Take Better Smartphone Photos & Videos

I'm so in love with photography I'm jumping to teach smartphone users how to take better photos on devices which notoriously capture poor quality media. If pixel noise, blur, and dim orange shots with demon glowing eyes bothers you too, or if you're a selfie-matic, read on for some tips that may improve your approach to smartphone photography. These tips attempt to take the whole gamut of smartphone brands into consideration. Images posted here were taken on my iPhone 5.

BETTER SMARTPHONE PHOTOS

Left side lit by a second phone's flashlight.

• In dim scenes, try side lighting with a friend's phone's flashlight feature. Direct flash is never pretty, even from a pro DSLR. Get creative with angles of the light.
• Dodge the darkness altogether and look for bright light or choose outdoor daylight, if available.
• Stand with your phone to a window, not your back to it.
• Don't plan to print a serious image from a smart phone, especially for a large print. You'll see a load of pixelization and noise. If you're serious about quality and printing, get a real camera... or a pro photographer.
• Turn on the snapshot sound indicator so someone you're photographing knows you have taken the photo.
• Get close, take time to compose the shot.
• Smartphones can't handle blur well. Stabilize your subjects.
• Don't even try capturing motion (especially fast children) with a smartphone camera - take video instead.

BETTER SELFIES

• Download a self timer app so you can compose shots without arms holding your own camera. Sometimes face shots get boring, and we want to see what else you can do.
• You don't always have to be looking into a mirror. The last point probably solves this thing.
• Never shoot yourself from the angle at which you normally read your phone (see below). Utilize the live viewer to compose your shot in a way that actually looks like you.
• Don't look at the live image of yourself when you shoot, look at the camera's eye.

The most attractive angle is usually from your phone looking slightly down on you.

A self timer app actually allows for an honest pose.
Hands are expressive! I knew they could do more than hold a phone :).

Don't shoot with your back to a window!

BETTER VIDEOS (same above lighting tactics apply)

• Always take horizontal video. (Notice this is bold, italicized and underlined.) This is how the medium was designed. Actually it's because our eyes are aligned horizontally. Vertical video feels unnatural and disorienting because that's not how we biologically view the world.
• Never switch from vertical to horizontal orientation while you're shooting... it won't correct itself later, and your watcher will have to finish viewing with a tilted head.
• Practice hand steadiness. Try holding your breath to achieve, or use a tripod. Don't give your viewers motion sickness.
• Move around when you shoot long, continous shots. Unmoving shots are boring, especially if we're waiting for a baby to do something. Move in, move out, get a new angle... all in one shot.
• Trim your video. If you haven't shot it succinctly, trim it short to show just the moment that matters. Internet users have extremely short attention spans (like, shorter than a toddler's), and they want the meat of the movie pretty much right when they press play.
• Keep it quiet. Narration distracts too much unless this is a documentary. Let babies silently explore their world (below).

Move in, out and around to show hands and expressions.

Motion jazzes up a pensive video.

Fun times! As everyone else does, I love capturing media. Although I'm used to professional equipment, I still enjoy the challenge of trying to fudge professionality with something completely stifling to it. Anyway, have fun trying these tactics and improving your photography!

Disclaimer time: Every smartphone claims different specs when it comes to its camera's abilities. Some claim better low light abilities, some claim greater image resolution. Some even have the ability to fit DSLR-like lenses and other equipment to improve the phone's ability to capture. I'm just going to say right here that if you're that serious on getting good quality images from a phone, might want to buck up and get a big boy camera rather than hunkering a phone around with top-heavy equipment which negates the slimness of toting the phone in the first place. Just sayin'!

What They Don't Tell You About Print Sizing!

I'll spare you on more complex offshoot topics such as camera sensor size, image aspect ratios and the nitty gritty of frame sizing, so I'm designing this blog to be a simple-as-possible depiction of what your image looks like versus how it crops down if you choose standard print sizing versus other sizing more adequate to keeping all the image's details intact. Most images do end up cropping fine to popular print sizes, but some may not. It depends on composition. In cases where an awkward crop may result, alternate sizing should be considered for best quality on the final product.

