessons. Mark has been a professional photographer since 1997 and an iPhone travel photographer since 2012.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Fast-Tracking Your Photography Skills 5

Chapter 1: Introducing iPhone Photography 7

Getting to Know the Camera in Your iPhone 7

Models with one lens 8

Models with two lenses 8

Models with three lenses 9

Future models with more than three lenses 11

Taking a Quick Tour of the iPhone Camera App 11

Taking a Photo 12

Viewing Your iPhone Photos 14

Editing Your iPhone Photo 16

Sharing Your Photos 17

Chapter 2: Taking the Complete Camera Walk-Around 19

Discovering the Different Ways to Open Your Camera 20

Properly Holding Your iPhone for Steady Photographs 21

Taking a Photo Without Using the Normal Shutter Button 23

Side shutter using the volume buttons 23

Apple EarPods volume controller shutter release 23

Zooming in to Your Subject 25

Zooming best practices 26

Cropping instead of digital zooming 28

Using the Selfie Camera with and without Background Blur 29

Knowing When to Use (and not Use) the Camera Flash 32

Getting to Know Live Photos 36

Using Live Photo 37

Making sure Live Photo isn’t on by default 38

Using the Camera Timer for Stable and Sharp Photos 39

Family portraits 41

Selfies with a tripod or stand 43

Landscape photography using your timer 43

Getting Creative with Filters 44

Choosing the best camera filter for your photograph 45

Reverting to the original 48

Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Camera for Photographic Greatness 49

