My DSLR hasn't gotten much use over the last year because I’ve fallen in love with my iPhone camera. My iPhone is lightweight, easy to use, and it’s the perfect camera for traveling. I tell my students that they can capture everyday magic without an expensive DSLR and my recent trips have reaffirmed that belief. The iPhone camera is a fantastic tool and it’s shown me that photography isn’t about the type of camera I own.
Recently, readers have asked me how I capture and edit images with my iPhone. Today, I thought it would be fun to share my general iPhone photography process.
Let’s get started!
When I take photos, I use the native camera app because it is fast and easy to use. It’s simple to launch the native camera app from the lock screen. Also, I don’t have to waste time finding an app and exporting photos from an app to my camera roll.
Composition is a guide for people to understand the story behind my images. As I take photos, I consider the foreground, the background, and my subject. I also use the rule of thirds. In short, composition is queen.
I look for the light. I love taking photos in the early morning or at sunset. This time of day is referred to as the golden hour because the light casts a golden glow on everything in its path. I prefer the sun as a light source. However, clouds and fog have an interesting effect on photographs. When the light is low, or when it’s dark outside, I use an app called NightCap and mount my iPhone to a Joby Tripod for stability. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been using my tripod during the day too.
When I’m on a photo walk, I don’t edit my images. I pay attention to my surroundings and look for scenes that inspire me. When I get home, I edit my pictures. Typically, I edit photos on my iPhone. I love editing images with Afterlight, Snapseed, or Filterstorm. When I transfer photos from my phone to my computer, they go into Lightroom. Currently, Lightroom is my main photo library. Also, I’m a fan of using the delete button ruthlessly. I only save and share my best images.
I’m not a fan of over editing images. I don’t like highly saturated images and I don’t use heavy filters. Personally, I prefer to lightly edit my photographs. I do my best to keep the the photos natural. I want the viewer to feel like they are beside me, seeing what I see.
Finally, I share two or three photos a day on social media. When I have the urge to share more photographs, I create a photo essay for the blog. I love sharing images online.