Image via @oxfordcommacompany

So you say you wanna learn how to take better photos of your projects? We feel ya! It can be tricky getting the lighting, setting, and angle just right.

After all the hours of hard work you put in your work, you want to have beautiful photos that showcase your amazing talents, right?! Which is why we pulled together a few tips and tricks for taking photos with your phone to help you capture your gorgeous creations!

Example of great lighting - bright but natural.

Example of great lighting – bright but natural.

Example of badly lit fluorescent light.

Example of badly lit fluorescent light.

Our Top 6 Tips for Taking Project Photos:

  1. DON’T use zoom. The zoom will pixelate the image. To get a close-up shot, zoom with your feet (get close to the object).

  2. DO Use the AE/AF lock. You can tap on the screen to focus on a point. This means the camera will look for that point and expose it, no matter where the camera moves. It helps create a sharper, nicer image.

  3. DON’T use filters! Instagram filters are one-size-fits-all, but that doesn’t really work. It can make your project look blown-out, washed-out, too dark, too blurry, too grainy, and so on. Instead, either use the iPhone camera or a camera app, such as Snapseed (free, I recommend it), Camera+ (which is 1.99, i haven’t used it, but it’s very popular), or one of the many professional photography apps out there to use in-camera editing to brighten, balance and focus images before you upload them. These usually offer filters too, but don’t be tempted! If you do use a filter, make sure you know why you’re using it and what it brings to the photo.

  4. DO Iron your textile projects. Wrinkles in clothing can seem small to the naked eye but will pick up very easily on the camera. It takes a bit of extra time but make sure to iron or steam your pieces – it will make a HUGE difference in the final image.

  5. DON’T use flash. It will wash out the image, because, if you’re doing it right, you’re already very close to the object. Instead, make sure you’re in bright but indirect light.

  6. DO Take your time. Don’t rush things. Finding the right photo means taking A LOT of photos.

Example of a clean image using natural light and a clean background - crowded but not distracting to the image.

Example of a clean image using natural light and a clean background – crowded but not distracting to the image.

Example of what not to do - dark lighting with a cluttered background that distracts from the image.

Example of what not to do – dark lighting with a cluttered background that distracts from the image.

Example of a wrinkled piece of fabric showing up in an image.

Example of a wrinkled piece of fabric showing up in an image.

Check out our video from photographer Izzy for more visual examples of what we’re talking about!