#docksidephotography

Your cell phone is perfect for texting, watching videos and making phone calls (yes, people still call each other), but these days it can also can take incredible pictures.  

True, you won’t be able to create professional-quality images like the ones you see in Dockside, but for 90 per cent of daily life, a cell phone camera works amazingly well. And with a few tips and tricks, you can take your shots up a notch.

Many Android and Google phones have great cameras, but for our purposes let’s just stick to looking at the iPhone.

Tip #1 - Just Swipe Left to Open We’ve all had that moment where we see something amazing and by the time we get our phone out and camera ready the moment has passed. A great timesaving trick to capture fleeting but memorable moments is the left swipe. Simply swiping left on the lock screen will open the camera so you can start shooting – you won’t even need your password or thumbprint. During family gatherings, sports events or just a cute moment between siblings, this will give you a much better chance of capturing that special moment rather than missing it. 

Tip #2 – Try Using Camera grid Another awesome feature is the camera grid, which divides the screen into nine equal parts and provides a visual guide to using the rule of thirds – placing your subject slightly off-centre. You can also match a horizon line easily. Using either or both elements in your pictures will provide a better composition. 

To activate the grid, go into your camera settings, and click on the camera icon. Then just turn the on-screen grid to on.

Tip #3 - Control the Focus A basic element of creative control comes from setting the focus point. It’s easy to do and you’ll get a professional-looking photo from it. 

All you need to do is frame your shot and then tap the part of the screen you want to have the sharpest focus. A yellow square will pop up indicating what part is in focus. Be sure the focus is on your main subject as this will often soften focus in the rest of the photo. 

Tip #4 – Control the Exposure Exposure is vitally important when taking quality photos. You don’t want your photo to be too dark or too bright. Once the focus point is set, a yellow sun icon appears next to the focus point. Swipe up slowly to make the image brighter or down slowly to make it darker. 

Tip #5 – Having fun with Filters Once your camera is on, in the top corner you’ll see three circles overlapping each other. Tap on them and you’ll then get a choice of filters you can scroll through. Experimenting with different filters can be fun and give you a variety of color tones to your pictures. Other iPhone camera features let you scroll through different camera modes, it’s as simple as swiping left or right at the bottom of your screen. Square and panoramic are joined by a variety of video modes for you to choose from. Using these few tips will get you well on the way to creating amazing photos you’ll be proud to share. And when you’re in need of professional quality photos for your business, give us a call and we can always schedule a shoot!