Stuart Nafey's iPhone Camera Tips

Almost every cell phone has a built-in camera. From the quality of the pictures I see posted on Facebook, you would think they were just toys.

There is a learning curve to taking good pictures with any camera, and Apple's iPhone is no exception. Here are a few tips to help you improve your iPhone photos.

Taking the Picture - The camera button takes the picture when you remove your finger, not when you touch it. This is a nice feature to help you hold the camera steady. Place your finger on the button, hold it there while you compose the shot, then gently remove your finger to take the picture. A new feature on the 4S lets you take the shot using the +volume button.

Hold the Camera Steady - It is too easy to move such a light camera and any movement will add blur to your picture. Holding the camera at arm's length and tapping will give the worst results, especially indoors with low light. Keep your elbows in close. Better yet, lean the camera on something sturdy, like a fence post or atop a beer bottle to improve the sharpness of your pictures.

Auto Focus - When composing a picture, your primary subject might not be dead center. Tap the screen on the subject you want most in focus before you take the picture. A blue box will appear to let you know what the camera is focusing on.

Macro - Get up close to your subject, as close as 4 inches and the camera automatically goes into Macro mode. Tap the screen on the subject to set the focus and shoot. It is even more important to hold the camera steady in this mode. I have yet to get a good Macro picture.

Auto Exposure - Tapping the screen on a subject also tells the camera what area to properly expose. Tapping on a dark area will make the picture lighter and tapping a light area will make your picture darker, something to be aware of when you are tapping to focus.

Zoom - On the iPhone 4, once you tap the screen and see a blue box there, you will see a slider at the bottom. Slide the switch or pinch the screen to zoom. On the 4S, you pinch, there is no slider. This is digital zoom which reduces the resolution of your picture. You can get the same effect on your computer after the fact. Here's a tip: I prefer not to use the zoom and get closer to the subject instead.

Geo Location - Turn on "Location Services" for the camera and it will tag your pictures with GPS coordinates. When you go to the "Camera Roll" screen for your picture album, click on the "Places" button at the bottom. This brings up a map with red pins showing locations that you photographed. Click on a red pin to see the pictures you took at that location.

Flash - In camera mode, the button in the top left corner with the lightning bolt can turn the flash on, off or set it to automatic. Forcing the flash on will light a subject even when the background is bright. Turning the flash off is important in museums.

Self Portraits - At the top right of the screen is a button with a camera and curved arrows. This turns the camera on facing you, good for taking self portraits. Or use it as a mirror.

Grid - If you like guidelines to help compose pictures, click the "Options" button, top center of the screen in camera mode and turn the "Grid" option on. A tic-tac-toe board appears on the screen to help you balance your subjects.

HDR - The iPhone has a basic HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature that evaluates the picture and helps adjust the exposure in pictures that have both very bright and very dark areas. You must turn this feature on as it is not appropriate for every picture.

And there is more. You can take video and trim it in the phone. You can email your photos and post them to the web. You can share, copy or delete multiple pictures at a time. There is a slideshow feature. And there are apps to help you with your photography.

The camera is a great tool that you now carry in your pocket. Photograph notes from lectures, prices for comparison shopping and business cards for your contact list. Practice these tips and the camera in your phone will enhance your life and help you post sharper pictures on Facebook.

Give yourself the gift of knowledge and learn more about photography. I teach the Basic Digital Photography class for the Half Moon Bay Recreation Department. A new class begins Thursday Dec 1 and the new Intermediate Photography class starts January 12.

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