10 Tips And Tricks To Make You An iPhone Photography Wizard

The iPhone camera is one of the most widely used cameras in the world, but if you're anything like me, you're probably sick of your newsfeed being sucked up by terrible iPhoneographers (yes, that's actually a word now). It's far too easy to take a blurry mess of a photo, but with a little practice and a little know-how, you and the rest of your Instagram followers can learn how to take awesome pictures that could easily pass as professional images. Yes, it is possible!

Here are 17 tips and tricks to make you an iPhone photography wizard:

1. Hold your phone like it's a camera

via Photojojo

It's tempting to hold your phone like, well, a phone, but holding your phone in one hand often results in shaky photos. So grab your phone with both hands and stabilize!

2. Avoid zooming in

via Macworld

Photos taken with your iPhone lose a ton of quality even when you zoom in the tiniest bit. So instead of pressing zoom, take a few steps closer to what you're trying to take a picture of. You'll definitely notice a difference!

3. Clean your lens

via Gizmodo

Your iPhone probably hangs out in your pocket or purse all day, so that lens has probably become home to a bit of lint and maybe a few smudges. Make cleaning your lens a habit before snapping your pics!

4. Use the camera grid

via iOS Guides

Seriously amp up your photography game by using the camera grid to line up everything in your photos. How to turn it on? Go to Settings and scroll down to Photos & Camera, then switch the Grid on.

5. Experiment with HDR

HDR stands for high dynamic range and merges three exposures together for a crisper photo. You can easily switch on HDR at the top of the camera and play around with it. Here's what HDR is capable of:

6. Turn your flash off

via Solve Your Tech

To turn it off, tap the flash symbol at the top of the screen in the camera app and set it to your desired setting. Sometimes it makes your subjects appear harsh or creates red-eye, so really, it's up to personal preference.

7. Use the rear-facing camera as much as you can

via iDownload Blog

The camera on the back of the phone is much better than the one on the front (your selfie cam), since it takes photos at a higher resolution.

8. Take advantage of the timer

via Charepaz

Tap on the clock icon above the viewfinder and choose to set your timer for either three or 10 seconds.

9. Tap to focus

via iDownload Blog

Did you know you can tap anywhere on the screen to focus while taking a picture? Not only will it focus on that specific point, but the camera will also adjust the exposure and white balance automatically for the rest of the image.