{"id":31436,"date":"2015-05-05T00:30:14","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T07:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/?p=31436"},"modified":"2019-05-09T03:00:18","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T10:00:18","slug":"freshen-up-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/freshen-up-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Inspiring Ways To Freshen Up Your iPhone Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you\u00a0running out of new ideas for your iPhone photography? Has your style become a bit stale? Don’t worry, this is a common problem, even for\u00a0professional photographers and artists. Luckily there are some simple techniques that you can use to get yourself out of that creative rut<\/a> and expand your vision. In this tutorial, you’ll discover eight inspiring ways to freshen up your iPhone photography and\u00a0give your photo feed a wonderful new lease of life.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Scout Out Photo Opportunities<\/h2>\n

The chances are you lead a a busy life, whether you’re a working professional, a stay at home mom or a student. You may think that this leaves you with little time to find good photo opportunities, but try to consider your day-to-day life as one big scouting mission.<\/p>\n

A fun way to freshen up your photography is to start planning out a few photos. Try to resist sharing a few of your favorite shots right after you take them. Instead, go home, look at them at the end of the day and really study them.<\/p>\n

What makes that location beautiful? What fun elements could you add to it to make it more interesting? Could different lighting<\/a> make a big difference? Would a\u00a0prop\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cmodel\u201d add a strong focal point? Keep that beautiful spot in your pocket until you come up with an idea and the time to go back.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

This photo happened that way. I was on a hike with my family one sunny Saturday at a State Park. The scenery was breathtaking and I took many photos that were certainly shareable.<\/p>\n

However, when looking more closely at the photo, I thought about how the pier faces the sunrise and how quiet and beautiful that area would be in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

So I begged a friend to make the pre-dawn hike a few weeks later… in a dress! We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, fog<\/a> and a lot of laughs. Some of our favorite photos of the year came from that morning.<\/p>\n

So wherever you go, always keep an eye out for great photo opportunities. Plan out how you can best capture that scene, then\u00a0use your creative and technical skills\u00a0to produce the shot that you envisioned.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Take A\u00a0Normal Shot &\u00a0Make It Different<\/h2>\n

Realistically, not many people have the time to go back to all of their favorite locations at just the right time. But don’t worry, the average day-to-day photos of regular life can be beautiful too.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s imagine\u00a0you’re stuck at home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a long to-do list. As you work your way around your home performing various chores, keep your eyes peeled for small glimpses of beauty.<\/p>\n

Notice the way the sun hits the wood floors that you’re vacuuming, the steam on the windows as you make your kids mac and cheese, the crazy shadow of your great-grandmother\u2019s figurine.<\/p>\n

Instead of just taking a shot of what you see, try coming up with a unique way to photograph it. Ask a person in a bright hat to stand on the other side of the steamy window. Catch your kids or cat while they\u2019re playing in good light.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

And don’t forget you can spice things up in post-processing. A crop or a flip is a great start. The above photo of my son on a swing was made more dramatic\u00a0by flipping it upside down in post-processing.<\/p>\n

Be bold! Since the subject may not be that thrilling, now is the time to add excitement through your edit.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Think Ahead<\/h2>\n

Most of the time you can\u2019t predict life\u2019s \u201cbig capture\u201d moments. But if you take a little\u00a0step back and think about your surroundings, you’ll have a much better chance of catching them.<\/p>\n

I was at a beach near a lake with my family, and my husband was tossing our son up in the air in the water. I thought this would make a terrific shot, but instead of just taking the photo the next time they did it, I decided to\u00a0spend a few minutes\u00a0taking in my\u00a0surroundings\u00a0and asking myself what else I could\u00a0“add” to the\u00a0photo?<\/p>\n

I noticed all of the other people, many birds, some brightly colored floating toys, waves, a kayaker and suddenly I\u00a0heard the roar of a plane. I\u00a0remembered that this beach is nicknamed “747 Beach” because of the high number of planes flying over. I decided that it would be amazing to include a\u00a0plane flying overhead, and since they’re constantly flying over\u00a0I could\u00a0take some time to set up the shot.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

