I think to some extent, we all want to take better photos. Whether it's for our blogs, our life, our gallery walls, or, of course, our instagram. Pretty pictures are fun to look at and they tell a story that words can't always describe.
I get asked A LOT, how do I take better photos? When it comes to taking pictures with your phone, there really is one thing you need to take better photos.
Of course, it's nice to have steady hands and a good subject to boot. It's fairly easy to take a picture of a gorgeous sunset but it can be tricky to take pictures of an intricate flower or landscape. I think I've found out how to perfect pictures with my iPhone.
Just the other day, a company reached out to me: they wanted me to promote their product (in exchange for cash). The kicker was that they wanted to use my photos in their promotional materials. Here's how it went down:
“Hey Helene, we love the post, can we use your images in our new ad campaign and flyers?”
“Umm… of course! But all of these pictures are taken with my phone.”
“Yeah, we love them!”
The thing is you CAN take awesome pictures with your phone. You just need to right tools and techniques. But the ONE thing you need to take better photos?
Lighting!
When you take a photo, get near the light. Natural lighting to be exact. Get close to a window. Go outside (but avoid direct sunlight since that creates shadows.) Natural light is the key for crisp, clear, and detailed photos.
If you're taking a photo of a person (or a selfie) it's more effective to position them or yourself so that they’re illuminated from
the side, to create more effect on their face. Or, have them face the light, instead of shooting at the light.
The best time to generally take a photo varies, but i find morning light, about 9-11am and about 4-6pm (before sunset.) If you take a look at my instagram photos, you'll notice very little are taken at night, since the lighting is just 100% better during the day. It produces a better composition overall.
Want to see how I grew my Instagram following from under 5,000 to over 15,000 in a year? Get my free guide:
