I was so thrilled to be asked to chat with Fox 5’s Good Day Atlanta about the emerging trend of iphone-ography. Have you noticed how increasingly powerful and robust our mobile devices have become? It’s replaced point&shoots for me, and with all of the apps and social media platforms available on our phones, it was really a decision I didn’t have to think twice on.
This clip aired the Monday after we returned from the Retreat. I was nervous and a bit timid in the beginning, could you tell?
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But overall, I thought the interview went really well. For those of you who have been following my blog, you know of my personal project: Project Lyon.
This project was inspired by my own clients – moms who care deeply about preserving this very fleeting time in our little one’s life and journaling all of their “firsts” and what we’re experiencing as mothers through this all. It has been such a therapeutic and rewarding project, and probably the one thing I cherish the most. I have hundreds of square photos documenting Lyon’s life…
For those of you who want to learn a little more about what I discussed on the segment (and a bit more!), here are my tips & recommendations:
1. Look for great light. The absolute best time of the day to shoot outdoors is sunrise and sunset. The light isn’t too harsh, and it casts this warm, glowy look on our skin tones. But really, shooting anytime when natural lighting is abundant indoors or out, you’ll achieve great photos.
2. Utilize some great free apps that are available. Some of my favorites are:
a) Instagram: this is the perfect social community for the photo enthusiast. And the best part? It takes seconds to upload a photo that you love, apply a preset filter, and share it with the world. Almost all of my favorite iphone captures were shared within my Instagram account.
b) Photoshop Express: Sometimes when I’m shooting with my iphone, I don’t quite have time to adjust the exposure correctly on my phone. Fortunately, I can correct this in my “post processing.” I use PSExpress primarily to bump up the exposure and crop if needed. Then, I’ll take the image through Instagram.
c) VSCO CAM: For those of you who are a little more technically savvy with your images and enjoy control over almost all aspects of post production work, this is a great app for you. The creators of this app did a stellar job in creating simple, one touch solutions for taking your images from blah to professional quality.
These days, it’s hard to tell whether an image was taken with a mobile device vs a professional DSLR!
3. Think about Composition and Cropping: Many times when we’re shooting with our phones to get “the” shot, we’re shooting haphazardly. Think about what story you’re trying to tell in these still images. Is it an expression? A reaction to really bad food? Or just some really awesome baby rolls that you don’t ever want to forget… Zoom into your subject and eliminate distracting background elements to capture your subject and their story.
4. Keep taking photos! Even the tantrums, the glorious bed hair, when the house is a mess, and even when the lighting is horrible. The best photos are the ones that are actually taken.
5. Build something beautiful with your images: Too many times, I hear from friends that they have thousands upon thousands of digital photos on their computers with nothing tangible to show for. That makes me so sad…. We’ve become lazy in this digital age, and we blame the arduous process of “scrapbooking” to not having enough time. Well, lucky for you, I’ve found 5 really cool companies that specialize in making unique products that are beautiful and best of all – FAST & EASY!
Stickygram – Stickers & magnets!
Casetagram – custom iphone cases
Calendagram – cool calendars
Prinstagram – your photographic prints on quality paper
And lastly, one of my favorite companies that I just discovered – Artifact Uprising. This company was created by a group of talented photographers who understand our need to preserve. They don’t just create the most beautifully rich products, I just feel they “get” us. If you haven’t discovered this group yet, please be sure to follow them. Their lineup of quality products are, in my opinion, the finest on the market, and I know they have more things they’re working on!
