Cell Phone Camera Composition Photo Tips from A Maine Photographer

This past weekend my husband Matt and I went camping to a little campground called "South Arm" in a little part of Maine.  We were only there for two evenings, but the sunsets were spectacular!  I hope to share more about our camping weekends with you throughout the summer, cause the summer of 2020 is a Maine stay-cation for us, and there is plenty for me to share!

But, I found a teaching moment, and hopefully it will help someone out there make better photos.

The following photos were all taken with me standing in the same spot, just different compositions...you can pick your favorite of the following three and I'll share my tips.

1.  

2.  

3.  

So, which one is your favorite?

One of my "most favorite rules" of photography is the "rule of thirds"

Folks who use this rule without knowing it are said to "have an eye" for composition...but the good news is, if you don't have an eye naturally, you can follow some basic "rules" and acquire the look you want.  

All three of the above photos use the rule of thirds, some a bit better than others.

If you divide your view finder up sort of like a tic tac toe grid and place your subjects where the lines intersect, you will accomplish the rule of thirds and find the image more pleasing to look at.  There is more fine tuning that can be done with the rule of thirds, but the basics you can view in this sample.  Below I am showing you that I set the grid up in my phone so it automatically turns on when I compose a photo.

So you can see in the example above with the grid lines that the two different "land horizons" pretty much follow the two horizontal lines, and the canoes and the tree above intersect one of the vertical lines.  

In photo#1 up above there is more water and some purple color from the reflections...probably my favorite!  #2 there is more sky, but two different types of clouds, and even the sky has a horizontal line dividing the sky in two, and in #3 the fisherman falls on a vertical line adding a bit of interest.  (he was moving all about, not necessarily enhancing all of my photos)   

Now, standing in the same very spot I composed two very different looking photos for you to see...so I'll call them #4 and #5.

#4

#5

What do you think?  Pretty amazing huh?  All 5 photos taken from the same spot, during the same time frame.  (Google Pixel 3aXL)

In addition I wish to add, I have not enhanced these photos at all.  God gave me the sunset to work with, and everything you see here is straight out of my phone camera.  BUT, I will add, that when I print these up, I will brighten them up and sharpen them up in post processing software because what you are seeing here is lit up with your LCD screen, and of course it's like a light behind your photo and when printed it won't be that bright, so I will brighten it up a bit for that reason.

Please let me know what you think!  Share something you shoot with the rule of thirds on my facebook page!!  You may not even have known you were doing it! 

Cell Phone Photo Tips, Shooting in the Sun by A Maine Photographer

I have become a cell phone photographer!

There is a saying out there...something about the best camera is the one you have with you...

Well I have taken that saying literally.

I'm also a Creative Memories consultant, (for 21+ years) and have an absolute PASSION for printed photos.  (YES!  I am happy to get you working with yours too  please just ask!! or visit my Creative Memories website)

So, the cell phone photographer thing has been happening little by little.

Last year I needed to replace my phone, and my number one priority was that it needed to have a good camera in it...cause I LOVE to document everyday Minor Moments!

Please don't jump to conclusions at this part, money always plays an important role in my decisions, I do not have an endless supply of it and a new phone wasn't an exception to this rule.  Even my "professional" DSLR camera (digital single-lens reflex) is not considered "professional" in the world of my peers...that reminds me of a story my Dad shared with me once...he was at an auction and the bidding item was a beat up old violin...the auctioneer couldn't get any bids started...until someone got up, took it from him and started fiddling on it...and this individual was GOOD...and the bidding started and just kept going up...something that "looked" old and ugly and worn...wasn't wanted by anyone until proven that it wasn't as it appeared.  The equipment I work with is never top dollar and never the newest...fyi...(with that said it might be time for me to get another DSLR...:)

So, as you suspect, digital cameras and phones get better and better with each newer model, so getting something new will most likely be better already...it doesn't mean it needs to be the newest and most expensive one...in fact...I chose the Google pixel 3a, which was released 6 months after the Google    pixel 3 was released, with all of the bugs fixed, the exact same camera, and the price was half of it's predecessor!  

BUT, that's not what this blog post is about...I just figured you would all want to know what cell phone camera I use so I shared that with you.  What of course is more important than what you have, it's how you use it...so today's lesson is shooting into the sun.

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF MY CELLPHONE CAMERA WITH NO EDITING ENHANCEMENTS.

We all know that "old saying" when photographing something in the sun, shoot with the sun to your back.  So here is my sample of what happens.

😎

 

EVEN my dogs can't open their eyes cause the sun is too bright!!  Not to even mention my husbands shadow holding a doggy cookie over my head shadow 😂 seriously, there is NOTHING attractive about this photo except to the imagination!

So, how can you make this photo better?  You can turn your subject around and get on the other side of them...