Here's something interesting, and who knows why, but some of the most popular print and frame sizes (especially 8x10 and 11x14) may not best suit some compositions, particularly landscapes and close ups where information can be lost on the short sides after cropping. The main reason these crops can be a little whack is because what comes out of the camera is slightly more rectangular than the popular dimensions. Capturing more information (horizontally, especially) is more artistic, cinematic. I suppose that's why the camera is designed to shoot images wider.

This one is pretty dramatic; she made a point of loving that little heart in the window. In order to include everything in an 8x10 or 11x14, their feet need to get cropped, and that doesn't look professional.

As you can see, these crop sizes tend to be too square a proportion for the full ensemble of the original image.

More horizontal just feels more dynamic.

Crop their feet or her back? I don't like this debate!

Take note of the following sizes, which will not crop anything at all from the original dimension of an image. These sizes keep everything intact:

4x6, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24

Some may be skeptic of the middle two sizes and figure that frames cannot easily be found for them. On the contrary, frames of any size can be found at good frame shops. Michael's has a fairly good variety, and a simple Amazon search for the size you need is bound to turn up even more variety on any size.

OR, if you want to wipe away all sorts of frame availability worry, you can consider a canvas gallery wrap. No frame needed! Ready to hang right out of the box, and it looks great on the wall. No glass reflections even. I also offer panoramic options on gallery wraps, and those are super cool if you've got a great landscape begging for a sprawling panorama. Panoramic prints are notoriously difficult to handle and to frame, so I don't even recommend them. Gallery wraps are the way to go.

If you're unsure how an image will crop when ordering prints or gallery wraps from viewing galleries, please inquire! I can even send you a proof of the crop before ordering.

Happy wall decorating!

Choose Your Own Adventure: Being Directed

This blog is carefully designed as a definitive reference for those who care to know or who wish to define precisely how they may be directed for portraits. I preface this content by clarifying that the majority of modern wedding photography is predominantly photojournalistic (candid); therefore, it is redundant to request a photojournalistic style as it is already the default. However, there is one segment of a wedding day (other than family portraits) to which I apply the focus of this blog. It's the in-between "creative" segment.

I have coined these direction terms with visual reference thanks to my fabulous volunteer model, Rachel. Please keep in mind that these styles are intended for the segment of a wedding day from which you'd typically expect direction. The rest of the day is entirely up to atmosphere, circumstances and YOU... I'm just the journalist. 

Completely Candid: 0% Direction

Experience the atmosphere

If you're a couple with a lot of spunk, personality and flamboyant chemistry, and also not fond at all of being told what to do, this style is for you. The direction is that there is none. The photographer follows wherever and whatever you choose to do with each other. Anything goes. This can't really be illustrated in a few shots because everyone and every atmosphere is different.

To note: Probably no shots looking directly at the camera unless you're a camera-seeker. Breaking the 4th wall breaks realism though, so if you admire true realism, this is for you. I recommend involving an activity which elicits emotion and excitement, such as going out for ice cream or heading to a play ground. 

Unposed Direction: 50% Direction

Direction is usually "start here, end here, do this in between". How you carry that out is up to you.

Most couples feel awkward being expected to suddenly express the nature of their relationship non-verbally for a camera (we're not actors, after all), but this style helps break the ice by giving subjects a general direction in motion while allowing them a freedom to determine what exactly they will do with that cue. This is really one of the more popular styles I've devised which 'pretends' to be candid, but which has actually been directed.

To note: Go with the direction, but make it your own. Don't be afraid to show who you are.

Traditional Posing: 100% Direction

There is a forever classic formula to posing for traditional portraiture, and no one ever complains about it. This can be taken up a notch by selecting intriguing locations. I mix these up with at-camera or at-each-other gazes. 

Vogue Posing: 110% Direction

High Fashion Vogue

Here's where it gets interesting and offbeat, but I recommend it only if it's truly in your personality to do something like this. In which case, it's completely worth the extra time and the minute tweaking of arms, legs and expressions to achieve. 

     1. Whimsical Vogue in my mind means "fantasy", choreography or jumpography. 

Severely fun. Yup! Sometimes jumping is great just for the post-jump laughter.

     2. High Fashion "Magazine" Vogue, just like what you saw when shopping for bridal gowns.

Shoulder focus: fun for non-strapless gowns.

     3. Imitation Vogue mocks pop culture photography in really fun ways. Also check the Bride of Frankenstein shot I did for Halloween. I got a kick out of imitating the original. 

