5 tips for better running photos

As runners, we always love to show everyone how much and where we run — which also includes running pictures of ourselves. But as not all of us have running partners who like taking pictures of us while running, here are 5 tips on how to create your own running pictures with your smartphone.

Find a tripod in your surrounding

Let’s be honest: unless you’re running with a backpack, carrying more than your phone can be really annoying. There are various really small tripods (e.g. the Gorillapod), but they still tend to be too heavy or big to carry. Be creative! Once you open your eyes you will notice many “natural” tripods out there: a garbage bin, the handrail of a bridge, a stump, a park bench, a huge stone,.. Anything with a flat surface that’s higher than your knees can be used as a perfect tripod.

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To make sure your phone won’t fall and crash, you should use a safe case on your phone, at best one with a display cover. With a good cover you can also use small stones to lean your phone on without the display getting scratches.

Set a self-timer

Forget front camera selfies that show nothing but a bad quality version of your face. Most phones already have a self timer included in their camera app but if not, there are plenty of good apps in the appstore. Once you’ve found a natural tripod on your running route, place your phone on it and set your self timer. All you have to do now is run past your phone several times until you get a good shot. This might at first take some time but you’ll soon get used to it and know in which second you have to start running for the perfect shot.

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I mostly set my self timer to 10seconds, then walk to the spot where I want to be photographed and start “running” about 3 seconds before the timer ends (on an iPhone the flash light starts blinking once the timer starts and the blinks in the last 3 seconds get faster).

Make huge steps

We all know the trouble when race photographers just capture the least pretty movement of running, when gravity pulls all your body weight down to the floor and you look like a chubby, unfit something. Don’t be like your race photographer and make sure you look good on your own running selfies! Try to have a good running form, make huge steps and look as dynamic as you really are.

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When you’re using a selftimer, just make a huge jump-step in the last 2 seconds and you’ll get an awesome, dynamic shot!

Use landscape format

For running selfies, landscape format is easier than panel format as you get more into your picture. On most natural tripods your phone has more hold in landscape format and doesn’t fall down easily. Because of the wide format it’s also easier to make sure you actually don’t run out of your picture and you don’t only show the sky but also the surroundings in which you run.

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You can use some small stones to give your phone a better hold, simply place one stone on the front and one on the back of your phone, your phone in the middle, and it won’t fall down.

Post-production is the key

As you go with whatever tripod you could find on your running route, some of your pictures can happen to be uneven, a little unsharp and have bad lightning. Nothing good editing can’t change! You don’t need photoshop for good editing, even on your smartphone you have access to many good editing apps. Try the filters and their intensity, change brightness, contrast and saturation, vary with the temperature of the colours, add a special colour touch, cut the picture into a square, make it a little sharper — there are endless options to edit your running picture the way you like it!

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I use the VSCO-app and mostly use one of the following filters: F2, M5, A5, A6, HB1, HB2 or SE3. I change the intensity of the filter and then try to find “my style” with a change of all the factors mentioned above.