10 More Tips & Apps For Better iPhone Photography & Videography

There are no shortage of tips and applications when it comes to iPhone photography and videography. In this article I would like to share tips for quick shooting paparazzi style, backing up your Instagram photos, taking photos while shooting video, and much more.

The iPhone and other similar smartphone cameras are quickly replacing traditional point-and-shoot cameras mainly because of all the really cool things you can do with mobile photography. After reading this article, please share your favorite tips and related apps.

The iPhone Paparazzi Method

When you’re out shooting paparazzi style, stay prepared for a shot by never closing your camera app. Keep it open and either put your iPhone to sleep by pushing the Sleep button, or letting it sleep by itself.

If you are using the built-in camera, you can simply flip up on the camera icon on the Lock screen to quickly access the camera lens, or as you normally do – slide to unlock – and the camera lens will be open and ready to go.

Instant Cameras

I recently wrote an article about instant photo and video shooting apps that start capturing subjects immediately after an application is launched. One or two of these applications should definitely be on your iPhone. They are much faster than the default camera app.

Taking Photos While Shooting Video

QuickPix is the only app I know of that allows you to take photos at the same time you’re shooting video. When you snap the app’s photo shutter button, it doesn’t even interrupt the video. It does all the work in the background. This is one of the camera apps you will definitely want on your homepage, or in the dock of your iPhone.

Save Before Filtering

By default, Instagram does not save your original photo after you add filters to it. Unless you’re short on storage space on your iPhone you probably should retain your original photos before posting them to your Instagram stream.

Open the Settings app, scroll down and tap on the Instagram icon, and enable, “Save original photo.” You never know when you might want to use the original photo for larger size prints. Instagram actually reduces the resolution size of the photos when you post them on your stream.

Download Instagram Photos

Whether you’re concerned about Facebook purchasing Instagram and what that might mean for your photos, you definitely should be downloading and backing them up on your computer. Developer David Smith has created InstaBackup that quickly allows you to log into your account and download all your Instagram pictures. The process is easy and fast, and you probably should do it even before you finish reading this article. However, the app is only for the Mac.

Upload To Dropbox

There are a couple of very useful apps for uploading photos and videos directly to your Dropbox account. QuickShot ($1.99) will automatically upload shots and video you take from within the app. It will queue items and upload them in the background, allowing you to keep shooting.

Quick Photos ($1.99) also performs automatic uploads to Dropbox with several more features for taking and managing photos. It also enables you to send your photos to social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Retouch

This app should be named MagicTouch, not TouchRetouch, for it truly makes unwanted items in your iPhone photos disappear. It even has undo and redo buttons so you can see items you paint over with a brush just fade away. It’s ten times easier than using the eraser tool in Photoshop. It’s a mere 99 cents, and is worth every penny.

Exposure & Focus Lock

In the built-in iOS phone camera app you can now lock and hold the exposure and focus on your selected subject by tapping and holding on the screen to bring up the blue blue pulsating box.

More advanced camera apps, like CameraPro allows you to exposure lock and lock focus separately. Practice using these advanced features for capturing better photos.

Hold Focus Release

When trying to capture a difficult shot with the built-in camera app, keep your finger pressed down on the Home shutter button, compose and focus your shot, and then lift your finger.

Emotish

Self-portrait photography is one of the best ways to practice your creativity, for you’re the subject and you can patiently retake as many photos of yourself as your imagination allows. Plus since your iPhone is with you all the time, you might want to try out a new app called Emotish (free).

Emotish invites you to take self-portraits based on how you’re feeling – classy, comfy, conked, creepy, blissful, etc. You can use your visual expression and develop your photo taking and editing skills at the sametime.

Another App for Iphone photography:

Camera Awesome for iPhone: Amazing Photo Editing Software for iPhone Mobiles