CLICK HERE to get the full iPhone Landscape Mastery course where you’ll discover more tips and techniques for taking stunning landscape photos with your iPhone.

The post How To Get Perfect Light In Your iPhone Landscape Photos [Video Tutorial] appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

CLICK HERE to get the full iPhone Landscape Mastery course where you’ll discover more tips and techniques for taking stunning landscape photos with your iPhone.

The post How To Shoot Dramatic Landscape Photos On iPhone [Video Tutorial] appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

How To Use Portrait Mode

The Portrait Lighting feature requires you to use Portrait mode in the iPhone camera app.

Portrait mode is available on the new iPhone XS camera, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. You’ll also find it on the iPhone 8 Plus camera, iPhone X camera, and iPhone 7 Plus. However, please note that the Portrait Lighting feature isn’t available on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Before we launch into Portrait Lighting, we’ll look at Portrait mode. If you’re already familiar with Portrait mode, you can skip this section. Otherwise, read on to learn about Portrait mode.

Keep Your Distance

Portrait mode needs you not to be too close your subject. When you fire up your camera and swipe to Portrait mode, an on-screen prompt tells you whether you’re at an acceptable distance or not. If you’re too close, too far away, or your surroundings are too dark, the camera lets you know.

The available Portrait Lighting options will automatically appear for you to scroll through. If you’re the proper distance from your subject, you’ll see that particular box turn yellow and the background should become blurry. If the box is not yellow, you need to move a bit closer or farther away until it is.

Keep it Simple

For the best portrait photography results, focus on a subject that is simple. If your subject has strands of hair sticking out in all directions or a hat with a feather in it, you may notice that some parts of that hair or feather are blurred. The same is even more likely if you’re using Portrait mode to take a picture of something other than a person’s face.

Whatever your subject is, pay particular attention to the edges of what you want to be in focus. If you don’t like what you see, move around a bit (closer or farther away) until you get the look you want. If your subject is too complicated, you might not be able to get everything in focus. Your results will vary, but generally speaking — the more complex your subject, the more difficult Portrait mode will be, so remember to keep it simple.

Portrait Mode Isn’t Only for People Portraits

Sure, Portrait mode is used primarily for portraits of people, of course. But you can also use this mode to take pictures of anything, like your pet or even inanimate objects. In fact, if you want to practice your Portrait mode skills prior to working with friends or family, this is a pretty practical idea.

Find something around the house, like a light bulb, vase, glass, or cup and snap some pictures of it. If you want to take it a step further, go into your favorite store and take pictures of some of their products. This will give you a little experience with Portrait mode so you have a feel for what works and what doesn’t work.

Stay Still

Try to remain as still as possible when you’re taking a portrait. This goes for you and your subject. The less motion you have on either side of the camera, the better your results will be. You don’t have to use an iPhone tripod. Just try to eliminate a lot of excess movement.

Portrait Lighting

In order to realize the full potential of Portrait mode, you need plenty of light. That’s why Apple created Portrait Lighting. This allows you to select a lighting effect in your photo, especially when there isn’t enough natural light in your environment. Portrait Lighting produces the effects of real studio lighting based on fundamental photographic principles using depth‑sensing cameras and facial mapping.

When you select Portrait mode, the default option is Natural Light. Always remember, where there is good light, there are good pictures. So look for a well-lit area to get the best results. When you don’t have good natural light, Portrait Lighting allows you to do something about it.

Please note that at this time Apple says the Portrait Lighting feature is in “beta mode”. This means they’ve not finished developing – so you should expect it to have some quirks and bugs at this time. Indeed, some of the lighting effects are quite crude, as you’ll see. Hopefully Apple will keep improving this feature with each new iOS update.

Let’s take a look at each of the five available options.

Natural Light

As we just discussed, this is the best-case scenario for your perfect portrait. Find a well-lit area and you’re well on your way to getting great results. Try to stay away from harsh light, however, or parts of your image might get overexposed.

Studio Light

When you find that you need just a bit more light on your subject’s face, Studio Light provides a subtle solution with some added brightness. This is a great alternative to using the built-in flash to provide more light. iPhone 8 Plus and X utilize Slow Sync Flash, which is a drastic improvement over previous flash efforts, but it should serve as a last resort. Slow Sync Flash applies a small amount of flash to freeze the subject whilst leaving the shutter open long enough to capture some of the natural ambient light for more attractive backgrounds.

Contour Light

With Contour Light, you can add some dramatic shadows with highlights and lowlights. It’s most effective if you start with a lot of natural light, otherwise your image will appear a bit dark. But it’s a pretty cool effect nonetheless.

Stage Light & Stage Light Mono

Stage Light highlights your subject’s face against a deep-black background. It’s a very heavy-handed effect, however. Any success you find with this particular option will depend upon how light or dark your background is and how much contrast there is with your subject. The best results occur when you have a dark background to begin with, but your results will vary.

Sometimes, the effect will be so bizarre, you might laugh at the end result and wonder why Apple included it in the first place. Give it a try, however, and see if you get the results you’re looking for.

Stage Light Mono is the exact same process only in black and white.

Editing Your Portraits

As long as you shoot your original image in Portrait mode, you can apply any of the Portrait Lighting effects afterward in the Photos app. This is a nice option to have in case you aren’t happy with the lighting in your original image. You can try all the options — Natural Light, Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, and Stage Light Mono — and see which works best.

Remember, you aren’t limited to the Portrait mode adjustments. Apple’s built-in editing app — or any editing app for that matter — has plenty of other options to improve the lighting on your subject.

Portrait Mode Selfies

If you have an iPhone X, XS, XS Max or XR, you can take self portraits in Portrait mode using the front-facing TrueDepth camera. When you use the front-facing camera, you’ll get something close to the same effect you get with the rear-facing camera. Keep in mind that the front-facing camera only has 7-megapixels instead of 12.