Instead of just capturing my husband and my son spontaneously playing, I shuffled along the beach until I was directly in the plane’s flight path and the sun was in a spot that wouldn’t distract or overpower the subjects.<\/p>\n

Then I got down very low so that it would be mostly sky behind them and started to rapid fire my phone as soon as I heard the next plane approaching. The plane came slowly across the lake so I had plenty of time to catch a few “ups and downs” before it passed on. The whole process took two to three\u00a0minutes, after which I tucked my phone back into my bag and jumped in to join them!<\/p>\n

Taking the time to look around at your\u00a0surroundings, then plan and set up a shot is definitely worth the extra effort.\u00a0Look through your camera\u2019s viewfinder and create the frame that would be perfect with your subjects. Think of where the\u00a0ideal placements for your subjects in relation to the background would be.<\/p>\n

Look at\u00a0the sun<\/a>. Is it to your back so that your subjects will be colorful and brightly lit? Or is the sun in front of you\u00a0so that the\u00a0subjects\u00a0will be dark\u00a0silhouettes<\/a>?\u00a0If you have the right backdrop, but not the right light, you either need to reposition your placement or\u00a0come up with a new idea.<\/p>\n

Thinking about all of these factors before your subject arrives will greatly increase your odds of getting a more unique and interesting\u00a0shot.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Don\u2019t Take Yourself Too Seriously<\/h2>\n

Sometimes it helps to remember that there are no\u00a0“Rule Police” in photography! While there are certain techniques that are\u00a0good to follow, you don\u2019t need to do everything by the book.<\/p>\n

Always worrying about techniques or crafting the perfect photo can lead to a lack of creativity and spontaneity, so you need to find a good balance.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

It can be liberating and exhilarating to simply remember that photography is an art – a way of expressing yourself and having fun. Push yourself past any limitations you may have created for yourself.<\/p>\n

When I first started out with photography, I thought I was a nature photographer. I felt funny sharing photos of anything else. Then one day I rebelled. I thought about how that little square (in Instagram<\/a>) is MY space to do whatever I want with it.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

So I started a bunny series. That\u2019s right, a grown man in a bunny costume. After that, I never felt those self-imposed restrictions again and I found it really\u00a0liberating!<\/p>\n

Try to push yourself with creative props<\/a>, silly situations, unique crops and edits. They may not always work out, but when they do you’ll have something truly unique.<\/p>\n

5. Humor &\u00a0Emotion Overrule All Other Rules!<\/h2>\n

In my opinion, humor and emotion overrules all other rules. For the most part, if you catch a moment that truly is a once in\u00a0a lifetime capture, don\u2019t be too hard on yourself if the composition<\/a> isn\u2019t perfect. The\u00a0emotions a photo evokes can be so wonderful and distracting that most people won’t notice if everything else doesn\u2019t line up.<\/p>\n

I took this shot while trying to create an entry for a WHP (Weekend Hashtag Project) mirror challenge on Instagram. It was both of my sons\u2019 first time ever witnessing skydivers.\u00a0The entire experience was exhilarating – there were men falling from the sky!<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

So when I knew a diver was dropping right behind me, I focused on the mirror and started shooting using burst mode<\/a> to capture a series of pictures of that moment. Afterwards I was totally blown away by this photo.<\/p>\n

I love my son\u2019s expression of seeing a skydiver for the first time, the sky diver in the air, and the two on the ground. However, as you can see the horizon line is way off. If I were to straighten the photo, I’d completely lose one of the\u00a0men in the background.\u00a0Therefore, I nearly\u00a0threw out this photo.<\/p>\n

Now, almost a year later, I can tell you that this photo is one of my favorites. It’s been in two photography shows and has received many accolades. And I almost didn’t share it because it was crooked!<\/p>\n

