How to take clearer photos with your iPhone

1. Set the focus for your subject Improper focus setting is one of the most common reasons why a photo ends up looking blurry. Focus issues can affect a photo in any lighting situation. If you're like most people, you probably rely on autofocus to get your shots done, which works pretty well most of the time. However, sometimes autofocus fails you and you might end up with an image similar to the photo above. For best results, you should set manual focus by touching the screen in the iPhone's native Camera app. In this example, the iPhone has automatically set focus (and exposure) on the background of the photo, which is why the tennis ball in the foreground is out of focus, while the background is in focus. If my original goal was to photograph a tennis ball, I would touch the ball on the screen to manually set focus (and exposure) at the points shown in the example below.

2. Make sure there is enough light when shooting. When it is possible to take clear photos with iPhone at night, generally speaking, the effect will be better when more light appears in the photo. In low-light situations (for example, when shooting indoors), less light reaches the camera sensor, and in order for enough light to reach the sensor to create a properly exposed image, the shutter must remain open longer. Any movement captured while the shutter is open (including the movement of the iPhone itself and the movement of the subject) will cause blur in the photo, and the longer the shutter is open, the more movement there is likely to be (causing more blur). When the iPhone doesn't activate manual shutter speed adjustment, the shutter stays open for less time in good light. So if you can take steps to increase the amount of light in your photos (such as shooting outside or turning on a light), you'll get clearer photos.

3. Avoid hand shake. Of course, sometimes it is impossible to increase the amount of light in the scene. At this time, if you want to take pictures, you should try to avoid shaking the iPhone. Make sure you are holding your iPhone firmly with both hands and have something stable to support your hands. Any external structure, such as a table or rail, can be used to support your wrists or elbows, or you can lean against a wall. When there is no external object to support, you can also try supporting your arms on your knees or resting your elbows on your waist. Of course, if you take photos slowly, the results will be much better. Shooting slowly will ensure you have a perfect frame and a comfortable position while holding your iPhone, which will help you avoid unnecessary movement.

4. Use a stable tripod. Using a good tripod without any device support is the best way to avoid any movement (and blur) in your photos. This can go some way to keeping your iPhone stable. Of course, carrying a tripod takes some of the naturalness out of your photos, but it also allows you to achieve amazing results, especially when shooting landscapes and long-exposure photos. When using a tripod with an iPhone, I recommend using a regular tripod that can keep the iPhone stable even on rocks or ice for landscape photos. I use a Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod with a Manfrotto 804RC2 tripod head, but there are certainly other options. You'll also need to attach your iPhone to a tripod, and an easy way to do this is to use an iPhone case from Manfrotto's Klyp+ iPhone photography range.

5. Photography with Headphones A little-known iPhone photography trick is to use the volume buttons on the headphones as a remote shutter switch. Remember those white Apple headphones when you first bought your iPhone? These headphones are very helpful for iPhone photography. If you press the volume up button on the headphone cable, the iPhone will take a picture. This technique of reducing camera movement (hand holding and using a tripod) is great because you can take photos without touching your iPhone.

6. Avoid moving objects. In addition to trying to keep your iPhone from shaking, it is equally important to keep the subject still, especially when shooting in low light. Even though the following photo doesn't turn out as intended, it's a clear illustration of what happens when the subject is moving.

7. Increase Contrast in Post-Processing While other tips in this article will help you actually take clearer photos, the tips mentioned in this paragraph allow you to slightly modify them through post-processing. Create crisp-looking iPhone photos. Increasing contrast can significantly improve photo clarity. The reason high-contrast photos appear sharper is that when you increase the contrast (especially in black and white photos), you emphasize the lines separating the light and dark parts of the photo. However, simply increasing the contrast and turning the photo into black and white creates a very clear photo effect. Instagram users pointed out that the photo is bland, although the clear high-contrast post-processing makes the photo look sharp.