The front-facing camera does a pretty decent job of providing what Apple describes as “sharp foregrounds and artfully blurred backgrounds.”

Portrait Lighting: Conclusion

If you want to take great portrait photos, Portrait mode together with Portrait Lighting will help you get there. They’re not a perfect match in every situation, but by following a few tips, you can take some truly outstanding pictures.

Remember to watch the space between you and your subject. When you’re at an acceptable distance, a yellow on-screen prompt will let you know. Keep your subject as simple as possible. Try to avoid a lot of movement on either side of the camera when you’re taking pictures.

Ideally, you’ll want to find a well-lit area with plenty of natural light. When that isn’t an option, use Studio Light to strategically throw some brightness on your subject’s face. You can also experiment with Contour Light and two different versions of Stage Light.

The post How To Use Portrait Lighting To Enhance Your iPhone Portrait Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Richard Chang

Alejandro Mondragon

Sahebe Alam

Amy Lynn

Andrejs Razumovs

Bhavna Bhavnathakur

Dariusz Sobiecki

Deborah Coulthard

Ettore Pilati

Eugene Ng

Hashim Mohamed

Hillary Morin

Jacklyn Skenesky

James Ballantyne

Jay Chen

Jefri Lay

Kim Loya

Dima

Liz Anderson

Lolly Kakumani

Mary Ann Tardif

Masako Kozawa

Heidi Mayberry

M. Y. Mim

Nidhi Singh

Penni James

Remigijus Stirbys

Samira Sarah Friemert

Sherry Manners

Udi

Which one of these photos is your favorite? Please let everyone know in the comments below!

The post 30 Brilliant iPhone Photos of the Golden Hour appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Capture Close-Up Details

For an intimate vibe, try getting really close to your subject. Fill the entire frame with the subject to place maximum emphasis on the important details. With no background distractions, the viewer’s attention won’t wander.

Photographing subjects like flowers from up close allows you to capture intricate detail that you wouldn’t be able to see in a photo taken from further away.

We often forget to get in close to the objects we’re shooting, but there’s so much beauty to be found in close-up subjects.

You might not think to get this close when photographing a cat, but look at the amazing detail and texture that I’ve captured here. You can almost feel the softness of its fur.

Keep in mind that the iPhone’s camera won’t be able to focus if you get too close to the subject. If you want to get really close to an object you’ll need to use an add-on macro lens.

2. Fill The Frame With The Subject

Another way to focus the viewer’s attention on a particular detail is to fill the entire frame with the subject — even if you’re not shooting it from up close.

This works particularly well when it’s the pattern or texture of the subject that you want to convey in your photo.

Including just part of a subject like this tends to create an abstract image because you’re removing it from its context.

All of the emphasis is being placed on the patterns, lines, shapes, textures, and colors – and this allows the subject to take on a whole new life.

3. Photograph Textures

Textures are an amazing detail to capture in your photos. They give your images a tactile feel and really bring them to life.

Keep your eyes peeled for different kinds of texture such as blistering paint, rough wood, rust, soft fur, feathers, leaves, grass, and anything else that makes you want to reach out and touch it.

If you shoot an autumn leaf up close you can clearly see its beautiful texture and how the wind and rain has taken its toll on it.

Now you get a feeling that the leaf has its own life.

Most textures are best captured up close, like the feather above. But sometimes you might want to shoot from further away, like I did when photographing this pile of logs.

It’s also a great idea to look out for different textures in a single scene, such as the old wooden fence and the leaves in the photo below.

4. Capture Details In Nature

Nature offers some wonderful opportunities to capture intricate details in your images.

Water droplets are perfect for adding a magical quality to your nature photos.

Be sure to venture out after the rain or early in the morning when you’ll often find dew drops on flowers, leaves, and spider webs.

Keep your eye out for tiny insects like the stunning yellow ladybird in the photo below. You often don’t notice them until you start looking more closely.

When shooting landscapes, how about including some close-up flowers in the foreground?

This really gives context to your image, showing the viewer exactly what you were experiencing out in nature.

5. Photograph Water

Water provides some excellent opportunities to capture beautiful and unique detail in your iPhone photos.

The ripples in a lake, river, or ocean create amazing patterns and texture.

Try filling the frame with just the water to emphasize the texture, color, and light reflections.

Maybe you could include some overhanging leaves like I did in the photo below to add a bit of extra color and detail.

Or take a photo on a misty day so that water gradually fades out to white. This will create a beautiful minimalist image like the one below where the focus is just on the color and texture of the water.

If you’re shooting at the beach, watch how the water creates interesting detail when it reaches the shore.

Capturing water splashes and bubbles will add a fantastic sense of energy to your water photos.

You could also experiment with including water in your indoor photography.

A few water droplets added to a leaf or flower will add a jewel-like quality to your still life photos.

6. Look For Architectural Details

Architecture is another fascinating subject that offers endless opportunities for finding interesting details to photograph.

You’ll often find that it’s easier to take great photos of buildings if you focus in on the smaller details.

Explore the exteriors and interiors of buildings, keeping your eyes peeled for any architectural details that might make an interesting photo.

Look for lines, patterns, textures, shapes and colors. Think about how you might compose your architecture shot to make the most of these features.

Filling the frame with a particular part of the building can create a stunning abstract shot.

Explore both modern and older buildings as they’ll offer very different photo opportunities.

Older buildings are great places to find rust, peeling paint, weathered wood and other interesting textures.

And don’t forget to explore other architectural structures such as bridges, industrial structures, electricity pylons, etc.

7. Capture Interesting Light

When you take a photo, you’re always capturing light in some form. But certain kinds of light are more interesting than others.

If you’re shooting on an overcast day, the light is soft and diffused. While this is great for avoiding harsh shadows in your photos, the light itself isn’t that interesting.