 

...this at least stopped the squinting and eliminated the photographers' shadows...but I'm shooting down on them, to hide the bright backdrop of the sun behind them...and it's not really the shot I was looking for...

But, can we do better?   Absolutely...

TURN ON YOUR FLASH and get down even with your subjects when shooting something in front of the sun...

But this still wasn't what I consider the best I could do...so we continued our walk...and about 20 minutes later we came to a beautiful spot, where these beautiful clover flowers were in multitudes and the harsh bright sunshine was nowhere to be found...

...and I got my shot!

YES.  I.  DID.  !

Please try shooting into the sun with your cellphone camera and share it on my Minor Moments Photography facebook page!!

Westbrook High School Maine Step up Day 2016 Class of 2020 from A Maine Photographer

This past weekend I was sitting in the back of our pickup truck listening to an outdoor concert when I started thinking about something...I was thinking of an event I photographed in the Spring of 2016. My son Joshua had just graduated high school and had gotten an "away" summer job and thrown me in the throws of being an empty nester quicker than I had planned on. He had been helping organize a "Freshman Step Up Day" at the high school but he himself couldn't be there because of his new job. The day was planned using events he had experienced by attending "Seed of Peace" camps a few years prior. The leadership from the school and the camp came together to plan activities uniting students through outdoor games and activities, and I was lucky enough to be asked to document it through my lens!

The part that I realized while in the back of my truck Saturday night...the same night Westbrook High was having their class of 2020 graduation...was that the class I photographed participating in the Freshman step-up day back in the Spring of 2016 was none other than the class of 2020!

If you are not familiar with Seeds of Peace, there is no better time to be enlightened then today!

Seeds of Peace is a leadership development organization committed to transforming legacies of conflict into courage to lead change.

The issues we are dealing with today are the very issues that created Seeds of Peace

Seeds of Peace changed my sons life. Please, by all means, if your child has an opportunity to attend consider it an amazing opportunity for change, for growth, for understanding, for leadership.

The outdoor concert was the Don Campbell Band at the Clambake in Pinepoint Maine...due to Covid 19 and the additional restrictions on Cumberland County only take out and outdoor seating dining allowed...the band dubbed the event...the first annual Clamstock ;)

But, without further delay, here is that Freshman step-up day recap of the Class of 2020...back in the Spring of 2016...when times were just a tiny bit more simple...

Class of 2020 Westbrook High Minor Moments Seniors

I'm going to make this post short and sweet!

I remember when I first started photographing High School seniors.

I remember feeling a bit awkward, wondering what they were thinking...were they nervous...were they excited...did they think it was lame...were they only doing it because their parents said they had to?

Probably all of the above.

One thing is true, no matter how times change...a high school senior photo is a special moment, some might say a "Minor Moment ;) , documented as a forever moment...and in my opinion, one to be cherished and celebrated!

There is no question the high school graduating class of 2020 is in a class of their own...and...every single year when I photograph these kids I am always left with a good feeling...that no matter how things change...there is still so much good in the world...these kids never fail to inspire my hope in the future...great kids...bright kids...fun kids!

The first photo here is my Westbrook High Yearbook Ad.

The following photos are the beautiful banners our town is displaying for these kids and their families...cause as we all know...creativity...outside the box...special...never before...

I can go on and on...but I won't

Congratulations Devin, Deja, Derek, Lucas and Anthony, and thank you for being one of my 

Senior Moments of 2020!!

  

Joanne's visit with the Alewives

I am super fortunate that I live near a river where I can witness the great migration of the alewives!  I am not going to share with you all of the scientific facts of how many and where and why because I can give you a link on where you can get some of these answers... The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust 

Anyways, it's just plain cool.

From my house, I can walk to this spot in about 35 minutes.  This very spot where the alewives pool up and continually try to climb over this particular obstacle...what appears like to no avail...this spot is still a bit of the ways to their final destination...but the reports I read this morning are that in the past 5 days 11000 alewives have made it to Highland lake...that's their destination!!!  (and yes there are still a couple of weeks to go)  

OK, if you look up alewives...it's described as a "herring" type of fish...but I am told it is illegal to fish them in Maine.

Alright, here is what I want to share with you.  In the past 6 days I've gone in to see them 4 times.  3 of those times was at 7 in the morning...hoping to catch some other type of wildlife in the mix...to no real avail...we saw some weird types of seagulls...that's all so far...(when I say "we" that's hubby and I) and at that hour of the morning we were lucky to have the place to ourselves and capture photos and video...and the 4th trip in we went with our neighbors on a Sunday afternoon...there were lots of other folks there checking it out.  One additional note, this is Maine, and the weather is as fickle as 2020 itself :)  Two of the mornings were hot, sticky and extremely buggy...and one of the mornings we bathed in bug spray only to discover after heading out that what we really needed were gloves for the cold and "bug-less" temperatures!!

