Phone photography- photography you can do at home

*All photos in this blog were taken on my phone*

We've all entered this crazy time where we are either not able to go into work, self quarantined to keep ourselves healthy, or practicing social distancing. For a lot of us- this has just begun and already we are going stir crazy. Well, I'm offering one option I have explored and played with through all the time I've had off work for flooding, and now social distancing for COVID-19- Photography.

Now I know what you are going to say- well duh you do photography, this is what you do all the time. But I'm actually here to propose that you can do photography on your own at home with the equipment you already have. If you have a smart phone, you most likely have a pretty good camera attached to it, and it has its own editing software in it as well. Most people don't realize how amazing their camera on their phone is, or how easy it can be to take photos of yourself. And no, I am not talking about holding up the phone with your arm or a selfie stick to take a selfie. You actually can do some amazing stuff your your phone if you just give it a try.

In the past, I have had full photoshoots with my friends using just my camera phone, I've done photography scavenger hunts around the house with my long distance friends, and I've done photoshoots with just myself or my dog to pass the time and expand my skills. The possibilities are endless, and not only can this be fun and fill the time, but you can connect with friends despite the social distancing with this, and improve your skills for great photos when we next are able to all get together with our friends. I'll explain each of these things and my tips and tricks for getting the most out of your phone.

*taken on an iPhone using portrait mode, had to move around multiple times to find the angle that looks best. To get this photo I was practically laying on my stomach on a chair. Sometimes you just got to play around to find the perfect angle. And note- this was used by their corporate instagram, and I just shot it on a whim on my phone. Don't be afraid to just try and not worry about making it look cool. Just have fun wit it*

Taking photos at home of yourself or a group

1. open up your phone to the camera or turn on your camera

2.find a spot where you want to take your photo, and find a spot to place your phone or camera (I've used books and cups to set up my phone high enough and keep it looking in the direction I wanted. Get creative with it)

3.find and set the timer on your camera screen (for apple devices it is the black and white circle at the top or side of your screen)

4..place your hand or an object at the spot where you want to stand when you take the photo, and tap the screen on that "object" to focus the camera (or slightly press down the shutter button on a camera without fully pressing it)

5.tap the button to take a photo and run like wild to where you focused the camera

Tips and tricks for photos

In order to get the most bang for your buck for your phone camera, there are a couple tips and tricks I'd suggest you follow.

1. place your subject (what you want to photograph) a couple of feet from the wall, and close to the camera. Resist using zoom, just place the camera closer. With a phone, your camera will focus better on you if you have distance between you and the background, and the more you fill the screen with your subject. Sometimes it will feel weird to have the phone so close, but trust me, that means you are doing it right with phone photography!

*this photo was taken using portrait mode- pets make excellent subjects*

2.portrait mode on iPhone- (I can only speak for iPhone, but I have heard that Samsung galaxy has a similar feature) This feature allows for you to take a photo and have a blurred background. But what is really neat about it is that the phone instructs you on how to use it best! If you open your camera on your iPhone, and move to portrait mode you will notice that a set of words will show up on the top of the screen. These words usually say, move closer, too close, or place an object eight feet away, and turns yellow when you are in the perfect spot. They key with this feature is to keep an object a couple feet away from the background, and close to the camera. It can create some really amazing pictures if you just give it a try. I think it also looks better if you have a background that is filled with things, not just a single colored and flat wall. Try in front of the bookcase, outside in the yard with some trees, in the car, on a bike! You can make it almost anything. Portrait mode also works on objects, not just people! This is where I think you can really explore your creativity. Try taking a cool photo of an apple on a book, or a statue in various rooms of the house. What about from a different angle or hight?

3. effects on Live Photos! On iPhone, when you finish a photo and look at it in your photo app, you can add effects to your picture. Just swipe up while looking at a Live Photo, and you can turn it into a short video with a bounce or loop, or can create a long exposure (that shows the motion that happened during the photo. These can look really professional and surprise you how easy it can be to take *long exposure on a photo on an iPhone* some amazing photos.

4.Built in photo editor!

Each phone has built in it a

system for editing your photos. Now it won't be like Lightroom where you can edit down to the minutest setting or detail, but they systems in current phones aren't half bad. Don't be afraid to explore them. Take a couple pictures and just play with settings, play with effects. Usually the way to access them are through going to a photo you've taken and click edit. Just try things and have fun. You never may know what you discover. *photo edited in phone*

Activities you can do with friends- even with social distancing

1. photoshoots- you can do photoshoots by yourself or with those you live with and share it with your friends. You can even have competitions, see who can get the coolest or wackiest poses. If you get more than three homes doing it- have everyone vote for which photos are the best for each category (key is you cannot vote for your own photo). You can even make it to where you have a competition for who has the best photos or most interesting photos of the most common things.

*this photo was taken on an iPhone using a timer and a rock to hold it in place*

2.Photo scavenger hunt- same theory as before. Get a couple friends or households, or even within you own household to have a scavenger hunt. Choose a couple things (or a lot of things) that have to be found, photographed, and sent to a group message. Whoever finds their scavenger item and sends it in first gets a point, and the one with the most points at the end wins! Since we are practicing social distancing, you would have to choose things that people can easily find in their house. Sometimes having broad topics can create some really diverse results, and remember, you can also make it where people vote for which photo is best instead of who gets it first. (find 4 fruit, make a sculpture, three words, technology, heat, spring, or look up your own on google or Pinterest)

*taken on iPhone 8plus*

3.Gurushots- Gurushots is a free app where you can join photo competitions for free! There a loads of people on it ranging from those just having fun with their phones to professionals. One you upload photos to a competition, you can vote for ones you think that are good and build more exposure for your own photos. As you add photos and complete competitions you move up in the ranks and your votes are worth more points. Eventually you are able to join competitions that have cash prizes and exhibit positions you are fighting for. I have found this to be a really fun and uplifting app, and it definitely can be something to pass the time, as to keep your photo exposed to more people for votes you have to regularly come back and vote on others in the multi-day competition. If you and friends join, you can even join the same competitions and see who does better (or even just help each other rise in ranks). This app is used worldwide, so a lot of your competition is from other countries, and it is a nice way to connect with others around the world and connect experiences. If you decide to join, follow me so I can connect with you! (my user is lrmantooth1219, or search my name Laura Mantooth)

I would honestly love to see what you guys do with this! So if you do a scavenger hunt with your friends, or just your family around the house, hold your own photoshoot, or just have fun with your camera- post it either in the comments on the blog or on the photography page. Just add the hashtag- #lmpphotochallenge #lauramantoothphotography or tag @lauramantoothphotography

You can also join the stay home movement on instagram by adding the stay home sticker to your instagram story.

I would love to see and hear from you what fun you guys are having during all of this crazy time.

Until next time my friends! I love you and have fun!

Laura Mantooth