A sunny day provides you with more opportunities to capture beautiful light in your pictures.

Look out for interesting sun flares and beams of light that will add a magical quality to your photos.

These are especially noticeable in forests where the light streams through the gaps in the trees.

Light and shadow play offers another great photo opportunity. Wherever there’s a strong light source, you’re sure to find interesting shadows.

If you’re shooting indoors, notice how the light streams in through the window, casting shadows on walls and floors.

Explore the same location at different times of the day to get a sense of when the shadows will appear.

Shadows add a sense of mystery and drama to a photo. The darkness makes the viewer intrigued about what might be hiding in the shadows.

If you’re shooting at night or in a dark building, try using an artificial light source such as a lamp to create interesting light and shadows.

When you’re shooting in sunlight, try to notice how the color and quality of the light changes throughout the day.

Harsh midday sun is very bright and will cast dark shadows in the scene.

Shooting around the golden hours of sunset and sunrise is a great time to capture long shadows. It also produces a beautiful warm light that adds a golden glow to your photos.

Most things looks beautiful with a dash of natural light, so rather than just looking for interesting subjects for your photography, try to notice interesting light too.

8. Reveal Just Part Of The Scene

If you want to create an intriguing photo with a wonderful sense of mystery, try capturing just a part of the scene in your composition.

Rather than photographing the entire scene, focus in on a certain part of it or on certain details that will capture the viewer’s imagination.

Excluding parts of the whole story will make the viewer think for themselves. This allows their imagination to run wild so that they’re free to create their own story.

It will make them ask questions, such as: Who’s that person? What are they pointing at? What’s that object doing there? Who does it belong to?

Don’t be afraid to crop off body parts, or parts of an inanimate subject, leaving just a part of it in your photo.

Experiment with different compositions where your subject is creeping in from the edge of the frame.

Try leaving lots of negative (empty) space around your subject as this can actually help to draw attention to the important smaller details.

Focusing in on a certain detail also gives it more prominence in your photo.

In the photo above, focusing in on just the baby’s feet shows exactly what captured my attention and made me want to take a photo. The bold pattern of the fabric adds extra color and interest to the picture.

Choosing what to include and exclude from your photo might be tricky at first, but with practice you’ll learn to recognize a good composition.

Remember that you need to include enough detail to give your photo meaning, but leave out enough to create a sense of mystery and intrigue.

9. Reveal Something About Yourself

In a world full of blatant “selfies” we want to avoid the typical selfie face-shot as there’s nothing creative about them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t include yourself in your pictures.

The trick is to do it in a more subtle way. The purpose is to tell the viewer something about yourself without getting too personal or intrusive.

For example, I love the color green. So including my hand or arm in a scene full of green leaves, or holding a single green leaf against a green backdrop of grass is the perfect way to add a more personal touch to these images.

If you have a tattoo or are wearing jewelry, include it in the shot to give the viewer a little hint of who you are.

If you love flowers, include your own hand within a bed of your favorite blooms.

If you have a musical instrument that you want to photograph, include your hand within the shot to indicate that you’re actually playing the instrument.

Another technique I like to use is to include my hand in a shot to show that I’m exploring the scene and taking you on a journey.

If I hadn’t included my hand in the photo below, it would have been a fairly ordinary shot of some crops in a field. But the hand shows that I’m about to venture through these crops to explore the location.

Another option is to include your feet within the scene to show what environment you’re in. This is a classic kind of shot that can be varied to no end depending on your where you’re standing.

You might want to do this if you find a beautiful floor, if you’re at the beach, or if you find some nice colors on the ground that contrast with your footwear.

Not only does it place you within the scene, but it also creates a focal point in your photo – somewhere for the viewer to focus their attention.

If you spot a puddle on the ground, how about including your feet in the shot while capturing the rest of you as a reflection in the water?

10. Look For The Unusual

If you want to tell more interesting stories in your iPhone photos, look out for unusual details that will captivate the viewer.

You wouldn’t normally find red roses or a ball of red wool discarded in the grass. Therefore, it makes an interesting photo because it gets the viewer thinking about the scene.

Anything that will intrigue the viewer and make them want to know more about it is a great subject for a photo. You want the viewer to ask questions so that they become more interested.

Of course, you don’t just have to photograph found objects. Try using interesting props and placing them in usual places to create your own stories.

Little details like an unusual object or prop can make an ordinary scene appear extraordinary.

Once you start looking for unusual details, you’ll begin to spot little stories all around you.

For example, the flower in the photo below was once a proud member of this beautiful bouquet, but now its time has come while the rest of the bouquet stands strong.

Little details like this can be used to create wonderful stories and metaphors. Of course, the viewer will interpret every image in their own unique way… and that’s the beauty of photography!

Conclusion

Photography isn’t always about capturing the bigger picture and revealing as much as possible about the scene.

Focusing in on the smaller details and capturing just a certain aspect of the subject often creates more interesting and intriguing images.

Seek out beautiful or unusual details, and get up close to capture them in all their glory. Create a bit of mystery by leaving something to the imagination.

Aim to evoke emotions in your viewer, and use little details to create magical and captivating stories that the viewer can immerse themselves in.

The post How To Take Interesting iPhone Photos By Capturing Small Details appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Nick Schreurs

Abhishek Arya

Andrea Pastori

Anna Rezulak

Antonio Camacho

Basith Al Naasar

Chris Atkins

Chris Wadsworth

Dariusz Sobiecki

Deena Berton

Don Scott

Evelyne Sieber

Faye McGinley

Georgia Barlow

Hashim Mohamed

Hillary Morin

Hobbsy

Inna Klim

Iskander Ahmed

Jason Farrar

Jason Mills

John Braeckmans

Linda McQuaid

María Cristina González

Milano Romero Lagdan

Nigel

Paula Danner

Penni James

Remigijus Stirbys

Steven

Which one of these photos is your favorite? Please let everyone know in the comments below!

