Now more than ever people are taking pictures by their smartphones rather than carrying cameras, even during their vacation time. Smartphones are much more convenient and have good quality because of high technology. I like to share some tips for iPhone photography, and hope you find them helpful.

(1) Camera Settings: Grid

You can turn on the Grid for better composition. If you don’t use Grid, I think that is fine too.

The camera grid divides the frame of photos by four lines which run horizontally and vertically along the screen. It has 9 squares overlayed across the screen. The camera grid can improve the quality of the pictures especially for landscape shots. 

Enabling the camera grid: Open Settings, Select Camera, select Gridand turn it on.

(2) Get Perfect Focus

Although iPhone has automatic focus, you still can change the camera focus by tapping the place on the screen that you want to adjust. If you want to lock the focus for sharper subjects: press and hold on the screen until you see AE/AF Lock.

(3) Flash button: normally turn off.

(4) Live Mode: Capture the movement 

I like to use live mode when taking pictures of people or movement. Iphone records a short video before and after you take a picture in live mode.

Then you can EDIT the picture. Tap the Live Photos button. Move the slider to change the frame. Find the one you like most, release your finger, then tap Make Key Photo. The below picture showed how to edited the Live Photo.

By choosing live mode, you have a natural picture of people, not a tourist post picture. For example, this picture showed I was hiking (not just posting) with a bear spread bottle in Wyoming.

(5) Use Portrait Mode

The advantage of portrait mode is blurring the background of the photo. 

(6) Use vertical pano for the tall trees or buildings.

In camera app, swipe to “PANO” mode, hold your phone horizontally. Press the camera button. Follow the arrow to shoot the image. Tap to done when complete.

(7) Get iPhone Photography Education: There are many YouTube videos talking about iPhone photography.

(8) At the end of this post, I like to share a few iPhone pictures of Wyoming, USA and Kyoto, Japan. Beautiful pictures made me happy for the trips!