Professional Photography with your iPhone
Photography with your iPhone
Recently, I sold my profession digital (DSLR) camera. Times are tough and you do what you have to do. In every situation, there is an opportunity to grow. And I found out that necessity is the mother of invention. For me, (and maybe for you too) it is necessary that I record moments with a camera. I can't explain where that drive comes from, but it is as real as breathing for me. So, using just the camera on my iPhone, I set up a simple in home studio and began shooting professional quality images. You can too!
Just remember this one rule of thumb:
it is not the equipment that makes the photographer. A true photographer can make do with any equipment on hand.
The camera in the iPhone is nothing to sneeze at! The iPhone 4s camera has 8 megapixels, (3264 X 2448). That resolution is good enough to yield excellent quality results! But, don't just take my work for it... the proof is in the pudding. The iPhone 5 camera has improved low light performance with better noise reduction, wow!
By the time the sun went down the very first day without my professional DSLR camera, I was feeling the loss. The sunset was particularly beautiful that day... So, just like everyone who lives in this technological age... I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a picture.
Although, I had taken photographs with my phone before, this was different. This was my one and only camera now. From that moment on, I began to embrace iPhoneography! It turns out there is an entire pop culture of photographers that use their iPhone as their primary tool for digital photography.
With my iPhone 4s and some simple household tools, I began to construct a simple in home studio.
- Solicit work from friends - Ask people that you know who are bloggers if you can shoot photos for them. (It is great practice and no harm done if it doesn't work out).
- Material - Use whatever you can get your hands on. My first assignment was to photograph beach glass. Easy! I had some beach glass and other beach-y decor items that I could use.
- Natural Lighting - I choose a window facing south, (or whichever window in your house gets the best natural light).
- Add Lighting - For extra lighting a grabbed my DeWalt flashlight. I can position the light wherever I want without holding it.
It was that simple. The resulting photograph looks so professional that nobody can tell what type of camera I used.
I started researching more affordable tools to equip my iPhone. As a recovering camera-shop-aholic, it was the obvious evolution for me. The following is a cool link to some awesome accessories for the iPhone. CAUTION: even if you are a professional DSLR snob, you will want to fill up a shopping cart with some of these cool gadgets!
No matter what your circumstances may be, there is always a way to meet the challenges head on. My love for photography is not going away and I will find a way to create with whatever tools I have at my disposal. I hope that my story and tips will inspires you!