Audrey Hepburn: Sabrina

Marilyn Monroe: the tutu pose

Marlene Dietrich

So now you know my mind when it comes to posing. One disclaimer is that photography, as well as posing, is very situational. Certain poses can't be accomplished well by everyone; body types and shapes are all different. I like to assist clients in knowing precisely what to expect, so this classification of direction is about as fine-tuned as I can get considering that everything is so situational. Analyze your personality and choose a style that works for you. If you have no preference, I tend to mix these all together.

Light Brigade: A Shot in the Dark

Once upon a decision to shoot an engagement at Botanical Gardens' first annual Garden Glow (and not quite knowing what to expect), I was stoked to face the outdoor nighttime glow and apply some creative spot lighting. Outdoor low lit scenes are extremely challenging. With practically no light, no ceiling for soft bounce, and the desire to capture the beauty of holiday lights, my weapon impervious to darkness is bankably the off-camera flash and/or spotlight, requiring use of one or two tripods. I was gung-ho for this shoot.

Enter Botanical Gardens security: NO TRIPODS. Curses... Foiled by a public event! After a stupid attempt to hide a tripod in my coat, I discussed with my clients a new plan with hopes not to miss out on capturing some potentially great scenes in here. I'm glad they were open minded and had some faith in my backup plan which, though limiting, still produced some magical results.

However, these low light points need to be considered in any situation not allowing flash or tripod use:

• Capturing extremely dim ambient light requires slow shutter speeds and practically no movement from subjects or camera, otherwise motion blur happens. This limits subjects to stationary poses for clarity (unless movement blur is desired). I often pose couples in motion, so this is a limitation for me!
• Ambient color lighting effects will produce unnatural skin tone coloration. Magical within context, or it can be disruptive depending on the intent for the portrait.
• Tripodless spotlight can be achieved with use of a lighting assistant (an expense not often preferred for engagements), or from light being positioned from the ground if no ledges are nearby... however, low angled light communicates a mood of horror rather than romance. For example, my Halloween portraits.

Limitations considered, I'm fairly pleased with the lovely Christmas-lit imagery here. (See more on Facebook.) Holiday lighting is so ethereal and romantic! What wasn't romantic, however, in this location at the time of the Garden Glow event, was that so many people were around! (Some were 'shopped out of these hedge maze portraits.) Regardless, these two pulled off some great intimate moments, but feeling free to emote in the middle of a crowd isn't something everyone can pull off!

Birth Photography

What draws me consistently to this subject matter is simply that it's such a human experience, genuinely photojournalistic, undirected, raw and real emotions -- as real as anything my accessible subject matter can get. No expectations, no copycatting, no Pinterest board requests. Just a pure and honest desire to capture what really happens. I'll share my photographer's perspective here following my first "birth story", and give some artistic insights should The Reader be someone considering coverage for such a beautiful occasion.

I am very, very blessed to have been available to photograph my first live birth in 2013. Any time someone requests birth coverage from me, I feel blessed. It's such a huge thing. My main takeaway from the experience is that if you are a nostalgic-minded individual who just adores remembering those first short-lived moments of the very first joy you encountered seeing your child for the first time ever, you just can't afford not to have these moments captured. You'd be missing such sweet, genuine, poignant, emotional photographs the hospital photographer simply cannot give you. Every time I remember the day my son was born, I wish and wish I would have had someone there to capture real emotions, not snapshot images by family. Sorry, family -- they just aren't the same! The emotion is not there.

Watching through the overhead mirror.

Firstly, I must thank Mrs. Jessica Flores-Washington (a previous client) for giving me the opportunity to photograph she and her husband, Ben, on the day their son, Benjamin, was born. As soon as she invested her confidence in me to be there on birth day (around my other bookings, God willing), I had my bag packed, backup batteries charged and family members notified that I was on call for the job. I was prepared to shoot at weird hours and be there for however long I was needed. I hoped to be available during birth Prime Time: active labor, delivery and emotions shared first meeting baby.

I don't think I'd be comfortable with this subject matter if I hadn't already given birth myself. I think many mothers-to-be feel it's an odd time for professional photography (also feeling their least photogenic), or that they simply don't want items of graphic or personal nature photographed. To each her own. But in my design, the most graphic image covered is a slimy baby fresh out of the womb.