The post 30 Wonderful Silhouette iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Phillipa Frederiksen‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

1. Subject Matter

The subject matter that you choose for your still life can have a big impact on the overall mood of the photo.

Below are some examples of different kinds of subject matter that can be used in still life photography. When you look at each photo, try to think about what kind of mood each subject creates.

Sherry Manners‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Above is a close-up photo of a beautiful soft feather out in nature. And below is another close-up photo, but this time it’s an old rusty chain.

Chris Baird‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Both of these photos capture wonderful texture, but how do they make you feel and what story do they tell?

For me, I want to reach out and touch the softness of the feather. It tells a story of the delicate beauty of nature, and how fragile it is.

With the photo of the rusty chain, I can just imagine how rough it would feel. It tells a story of age and abandonment, but also of strength.

The three photos below all contain food as the subject matter, but they’re likely to evoke very different emotions in the viewer.

Lolly Kakumani‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Of course, this is subjective and everyone will interpret a photo in a slightly different way. But for me, this close-up photo of freshly baked bread creates a feeling of warmth and comfort.

The photo below has a more energetic mood because it’s showing part of a process. Something is happening. Mushrooms are being chopped and a meal is being prepared.

Phillipa Frederiksen‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The contrast between the knife and the mushrooms also makes the photo more dynamic. The knife is sharp and metallic, whereas the mushrooms are soft and round.

The photo below gets a different reaction again. It makes me feel slightly uneasy. It’s mysterious and intriguing, and I’m wondering what the story is behind this scene.

Phillipa Frederiksen‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

All three of these are great still life photos, but they create very different moods because of the subject matter being photographed.

How do you feel when you look at each of these photos? What emotions do they evoke? What stories do they conjure up in your mind?

The next three photos all have a vintage theme – an old clock, an old bench, and an old letter with vintage tea cup. But again, I feel that they evoke slightly different moods. What do you think?

The photo below of an old clock speaks to me of the passing of time. There’s a sense of energy and urgency to the photo because the clock is ticking.

Ioana Sasarman‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

For me, the next photo of a book on an old bench conjures up feelings of time stood still. It speaks of a solitary moment of calmness, stillness and peacefulness.

Chris Baird‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This last photo also tells a story of a moment of calm in someone’s day – sitting down with a cup of tea. But it also conjures up a feeling of excitement and anticipation as you wonder about the contents of the letter.

Peggy Carlaw‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

By looking at other photographer’s still life photos and thinking about how they make you feel, you’ll start to get a better idea of how your choice of subject can impact the mood of the photo.

You can then make better choices about which subjects you use for your still life photography in order to create the particular mood you envisioned.

Of course, there are other elements that help set the mood of your still life photos, and a single subject can actually be made to look very different depending on the setting and lighting that you shoot in.

So let’s move on and take a look at some of the other things you can do to create a certain mood in your still life iPhone photos.

2. Background

The type of backdrop that you use for your still life will have a huge impact on the mood of the photo. So before choosing a background, you should think about what kind of mood you want to create in your image.

Do you want to create a light and airy feel in your still life? If so, it’s usually best to use a plain white background.

Lalita Jategaonkar Jagadeesan – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You could use a white table cloth, a white piece of card, a white painted board, or any other white material that you can find.

If you want to create a moody or dramatic image, try using a black background. This creates a completely different look and feel.

Luis Fernandez‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Gray backgrounds work well for creating a calm and quiet mood. It’s less bright and fresh than a white background, but not as moody as a black one.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

A wooden background such as a table top or chopping board can add a natural warmth to your still life photos. So consider using wood when you want to create a calm and comforting feel in your image.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

In general, it’s best to avoid busy or vivid colored backgrounds, but in some cases they can work well.

You just need to make sure that the background color complements the subject, and that the pattern doesn’t take too much attention away from it.

Chris Baird‎‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

In this photo, the blue contrasts brilliantly with the yellow leaves (blue and yellow often look great together).

The regular pattern of the lines on the background adds a strong geometric element to the image without being too distracting.

The combination of colors, shapes and patterns creates a wonderfully vibrant and energetic still life photo.

Finally, think about how the background relates to your subject and the theme of your photo.

Jefri Lay‎‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

For example, using black sandpaper for the backdrop in this picture is a great way of creating a link between the background and the subjects. The backdrop is in keeping with the workshop/tool shed theme of this still life.

3. Color

Color plays an important role in the overall mood of a photo. So when you’re considering what kinds of subject and background to use, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of color.

Using similar colors is great for emphasizing a certain mood. For example, photographing a white subject against a white backdrop will emphasize the light and airy feel.

Lilya Ejevichkina‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Below is another example of using similar colors, but this time they’re darker shades of brown.

It creates a very cohesive and harmonious image, evoking feelings of calm and comfort.

Deena Berton‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

To create a more dynamic and energetic composition, try using contrasting colors such as red and green, or blue and yellow/orange.

Cinder Fukunaga‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You can create contrast between the color of the backdrop and subject as shown in the photo above.

Or the color contrast could be between two different colored subjects, such as the red pomegranate and green peas in the photo below.

Lolly Kakumani – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The tone of the colors is also important. Vivid, highly saturated colors tend to create a sense of fun and energy.

By contrast, soft, muted colors like this dusky pink rose are more calming and relaxing.

Jeremy Searle – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Another thing to consider is the color temperature of your subject. Color temperature refers to the range of colors from cool blue tones to warm reds and oranges. Again, this can have a significant impact on the mood of your photo.

Sheilah Fernandez – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Cool blue tones tend to evoke feelings of tranquility, calmness and even sadness. Whereas warmer yellows, oranges and reds tend to create a more energetic and happy mood.

Lynne Lourdes Lucena – iPhone Photo Masters Student

One more thing to consider is that sometimes it’s the color of a subject that draws you to it in the first place.

