LEVEL UP YOUR PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

WITH GABRIELLE TOUCHETTE

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Welcome to Week 17 of 2025!

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In today's e-mail, you'll get:

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PHOTO TIP OF THE WEEK: To Buy Gadgets or Not...

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Searching for Beauty in the Drab Season

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RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE: OK Go!

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PHOTO TIP OF THE WEEK

To Buy Gadgets or Not...

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There are a lot of accessories, gadgets and apps you can buy for your phone camera. Every once in a while I come across a new one and I get excited about the possibilities. I’ve come across fun things like Sandmarc and Moment Lenses.

These add-on lenses can help boost the lenses you currently have on your phone.

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It can give you more telephoto reach (without relying on crummy digital zoom), or help you get authentic macro shots (when you don’t have a macro function on your phone) or help you get more natural depth of field and blurriness (something the phone camera just can’t do well on its own).

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The benefits of these add-on lenses are increased creativity, quality and functionality.

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Also, these add-on lenses are much cheaper than buying professional cameras and lenses which can run you $2,000 to $15,000, depending on what you buy.

The down side? It adds some bulk and weight to your phone. Not a lot, but some.
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I’ve come close to buying some of these iPhone accessories (mostly out of curiosity!) but at the end of the day, I just reach for my $10,000 camera kit when I want to get the nuanced look that only my professional gear can give me.

But what about you? If you aren’t looking to learn pro photography with expensive gear and complex technical skills, going a step further with your phone photography could mean buying some of these extra mobile lenses and accessories.

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That being said - I’m a big advocate for learning photography in its simplest form: with whatever camera that’s on you.

True creativity and skill comes from mastering the basics of image-making which has everything to do with lighting, composition and storytelling.

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No amount of expensive lenses, cool accessories or niche gadgets will make you a photographer better than simply mastering the basics of photography.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping you become a better photographer with just your basic phone camera.

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Removing the distractions of “helpers” (extra gadgets) is the best way to develop strong skills and creative techniques, especially when you’re starting out.

I’m not saying never buy these accessories (you may want to eventually, and they could work out well for you!).
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But what I am saying is this: rely solely on growing your skills in lighting, composition and storytelling FIRST.

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And do that with a basic camera. That way, 100% of your results rely on using basic, foundational techniques. Something that is absolutely necessary for all photos you create today and forever more.

Here’s one thing you can do today to become a better photographer using basic, foundational techniques:​
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Search for light.

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Interesting light.
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Don’t think about subjects, objects, shapes, lines or stories.

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Just search for light.

Get curious about. Keep your radar on. Look for light that is out of the ordinary.

Look for light that is unexpected.

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Look for light that is interacting with the environment in a way that makes you think “Huh. That’s cool.”

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And take a photo. Or two. Or 20.

Then study the photos - pick out the one that jumps out at you and bring it to Lightroom Mobile for some editing.

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And share the photo with the world! Post it on Instagram. Or make a print and frame it.

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Don’t worry about making it perfect. Just appreciate it and put it out there.

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If you discover something really fascinating about light, let me know! I’m curious to hear about how your journey with light goes.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Searching for Beauty In The Drab Season

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I struggle to take photos in April in Winnipeg. It’s the in-between season and things look pretty drab just before everything starts blooming. But if I come across water, a bright sun and some interesting clouds, it makes up for it and I’m taking photos.

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I came across this scene but in order to make it look more dramatic, I had to use the ultra wide lens on my iPhone 14. It's not the best lens in the world (lower quality than the regular 1x lens) and you'll see what I mean if you look in the darker water details at the bottom of the image.

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I could have prevented that by using the 1x lens on my phone, but then I would not have gotten the stretch of the expansive sky and the water all in one frame.

Despite the quality degradation, I took the photo anyway! Because it's not about having a perfect quality photo.

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It's about saying yes to the opportunity to create art wherever you may find yourself. (For me, on the banks of the Red River with the only camera I had on me: my iPhone.)

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I love the play with the pathways zigzagging through the sky and into the water, between the rocks. How fun it is to find patterns after taking a photo!

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RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE

OK Go!

Lights, Mirrors, Angles, oh my! I discovered the band OK Go a few years ago thanks to my husband’s love of music videos. This band’s videos are next, next level. If you haven’t seen their work yet, be prepared to be stunned.

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Their latest video is a photographer’s dream - so much play with lights, mirrors and angles. I’m hoping you’ll be inspired to go and play with your camera after watching this.

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PS: If you'd like a crash course on phone photography, join me live on Zoom on Tuesday.

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