Enjoy the photos!  I did post a different video on my Minor Moments Facebook Page in case you are interested.  Not making excuses here...but the mosquitoes were landing on my hands in droves as I tried to capture the alewives climbing the rocks.  My husband used his Covid stimulus $ to purchase a drone and he is having much fun learning how to use it.  I begged him to put a video together for me to share with you, so I have included it at the bottom of this post! 

Love you!  Thank you for visiting and let me know what you enjoyed today!

 

Fun With Cell Phone Camera Portrait Mode

It's no secret how cell phone cameras have changed the way we take photos, yes, even those of us who photograph for a living love the convenience of having a camera on us at all times, without "lugging" a DSLR around 24/7.  

About a year ago I had to "upgrade" my cell phone because I could see a slow death occurring with my current phone.  My phone wasn't very old, about 3 years, but I had these pink lines going through the screen and was told by several folks it was time to "get a new phone".

My requirements in a cell phone are easy.  I wanted "the best camera"

I don't run my business from my "smart" phone, I have a laptop and work hours for that...but if I'm going to carry my phone with me everywhere I go, then I wanted the camera in it to be good enough to take the place of my digital camera for my personal life, for my everyday moment capturing...and I do a lot of that.

This post isn't about the best smart phone camera, this post is about helping you take better photos with your smartphone camera...because I believe there is a saying out there that goes something like this...the best camera for you is the one you have with you...

So when I decided I needed to get a new phone, I started researching those with the "best cameras" as the feature that was most important to me.  Nowadays with technology racing so quickly, what is "the best" today, certainly will no longer be the best a year from now.  I should also add, for Joanne the "best camera" is also limited to what I am willing to spend...which will never be "unlimited"

For me, I chose the Google Pixel 3A XL.  I purchased this phone for less than $500, and it has the exact same camera as the Google Pixel 3 which (at that time) was double the price.  

In the next few weeks I want to share with you all some photo taking tips with your cell phone.  Most of us have one, most of us use it, and even if our phones are different, many of them are set up with similar features that it might be fun for you all to experiment with your features and get some great results.  No I am not an expert, but I do know a thing or two and am happy to share and learn along side many of you.

I am also an avid scrapbooker and see some of the questions about photos, especially phone photos that come up in that community...so sharing with you all here will help me delve into some areas of my cell phone camera that I know very little about...here's to learning new things!!

The first subject I am talking about is the "portrait" mode on your cell phone camera.  The portrait mode is an "auto" mode which tells your camera you are taking a "portrait" and to keep the subject clear and focused and blur out the background.  The dictionary defines a portrait as "a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders" ...

With that said, please note the "one" person...again...auto mode is a particular set of calculations the computer in your camera uses to determine what your "one" is...and it focuses on that and blurs out the rest.

And for the majority of the time, it does everything perfectly!!

So, give it a try!!  Put your camera on portrait mode and have some fun, and please please share your photos with me...either here or on my facebook page!!  Minor Moments Photography on Facebook

My cellphone, when placed on portrait mode, takes two photos, one "regular" and one on portrait mode.  Here are my two samples...left side is regular, right side is portrait mode, which "automatically" blurs out the background putting all of the "focus" on the subject matter that is star of the show.  In this case, this is not a portrait of a person but it works incredibly well to give you a very pleasing image and eliminating other "distractions"   I'm guessing I know which one you like best!  (pretty incredible right?!  YES these photos I am sharing today are all taken with my cell phone and no fussing...just change the mode to portrait!)

Here's another example

  But I do want to share with you another image where the camera on an auto mode can get confused...and lucky for me...will allow me to keep working as a professional photographer where I do not work in auto mode.  This next set of photos shows you the auto portrait mode first.  The portrait mode couldn't separate my dogs hat from the background and you can see it kept a clump of grass sharply focused behind her head and blurred out the rest...which makes for a funny photo.  When I photograph in portrait mode on my phone, I actually get two photos, one in portrait and one "regular" or "not in portrait" whereas in this case the regular photo is actually better.

So please, let me see yours!!  Try it and share with all of us please!!

footnote:  I took both my DSLR and my phone with me to Randall's Apple Orchard in Standish yesterday, and I took photos with both, but I have yet to even look at my DSLR photos...let alone put them on my computer because I love the quality and convenience of sharing my cell phone pics!!

May 2020 Stay at Home Covid Lockdown

Hello Everyone!!

I'm back!

Father forgive me it's been two years since my last blog post...

I'm going to give this another try...it's a new year...for me two new years :)

I put together this 7 minute video for a networking presentation with a group I'm in called Collaborative Connections (it's an open group...so message me if your interested!!)

This is my personal photo diary for the past 8 weeks...a few of them I copied from Facebook, but that should be extremely evident when you see them...think Jake...

I am one of the blessed ones, all is good here.

Please feel free to let me know what you think...hopefully my photos leave you with a smile.