I was always pretty disappointed with the images that my iPhone captured. That was until I discovered the following 3 apps! Now don’t get me wrong, you will never be able to capture images with your iPhone that will win any awards, or even be good enough to frame on your walls. But you will be able to take really cool, interesting photos that you’ll be proud to share on Facebook! And all in seconds too.

The first app I’m going to recommend is CameraBag. I am suggesting this one first as you can use it on photos you’ve already taken. So you don’t even have to take any new photos to have a play around with it. CameraBag emulates some of the cameras from the past and in just one swipe you can change your image with really fun results. 

Here is one example. On the left is the original image, then in the middle is the result of the Colourcross camera and on the right is the Magazine camera (my personal favourite!) These effects literally take one click to achieve.

And here is an iPhone shot I took and processed using the Magazine camera.

What is great about this app is that you don’t need to think about it before you shoot then you can just play around with your images afterwards when you are sat on a train or waiting for the kettle to boil! 

The next app is Hipstamatic. This already has a huge following as it’s a great way to take really cool looking images. It brings back the look and feel of the plastic toy camera and is great fun to use. You literally turn your iPhone into a retro plastic camera. It reminds me of the joy of shooting with Polaroid cameras. You choose the lens and film you want to use before you shoot (easier than it sounds) or just shake your phone and it will randomly pick them for you. You can also use a flash if necessary too….all for just over £1! 

Here are a couple of shots I’ve taken using this app. This one is using the John S lens and the Kodot film (that will all make sense when you start using it!) 

Many people consider their wedding day one of if not the most important day of their life and as such hire a professional wedding photographer for this special occasion. This article however is for the guests at weddings (Royal wedding or otherwise) who may want to remember this occasion by looking at photos, and giving some of their shots as gifts to the married couple. If you are a guest or relative wanting to capture a happy couple’s special day in a unique way then here are some tips and tricks.

1. Plan and Prep: Planning and preparing yourself before the wedding can help you perform better on the day.

(2 months before)

• Ask the bride if she wouldn’t mind you photographing her wedding.
• Does she have a professional photographer? if yes, you need to make sure not to interfere.
• Show her a list of potential shots and ask her which she would allow you to take.

(1 week or so before the wedding)

• Ask for an itenary of the days events.
• Find out if you can take photos at the location and if you can use flash.
• Check that your camera and equipment is in good working order.  

(On the day)

• Make sure you have: extra film, extra batteries, extra camera(s), a helping hand, a tripod,  a watch, directions and the schedule.
• Have a list of potential shots handy to make sure you don’t miss any.
• Arrive early to photograph things like the empty venue or the flowers arriving etc.

 2. Divide and Conquer: There are more shots to take than one person can usually manage alone.  Sharing the task means you can relax a little and will be more likely to capture every moment.

• A friend can take notes, hold stuff like extra cameras, shoot along side you or from another vantage point, and help find and organize group shots for you.
• If you don’t have a friend with you, buy disposable cameras to place on reception tables for guests to take photos then collect them at the end of the day.
• Write down e-mail addresses of people also taking photos to swap pictures. 

3. Placement and Direction: Most times as long as you’re giving clear and polite instructions people will happily ablige.

• Anticipate spots where things will happen and position yourself before a crowd forms.
• If necessary call out specific people and give specific instructions (something like a crooked tie or piece of spinach in the brides teeth can and will steal the show in a group shot)
• For formal shots make sure you let them know when you’re about to snap the shot.
• Move around.  Later you will be glad you took several similar shots but from slightly different angles.

4. The Perfect Shots: Perfect shots are the ones that look both beautiful and natural.  They capture key moments in the day like the couple’s vows or first dance.  Consider all the elements to increase your chances of taking lots of these.

• If you think you’ve missed something important like the perfect shot of the cake cutting, you could ask the couple if they’ll do it again.
• If you know the guests and families personally, you will have a special advantage as a photographer.  Try and capture people in their natural looks, if they are goofy and outgoing make sure to get those pictures of them dancing! 
• Take lots of pictures or use bursts.  This will give you several photos of the same thing taken fractions of a second apart.  This could be the difference between a blinking bride and the perfect shot.

 5. The Special and Artistic Extras:  After the perfect shots come the special extra shots that capture the feel of the day without being completely necessary.  These include artistic shots and fun candid shots.  Some of the most beautiful pictures from weddings are of things, places, and people who have some sentimental significance to the couple.  Everything from the flowers to the vicar should be thought of as potential material.

