There’s no denying the fact that some mobile photographers understand how to consistently capture beautiful images that would make all of us proud. There are others, however, who consider their phone a camera of last resort—reserved for times when their “real” gear is at home.
This tutorial from the iPhone Photography School is designed to level the playing field by unlocking the power of three “secret” techniques. Swedish photographer Benjamin Dizdarevic insists that you don’t need an expensive mirrorless camera or full-featured DSLR to make jaw-dropping images if you follow his advice
In fact, Dizdarevic makes this bold promise: “Whether you’re capturing sunsets, portraits, landscapes, or everyday moments, we guarantee that you will never see your photos the same way again. No more blurred shots, and no more opportunities.”
Dizdarevic demonstrates a trio of oft-ignored iPhone features in barely 10 minutes, the first of which is what he refers to as “Long Exposure Magic.” This one enables you to create breathtaking light trails and other compelling slow shutter speed effects. The trick here is choosing the correct settings so that “all motion blends together.”
The power of this technique and the other two featured is illustrated by Dizdarevic’s thoughtful methodology in which he shoots one image “normally” and another that implements the knowledge he imparts. Bottom line: the differences are striking.
Next on the list is the iPhone’s versatile Portrait mode that offers several straightforward options for capturing impressive people pictures. By mastering these somewhat advanced tools you’ll “discover how to take professional-looking portraits with a rich, creamy background blur and sharp subjects.” So don’t use the OK way when the pro way delivers superior results.
The lesson concludes by demonstrating how to achieve perfect panorama images without the any confusing or complicated procedures. This approach is ideal for travel and landscape photography when your scene is an expansive vista or when the challenge is fitting large landmarks into an ultra-wide shot.
In both cases the Panorama mode let’s you capture the full beauty of a key subject in the midst of surrounding elements that enhance the overall impact of the image.
It’s a good idea to have your iPhone handy while watching this helpful lesson so that you can experiment with the features described as the steps are explained. Then you’ll want to visit Dizdarevic’s YouTube channel to learn more about the finer points of mobile photography.
If your home inkjet photo printer isn’t performing as well as it did in the past, it’s could be that you’ve forgotten a key maintenance procedure that you’ve only used once; namely, when you pulled the printer out of its box and set it up for the very first time.
What we’re talking about is the oft-ignored nozzle check that some users mistakenly think of as a set-it-and-forget-it task. In this tutorial with instructor Keith Cooper you learn why a periodic nozzle check is so important, what it actually does, and what to do if it fails to fix your problem
Cooper is a British architectural photographer and output specialist who frequently posts videos about achieving the best possible prints—whether you order them from a service bureau, or in the case of today’s lesson, you output them at home.
According to Cooper, “paying attention to this simple test can prolong the life of a printer.” If the test results indicate a problem you can then run one or more cleaning cycles until your prints appear accurate and clean. Cooper explains how many time you should perform the cleaning procedure before giving up, and when it’ s a waste of both time and ink. At that point it’s time for Plan B.
A nozzle check works much the same on most photo-quality inkjet printers, but it’s important to check your instructional manual to nail down the procedure for your specific model. Cooper explains how to interpret the information on the test print you make and identify whatever problems that need to be addressed.
You’ll learn how often to perform a nozzle check and problems that can occur if your printer sits unused for a prolonged period of time. Unfortunately, you can go through a lot of paper and ink when performing multiple tests and cleaning cycles, but Cooper has a few suggestions for economizing on these consumables.
Cooper also explains why you should avoid using a printer’s Power Cleaning mode when the Normal Cleaning mode fails, “because it’s very, very rarely needed and all it usually does is waste ink.” We strongly suggest bookmarking this lesson for future reference and making a commitment to keeping your printer happy and healthy by following Cooper’s expert advice.
The last time we featured one of Cooper’s tutorials was back in May, when he demonstrated how to make great b&w prints with a home inkjet printer that’s produced mediocre results in the past.