6. Find Inspiration\u00a0In New Places<\/h2>\n

Looking at other people’s photos on Instagram can be incredibly inspiring, but it’s no stranger to clich\u00e9s such as the solo tree, the beautiful sunset, the kid on a swing, etc.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it’s refreshing to find inspiration somewhere else. Coffee table art books are wonderful for finding new inspiration. If you don\u2019t own any, the big box book stores usually have a whole clearance section of them.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

Try to buy or borrow books you haven\u2019t already seen. Look for\u00a0inspiration in children\u2019s books. Read a Shel Silverstein poem and try to envision it as a photo, then go out and take that photo. As ridiculous as the initial photo may seem, a more subtle and beautiful photo may emerge from your effort.<\/p>\n

Stepping away from photography is also inspirational. Put yourself into unfamiliar situations. Go watch an indoor ice skating practice on a hundred degree day, or spend an hour at a dog park even though you’re a cat person.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

Find humor and joy in your surroundings. And finally, go get some exercise. Take a walk or go for a run. It’s very likely that you’ll return from your escapades with renewed energy and vision.<\/p>\n

7. Accept Challenges<\/h2>\n

If you’re a regular on\u00a0Instagram, then you’ll know that challenges are popping up almost daily. Once in\u00a0a while, accept a challenge! When\u00a0you find a good challenge, put some time into really thinking about what you’d like to capture.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

First, think of what the immediate response of 99% of the photographers participating in the challenge will shoot. Let\u2019s say\u00a0it’s a water<\/a> challenge. Most people will run out and shoot a waterfall, a lake, a kid in a tub or maybe even a glass of water reflecting the sunset.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve figured out the clich\u00e9 submissions, take a step past those. What else is water? Ice, snow, fog, clouds, tears, the human body, a\u00a0popsicle, a bubble… you get the drift. Focus on your favorite idea and then go out and have some fun with it.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

Putting in a little thought beforehand will really save you the frustration of having one of those awful \u201cI can\u2019t find anything to shoot\u201d sort of days, and will hopefully give you a winner of a shot!<\/p>\n

8. Try Out A New Genre<\/h2>\n

Are you typically a child photographer<\/a>? Challenge yourself to a week of black and white street portraits. Do you only shoot nature? Try reading up on how to take a high-key portraits and set aside some time to take one. Are all your photos taken in bright light? Have a go at taking pictures at night<\/a> or try your hand at long exposure photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shooting a different type of photography is challenging and can be scary or intimidating. However, the time you put into stepping out of your comfort zone will greatly pay off.<\/p>\n

\"Freshen<\/p>\n

You’ll be forced to learn new technical aspects of photography that will subtly help you in all forms of photography. And who knows, you may even make some new friends!<\/p>\n

I’ll leave you with a few ideas of different genres to try: Street Photography<\/a>, Catch A\u00a0Stranger, Nature<\/a>, Minimals<\/a>, High Key Portraits, Long Exposure<\/a>, Black and Whites<\/a>, Portraiture<\/a>, Animal Photography, Architecture<\/a>, Symmetry<\/a>, you get the idea!<\/p>\n

To keep your iPhone photography fresh, keep trying new things. Not only will this create more variety and uniqueness in your photo feed, but it will keep you motivated and inspired, and you’ll constantly\u00a0be learning new skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you\u00a0running out of new ideas for your iPhone photography? Has your style become a bit stale? Don’t worry, this is a common problem, even for\u00a0professional photographers and artists. Luckily there are some simple techniques that you can use to get yourself out of that creative rut and expand your vision. In this tutorial, you’ll […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[303,298],"tags":[280,338],"class_list":{"0":"post-31436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-taking-photos","7":"category-tutorials","8":"tag-inspiration","9":"tag-motivation","10":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n8 Inspiring Ways To Freshen Up Your iPhone Photography<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how to freshen up your iPhone photo feed, develop your creativity and produce more unique images with these eight inspiring techniques.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/freshen-up-photography\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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