In such cases, it’s worth trying out a composition where you fill the entire frame with the subject, so that the whole image appears just one color.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This can have a very powerful impact, and it makes it clear to the viewer that it was the color of the subject that caught your attention.

4. Light

Once you’ve chosen your subject and background, and you’re happy with the combination of colors, the next thing to think about is how you light the scene.

In most cases, still life photos look best when illuminated by natural light from a window. By controlling the amount of light and shadow in the scene, you can dramatically alter the mood of your still life photos.

Evelyne Sieber Lang – iPhone Photo Masters Student

There are three main kinds of mood that you can create in your still life images:

• Bright and airy
• Dark, moody and dramatic
• Calm, quiet and intimate

To create a bright and airy still life, you’ll need lots of light in your scene. Start by arranging your subjects on a white background near a window.

Use light colored subjects such as whites and soft pastels, with just one or two darker colors if you wish.

You want plenty of light on the scene, but you should avoid strong direct sunlight as it will create harsh shadows in your photo.

For a bright and airy still life, you don’t want any dark shadows.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

An overcast day works well because the clouds will diffuse the light, making the shadows much softer. Or shoot near a window on the side of the house that isn’t getting direct sunlight.

If you’re getting too many dark shadows, try using a white or silver reflector (or even a mirror) to brighten up these dark areas.

You can make your own reflector using a simple piece or white card or board. To create a silver reflector, use tin foil.

Place the reflector opposite the window, so that it bounces the light onto the shadowed side of the subject, filling in the shadows with light.

Before you take the shot, tap on the screen to set focus on your main subject, then swipe up or down to access the exposure slider. Adjust the exposure (image brightness) to ensure that the photo is bright enough.

For a dark and moody photo with lots of drama, you’ll need to reduce the amount of light in the scene. This time you’ll need a dark or black background.

Luis Fernandez‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You can use the same window as before, but you’ll need to close the curtains leaving just a small gap for the light to get through.

Shadows will help to add mystery and drama to your photo, so this time you might want to position a black board opposite the window on the shadowed side of the subject to absorb some of the light and make the shadows darker.

Before taking the shot, adjust the exposure to ensure that the shadows are dark, but make sure you can still see color and detail in the subjects that are illuminated.

If you want to create a calm and quiet mood in your still life photo, you’ll need quite a lot of light but also some darker shadows.

Ardys Zoellner‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Partially close the curtains so that your subject is illuminated, but aim to have some shadows on the side of the subject that doesn’t get any light. To make the shadows darker, you could use a black board to absorb some of the light.

Toning down the light like this helps to create a cosy and intimate mood, which can give a slower and more relaxed feeling to your photo.

While natural window light is usually best for still life photography, using artificial light from a lamp or candle can work well for some photos.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This photo is a good example of using artificial light from an antique lamp. Artificial light tends to be warmer (more orange) than natural daylight, so it’s great for creating a warm and cosy feel.

One more lighting situation to consider is outdoor still life photography. The sun can have a big impact on your photo, so it’s important to decide what kind of look and feel you want to create in your image.

Strong sunlight will create harsh shadows. Sometimes this can enhance the photo, but other times the shadows will dominate the photo and ruin the mood.

Chris Baird‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

In the photo above, the shadow of the leaf adds extra visual interest and an element of drama to the photo.

Chris Baird‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

But if you don’t want shadows in your photo, you’ll need to shoot on an overcast day or find an area of light shade where there’s no direct sunlight hitting your subject.

5. Post-Processing With Apps

Once you’ve taken your photo, it doesn’t end there. You can do a lot to enhance the mood of the image using photo editing apps.

The first thing to do with your photo in post-processing is to check the exposure (image brightness) as you might not always get it perfect at the time of shooting.

Andres Katz‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The Snapseed photo editing app is great for adjusting exposure, but there are many other apps that offer similar tools. In Snapseed, you need to open the Tune Image tool, and then swipe up or down on the screen to access the list of adjustments.

Choose the adjustment tool you want, then swipe left or right on the photo to increase or reduce the intensity of the effect.

Experiment with adjusting the Brightness, Contrast, Shadows, Highlights and Ambience settings until you get the exposure just how you want it.

Ardys Zoellner – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Don’t be afraid to darken or brighten the photo to create the mood you want, e.g. light and airy, or dark and moody. Just be careful that you don’t lose too much detail in the highlights or shadows.

The next thing you might want to do is adjust the color of your photo. In Snapseed, go to the Tune Image tool and swipe up or down on the screen to access the adjustment tools.

Jeremy Searle – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The Saturation tool allows you to make the colors more vibrant or more muted, altering the look and feel of the final image. Swipe left to mute the colors or right to make them more vibrant.

You can also use the Warmth adjustment under the Tune Image tool to warm up or cool down the colors. Again, this can dramatically change the mood of the photo.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This feather photo has had its colors cooled down, adding a blue tint to the entire scene. This tends to create a calm and tranquil mood, which suits this subject perfectly.

Sometimes you might want to remove the color completely to turn the image black and white. You can do this by reducing the Saturation setting all the way to the left, or by using a Black & White filter in an editing app.

Fiona Grose‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Black and white doesn’t suit all photos though. It tends to work best on images that have areas of high contrast, i.e. both bright and dark areas within the scene.

If you want to get a bit more creative with your edits, there are plenty of other tools in Snapseed, and many more great editing apps that allow you to add all sorts of artistic effects to your images.

Donna Nivison Flora‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You could add a vintage look to your photo using the Vintage filter in Snapseed or another app. Vintage filters tend to mute the colors and add texture or grain to make it look like an old photo.

You could use an app like Mextures or Stackables to add textures, grain, color gradients, and other interesting effects to your image.

Deena Berton – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This works particularly well if you shot your subject against a plain background as it allows you to add color and detail to the backdrop. Just make sure these effects don’t overpower your subject.

