Capturing Moments on the Go: 31 Days of Intentional Living

Back in the day, if you wanted to capture a special occasion you had to remember to bring your clunker of a camera with you and several rolls of film.

But since the dawn of digital photos, picture taking is easier then ever. If you own a smart phone, chances are you have a pretty decent camera built in just waiting to be used.

Someone asked me recently for advice on taking good pictures with a phone. To be honest, I don't think it's that much different then using a real camera. If anything, it's just more convenient.

Here are some quick tips for taking and sharing phone pics (all of the picture examples were taken on an iPhone or an iPad):

• Flash and Lighting. Unless your phone has a built-in flash, always make sure there is plenty of light on and around your subject. Use the screen display to make sure the photo isn't over or underexposed (too much light or not enough). In most cases, simply tapping the screen on the person or object you are photographing will adjust exposure for you.

• Focus. Most camera phones have a focus feature which you should always use. As with adjusting exposure, simply tap the screen on the person or object you want to be in focus and the phone will focus for you.

• Visual Interest. Whether taking pictures on a phone or with an SLR camera, being aware of your background is very important. Experiment with different angles — tilt it up or down, shoot down low or from up high. The best phone pics are ones that capture and highlight every day moments in a unique or special way.

• Photo Apps. Applications, such as Instagram and Facebook, have editing features that you can use to enhance your photos. Experiment with different filters, blurring techniques, frames, and cropping options. Another fun photo app is Pic Stitch, which allows you to create a collage of your favorite phone pictures and post them to various social media apps.

• Share them. The fun part about taking great pictures is sharing them with others. Social media makes it very easy to upload pics from your phone. You can also upload them to an online photo store, such as Shutterfly, and create a photo book or gift with them.

So get out there and start using your phone, iPod, iPad, or other digital device to capture special moments. I hope these tips will help you to be more intentional when you do.

Other photography related posts you might enjoy from this series:

Capturing Memories

Taking Good Pictures (of your kids)

Preserving Photo Memories (what to do with all your pictures)

This is a post in a series called, 31 days of Intentional Living. You can find all the posts in this series here, updated each day in October. Category: Inspirational & Faith