5 Tips for Better Photos (Hint: Stop saying “cheese”)

I understand that not all of you are photographers. Most of you probably take the majority of pictures on your iPhone. That’s awesome, I do too.

But I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned over the past couple years as I have improved my photography skills.

So here they are, 5 Tips for Better Photos:

1. Don’t underestimate candid moments: Posing can be overrated. Take “real life” photos where not everyone is looking at the camera. Capture memories, not stiff portraits.

Also, the best photos can come from a pose gone wrong. (They used this for their Christmas card. Hilarious.)

2. Stop telling kids to say “cheese”: Tell fart jokes instead. I’m serious. (This works for grownups too.)

3. Ask questions: To capture personality, ask kids questions like, “What will you be for Halloween?” “Have you ever been to Disneyland?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Get them talking, and start snapping.

4. Take lots of photos: You’re working with a digital device, which means you can delete the photos that aren’t your favorite. Sometimes I take 30 pictures to get one good one (especially when there is lots of movement involved). I hardly ever capture the perfect moment the first time, especially when using my phone.

For example: To get this photo (which I love) I took 16 pictures with my phone. I wanted to capture the kids playing in real life, not posing. So I took a burst of pictures, then flipped through them to find one that I wanted to edit. I do this all the time! I think it’s the secret to great iPhone photos. Also, I never use the Instagram camera. I take photos with the iPhone camera, find the one I want to edit, then upload it to Instagram. I get way better results that way.

5. Laughter is awesome: These are the photos that get the most “likes” because you can feel the joy. It doesn’t take much. (See #2, or if fart jokes aren’t your thing, you can always try tickling, or falling on your butt, that usually gets a laugh out of everyone). Or if you are at an event, or hanging out with family or friends, watch the conversations taking place and sneak in a few candid shots of people in genuine laughter. These always make the best photos.

So that’s it for today. I hope these tips help you capture more memories and natural smiles.

To learn more about iPhone photography, make sure to download David Molnar’s free ebook (he taught me most of what I know). He also sends a new tip out each week if you sign up for his newsletter.

To see more of my photography, click here. You can also “like” my Facebook page Alysa Bajenaru Photography.

Have fun, and don’t say cheese!