Some still life photos might suit a painterly look, especially the more traditional still life compositions like the one below.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Waterlogue is one of many great painterly apps that allow you to make your photo look like a watercolor painting.

There really are endless ways that you can edit a photo to enhance its mood and aesthetic appeal, from simple lighting and color adjustments to creative and painterly edits.

Agneta Andersson‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

For most iPhone photographers, the editing process is just as important as the shooting processing.

So find a handful of your favorite apps, and experiment with different edits until you achieve your own editing style that suits the still life photos that you create.

How You Too Can Take iPhone Photos That Everyone Adores

Do you want to start creating incredible still life iPhone photos like these? Join our online iPhone Photo Masters course where you’ll receive in-depth tuition from a different world-class iPhone photographer every single month.

Discover insider tips and techniques on a wide range of topics and photography genres, put these skills into practice for the photo assignments, then get feedback and advice from our experts in the monthly photo review sessions.

Plus you’ll get to be part of the incredible iPhone Photography School community where you can interact with other members of the course, as well as our photography experts.

Start improving your iPhone photography today…
CLICK HERE TO JOIN iPHONE PHOTO MASTERS!

The post 5 Ways To Create Wonderful Mood In Your Still Life iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Peggy Carlaw‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

1. Create A Traditional Still Life Composition

When you think of still life photography, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a traditional still life scene like those you find in classical paintings.

It might be a vase of flowers, a bowl of fruit, or some other collection of objects arranged in a visually pleasing way.

If you want to create a traditional still life, make sure you have a neutral wall or other visually pleasing background behind your subject.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

A traditional still life composition could be something as simple as a few items of fruit placed together in a bowl, like this simple still life of three pears on a plate.

But you can also group different kinds of objects together, such as the vase of sunflowers and pieces of fruit in the photo below.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

When choosing objects to group together in a still life, try to make sure they work well together visually.

You could choose objects based on a particular theme, such as summer flowers and fruits, items found in nature during an autumn walk, or different objects that share the same color.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Or how about a collection of vintage items that you have in your home? When positioned together for a still life, they can work together to create an interesting story.

Don’t be afraid to use unusual items that you wouldn’t normally consider as traditional still life subjects. You can arrange any items in a traditional still life composition.

2. Create A Flat Lay Still Life

For something a little different, a flat lay composition is a great option. This involves arranging your still life subjects on a background of your choice, and then shooting from directly above.

Flat lay compositions tend to look more contemporary than a traditional still life composition.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The photo above is a great example of using food and drink to tell a story of a particular moment in your day.

Embellishing the scene with some fabric and flowers softens the composition and adds visual interest that helps to create a certain mood.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Flat lay compositions are often easier to create than traditional still life setups because you’re only shooting down onto a single surface.

This tends to make it easier to create a pleasing and balanced composition. You can easily move the objects around until you’re happy with the result.

Luis Fernandez‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Subjects with strong shapes are perfect for flat lay compositions because they stand out so well when captured from above.

Circles are great to work with, for example, plates, bowls, cups, apples, certain flowers, a slice of lemon, etc. But look out for other geometric shapes that you could use in your compositions too.

Cinder Fukunaga‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

3. Shoot Close-Ups

Another way to capture stunning still life photos is to shoot close-ups. This works particularly well with flower photography and nature photography.

Pierre Ouimet‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The built-in lens of the iPhone is pretty good at focusing on close-up subjects, but make sure you don’t get too close otherwise it won’t be able to focus at all and the subject will appear blurred.

If you want to get really close, you’ll need to use an add-on macro lens such as those from Moment, olloclip or Inmacus.

Sherry Manners‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

When shooting close-ups, the depth of field will be very shallow. This means that only a small portion of the scene will be in focus, while the rest appears blurred. So always make sure you tap on the part of the subject that you want in focus.

Close-up photography allows you to capture the intricate detail, pattern and texture of your subject. And by filling the entire frame with a flower, you also place emphasis on its beautiful color.

Jeremy Searle‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

A great way to enhance a close-up still life subject, such as a flower or feather, is to use a fine water spray to add little water droplets onto its surface.

This will add extra visual interest, and when the droplets catch the light they’ll sparkle to add a wonderful jewel-like quality to your photos.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Another reason to use water droplets is that it can make it appear that your subject was photographed out in nature, after the rain or in the morning dew – rather than in the comfort of your own home!

4. Choose A Suitable Backdrop

Whether you’re shooting traditional still life compositions, flat lays or close-ups, choosing a good backdrop is vital.

You could be photographing the most beautiful object, but if the background is distracting or doesn’t complement the subject, the picture won’t look good.

Lilya Ejevichkina‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

A plain white background often works really well. It creates a light and airy feel, and doesn’t take any attention away from your subject.

You could use a piece of white card, a white painted wall, or a white table cloth. For a more textured look, try painting some wooden boards with white paint.

If you’re going for a dark and moody atmosphere in your photo, try using a black background which can create a very dramatic still life image.

Jefri Lay‎‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The color and texture of the black sandpaper in Jefri’s photo above works particularly well with his chosen subjects.

Wooden backdrops also work well, so if you have a nice wooden table or even a wooden chopping board, be sure to try using these as a background in your still life photos.

Sometimes a vivid colored or patterned background can look good, especially if you want to create a sense of fun or energy in your picture. Just make sure the color complements the subject.

Chris Baird‎‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

If you’re shooting outdoors, look for interesting walls or flooring that could be used as a backdrop for your still life subjects.

5. Use Natural Light

In most cases, still life photos work best when illuminated with natural daylight. Using artificial light such as a lamp can create unflattering color casts, so this kind of lighting is best avoided.

