“The best camera is always the one that's with you” - Chase Jarvis
Although one of our passions at Visually Speaking is Professional, DSLR Photography, we’re here to give you a few easy tips on how to take ‘Instagram worthy’ content, with a device that (almost) every single one of you already has!
#1: Portrait Mode
“Portrait mode”, a newer edition iPhone feature, which automatically detects a well-lit subject within a certain distance from the camera and creates a bokeh effect.
This mode is used best when you have a subject in the foreground that you would like to focus on.
When shooting indoors put your subject close to a window, so the light directly hits one side of their face - for greater effect don't show the window in the shot! (see example below).
Although Portrait Mode works best for - you guessed it - portraits! Many Instagram bloggers and influencers utilize this feature to highlight products as well.
A key tip with portrait mode is to take advantage of the ‘Natural Light’ setting built within portrait mode.
#2. Wide-Angle and Telephoto Lenses.
You may have noticed, the back of your iPhone actually has two cameras.
The first lens is the standard wide-angle lens, which works perfectly for capturing a wide-angle shot.
The second lens (which you will only find on iPhones newer than IPhone7) is a 2x telephoto lens. This lens allows you to capture a closer view of your subject without having to physically move any closer.
These features are great for creating depth within your photography.
#3. ‘The Rule of Thirds’
“The rule of thirds helps capture the subject of a photo in a way that's pleasing to look at. It involves breaking any image you want to photograph into thirds, horizontally and vertically” (Modula, 2019)
To add visual interest, utilize the grid lines to follow the flow of the photo.
Instead of having your model dead center in the middle of the grid, capture the person/product leaning out each side of the line to create organic dimension.
If you can’t envision these lines in your mind, (we don’t blame you) here is how to turn the grid while shooting.
#4. Natural Lighting and Exposure
Say goodbye to flat photos! (And the need for flash).
Your best photos will be the ones in which you utilize natural sunlight.
A common myth is to stand in front of the sunlight to optimize the exposure, however, this may cause your photos to look ‘blown out’.
Move around the light, experiment with shadows and light patches.
If you love that golden glow in photos, shoot during golden hour, close to sunrise and sunset, as the sun is low in the sky and creates long shadows.
Whether your Instagram feed is personal or professional, don’t let creating your personalized content seem out of reach.
With these quick, and easy tips you are on the right track to snapping your dream content.
Have questions about posting? Timing, hashtags, algorithms? Stay tuned!
Visually Speaking Team
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