There is a saying that the best camera is the one you have...and most of us always have our phone and its built in camera! So here are ten tips to help you take better pictures of yourself, of your friends, and while capturing daily life!
*Special Note: Reading this blog does not make you a professional photographer nor does it replace the need for professional photographs. My hope is simply to help you look and feel better in the pictures you are taking for yourself on a regular basis!
Turn off the flash when you are in a darker setting. When you use the flash on your phone, people often have glowing eyes and their skin tone looks strange...it's not flattering. Instead, find a light source and get close so that it lights up your face.
If you are taking a selfie with a friend and you are in a dark space or don't have good lighting... have one friend hold the camera up high to take the shot, and the other friend holds the phone with flashlight on so that you can have great lighting! You can do the same thing for other friends taking a picture too!
With my camera, I love to shoot toward the sun so that my subject has some backlighting. However, this doesn't work well with cell phones, so make sure the light is falling on the face of your subject (if the sun is bright, you may need to find shade so that subject isn't squinting)!
The way we position our bodies in a photo can make us look as slim as we are, or it can make us look bigger. To make yourself look your very best, you want to give your body space. Keep your arms off your body because even the thinnest of arms looks bigger when it is squished against a side.
That dreaded double chin? Everyone has one when we don't give our chin the space it needs! This is part of the reason everyone tries to take selfies as high as possible. But to keep from having to stretch your arms or when taking a group picture, you can do "the turtle". This means stretching your neck out and then tilt slightly down so that the skin under your chin also has the space it needs. You can also put your tongue to the roof of your mouth to further tighten the skin under you chin. (Practice in the mirror to see what these two tips can do!)
Body parts closer to the camera appear larger than body parts that are further away...so if you want your booty to look smaller, lean forward so it is further from the camera. Again, this is why people take selfies from a higher angle because it makes your body look smaller.
If you are taking pictures of day to day objects to capture the details of your day, here are three ideas for composition. First is the rule of thirds where you imagine that there are three lines dividing the image vertically and three dividing horizontally. You place important parts of your image at the intersection of those lines in order to make a bigger impact. Another great tool is using leading lines to lead you to the subject of the image. You can also fill the frame with the object in the center if it is nice and symmetrical (really great for instagram square images).(the
I hope that you enjoy these tips! If you use them I would love for you to tag me on social media so I can see your results!!! (**Disclaimer** All of these photos are from my cell phone, using some of these tips, but not all images use all the tips!)
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