Who knew that the iPhone would start its own camera trend fondly known today as iPhoneography? It’s the art of using your iPhone and select apps to create amazing photos. These images are often comparable, and sometimes better, than photos taken with a DSLR. iPhoneography has become an art form and goal for Instagram users (IGers). In fact, Emmy award-winning producer Richard Koci Hernandez is adding fuel to the fire with a free course on iPhoneography available on Lynda.com!
Find Your Shooting Style
“Just this little tip of knowing, […] your photos are going to improve greatly.” – Koci Hernandez
Most people aren’t aware that when using the default camera app, and most third party camera apps, you can tap anywhere on the screen to focus on a particular object and even adjust the lighting. Koci points out some nifty features in other apps that expand on the ability to tap and focus on photos such as Pro Camera and Camera+.
Koci also touches on lighting during the course, a very important part of any shot. Even if you’re familiar with basics of lighting when it photography, this section is worth watching to understand how to stay with a light and work with it, especially in public areas. If you’re shy about taking pictures of people in public Koci shares his own clever tips to blend in with the scene and still get the shot.
Review And Edit
“It’s not about technique anymore. It’s about following that muse, following that creative idea to shoot no matter what.” – Koci Hernandez
You’ve taken your photos and now you need to sort through them all. How do you sort hundreds of photos without feeling overwhelmed by the process? “I’m going to find things that speak to me,” says Koci. There may be a shot that looks bad now, but may look better after editing. Koci recommends adding the photos you want to work with to a new folder rather than deleting them. This makes it easier to keep track of what to keep and dismiss after you’ve spent some time working with several shots.
Once you’ve found the images you want to work with, there are a ton of editing apps that will take your photos to the next level. I’m a fan of using Snapseed for fine-tuning images without adding a filter and I love the filter options in Camera+. If you need an app with a little more power Koci has a few recommendations in the video.
In the Instagram community, stacking – combining filters from various apps – is a really popular way to enhance your photos. Koci goes through this process with several photos in the course to give you a feel for the results of stacking. This technique can bring new life to your photos or help you create the look you really want. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Koci stresses that you “edit by feel” instead of worrying about technique.
Final Touches: Sharing Your Story With Intent
Post a picture and they won’t come. If you really want to draw a conversation around your photos make sure there’s a story in them. Koci dedicates a portion of the course to talking about telling a story with your photos. This is a key part of taking great pictures that can be easy to forget. What’s the point of your photo? What are you trying to share with your community? Koci shares a vivid story of LA using the photos from the very beginning of the course. If your photos are lacking context that people can engage with, this section of the course is for you.
Keep in mind there are millions of iPhoneography tips floating around the web. Some are general camera tips and others are specific to apps like surefire photography tips for Instagram here on SheGeeks. Koci Hernandez’s free iPhoneography course is a must add to your list and is available right now on Lynda.com. Enjoy!