If you’re shooting outdoors, try to avoid harsh sunlight. If the light is very bright, strong shadows will be cast by your subjects, and it will be difficult to achieve a balanced exposure.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

For a softer light, shoot on an overcast day or in a lightly shaded area. Cloudy weather is great for photography because the clouds act as a natural diffuser, softening the sunlight and creating a more flattering light for your subject.

Most still life photography is done indoors, so you’ll need to use window light to illuminate your scene. Having a table set up near a window allows you to easily bathe your subject in natural light.

Kimberly Saxton-Heinrichs‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You may need to try out different windows around your home, and shoot at different times of the day, until you find the best kind of light for your photo shoot.

Try to avoid strong sunlight shining through a window as it will create harsh shadows, bright reflections, and make it harder to set exposure correctly.

Phillipa Frederiksen – iPhone Photo Masters Student

However, soft shadows can actually enhance the scene and bring it to life. So always be aware of the light and shadow play in your photos.

It’s best to use a window with curtains that let some light through. This allows you to close the curtains partially or fully in order to limit the amount of light reaching your subject.

Karen Morgan‎‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

A handy accessory to have in still life photography is a reflector. This gives you more control over the direction of the light and how the shadows appear in the scene.

For example, you could use a white or silver reflector to bounce the window light back onto the unlit side of the subject, brightening up any dark, shadowed areas.

Or you could use a black reflector to absorb the light and create stronger shadows. This is great for creating a dark and moody still life photo.

Evelyne Sieber – iPhone Photo Masters Student

You can buy professional photography reflectors, but it’s easy to make your own using a piece of card or board.

You can create different colored reflectors according to your needs. For example, you could use a white piece of card, silver kitchen foil, or a board covered in black fabric.

6. Apply The Rule Of Thirds

Once you have your subject, background and lighting, and you know what kind of still life you want to create, it’s time to start thinking about composition. In other words, how you arrange the elements within the scene.

Of course, as the photographer you have full artistic license over how you choose to compose your picture. But there are certain composition guidelines that will definitely help you create more balanced and pleasing compositions.

The rule of thirds is one such technique. So what exactly is the rule of thirds, and how can you apply it to your still life photography?

Evelyne Sieber – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The rule of thirds is all about placing your main subject or focal point off-center. To use the rule of thirds, imagine your viewfinder divided into a grid with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines.

In fact, if you turn on the grid in your camera app (Settings > Photos & Camera > Grid), you’ll be able to see these gridlines on the screen as you compose your shot.

Now, rather than positioning your main subject in the center of the frame, try positioning it at one of the intersections where two gridlines meet.

In the photo above, the shell has been placed at the top right intersection of the gridlines. And in the photo below, the center of the large flower has been positioned at the top left intersection.

Patricia Clewell – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Placing your main subject off-center tends to create a more harmonious composition that feels natural and balanced.

You can even use the rule of thirds in close-up photography. In the photo below, notice how Evelyne has positioned the center of the rose, which is the focal point in this composition, at the top left intersection of the gridlines.

Evelyne Sieber – iPhone Photo Masters Student

The rule of thirds may not work for every photo, and sometimes breaking the “rule” and placing the subject directly in the center can have a strong impact.

But in most cases, the rule of thirds will create a pleasing composition. If in doubt, start by trying out the rule of thirds, and then you can always make adjustments to the final arrangement of elements.

7. Use The Rule Of Odds

The rule of odds suggests that an odd number of subjects in an image is more interesting and visually pleasing than an even number.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

So three subjects tends to work better than four, five subjects work better than six, and so on.

Once you start working with multiple still life subjects, you’ll often find that it’s much easier to arrange an odd number of objects into a pleasing composition.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Again, this “rule” is really just a guideline, and sometimes you might find that an even number of subjects works well (two subjects can often look good together).

But as a starting point, it’s generally best to create your composition with an odd number of subjects.

Fiona Grose – iPhone Photo Masters Student

8. Create A Gentle Flow

Creating a sense of “flow” is one of best ways to create an engaging composition that really captivates the viewer.

You can use several objects in your scene to create a gentle flow through the image, leading the viewer’s eye from one object to another.

Or it could be the shape or lines of a single subject that leads the eye around the image, like the curves of the leaf in the photo below.

Evelyne Sieber – iPhone Photo Masters Student

However you create this flow, it’s guaranteed to produce more dynamic and interesting photos because the viewer isn’t just looking at a single point in the picture.

Instead, their eye is drawn around the scene, and this keeps them interested in your photo for longer.

When composing your shot, think about how you could position the objects to create a gentle flow through the scene.

Chris Baird – iPhone Photo Masters Student

This simple composition of five leaves is very effective. Your eye is naturally drawn from the green leaf at the bottom left, up towards the brown leaf at the top right.

Not only does this create a great composition, but it also tells a story of the different stages that a leaf goes through during autumn.

As well as positioning multiple objects to create a flow through your image, consider using items such as string or ribbon which you can curve and loop gently around the scene.

Lolly Kakumani – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Lolly even used a string of garden peas in this photo to create a sense of flow from one part of the image to another.

9. Include Negative Space

Negative space refers to the empty space around your subject. Rather than filling the frame with subjects, it’s often a good idea to simplify the scene.

Deena Berton – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Leaving plenty of negative space helps to make your subject stronger within the composition. With nothing else competing for attention, the viewer’s eye is drawn directly to the subject.

Think about where you’ll place the subject within the space, and consider using the rule thirds to position the subject to one side. The empty space on one side will balance the subject on the other side of the frame.

Catherine Arnold Dvorak‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Using negative space also tends to create a calmer mood in your still life photos.

While it can be fun to embellish your still life compositions with lots of interesting elements, remember that less is often more.

Fiona Grose‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

So when you’re setting up your still life scene, try keeping it simple and including lots of empty space around the subject.

Don’t worry that it will be boring. The simplest photos are often the most compelling.

