it's tori!
oh hey you!
Although I sadly can't be there with you when you tie the knot or to document a session for you during this crazy time, I still wanted to find a way to help you capture these special moments and make them look amazing!
You can do A LOT with just a phone, but if you know how to work a point-and-shoot camera or a DSLR, that's great, too! For the quickest and easiest option, I would stick with whatever you know best, which is probably your phone!
With a few quick photo-taking tips, some guided direction on how to pose yourselves, and some editing magic, I'm pretty confident we can make some really beautiful images to document these exciting moments!
Whether you're saying "I do" on your original wedding day with your closest family by your side or you're just looking for some updated photos with your babe, I've got you! Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions as you give this all a try!!
wanna know how it works?
phone photography guide
THE PURPOSE
the process
basic tips
galleries
poses
lemme tell you the good stuff
It's pretty simple!
Soak in all of the tips and tricks I have here for you about using your phone camera!
Sift through the posing guide and galleries to get an idea of which ones you LOVE for yourselves!
It may feel silly, but I recommend that you practice these poses ahead of time (or just remembering them from your engagement session if we've already done yours!) It's going to be a biiit more than just standing and smiling at the camera, since I want you to be able to recreate the emotion and style of images I typically create!
Have someone take these on your phone for you OR set a timer and place your phone on a tripod, wall, etc. to take the photos for you! I'll explain more below!
Choose up to 30 favorites and send them to me via Google Drive, DropBox, etc.
I will edit them for you and send them back, so you have some beautifully styled and edited images to remember your day!
love it, tor.
gimme all the deets
three main tips for shooting high-quality images using just your phone!
Clean Your Lens
You may not even realize HOW dirty your phone camera lens is until you actually clean it! A huge struggle with getting in focus and crisp images is simply that your camera lens has some smudges on it. Take a cotton shirt or the little glasses cleaning cloth to wipe it off first! Then, get ready to start snapping! :)
01
Natural Light
A photographer must know how to find AMAZING light no matter where they are. You will want to do the same on your phone for the best images! First, NATURAL light is key! Head outside and find some shade if it's the middle of a sunny day or opt for shooting around 30-60 minutes before sunset when the light is softer! If you're inside, stand facing a window for the best light! You'll want to make sure to turn off all artificial light and just allow the natural light to make your images look amazing!
Do a little test: turn your camera on selfie mode and spin in a circle. You'll notice the most even, clean, and best results when you're facing the window or direct light outside!
02
Tripod & composition
You can find some relatively cheap phone tripods on Amazon if you're taking these yourself! That's ideal for being able to place your phone anywhere on the go, but if you don't have one, you can always lean your phone against a window sill, ledge, or anywhere you can balance it and sit up straight up! You can turn on your 10 second timer, set it, and run into place!
Angles are super important for creating flattering photos. You'll either want you shoot at eye-level and perfectly straight or slightly tilted down to create a slimming effect. I recommend avoiding shooting from a lower angle as it's not the most flattering.
03
rule of thirds grid
The rule of thirds is a 'golden rule' or concept in photography that helps create more dynamic framing and composition in an image. The rule of thirds is a grid of lines (2 horizontal and 2 vertical like a tic tac toe board) that show us where place your subject. They say it is more 'visually pleasing' to align your subject along one of the grid lines rather than simply centering them in every photo.
For a more formal, classic photo, I think centering yourselves will still look best since you'll likely frame that one, but if you want to get a little more creative, you can try positioning yourselves on the left or right of the frame!
01
Focus & Brightness
On an iPhone, you have the ability to focus, brighten or darken an image. Simply tap on the screen in the spot that you'd like to focus and your camera will adjust to that focal point. Long hold on that spot for it to 'lock' the focus in. For a photo of you two, you'll want to focus on your faces!
To brighten or darken an image, simply tap and you'll see a square with a sun pop up. Hold down and slide your finger up to brighten or down to darken. I recommend long holding the focus to lock it first, and then adjusting the brightness by sliding up/down, so you don't lose your focal point.
