With the invention of the smartphone, most of us now carry around a camera with us every day. More and more people are leaving their compact cameras at home in favor of the camera on their phone. And those of us who have iPhones know that there are tons of apps to help you become a better photographer. But more often than not, it’s the photographer not the camera that makes the shot a good one. So it’s worth remembering a few simple photography techniques to get the best photos from your iPhone.
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<a title="iPhone picture in picture by Mike Mockridge, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40626458@N02/5074872290/">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="620" height="402" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iPhone_2.jpg"]</a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>iPhone picture in picture</em>
Photo by Mike Mockridge</p>
<h4>Hold The Camera Steady and Use Good Posture</h4>

First and foremost ensure that you’ve got a good grip on the iPhone…two hands are better than one. Put your finger on the shutter button, focus on your subject and steady yourself. It’s a good idea to take a deep breath in and release the shutter while still holding your breath. This is a trick used by professionals around the world when shooting with all different types of cameras so can also come in very useful for iPhone photography. If you can, lean your body against something steady to give yourself a little bit of extra support.
<h4>Compose Your Shot</h4>
There’s a ton of possibilities when it comes to composing a photo, but the one to remember is the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds implies that each photo you take should be divided into 9 equal parts using 3 vertical and 3 horizontal equidistant lines. Elements of interest in your photo should be placed along the dividing lines where they intersect as the human eye is naturally drawn to these points. But of course, always keep in mind that rules are meant to be broken – always experiment with different compositions to get the best shot!!
<h4>Find Good Light</h4>
If you can’t find good light…make it. If you’re in a dark space, turn a light on. If you’re in direct sunlight try to find a shaded area. Don’t shoot directly into the sun unless you’re trying to create a silhouette shot. If your iPhone has a flash, consider using it as a flash fill in daylight to reduce the shadows in your photo. You would take note of the light with your compact camera or DSLR, why not with your iPhone?
<h4>Edit Your Shots</h4>
You can crop, post-process, and share your photos right on your iPhone so why not spend a few extra minutes enhancing your photos to give them that extra je ne sais quoi? If you find editing on your iPhone awkward, try downloading your photos to your computer and editing them with photo-processing software like Picasa, Picnik, or Photoshop.

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<div><a title="iPhone by Christopher Chan, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17751217@N00/1389379381">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="600" height="386" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iPhone_1.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>iPhone</em>
Photo by Christopher Chan</p>
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Using your iPhone for photography is not all that different from using your compact camera or DSLR. The basic rules that apply to any type of photography are still very relevant with your iPhone so try employing these principles to improve your iPhone photos!