Tips for capturing everyday moments with photographs

Hello! It's Kasia here today in another installment of Tuesday Tutorial!

Taking photos is such a big part of capturing everyday memories - honestly, documenting life has never been so easy. Most of us keep our cameras around all the time - thanks to technology development using the phone build in cameras is easy and brings great results!

I love grabbing my DSLR to take photos, play with light and different settings, but the truth is that most of the pictures which I use in my albums come from my iPhone camera. No shame in that!

In today's tutorial I'd like to share with you some tips and ideas to make the most of camera built in your phone and snap wonderful photos in any time and place!

1. KEEP YOUR LENS CLEAN!

You can find the perfect light and amazing subject of your photograph (we will talk about it in a second!) but even the most yummy cupcake won't present itself great in the picture if your camera lens is dirty! I have a habit of wiping the camera's lens on my phone before snapping a picture and it helped to improve the quality of my photos a lot! So, keep your lens clean and you will see a big change in your pictures!

2. FIND A GOOD SOURSE OF LIGHT

And yes, daylight is best! Try to avoid harsh sun, look for places with some shade or if you shoot at home try to diffuse sharp sunlight with a light colored curtain.

Daylight helps to create natural look and the effects are very pleasing on the photo but we are talking about documenting life and life happens 24 hours a day - what to do when you need to shoot photo after dark? Still - search for a bright place at home, put the lights on and shot your picture. Most probably it will come out too yellow - you can help it with editing app, or... turn it to black and white! It's a great trick to cover up some color problems in the pictures!

3. WATCH AND EXPERIMENT

We are so lucky to live in time when the knowledge is within easy reach. You can find great tutorials online and learn more about composition in photography, discover how to shoot your pictures against the light, watch the great photographers, search for everyday photography inspiration on pinterest and instagram.

Experiment with new stuff, new positions and angles when you shoot, try to come closer to your subject or shoot a photo from new perspective. Explore your phone camera and it's possibilities and it will most likely surprise you!

You can also invest in small extras that will change your phone photography - there is a selection of fun, attachable lenses that will help you extend the angle of your camera lens or even take a fish-eye like pictures!

4. FIND YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECTS

Photographing everyday might be fascinating but to be honest, we all have days which feel like there is nothing to capture. To avoid long gaps in your photography (but also to practice your creativity!) don't give up on days like that. Try to develop some routine, find the subjects you love to photograph, capture in pictures even simple things- your outfit, crafty supplies, changing seasons, morning cup of coffee or lunch you pack to work.

Documenting small moments like that feels great and is a fun way to stay on track and see your progress and changes you make!

5. FIND YOUR FAVORITE APPS TO FOLLOW

Even if you decide to use only your phone to photograph and print photos don't forget that apps leave you a lot of creative room to experiment with different editing options!

My favorite app recently has been the Color Story- it has all my favorite features in it! I usually pick a filter which helps me to brighten up the picture a bit and if I want to apply more changes I play with curves, saturation and contrast. Editing picture allows me to make the colors pop and keep the white color really white.

Thanks to editing all my pictures same way I can create a unified and cohesive look inside the album.


I hope you enjoyed these 5 tricks and with spring days ahead you will feel brave enough to experiment more with cameras in your phone! Let us know in the comment which app is your favorite the photos and share any phone photography tips and experiences you have!

I capture - fall

Hi Guys!

It's Mira here today with a bunch of tips on how to transform taking pictures into a little game and also I have a few surprises for You at the end of this post...
Are You ready?

***

At this stage of the year some of You probably have fall around (southern-hemisphere Folks – I am sorry – You can read this post in 6 months or use my tips to capture spring), so today I would like to share some tips how You can capture the details of this colorful and photogenic season during a single walk! Or a few!

First thing: Go outside!

I know that fall is a lot about blankets, warm chocolate, tea, coffee, cuddles and other activities that we do inside our houses, but I want You to focus on outdoor photography right now.

Fall light is great for the camera for most of the day (when the day is not moody or rainy) but obviously the best time for taking photos are: late morning and early evening, when the light is bright but still delicate and not to sharp. So let's plan our Sunday walks for afternoon and go to the park!

Now: Find some colors!

Time to play! My first prompt for You is: Try to spot as many colors as You can! Different shades of the same color are welcome too! Document them all in Your pictures! 

Then... Play with light!
Try to take photos against the light

Find it under the leaves

Or capture the shades

Next: Find as many signs of fall as You can!

And don't forget to take photos from different angles (the one below is my favourite - I simply put the camera almost on the ground and take a picture without looking).

Another prompt is to collect a bouquet of leaves...

... and pose with it!

Actually, the most important thing to do right now is to find Yourself in front of the camera! Surrounded by colors!

Don't forget to lie on the ground!

or sit down!

You can also take a selfie (even if it's all about Your feet)!

But at the end of the day - don't forget to photograph Your companions...

That's it!
Your mission has been completed!
;)
I hope You will find this little game inspiring!


***

Now a few words of comment:
I am not a photographer... Actually most of the time I don't even like my own pictures! But You know why? It is because I am too shy to try many things... too shy to explore!
Sounds familiar?

The more I think about it the clearer I see it:
The only way to forget about our fears is just to have fun!
Guys: any time You go outside with Your cameras: relax and have fun! Cherish every moment!
Remember: there is no right or wrong!

***
For those of You who came through all the reading I have a few surprises! I am sharing fall Lightroom Preset that I created for the pictures above! I hope You will make good use of it!
Download it from here: click!

But this is not the only surprise that I have for You Guys!
I also created mini album where I used October Citrus Twist Kits Hello Darling Add-on Kit and together with the newest digital cards and labels collection from CAT File Store.
If You like the collection - You can have it FOR FREE for the next two weeks!

Simply grab it from here: click!
use promocode: CTKFALL at the checkout
and enjoy!

And here's my mini, which I hope will inspire You to take some Fall pictures!

Have a great fall Guys - full of beautiful moments!

ICapture with Chantal Philippe

It was only a few years ago that I starting paying more attention to photo composition and lighting. I remember quickly snapping those pictures like it was going out of style and getting only a handful of good shots (the ones I considered worth printing).

I've seen and read so many tutorials and blog posts on iPhonography. I felt so limited with the fact that I wasn't a "big camera" owner. I quickly realized how much fun and diverse photography with an iPhone or any other camera phone can actually become. Here are a few of my favourite techniques.

Angle Is Everything

This is by far my favourite way to take a picture. I love to drop to the ground to get a great shot. Don't let a little dirt deter you from discovering creative perspectives.

From Above

This is my go-to angle for those workspace or project-in-the-making shots. It's also a great way to capture your child doing his/her homework or playing with their favourite toy or item.

Chase The Light

I absolutely love this photo and not because of the subject (ignore the feet) but because of the lighting. It was an early morning spur of the moment shot snapped in my bathroom. The sun was rising and was filtering through the window in such a perfect way.

Create Blur On Purpose

As some of you may know, creating a blur with a phone camera requires a little bit more work then with a regular camera. There are however a few different ways to achieve it. The photo effect below was created with an old flower vase. I simply slipped my iPhone in it and snapped the picture. My fingers were a little hard to maneuver in the cramped space but this problem is easily solved with a remote or any timer cam app, both of which I didn't have at the time. I love how I not only obtained a little blur but some great distortion too!

Reflection

I had just finished some blog work and desperately needed a break. I went ahead and put my computer in sleep mode and noticed myself clearly being reflected on the black screen. I decided to prop up my phone on a few boxes and took the photo with the TimerCam App. It took a few tries but I finally ended up with something I was happy with.