LEVEL UP YOUR PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

WITH GABRIELLE TOUCHETTE

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Why is it that some people's phone photos look like this...

... while other people's photos (using the same phone camera) look like this?:

That's because the first person is shooting in auto mode, and the other person is shooting in a more intentional, manual way.

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So if phone camera technology is so advanced in 2024, why does auto mode produce such terrible photos?

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DESIGNED TO BE AVERAGE

That's because phone cameras were designed to be as generic and universally easy to operate as possible.

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Apple knew millions of average people would be using their iPhones to take photos, so they designed it to function as average as possible.

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That way, any point & shoot shot will look mid-range in every situation.

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Mid-range in angle of view.

Mid-range in exposure.

Mid-range in sharpness.

Mid-range in colour balance.

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The problem with everything being mid-range is that it produces bland, uninteresting photos.

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These are the types of photos we have learned to expect from phone photography.

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Yes, it allows the average person to "succeed" at most of the shots they take.

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But it doesn't mean the photos look awesome.

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If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, I would bet that you don't like settling for average photos.

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---> What I'm infinitely passionate about is breaking free from mid-range mediocrity WITHOUT having to forego using my iPhone camera.

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Because why give up on an easy tool, right!?

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The good news about how phone cameras are made is that you can leverage their mid-range capabilities to take it to the next level...

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...without having to be an expert photographer.

...without years of specialized photography training.

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This is why I created this newsletter. To inspire the average person to take their average phone to take above average photos.

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There are literally millions of different ways that you can take the same photo. That's the beauty of photography.

It's an art and not just a science, or a mechanical process.

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This means infinite potential.

How I used to take iPhone photos:

How I take iPhone photos now:

Thanks to living in 2024 with modern technology, our average phone cameras are actually quite powerful -- if only we know to unlock their full potential.

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I'm here to encourage you to discover how to go beyond your phone camera's generic output.

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Not going beyond this means you are at the mercy of whatever photo result your camera maker has pre-decided for you in any given situation.

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The best way to start breaking free from that limitation is not to buy a better, more "professional" camera.

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It's simply to step out of the average, generic functions of your camera and start taking photos with more intention and customized controls.

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So if you're new to this newsletter and you're looking to start on a new path to better photos with the phone camera you already own, you're in the right place.

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THE BEST TIP TO START

One quick tip that is the simplest (yet most effective way to start thinking in more intentional ways), is to

---> keep an eye on exposure.

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Exposure is how bright or dark your photo is.

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Our phone cameras are really good at producing average exposure. I find that more often than not, my iPhone photos are too dark.

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⚠️ Don't get used to this look! ⚠️

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Look at other "good" photos. Do they look brighter than yours?

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If they are, fix your photo by making it brighter.

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You can do this in your iPhone camera app before taking a photo. Tap on the screen, hold and drag up the yellow sun. This will automatically brighten your photo.

Or, you can always bring the photo in Lightroom Mobile and increase exposure there. 99% of all my photos get a brightness boost in Lightroom when I edit them.

Screen shot from Lightroom Mobile:

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Chances are, your phone photos could benefit from more brightness too.

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Ready to go deeper? Join me live on Zoom in January for a hands-on phone photography workshop. Early Bird pricing is on until December 2.

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