Turning on iCloud Photos 50

Optimizing iPhone Storage 52

Downloading the Original Photos 53

Uploading to My Photo Stream 54

Sharing Albums 55

Watching Cellular Data 56

Auto-Playing Videos and Live Photos 57

Viewing Full HDR 58

Transferring to Mac or PC 58

Customizing Your iPhone’s Camera 59

Chapter 4: Applying iPhone Auto-Mode Settings 63

Zooming with Various Camera Modes 63

Preparing to Take Selfies 64

Lighting and background 64

Light case options 66

Selfie sticks and stabilizers 66

Taking Selfies 69

Choose the Portrait selfie mode 70

Adjust depth control 70

Choose your favorite type of selfie light 72

Fine-tune the light intensity and your effect intensity 75

Add photo filters 79

Add a flash 80

Use your self-timer 80

Adjust selfie zoom to add your friends into the picture 81

Considering Square Photos 82

Accessing your square camera 84

Following square photography best practices 84

Creating Panoramic Photos 85

Panoramic best practices for frame-worthy photographs 85

Vertical panoramic photos! 87

Part 2: Discovering the Fundamentals of Photographic Genres 89

Chapter 5: Creating Perfect Landscape Photographs 91

Camera Considerations 92

Long-pressing the screen where your main subject is located 93

Controlling focus and exposure with the AE/AF Lock 95

Lighting Considerations 96

Taking advantage of the magic hours 96

Timing magic hour 98

Gear Considerations 100

Steadying your iPhone camera with a tripod 100

Choosing which lens to use (for multilens iPhones) 101

Photography Tips for Your Next Outing 103

Applying the Rule of Thirds for better compositions 104

Using the Self Timer option for shake-free photos 105

Chapter 6: Shooting Sports Photography 107

Camera Considerations 108

Gear Considerations 109

A tough iPhone protective case 110

An iPhone screen protector 110

A monopod for steadier sports photos 110

A foldable camping seat 111

Battery packs or battery cases 111

Touch-sensitive gloves in cold weather 111

A telephoto lens attachment for distant athletes 112

Lighting Considerations 112

Photographing into the setting sun 113

Using your Portrait mode 113

Using shadows for a fine art sports photography look 114

Creating silhouette sports photos 114

Photographing during golden hour 116

Trusting your iPhone to produce accurate colors 116

Photography Tips for Dynamic Sports Photos 117

Using the Rule of Thirds 117

Panning your camera to create motion blur 118

Choosing the best-looking stride 119

Photographing from a lower position 121

Creating contrast between athlete and background 121

Photographing athlete group photos 122

Chapter 7: Saving Memories through Family and Individual Portraiture 125

Camera Considerations 126

Portrait mode pros and cons 126

Burst mode 127

Self-timer 129

Gear Considerations 130

Lighting Considerations 132

Underexposing your portraits for extra drama 132

Looking out the window 134

Photographing travel photos during blue hour 135

Using shadows to create pictograms 136

Making use of silhouettes for dramatic portraits 136

Placing family members in the shade for even light 137

Photographing from behind with low sunlight 139

Photography Tips for Your Next Portrait Session 140

Photographing from a lower position 140

Choosing black and white for fine art portraits 141

Trying forced perspective techniques for fun family pics 141

Using the Thirds grid for environmental portraits 142

Creating humorous photos to keep the mood light 143

Avoiding objects sticking out of people’s heads 145

Choosing to include mirrors in your compositions 145

Including family member’s interests 146

Avoiding overcast skies 146

Combining family photos using the Layout app 149

Photographing from an aerial perspective 149

Screenshot photos for family who are away 150

Chapter 8: Documenting Your Travel and Vacation in Pictures 153

Camera Considerations 154

Using Burst mode for moving subjects 154

Capturing portraits with both Portrait and Photo modes 154

Photographing nonportraits in Portrait mode 157

Choosing black and white for iconic locations 158

Photographing cityscapes through windows 160

Photographing travel scenes with the ultra wide lens 160

Getting detail in night scenes using Night mode 161

Choosing all three lenses for iconic scenes 163

Gear Considerations 163

Extending your photography with battery packs 164

Packing a tabletop-sized tripod 165

Photographing or filming yourself with a selfie stick 165

Purchasing the best protective case for your needs 165

Choosing a tough mobile device bag 168

Keeping your gear safe while traveling 168

Lighting Considerations 169

Backlight 169

Side light 170

Raking light 170

Reflective light 172

Diagonal light 172

Silhouette light 173

Shadow light 174

Magic hour light 174

Blue and yellow light 176

Photography Tips for Your Next Trip 177

Practicing design-based photography 177

Placing S-curves in your compositions 178

Framing your primary subject 178

Photographing exterior architecture twice 179

Including pattern photos of unusual scenes 181

Scheduling famous landmarks as early as possible 182

Waiting for animals to move into the picture space 182

Choosing your background first 184

Matching color when possible 184

Including national text and fonts in your photos 185

Composing with equidistance 186

Tightening the view of iconic buildings 186

Composing family members looking into the frame 188

Reviewing your favorite establishments 188

Chapter 9: Creating Still Life and Product Photography on the Cheap 191

Camera Considerations 192

Gear Considerations 192

Purchasing backgrounds for flat-lay still life photos 193

Choosing the appropriate background for your product 194

Using clear glass as a background 195

Floating flowers in water 195

Purchasing Bristol board for interior product photography 196

Photographing still life photos in a greenhouse 196

Adding opaque paper to windows for unique backgrounds 198

Lighting Considerations 199

Photographing your product indoors 199

Using side light 201

Using backlight 201

Using harsh overhead light 203

Using doorway light 204

Photographing with mixed lighting 205

Adding shadows to your still life photos 206

Photographing throughout the day 206

Creating Beautiful Still Life Photos 208

Composing symmetrical photos properly 208

Arranging foliage to catch the setting sun 209

Following the equidistance principle 209

Creating both color and black-and-white versions 210

Adding negative space to be used for text 211

Chapter 10: Taking It to the Streets: Photographing Strangers 213

Camera Considerations 213

Choosing black and white for most photos 214

Cropping best practices 215

Placing more importance on drama instead of sharpness 217

Using background blur to maintain privacy 217

Photographing with Burst mode for perfect timing 218

Gear Considerations 219

Using waterproof cases for rainy days 219

Choosing other stability options besides tripods 220

Lighting Considerations 221

Waiting for people to walk into a ray of light 222

Allowing shadows to work as metaphors 222

Blurring people by photographing at dusk 223

Maintaining anonymity by using backlight 224

Capturing mannequins with window reflections 225

Photographing only a person’s shadow for extra mystery 225

Raking light for textured backgrounds 227

Photography Tips for Your Next Day (or Night) on the Town 228

Finding your background first 228

Choosing an aerial perspective 229

Being culturally sensitive 229

Maintaining a sense of lightness and humor 231

Choosing the best stride 232

Showing the urban environment using a wide lens 232

Composing with a sense of direction 233

Avoiding faces to maintain anonymity 235

Part 3: Editing, Organizing, and Sharing Your Photos 237

Chapter 11: Editing with the iOS Photos App 239

Opening Your Photos App 239

Exploring Your Editing Options 241

Starting with Auto adjustments 241

Getting to know the editing tools 243

Applying Filters 247

Vivid 247

Vivid Warm 249

Vivid Cool 249

Dramatic 250

Dramatic Cool 250

Mono 250

Silvertone 250

Noir 250

Cropping an Image 251

Using (and disabling) the Auto Crop tool 252

Flipping your image horizontal 252

Rotating your photo 90 degrees 253

Adjusting Aspect Ratio 253

Editing Your Portrait Photography 255

Chapter 12: Organizing and Sharing Your Photos like a Pro 259

Thinking about Post-Production Workflow 259

Deleting Unwanted Photos 260

Deleting a photo 261

Recovering a deleted photo 262

Favoriting Photos with the Heart Icon 263

Diving into Album Organization 265

Selecting photos to create a new album 266

Removing a photo from an album 267

Using albums wisely 268

Finding photos of a single person 268

Sorting your files by media types 269

Using the Other Albums section 270

Knowing When to Use the Photos Section 270

Making the For You Section Work, Well, for You 271

Using the Search Tool within the Photos App 272

Sharing Your Photos 273

Using shared albums 273

Sharing to any location 275

Sharing to your social media channels 276

Part 4: The Part of Tens 277

Chapter 13: Ten iOS Apps That Will Enhance Your Photography 279

Mark’s Suggested Free Photography Apps 279

Adobe Photoshop Express 280

Adobe Photoshop Fix 280

Adobe Lightroom CC 280

Instagram 280

Facetune2 281

Mark’s Suggested Paid Photography Apps 281

TouchRetouch 281

Slow Shutter Cam 281

Brushstroke 282

SKRWT 282

LensFlare 282

Chapter 14: Ten Tips for Shooting and Sharing Video with Your iPhone 283

Accessing the Video Camera within the Photos App 283

Holding Your iPhone Properly for Smooth Video Recording 284

Trimming the Length of Any Video 284

Adjusting the Exposure and Filter Settings 285

Cropping Your Video 285

Choosing a Video Aspect Ratio 285

Choosing Vertical or Horizontal Orientation 286

Creating Time-Lapse Photography Video Clips 286

Capturing Dramatic Video Clips with Slo-Mo 287

Exporting Your Finished Videos 288

Chapter 15: Ten Extra Editing Features to Jazz Up Your Images 289

Adding Notes and Text Using Markup 289

Adding Your Signature to Your Photos 290

Adding Extra Markup Options to Your Photo 291

Deleting Your Markups to Return to Your Original Photo 291

Creating and Editing a Live Photo 291

Creating a Loop Photo 292

Creating a Bounce Photo 292

Exporting Your Live, Loop, and Bounce Photos 293

Creating a Long Exposure Photo 293

Creating Abstract Photos Using Long Exposure 294

Index 295