How to use your iPhone Camera to excel on Social Media.
If you are a business owner that has a social media company running your platforms or you are running your own pages, more than likely you are going to want good content to post on your company page. Guess what? That perfect content that you are looking for can be taken from that device that you spend hours on each day.
If you look at pictures like this…
More than likely you are thinking to yourself,
this was taken on a professional camera…
I would think this too. Many people believe that you need a professional camera to get these type of pictures, but they’re wrong!
Believe it or not, your phone is the perfect resource.
Now that you know this and are wanting to use your phone to collect content for your business’s social profiles or your social media manager, you’re in luck.
Being an avid Apple user, I am going to go through step by step on how to use your phone’s features to snap a perfect photo right from your iPhone. Android users, I’m sorry.
The first and easiest step, find the iPhone camera application. More than likely it’ll look something like this…
Once you open the camera application this screen will appear.
What you are seeing currently is the (basic) camera function. So, if you pointed at an object like a pen, you would be able to point the camera and snap a picture of the object.
Now, this is an already a pretty clear and precise photo with great detail and that's the great benefit of the iPhone camera. It does all of the work for you. Typically, if you point at an object your phone will focus automatically and capture the best lighting surrounding that object to give you a precise and clear photo.
However, if you are someone looking for a photo that is eye-catching there are plenty of fun underutilized features on your iPhone camera.
When you open the camera application from the basic point and shoot photo, iPhone has a feature where if you click on the screen while aiming your phone at the object you are taking a photo of a yellow square will appear.
What this feature offers is the alteration of exposure (lighting and focus.) What this means is that in the photo you are taking, you can alter the exposure bar in yellow, to make the object stand out. This easy-to-use feature transforms any photo into a clearer and more focused detailed picture.
In the photo to the left, you can see that the landscaping is already making the photo beautiful, however, using the exposure bar, you can focus in on a specific detail in the photo, like the waterfall, which places the light and focus on the falls to have them stand out.
From the basic photo option, there will be a few other functions that appear on the screen. Starting at the top of the screen you will see something that looks like this…
Located on the top left-hand corner is a lightning bolt.
If you click on this feature (flash) you will be given three options. Auto, On, and Off. You can use this feature for photos in a darker space to ensure proper lighting. If you are curious about the auto feature, this option will automatically turn your flash on when your phone senses when you are in a dark environment.
Next to flash is the HDR feature.
If you chose (on), what the HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature will allow for is a greater detailed photo with advanced variations between dark and bright areas in the photo. HDR combines the best parts of the three overexposed, underexposed, and balanced shots to create a dramatic image with beautiful shadowing and highlights.
Centered in the middle of the screen is another icon. This is the LIVE option.
If you are using an iPhone 6S or newer, this will be a feature available to you. This feature not only takes a photo but a three-second moving photo that is “live.” This newer feature gives the photographer the option to find that perfect frame in 3 seconds to capture the moment with the best lighting and motion that the camera is taking in those 3 seconds. If you want to know more about this feature check out: https://iphonephotographyschool.com/live-photos/
Next, to the LIVE icon, a timer photo will appear.
This timer function is just as it sounds and is pretty simple. This option gives the photographer 3 or 10 seconds to prepare for the photo.
The last icon…
This icon is known as the filter option. This gives the photographer a list of various filters to add to the picture to enhance the photo being taken. Pictured below are a few examples of these filters.
The addition of these filters can depend on the lighting and look you are going for.
If you are looking at your phone screen while reading this, look down to the bottom of your screen.
Across the bottom of the screen, you will see…
To list them all out…
- Photo
2. Portrait
3. Square
4. PANO
5. Video
6. Slo-Mo
7. Time-Lapse
You may be asking,
What are these features?
I’ll tell you…
Starting with Time-lapse.
Time-lapse is a video technique that records the footage at a slower frame rate, meaning that when you view the video, the moving objects are going faster than a normal video. Here’s an example…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdt_6WQEK9s
Slo-Mo is just as it sounds. Slow motion! So, in the video you record, the objects moving will be slower than they are in normal time. Here’s an example…https://vimeo.com/106791793
The video feature through the iPhone is a typical video, without any filters. So, what you record is what you are going to be seeing in real time.
PANO. This feature is a unique and great feature for photo lovers. Keep in mind a stable hand is a necessity to this popular feature. Here’s how to use it…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY2FqNAk0mM
The square photo feature is for those that enjoy a retro look to a photo. Rather than the typical rectangular photo, the square mode takes a 6 x 6 cm photo.
Portrait mode on the iPhone is one of the newest photo features available to the dual cameras on iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X to create a depth-of-field effect. This feature is great for those moments where the lighting is perfect and a high-quality photo is necessary. The photo below is a perfect example. On the right is a photo taken with the basic photo function, where on the right is the same photo, with the portrait function.
Here’s how to use it… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvvXIt7XwXE
So why is this important to know?
If you are trying to improve your presence online, good content is the first step… if your page consistently uses stock photos for every post, your following will become bored and unfollow you.
Why?
People want to see more than just content about your business.
Content showcasing your employees, behind-the-scenes, quick employee interviews, and videos of your busy business is all content that your following will want to see and engage with. Strong content gives your following your page’s persona and when they need service in your industry, your business will be the first pick.
Too many business owners think this type of content isn’t reachable without expensive equipment. This is the wrong mindset.
Think about it this way, if I put a fancy professional camera in front of the average person, they would barely know how to turn it on. People spend an average of 73.8 hours a month on their phone, so more than likely you’re going to be comfortable with this device. Without confidence in the device you are using, the photos and content won’t be as good.
What I am trying to say is, USE YOUR PHONE!
Snap a pic when something fun is happening. From there you can send it to your social media company or post it yourself. I promise the fun content will perform 100% better than your typical stock photo. If you are worried about the content not tying back to your business, don’t. Even if the content isn’t trying to sell, a follower of your business wants to see content where employees are having fun, or a customer is having a good experience. The viewer is going to have a positive idea about what your company does and the next time they are looking for a service in your industry, your business will be at the top of the list.
Optimize Social Media provides social media & reputation solutions that evolve with our clients. As social media experts we manage Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yelp, YouTube and Instagram accounts for our clients on a daily basis. We help the modern business owner implement a specialized social media strategy so that they can make more money in real life. Enjoy our blog.
