Hey Reader,! 👋

😖 The issue

Have you heard the saying: “the best camera is the one you have with you”?

A fancy camera with a detachable lens may offer better hardware to take photos. After all, it has a big physical sensor inside that allows you to capture light and depth in your photos. But, most of us don’t carry them around day to day.

However, most of us DO carry around an iPhone wherever we go.

And an iPhone has some impressive hardware to capture stunning photos.

Each year, Apple invests a lot of time, resources, and effort into improving the camera system. As a result, even professional photographers use iPhones in their workflow because it’s always nearby.

Here are 5 simple photography tips to capture impressive photos with your iPhone.

1. Clean the lens 🫧

This might be obvious, but it’s important.

Modern iPhones have more than one camera on the back, each to capture photos depending on the shooting mode. If the camera lens has dust or debris on it, it’s going to show up in your photo. Use a clean cloth or the inside of your shirt to give the lenses a quick wipe before taking a photo.

This will keep your photos smudge-free.

2. Turn on the grid 🧰

Turning on the Grid will show a 3x3 grid of boxes in the Camera’s viewfinder.

This makes it easier to compose your shots using the rule of thirds. This is when you put the subject of your photo where the vertical and horizontal grid lines cross. Doing this will naturally guide the viewer’s eye towards the points of interest in your photo and prevent the image from looking too rigid.

Here’s how to turn on the grid:

• Open the ‘Settings’ app.
• Tap the 'Camera' category.
• Turn on the option for ‘Grid’.
• Open the ‘Camera’ app and you’ll see the 3x3 grid in the viewfinder.

Frame your subject on the intersection of grid lines to create some dynamic and interesting photo compositions.

3. Turn on the level 🗜️

If your photo composition isn’t level, it can have a negative impact on how it looks.

Level photos appear more polished and professional. A level camera also helps create a balanced and visually appealing composition. The iPhone has a built-in level in the Settings app so you can always make sure your shot is level before capturing.

Here’s how to turn on the level:

• Open the ‘Settings’ app.
• Tap the 'Camera' category.
• Turn on the option for ‘Level’.
• Open the ‘Camera’ app and you’ll see the horizontal line showing the level. If the line turns yellow, the shot is level.

Make sure your composition is level before taking a photo. It’s a small tip that can make a big difference.

4. Use zoom sparingly 👣

Modern iPhones have an impressive zoom feature that helps to capture a shot from far away.

But if overused, this can lead to blurry, low-quality photos. If you want to zoom in beyond the standard 1X, 2X, 3X, or 5X options, use your feet to get physically closer instead.

Here’s why:

• Moving closer to the subject preserves the best photo quality.
• Being closer to the subject keeps your shot steady and in focus for the greatest clarity.
• It also provides improved color accuracy and finer detail in your photos.

Taking a few steps closer to your subject can ensure you capture the most detail in your photos.

5. Adjust the depth in portrait photos 🖼️

Apple’s Portrait mode in the Camera app does an impressive job at capturing depth in photos. Depth is what gives that beautiful blurry background in Portrait photos.

Adding depth to your photos makes them feel more lifelike and vibrant. But sometimes it can be a little too heavy on the depth effect for my taste. There’s a way to adjust the depth in the photos after you’ve taken them.

Here’s how:

• Open the ‘Photos’ app, and find a Portrait photo.
• Tap 'Edit'.
• Tap the option for ‘Portrait’ along the bottom.
• Drag the slider left or right to adjust the depth to your preference. I tend to prefer somewhere between 5.0 and 7.0 in most of my photos.
• Tap ‘Done’ at the top to save your changes.

I love the Photos app. One of my favorite features is that all photo edits are non-destructive. You can revert a photo edit to its original at any time!

✨ One more thing

The Camera and Photos apps are full of great features to capture and edit your photos.

I’d love to see one of your favorite photos using one of the techniques above. Hit reply and share one with me!

Here’s one I grabbed while on my family vacation a few weeks ago.