Birth photography is not about the anatomy of birth, it's about life happening, that brief moment in which a parent first sees his and her offspring, a moment which very rarely is captured, and can never again be reenacted.

I always had in mind to design birth photography not graphiccalle but emotionally. My focus is never the specifics of how the baby enters the world, it's the emotions which parents and families share surrounding the occasion. Those are priceless, priceless captures. Seriously, I cried when I saw this happening in front of me. I cried when editing these images. And also while proofreading this blog post! Faces, reactions, expressions, hands clasping, fingers touching, brand new family connections made. Fathers looking at babies wondering who this baby will become as he grows. It's so new. It's so raw and so real. The best part is that I'm purely an observer, and these emotions are authentic and tear-jerking without me having to direct someone to turn and face each other and "give me this feeling!" That's what the birth story is all about. That's what I love about it!

Dad's first look and son's first look at dad.

As a photographer mainly versed in weddings, birth photography is a breath of fresh air. I love the opportunity to be more personal with clients, to hang with their families and to photograph events with unsure outcome. Wedding photography has a lot of expectation (particularly those I term "Pinterest weddings", if you know what I mean). Being such a commercialized business nowadays, the wedding expectation can be creatively demanding. Birth photography is the exact opposite so far as I've been exposed, and I do hope [Pinterest doesn't screw it up!] it remains a wonderfully discreet, private niche and doesn't get over-commercialized. 

Some things I learned in the labor and delivery room. Many hospitals have restrictions for photographers, such as no admittance in c-section rooms, or only one person in the room with mom during epidural or drug administration. Many hospitals nowadays are trying to commercialize newborn in-hospital portraiture, but these services do not cover labor and delivery, nor are they as personalized. There are lots of nurses present during delivery, and I found it challenging to peek through their activities without getting in their way. If mom goes for an epidural, she may enjoy the experience much more and therefore give me plenty of big grins!

Mom's first kiss. Gosh, how can you miss a moment like that!

Artistic considerations. My telephoto lens worked great: I was distant enough from the action, but so close for emotions. Black and white: this may just be me, but reflecting on black and white feels so nostalgic. Hospital rooms aren't blooming with color, nor is fluorescent lighting particularly wonderful or dramatic. Other than a red little newborn with his pink tongue lashing, sometimes removing color draws due attention to emotion. It's a preference I'd leave up to the client in the end. Lighting: this is up to the mom-to-be obviously, but if she chooses to have room lights off at nighttime, lighting from doctor's workspace casts a wonderfully dramatic glow on faces rather than the fully lit fluorescent room. This is up to preference. I would never use flash during these moments; I would hide my presence completely.

I have extremely high respect for birth clients. I've designed a policy to keep all images completely private for them. Any images I publish (such as these), I ask individual consent per image. There are no Facebook sneak peeks unless the family decides they'd like one. 

I'd love to do more birth stories! Reaching this stage in my career has certainly matured me as a photographer. I love being a pure observer, a true photojournalist. I love being the one who can record these private emotions for families. I love that they can look back on birth day and revisit in-the-moment emotions no snapshot can convey. I love the atmosphere of love and concern which surrounds the bringing of a child into this world. I love the way new parents look at their newborn in the delivery room, an expression which truly only happens at that moment, the moment they look at their baby for the first time and say "Look what we did, we made this! He's here!"

Benjamin Caleb Washington III - born October 5th, 2013.

The "What Will I Wear!?" Guide for Portraits

"Where should we do portraits?" has a little sister called "How do we coordinate attire?". Since I've been asked this question so often, it's time to create an easy access answer you can take with you to your closet. This info applies to any type of photo shoot, although for babies I recommend no bold colors for parents (stick to whites, grays and pastels), because bold and bright tends to draw attention away from babies.

Before we get to my fun color concoctions, let's review the Don'ts of portrait attire planning:

Do Not wear super narrow stripes or thin plaids - they often register weird in digital photography, sometimes creating the illusion of contours where you don't want them.

Do Not wear super short skirts/shorts - IF you want picking-up, twirling around or sitting-on-interesting-things shots without posing limitation. Rule: If he can pick you up in a cradle hold and you don't have to grab at your skirt to try to cover your butt, you're good.

The major DO is: DO wear what feels like YOU. Go casual or formal, it's up to you.