10. Experiment With Shooting Angle

Once you’ve got your still life scene set up just how you want it, with great lighting and composition, it’s time to take your photo.

Deena Berton‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

But rather than just shooting from one angle, take lots of photos from different perspectives.

These two photos by Deena demonstrate how a simple change in camera angle can make a big difference to the final image.

Deena Berton‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

Try moving closer to capture more detail. Move further away to capture the subject amongst its surroundings. Shoot from straight on, low down, high up, and from different sides.

It’s probably taken you some time to set up your still life scene, and taking lots of photos from slightly different angles will maximize your chances of getting the perfect shot.

Luis Fernandez‎ – iPhone Photo Masters Student

As you’re shooting, keep reviewing the photos to get an idea of what’s working and what isn’t. You can then make small changes until you get your still life photo just right!

If you’re also interested in taking incredible still life photos with your iPhone, then you should definitely check out our iPhone Photo Masters program.

Combining 18 iPhone photography courses taught by the best iPhone photographers in the world, this program will help you master unique iPhone photography techniques, genres and styles.

One of these 18 courses is about still life photography, and the photos that were featured in this post were all taken by iPhone Photo Masters students who had just completed this course. Click here to find out more about iPhone Photo Masters.

The post 10 Still Life Composition Tips For Beginner iPhone Photographers appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Take a look at the photo below of a Japanese garden. There’s an electrically powered Japanese style lantern hanging on the wall, but it’s not switched on.

Even if the lamp was switched on, you wouldn’t be able to see the light because it was a very bright day outside when the photo was taken.

To make the photo more visually rich and dramatic, I decided to use the LensLight app to add a digital illumination to the lamp. The resulting image is shown below.

With the lamp illuminated, the whole scene takes on a new and mysterious atmosphere.

Is This Cheating?

Before we begin, let’s take a quick look at the ethics of altering reality in your photos. You may ask yourself, “Am I cheating by adding something that wasn’t there to begin with?”

A generally accepted ethic in professional photography circles is that documentary style photography should be as close to reality as possible, but photography that you consider artwork (that which you would hang on your wall at home) has no ethical limits imposed on it.

In other words, if you’re creating art with your iPhone photos, you have just as much freedom as a painter or illustrator to distort or interpret reality.

So let’s get started and add some fake illumination to your iPhone photos!

Step 1: Open Image In LensLight

For this exercise you’ll need to have the LensLight app installed on your iPhone. If you don’t already have it, you can download it from the App Store for $4.99.

If you’re searching for the app in the App Store, it’s officially called LensLight Visual Effects and the company is called BrainFeverMedia.

You’ll also need a photo on your iPhone that contains some kind of lamp or wall light. It could be an exterior photo of a building with a lamp on the outside, or a street scene with a lamp post.

Alternatively, you can click here to download the photo shown below.

Once you know which photo you want to edit, open the LensLight app from your iPhone’s home screen:

When the app opens, tap the New option in the blue star. If it’s the first time you’ve used the app, you’ll be asked for permission from iOS for the app to access your photo collection – it’s safe for you to say Yes to this request.

You’ll now see a thumbnail list of photos that are stored within your iPhone’s photo library:

Tap on the photo you want to edit, and you’ll then be taken to this screen which allows you to crop your photo prior to editing:

Feel free to crop the photo if you like. When you’re ready to move on, tap Done at the top right of the screen.

Step 2: Add A Light Effect To Your Photo

You’ll now see a screen with the following options at the bottom: Effects, Edit, Mask, Layers and Filters. Tap Effects at the bottom left of the screen:

On the Effect Categories screen, tap the first option titled Lensflares:

This will take you to a new screen that has your photo at the top, and various light effects at the bottom:

At first glance you’ll only see 16 light effect options, but with a swipe of your finger from right to left you’ll be shown a few more options:

On the second row from the top, you’ll see a light effect called Sol Invictus. Tap on that option, and you’ll be taken to a new screen with the light effect placed approximately in the middle of your photo:

You can now move and resize this ball of light within your photo. Simply use your finger to drag the light around the screen, and pinch-zoom in and out to change its size:

Now that you have a good idea of how to manipulate the size and location of the fake illumination, place the light effect on the un-lit lamp in your photo.

Once it’s in position, you may need to resize it again to fit the type of lamp that you’re illuminating. Try to choose a light diameter that looks as realistic as possible:

Now your lamp should be looking great… but we’re not done yet! At the bottom of the screen tap the Edit icon which will bring up some new editing options:

We’re going to be using the color wheel, so swipe across slightly so that you can see the full color wheel:

To add more warmth to your fake lamp-light, use your finger to drag the circle’s mid-point marker to the upper right side of the color wheel – into the orange area:

Did you see the lamp light in your photo become warmer? When you’ve dialed-in the amount of lamp warmth that you like, tap the up-arrow option located at the top right of the screen. This will take you back to the editing options.

We’re done editing now, so tap the up-arrow one more time to open up the Save options. Tap the Save option at the top of the list:

On the next screen you should see the following words printed under the Save option: “Saved to Camera Roll.”

You’re now free to exit the LensLight app. The photo will be stored in the photo library of the native iOS Photos app. Here’s what the final image looks like:

And that’s it! You’ve successfully added fake illumination to a lamp in your iPhone photo.

Once you’ve added light to your photo, you might want to experiment with another visual option and try converting the image to black and white:

Of course, there are many different light effects in the LensLight app, and they can also be used for adding a lens flare effect to the sun.

But the technique is the same no matter what photo you’re working on – simply select the light effect you want to use, move and resize it into position, then make any final edits to the warmth, etc.

The key is to experiment with different photos and light effects until you achieve the mood you were hoping for. Have fun adding drama to your iPhone photos!

The post How To Use LensLight App To Add Fake Light To Your iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

The post 7 Tricks For Taking Perfectly Exposed iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.