Five iPhone Photo taking tips in Different Lights

iPhone photography is a huge topic and it could take you months if not years to master all the different shooting and editing techniques. In this article I'm sharing 10 quick and easy techniques that you can start using today to significantly improve your iPhone photos

Photography can be thought of as “painting with light.” The word photography is derived from Greek roots: “photos” meaning “light” and “graphe” meaning “drawing.” Without light, there would be no photography.

These iPhone Photo taking tips in Different Lights will prove handy;

1. Capture during Golden Hour:

When the sun is low in the sky, the light rays are filtered through the atmospheric particles producing a warm and dimensional light that makes anyone and anything look beautiful. Most photographers prefer to shoot at this time of day since it really is a perfect light. Almost anything you choose to photograph will look wonderful in this kind of light. Golden hour is a perfect time of day for taking portrait photos as the light is very flattering on your subject. Skin tones appear warm and soft without any harsh shadows. 

During golden hour you’ll be able to use the low sun to create a soft lens flare or long shadows in your photos. Landscapes are particularly stunning during golden hour.

2. Blue Hour:

Blue hour is the time of day that occurs approximately 20 – 30 minutes before sunrise and the same amount of time after sunset. It’s a very short window of time and is a bit trickier to shoot in than golden hour due to the reduced amount of light. The color of the light at blue hour is very different to golden hour because the sun is no longer visible above the horizon. At blue hour the color of the light can be anywhere from a beautiful ethereal lavender to luminescent blue.

Because of the low light at this time of day, your photos may end up a bit grainy. A little bit of grain isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but photos that are too grainy won’t look good. The best photos for this kind of light are often cityscapes because the lights glow a soft yellow which creates a beautiful contrast to the lovely soft blue.

3. Bright Direct Sunlight:

The bright light means that your Phone Camera will use a fast shutter speed, which is great for freezing the movement of your subject in action shots. Sometimes shadows created by the bright sun can ruin a photo, but other times you can take advantage of them. Try taking photos that utilize the deep long shadows created by bright sunlight. You can end up with some really fun and dramatic results. In general, it’s not a good idea to shoot directly into the bright sun, however this technique can create some interesting results such as lens flare. If you take the time to experiment with different shooting angles and manually adjusting the exposure within the camera app, you can actually use bright light to emphasize shapes, lines, textures and patterns in your subjects.

4. Take advantage of Overcast Cloudy Skies:

Don’t shy away from inclement weather. A cloudy or rainy day is often the perfect weather for taking photos. Depending on the cloud cover, the light can be bright and diffused, low and subdued, or dark and dramatic. An overcast sky is usually perfect for any kind of photography, from portraits, to landscapes, to close up macro shots of flowers.

5. Light In Mist & Fog:

Fog and mist usually occur in the morning and late evening hours near bodies of water. Light that’s diffused through fog and mist is incredibly beautiful and surreal. Although the color is unsaturated and often grey, it can make any photo have a moody and evocative feel. When shooting in fog, be sure to set the focus carefully. It’s usually best to set focus on a subject in the foreground, such as the trees on this river bank. Simply tap on the screen to set focus on a particular area. Fog and mist can trick your camera’s exposure settings, so once you’ve set the focus, swipe up or down on the screen to manually adjust the exposure until the brightness looks just right.