How to take amazing photos using your iPhone

DIY photoshoot tips for content creators

So, you’re scrolling down your TL double-tapping amazing photos and videos from your favorite content creators and brands and wishing you could afford hours-long photoshoots or fancy equipment. Well, stop wishing because you can absolutely create beautiful, high-quality, imagery.

Whether you’re a content creator, influencer, small business, or entrepreneur creating great quality content could mean the difference between boosting engagement, increasing sales, gaining endorsements, and establishing your reputation…or not achieving anything of those benefits.

Taking your photos

If you have a smartphone, you’re halfway to achieving beautiful photos. I have an iPhone 11 so I’ll be advising based on that perspective. Here are a few tips I implement when taking my photos:

1. Tripod. A tripod allows you to tilt your phone at different angles and expand it to various heights and keeps your camera stable and level. I have a 3-in-1 ring light with an iPhone holder and tripod base. Please get a tripod and stop leaning your phone against that stack of books LOL!

2. Lighting. If there is an abundance of natural light, not many smartphone cameras beat the iPhone. Where the iPhone underperforms is in low-light conditions. This is where a ring light, or two, comes in handy. Even when I have good natural light, I still bust out my ring lights. I have two ring lights that I purchased from Amazon. One with a 53″ expandable stand so I can take standing, as well as seated, photos. The other is a shorter desktop version. It comes with three temperature settings (warm, cool, neutral) and dimmer.

3. Props. Props enrich your composition/environment and help convey certain vibes. For instance, if you’re promoting your affiliate link for a coffee brand, the smart thing to do would be to have a coffee mug at the table with you, even if it’s empty! If you’re posting a summer photo, grab essentials like sunglasses, sandals, and a hat.

4. Front vs. Back Camera. The quality of the back lens—or should I say lenses—on the iPhone is waaay better than the front. BUT with the right lighting and zoom level, I prefer to use my front-facing camera so I can preview the photo to ensure I am positioned the way I want, check my expression, clothing, makeup, and every element in the photo with me looks correct. Sometimes, I will preview the shot on my iWatch so I can use the back camera, but keep in mind the screen is pretty small.

5. Remotes and Timers. Many tripods come with wireless remotes so you don’t have to hit the shutter button on your device. The downside is that you have to hide the remote somewhere…palm of your hand or in/under a prop. Timers are a great option to give you time to get into position before the shutter clicks. I have an iWatch so I use both the remote and timer functions to get the perfect shot. Since I wear my watch on the regular, I don’t have to worry about hiding anything in my photo.

Editing your photos

Apps. After you take your photos, there’s still work to be done! Depending on the photo and timing I use either iPhone apps or Photoshop to do my editing. In post-editing, you can adjust things like lighting, color, vibrancy, exposure, cropping, etc. I would argue that post-photoshoot editing is more important than the picture. You can also add effects, animations, shapes, filters to fit the look or message you’re going for. My go-to iPhone apps are Snapseed, AirBrush, Square Fit, and Photo Editor. I use Photoshop if need to get a little more advanced.