• Think about the bride and groom and consider setting up shots that show off their personalities.
• Keep an eye out for cute children and good lighting as both usually perform well in wedding photography.
• Consider the opposite shot to the obvious shots (if you shoot a photo of the bride and groom from behind the vicar, consider having your friend shoot one from the organ loft). 

Here a few examples for shots that will help.  Create your own list depending on the type of wedding you’re photographing and of course how close you are to the couple.

Shots before the Ceremony

• Wedding gown lying over a chair or hanging on a door
• A close up of the bride’s shoes peeking out from under the dress
• Bridesmaids shoes in a row
• Grooms men dressed and posing

At the ceremony:

• Guests walking into the venue
• Groom seeing bride for first time
• Close up of  couples hands
• Guests throwing confetti/rose petals/birdseed

During the Reception

• Outside the reception venue
• Arrival of the Bride & Groom
• Table centrepieces
• Musicians or DJ

Have fun photographing at your next wedding! View some great examples of wedding photobooks at the KoodibooK Library

When talking about getting the right colours in your photos the best place to start is to talk about White Balance. If you don’t know what white balance is, how to adjust it on your camera or why you would want to in the first place, have no fear, we’re here to help.

Adjusting the white balance in photos can actually make a huge difference in the visual experience of looking at the photo. The correct white balance in a photo means that what you saw with your naked eye matches what is represented in the photo.

You may ask why the camera doesn’t automatically capture the same colours that you see? After all, you are looking at the same thing your camera is looking at right? Wrong!

The human eye actually processes then adjusts the colours you see to take into account the type of light and conditions under which it is working. While some cameras have an auto feature that makes a guess as to the type of light, these cameras are yet to replicate the level of adjustment to light that the human eye is capable of. This simply means, different light sources produce different “colours” or “temperatures” of light. This is due to the different ways or extents to which they bend or make light (a lesson for another day perhaps!). What you need to know is how to correct some of the most frequently used types of light.

Thinking of the light as temperature may help you understand how to adjust the white balance. Like a room, if the photo is “cooler” (everything seems to have tints of blues, greens, or grays) then you are going to need to “heat up” the photo by adjusting the settings to warmer. The opposite is true if the photo is “warmer” (everything seems to have a tint of reds, pinks, oranges, or yellows).

Here are some of the basic types of light you may encounter. Most cameras have some or all of these settings. It may be worth checking your camera’s manual to find out more.

Tungsten- These are lights and lamps that use bulbs or incandescent light. If you’ve ever looked extra pink or maybe even orange in a photo, you probably took them with a few lamps on or next to bulb lights. The tungsten setting on your camera is usually identified with a light bulb. Using this will cool down this “warm” lighting.

Fluorescent- Fluorescent lights are lights that use the chemical fluorine or other similar chemicals to produce a light. Fluorescent lights are what are usually used in industrial buildings such as schools or offices. The Fluorescent setting on your camera is usually identified with a rectangular light source with rays coming off the top and bottom. Much like the lights sometimes used in changing rooms fluorescent lights can make your skin appear gray, green or bluish. Using the Fluorescent setting will warm up this “cool” lighting.

Daylight/Sunny- Daylight is not always a setting on every camera but if you have it the conditions can best be described as your normal setting. It is self-explanatory so we won’t waste time telling you anything other than, if you’re an adamant auto-setting user and find yourself standing in nice pleasant midday sun, give it a try. It’s always good to try it and see the difference between the two.

Cloudy- Cloudy settings are usually cooler. The setting for cloudy days is very similar to the setting for fluorescent lights except cloudy days can require even more “warming up” than fluorescent lights.

Flash-The Flash setting for white balance is symbolized by a bolt of lightening. It takes the cooler temperature of the burst of flash from your camera or an attached flash and warms it up. The flash setting warms up a cool situation and is somewhere between the daylight cool and the cooler cloudy day situation.

Shade-the shade setting for white balance is symbolized by a house with diagonal lines from the side to the ground next to it. This setting is typically the coolest of the setting and provides the most warming up of all the normal settings.

Manual Adjustments:

Most cameras have preset white balance controls that will do the trick of making your whites whiter but if you have a super fancy camera such as a DSLR or high end point and shoot you may have a manual adjustment for making your whites precisely white. Simply take a photo then select which part of the photo is supposed to be true white then the camera will make an adjustment. If you are shooting something like a wedding and want to make sure the whites look their whitest you can spend a little cash on some white (or grey) cards that you can photograph to make sure you’re actually photographing something that is true white. A cheaper option is to photograph a piece of white computer paper.

Exceptions to the rules: Sometimes you may not want your whites to be exactly as you saw them. There is no rule that says you cannot use any of the settings for a different condition than it was intended. Using the opposite settings as recommended can intensify the colours making whites redder or bluer depending on which way you take them. Feel free to try it out!

