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5 Tips on How to take Better iPhone Photos of Your Kids

Raise your hand if your iPhone camera roll is filled with photos of your kiddos! 

I’m sure as a parent that you’re constantly photographing the little moments that happen daily – whether that’s a cute baby smile or a toddler being goofy, your phone’s camera is constantly being used. Even if you own a fancy DSLR camera, it’s not realistic to have that in your back pocket (literally) at all times.  

Today I’m sharing with you my tips for taking better photos with your phone. Keeping in mind these techniques will elevate those everyday moments you’re capturing of your kids. You might even get some professional-looking framers out YOUR iPhone photos!   

1)   Use Gridlines – One of the easiest and best ways to improve photos on your phone is to turn on the camera’s gridlines. This feature superimposes a series of lines on the screen that are based on the “rule of thirds” — which is a photography guideline that helps keep your images proportionate and balanced. If you place your subject, in this case your child, where the lines intersect on the grid, your photo will be more balanced and level. If it doesn’t already appear when you turn on your camera, go to Settings and choose to turn the grid feature “on”! 

2)   Turn off your flash – Turn off the flash! You know those times you take a photo in the evening and the subject has those demon-looking eyes? This is all at the fault of your flash. Natural light is more pleasing to the eye and helps with better skin tones. I know there will be times where it takes complete sense to turn your flash on, but use your best judgement and really try to push yourself to work with no flash.

3)   Crop, don’t zoom – When you take a photo from a distance, it’s tempting to zoom in on something specific you’re trying to capture. But it’s actually better not to zoom in — doing so can make the photo appear grainy, blurry, or pixelated. Instead, try to get closer to your subject. That way, you won’t compromise quality, and it’s allows you to optimize more later if you want to print the photo. If you want to remove something from the photo, just crop after the photo has been taken instead.

4)    Use natural filters to edit – Just like fashion, editing trends will come and go. Right now, the trend is really warm / orange photos. You want to look back on these precious photos of your kids in years to come and have them still feel timeless. So, when you edit, do edits that elevate your photo. Don’t go overboard and have them look unnatural!

5)   Use an elevated camera app – The standard camera on your phone is pretty limiting in its features. There are some amazing apps available for free or for a small cost that will elevate your photos and bring them to the next level! Some of the apps have features that closely mimic the ones you’d find if you were shooting with a fancy DSLR camera – who wouldn’t want that! I’ve pulled together a list of my favorite elevated camera apps, snag the Freebie below!

I hope you can use these simple tools to create better everyday memories of your children. If you loved these tips, share your final work on Instagram with the hashtag #TAPmomtographer! I can’t wait to see what you create!

Minneapolis, Minn. based photographer capturing marriage and motherhood through timeless and joyful images.

luxury photography

Minneapolis, Minn.

Estd. 2013

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