Getting the most out the iphone camera

Getting the most out the iphone camera

Rather than just whipping out the camera and slamming down the button there are few quick tricks that can help you get better results.

The camera does not actually take the picture until you take your finger OFF the button. When you're preparing to take a picture press down the shutter button before you line up the shot and then gently lift your finger it to activate the shutter.

This is a camera-shake reducer because it removes the impact of your finger pressing down onto the button and wiggling the screen. The volume + button on the side of the phone will also act as a shutter, as will the volume + button on your headphones. Those can be a big help if you struggle with shaky hands or if you're using a tripod and need a remote release (macro experimenters, headphone remote release is your new best friend).

The built-in camera will let you touch the screen to set where you want it to focus. You can touch somebody if you want to auto-focus on their face, or touch the closest thing on the screen to adjust the depth of field. It's a good start, but it's a little rough. There are apps that will let you take this control to the next level.

I shoot almost all my pictures with the camera+ app, first and foremost because it allows you to fine-tune the focus/exposure. Not only can you tap on the screen to set your focus (just like the standard camera) you can also use a second touch to set the exposure, letting you fully adjust the lights/darks in your image while preserving the focus. If you want to expose for the bright sky you touch the lightest part of the screen; if you want to expose for the darker foreground you touch the darkest part.

So I'm obviously a big camera+ fan for the exposure control, but it also has a host of other convenient bonuses that come in handy like the focus/exposure lock, timer, rule of thirds grid, level, ISO/exposure readings, bracketing mode, and a slightly faster shooting rate for capturing action shots.

Any images you take in camera+ are saved to an in-app staging area where you can then sort/edit/delete and save only the best to your main camera roll. It's basically an upgraded tricked-out saucy diamond-studded version of the built-in camera. Camera+ gets the official grumbles stamp of approval*. (*Not a sponsored message)

Rockin' apps and all that jazz

Once you've got a good, solid image there are a whole slew of edits and filters out there to let you futz with it to your little heart's content. Instagram filters are the obvious options BUT, there's so much more you can do to edit your photos than just slam on the earlybird border and call it a day.

You can get stunning results by subtly mixing and matching effects to create your own style, results that not only look unique but also that no one would guess came from a telephone.



There are countless photo-editing apps out there but these are the ones I come back to again and again:

camera+
In addition to being THE BOSS camera, camera+ has a whole slew of filters and image effects you can choose from. Some of them are great (I particularly like their retro black and white setting) but major downside: it doesn't allow you to select multiple filters at a time. In order to layer multiple edits you'll have to save/reopen each time.

snapseed
What camera+ is for taking pictures snapseed is for editing, ie, THE SHIT, and they were recently purchased by Google. Snapseed offers nearly unlimited editing options, from brightness/saturation adjustment to tilt-shift, sharpening, and spot adjustments. This is my main workhorse app for processing because I like to really fine-tune my images and it's extremely detail oriented.



vscocam
Vscocam offers a nice set of 10 preset filters with a specific "look" (high contrast, low levels) but you can also delve into the options one by one and create your own mixture. The interface is not quite as user-friendly but the output is higher quality. A lot of times if I have an image with a lot of noise/grain a run through vscocam helps take the edge off.

afterlight (formerly afterglow)
Afterlight is somewhat new on the scene compared to the others but it has quickly moved into the limelight because it offers so many options all rolled into one spot, reducing the time neurotic photo-editors like myself have to spend swapping between apps. It offers all the standard editing adjustments plus a huge range of filters that you can fade/layer to create custom effects.

It's also the most convenient way to crop your images into a square format for instagram. Afterlight images look great on the screen but be warned: you lose a bit of image quality when you export and be especially wary of the "sharpening" tool, it seems like a good idea at the time but it's not. Trust me.

Other apps that come in handy once in a blue moon:
Diptic, Labelbox, eZyWatermark, Hipstamatic (not a fan, but there's the obligatory mention)



Most importantly, just like any other camera, practice. Practice practice practice.Take lots of pictures. Learn what you like and what you need to improve on. It takes a while to get into a groove where you really start to excel, so shoot often and keep only your best work.

Not everything has to be a masterpiece, but just because you're not a photographer (and I am definitely no photographer) doesn't mean you can't tear ass around the figurative yard.




The main reason I put my "fancy" camera aside and started shooting exclusively with my phone is because IT'S FUN. BAM, that's it- FUN. Really crazy addictively fun. I finally stopped feeling guilty and admitted I wanted to take my iphone images seriously. Isn't that what we should be spending our valuable time on, things that bring us joy? I always have it with me so it's fast and convenient, and I have fun pushing the boundaries of what the mechanics are capable of.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and there's no wrong way to take a picture. Good luck, have fun, and for heaven's sake HOLD STILL.



Source:http://www.grumblesandgrunts.com/2013/01/how-to-best-iphone-camera-tips-tricks.html