02
Backgrounds
This will be personal preference based on your location, but there are a few things to consider when choosing your location and what the background of your image will be. Cameras have a bit of a stronger capability to blur out backgrounds than phones do, so keep in mind that choosing a less busy and more neutral background will help keep the focus of the image on you two and not a distracting background. As well, if you're standing in the shade, but your background is in the sun, it may appear too bright or spotty and distracting. I recommend finding a spot where both you and your background can be shaded!
03
some other photography to consider
mumbo jumbo
iPhone: Shoot in Video Mode
If you're taking these yourself and you find that you're struggling with the self-timer, you can actually set your camera to take a really high-quality video and then take screenshots of the best moments to turn them into photos!
On the iPhone, go to:
Settings > Camera > Record Video > 4K at 60 fps (High Efficiency)
These video files are LARGE, so you'll want to return it back to the standard 1080p HD at 30 fps afterward.
Set up your camera using the back camera (not selfie mode), and start recording yourselves posing! Might feel silly, but once you're done, go back through and just simply screenshot your favorite moments!
04
simple changes create variety!
pro tip:
here's how:
Make slight changes in each pose or position to end up with a TON of different images instead of just one!
-Smile at the camera
-Look at each other
-Lean forheads together
-Lean in for a kiss
-One person look at the camera while the other looks at them, then switch!
-Kiss the top of their head
-Kiss their cheek slowly
-Kiss their cheek SUPER fast!
-Nuzzle into their temple softly
-Whisper something funny or sweet into the other's ear
-Bump your hips together in place
Lastly, make sure whoever is taking the picture is moving closer in and farther away for more variety of full-body shots or tighter, cropped in photos!
Now you have plenty of options to choose from and lots of variety for each pose!
This is a must-get image! :) I recommend doing this one first because it's easiest and then you can change it up! Start with smiling and then look at each other, kiss, kiss cheeks, etc. to add variety!
Classic Portrait
1.
the poses
I always call this 'belly buttons together' and it's the cutest and coziest! Again, these are great for all the variety from cheek and forehead kisses to nuzzles and swaying!
facing each other
2.
the poses
This is like a waaay cuter prom pose! Have one person in front of the other and wrap your arms around their shoulders. Whisper something funny, kiss their head, sway around, and tickle for cute moments!
wrapped up
3.
the poses
One person can throw their hands in pockets and the other can scoop their hands through their arms and give them a big squeeze! You can do cheek kisses, rest your head on their back, and look toward each other to change it up!
Rest on back
4.
the poses
This one can be super fun from bumping hips together to getting super serious and looking like models. This is a perfect lead-in pose to getting comfortable enough to walk toward the camera!
Holding hands
5.
the poses
My fave to get some movement into your photos! You can walk toward the camera looking at each other, bump hips and 'drunk walk', walk away from the camera, and get fun and playful with it! Love these shots for those candid moments!
Walking
6.
the poses
classic portrait
facing each other
wrapped up
rest on back
holding hands
Walking
CHECK OUT THESE QUICK TUTORIAL VIDEOS TO SEE THE POSES IN ACTION!
view the gallery
ashley & andrew
hollyhedge estate
wedding
view the gallery
sabrina & sebastian
mercer meadows
engagement session
view the gallery
barbara & joe
forked river, new jersey
backyard elopement
some examples for ya..
You ready?
let's do this!
RELAX & HAVE FUN
I want this entire experience to be enjoyable for you two! I hope these tips and tricks help you feel equipped to document such an exciting day! You deserve to have photos that are a little more spiced up from a typical phone photo for this special occasion!
SEND THE FILES
If you want your images to reflect my editing style, I'm offering complimentary editing of your phone photos (up to 30 images) for any of my amazing TKP couples! You can send these through Google Drive, DropBox or any other form of image transfer! I'll get them back to you within 1 week!
SHARE & PRINT
Although the quality may not be quite on par with what my good old camera can do, I still think it's so special and important to get these images printed and shared! I will recommend a few awesome options to get these printed so you can enjoy them in your home as soon as possible!
Enjoy the photos YOU created!
xo