Now for color scheme ideas! These arrangements were created by me, but please get inspired to incorporate colors and textures which speak to you.

Gem Tones

With the exception of Christmas colors (don't), bold, bright tones found in gemstones are rich and beautiful. Class it up with these, especially for an urban backdrop.

Monotone Multi-Shade 

Multiple shades of the same color. How fun would all greens in a forest be if you're a nature lovin' sort? Or all blues in a forest if you want to pop out from nature? Cuz you're awesome like that.

Nautical

Classic. Just don't do plaid with stripes, it's an either/or scenario. Light grey goes with pretty much anything.

Trendy Melon

Thank you, Target, for creating this eye-pleasing pair of colors which reminiscent of cantaloupe and honeydew. Also in the category is mint. I threw ice cream in there because it'd be cool to don these colors and go out for a towering mint chocolate chip ice cream cone.

As a designer, I'm a color-holic too. Checking out paint chip swatches is like going to a candy store for me.

Color + Location + Personality = Great Photos

If you pull any one of those factors out, it's a one-third weaker photo. The colors you choose need to coordinate and say "YOU" at the same time they compliment or add meaning to your location. If we can coordinate that and also throw in a coordinating prop to enhance the fun, you'll have some pretty stunning, color-popping portraits.

If you need further fashion cues, seek inspiration from ensembles found in Gap, Express, Forever21 or Urban Outfitters ads. Or whatever store floats your boat.

Brainstorms for Baby Cinematography

Nikhil crawls at 7 months

If the above video doesn't work for you on mobile, please see it here.

Being a new mom, I clearly succumb to the "everything my baby does is photogenic" mindset. Well, everything babies do is photogenic - everyone knows babies grow like weeds and their milestones are short lived, fast upcoming, and quickly passing. Plus, they're just so dang CUTE, how can you bypass such eye candy? As a capturer of moments, I greatly value the joy of making these moments special with multimedia keepsakes. Cinematography adds so much dynamism to photography. Space. Music. Movement. So special. PS - I term my style "cinematography" versus "videography" because anyone can make a video, but it takes artistry to make a storytelling cinematic motion picture.

As mentioned in recent newsletters, I've lately revisited my roots in cinematography and have been dabbling in hobbyist cinematography a little more now that I've got a little one (a crawler!). I haven't the space in my schedule to consider wedding cinematography, but I am certainly considering it for baby moments.

I'd like some feedback! Many previous clients are now having babies, and I'm curious on input regarding keepsake cinematography. I haven't yet considered how I'd package such a service, but I'd like to know what clients think of having these moving moments captured creatively. I'd also involve some still portraits as well (to be used in the movie or otherwise). Some angles to consider:

• Would you purchase a baby milestone cinematography service?
• How much would you invest in capturing those moments?
• What milestones would you definitely want covered? Birth? Crawling? Walking? First birthday?
• How would you like such media stored for keepsake purposes? Weblinks? Digital only? DVD in keepsake packaging?

Other things to consider: 

Obviously you can't plan a shoot around baby's actual first steps because you never know when they may occur. The design of the video would lead into the appearance that the milestone is first taking place that very moment. In the above video of my son, he was on his hands and knees with some movement a couple days before this was shot. In two days' time, he was crawling in the real sense of the term, but I highlighted some of his slow-to-start moments (hand and feet closeups) to show his journey from trial to execution.

Music. For me it's a huge sentimentality factor, and it can really make or break a motion picture. Creating videos has long since given slideshow-creating photographers headaches because the cool music (anything popular and created in the past 90 years) is all copyrighted and simply cannot [lawfully] be used for commercial purposes. I'd have to explore some royalty free options and collect some cool ones for clients to choose from. It's not the same as that really special-to-you piece you have in mind, I know. I'd have to research what's doable here. I'm clearly not selling the video I posted here, but I've used a piece from the Amelie soundtrack which just jolts me with childhood nostalgia every time I hear it, so I had to use it.. but I wouldn't be able to if this was something I'm selling to a client. Mainly Facebook and YouTube (and probably other sites - but not Blogger!) won't allow copyrighted music to be posted, so you wouldn't be able to share your video there if you didn't use the not-as-cool royalty free music.

Anyway, some thoughts! I'd love your feedback on this brainstorm. Please comment!