Websites with some good tables for the icons and temperature differences can be found  here.

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally. Create a photo book today!

One of the most well known rules of photography is The Rule of Thirds. This rule is used in all forms of art to explain how to create a visually pleasing image.  The rule of thirds was around in art before photography even existed. This technique can be traced as far back as 1797 and some believe it goes back even further.  It was believed that for a composition to seem more pleasing and interesting, an imaginary grid of nine equal parts should be drawn and the most important information should be placed in the outer thirds and along the four intersections. This is illustrated below.

Do

Place  the main point of interest and other important elements near the intersections of vertical and horizontal lines at 1/3 points of the frame.

Don’t

A simpler explanation of the rule of thirds is, “Don’t put your most important information right in the middle of the shot.”

Try and avoid “floating”parts of your image or not anchoring some point of the information to one of the lines in the frame.  Avoid putting visual information in the 5th square (dead centre).

Questions to ask when thinking about the rule of thirds:

• What are the most important areas of visual information in my shot?
• Where am I going to put those?

The Rule of Thirds: Take it? Or Leave it?

Like most rules, breaking the rule of thirds can be just as satisfactory or interesting as upholding it.  It is best to play around and experiment to find a shot that best suits what you’re aiming to do with the photo and your particular subject matter. Remember, the rule of thirds became a rule because people agreed it just looked good.

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible when you create a photo book.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally. Create a photo book here!

Have you ever framed the perfect shot of someone at sunset or of your family in front of the fire only to later look at the shot and find everyone’s faces completely shaded over?  Or are you sick of deleting red-eyes from your photos every time?  Where your camera is located relative to the light source and subject makes all the difference in avoiding these unwanted scenarios.  The difference between an average photo and a fantastic photo can come down to something as simple as the angle and position from which you shoot the photo.  Here is a basic tip for positioning yourself and your camera.

This may seem obvious but try to always have the light source behind you and facing your subject.  This will illuminate the subject, revealing maximum detail without interfering with the balance of light in the photo.  We say try because while this is ideal, various factors such as people, availability of light and geographical limitations (well you can’t move the mountains or the sun!) can make this impossible or impractical.  Photographing people who have a bright light source shining in their faces may illuminate the subjects but may also give you a picture full of squinting faces.  And of course if you are taking a photo of a sunset over a mountain there is no point in trying to take a photo with the light behind you.

So the next time you pick your camera (or phone) to take a shot, remember…positioning yourself well will make a difference! See more photography tips here.

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience when you make your own personalised photo book.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.

Taking photos during the holiday season is always a great idea as it means you can look back at these photos and remember the great time you had.  Here are just 6 occasions where you may want to keep your camera handy:

1. Turning on the Christmas lights: whether it is a celebrity turning on the lights in your local area or a local hero, this is always an exciting time and a great opportunity to take photos.
2. Decorating the Christmas tree: capture many photos from when the tree arrives to when all the decorations are up and the tree is lighted.
3. Visiting the Christmas market: mulled wine, nice food and decorations? Christmas markets are certainly excellent places to capture the spirit of the season.
4. First snow: We all get excited about this.  Take photos of snow covered trees, roofs, and snowmen (if there is enough snow!).
5. Parties: Everyone lets loose at parties so whether they are office parties or family parties, keep your camera handy for memorable shots.
6. Christmas day: There should be no reminders necessary to take photos on this day.  It will be a shame not to have your camera ready on Christmas day.  Photos of family and friends opening gifts as well as the huge Christmas feast will be great for remembering the day.

By the end of the season, you should have a collection of photos, which you can use to create a great photo book. Happy holidays! KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with personalised photo book creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.

Maybe you have a friend who always shoves the camera in your face? Or an uncle who yells until all the cousins are squashed together uncomfortably saying cheese. If you are a reluctant photographer for these sorts of reasons, here are some tips to boost your confidence without making you into into the paparazzi friend.

1. Start at Home:

Sometimes the best way to get started photographing is to start small and start where you’re most comfortable. For most of us this means in our house.  Spend an hour walking around your house (inside and out) taking pictures. Take some wide shots of whole rooms or the whole front of your house, and some close up shots of everything from a flower to a bowl of cereal.  Not only will taking lots of pictures get you more comfortable with the camera, you may also capture some good shots of familiar things which will boost your confidence.

2. Carry your Camera everywhere:

It is a good idea to carry a camera around and look for photographic opportunities.  Shooting some pictures on the move will get you comfortable taking pictures with people around.  Keep on practicing and you’ll be snapping group shots in no time.

3. Offer your assistance:

One of the main reasons people feel uncomfortable photographing others is because they don’t want to bother their friends or seem bossy. You can start by volunteering!  If you see families or people trying to take a picture of themselves or their family at a public place such as a museum, tourist venue etc,offer to take the photo for them.  This gesture will give you a chance to shoot groups.

4. First Subject selection:

It’s a good idea to start with a trustworthy friend or family member when you’re trying to build up your confidence.  Children, especially 7-10 year olds, can make great subjects.   Start by photographing them sitting still, like a school portrait.  If you start to get nervous talk about something completely unrelated.  Try giving them some directions.   If you feel uncomfortable about asking a family member or friend if you could take their photo, offer them free photos in exchange for their time.

5. Directing a crowd:

Ever heard the expression “It’s like herding cats”?  Some people feel this way about group shots or giving directions while shooting photos.  In order to ease the process, remember these three things:

1) Have a plan-If you have an idea in your mind about where you want people it will be easier to communicate what to do.

2) Speak up – Be loud enough for everyone to hear and don’t be afraid to give specific people instructions.  Remember to say something positive afterwards like, “Mom, move towards Dad and put your hand down by your side…That’s perfect.”

3) Sight lines – It’s a good idea to ask the group if everyone can see your lens before taking a photo, this ensures that every one’s face will be seen.

Becoming a confident photographer doesn’t happen over night. For one thing, if friends and family members aren’t used to seeing you wield a camera and snap photos they might have a reaction to your sudden interest. The attention might even make you a little more self-conscious but just remember; when they see those amazing photos, they will not only be helpful but also thankful for your new hobby.

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.

As most parents know, getting a photo of your children that you can proudly display on your desk at work can sometimes feel like an impossible feat.

Before you give up on trying, consider these few tips to enable you to capture your little bundles of joy without inducing tears or tantrums.

Tip 1: Camera Casual

If your children seem to freeze or strike ridiculous poses every time you take out a camera then start by making them feel more comfortable around your camera.  Try carrying your camera around always or better yet ask your child to carry it for you (shock proof cameras are good for this).  As your camera becomes a normal part of you and your children’s lives, start taking a few shots a day.  You can increase the number of shots per day as they become more used to being photographed.

Tip 2: Let them decide

A child’s discomfort in a photo can ruin an otherwise great shot.  One of the best ways to ensure that you have their whole-hearted cooperation is to negotiate with them.  Agree that if they follow your instructions for some “fancy” photos (desk-worthy) you’ll shoot some just the way they want.  Let them choose exactly what they want to wear and do.

While allowing your kids to choose how they want some of their photos to be taken may seem like a silly idea, they can occasionally yield some truly heart-warming shots.  At the very least they provide some dynamite photos to show at their wedding someday. Either way, compromising with kids when taking their picture is a win-win situation.

Tip 3: Make it a fun experience

Photo taking does not need to seem like a chore for your kids. Depending on the ages of your kids, taking turns as the photographer is a great way for them to have fun while you get exactly what you want.  Snap photos of them and in turn show them what to do when it’s their turn. Children also learn a lot about following instructions through this.

Once you’ve shot an agreed number of photos, hand them the camera and remind them what to do.  Don’t forget to act as compliant with your photographer as you’d like them to be for you. Children often exaggerate the tone or attitude of their photographer when it’s their turn. In the process you may even learn a thing or two about how they perceive you.   Allowing children to take a turn as the photographer will usually make them more willing to take direction when it’s your turn to photograph.

Tip 4: Natural is the way to go

If your children often get fussy when being photographed, then this may be because they are doing or wearing something that makes them feel uncomfortable (could be a frilly dress or a contrived pose). Children do not like being fake and let’s face it, forced posed photos are less appealing. Snap photos of them when they are in their natural and comfortable state. It is the self-awareness that can actually induce the tantrums and panic.

Tip 5: Capture the Little Moments

Many parents get discouraged when they can’t get their kids to look and act like perfect little people.  If you’re one of these parents then we’ve got news for you. Savour their spirit, and capture it (muddy faces, angry pouts, those are the things you’ll miss).  One of the reasons we want to capture our children’s lives in photos more than our own is because they make us laugh and drive us crazy all at once.  These are the pictures that portray who they really are and this is what you should be trying to capture.

KoodibooK is about sharing your memories and making inspiring designs while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The Free photobook software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be published anywhere.

Photo credit: ALANIS by Mailgomad, Dustin & Makayla by xCrimsonregret and Kids by lAliusl