iPhone photography

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone
Photography

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

by Jill
written by Jill

By far, the coolest thing to come out of releasing my Picture Play eBook back in November, has been seeing all of the incredible edits that people have been doing since they’ve read it.

Inside the Picture Play Facebook group (you get access with your purchase, no extra fee!) readers have been sharing photos ever single day.

I’m totally blown away.

If you’re still feeling frustrated with your phone photography and editing skills, take a look at what’s possible with just your iPhone or Android and some super cheap or free apps.

It’s incredible just how much ambiance you can bring out in a photo like this one! And did you see the disappearing act in the bottom left corner? Love it! Photo by: Sharon C.

Cheers! This one was shared with the caption: “Not only good for picture of our kids, right?” Right! Photo by: Krystyn

This photo was taken from a cruise ship as they sailed past. Can you believe the difference?? Photo by: Becci L.

That sunshine makes nap time something special. What a moment! Photo by: Sharon C.

More sunshine! A gloomy day turned bright and cheerful. Magic. 😉 Photo by: Calley P.

I LOVE all the colors brought to life in this edit. Another tiny moment made into something truly special. That light makes all the difference, don’t you think? Photo by: Megan H.

These are just a tiny handful of the photos that readers have been posting in the Picture Play group. There are HUNDREDS more inside. If you’re ready to take your phone photography skills to the next level, click here to learn more about the book and check out the reviews (up to 50 now!) that people have left.

Picture Play is a 161-page eBook, dedicated to phone photography and editing.

Download your copy at ShopBabyRabies.com and jump inside the group with us too. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

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I Wrote An eBook And Here's What People Have To Say About It
Photography

I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is What People Are Saying About It

by Jill
written by Jill

Over the last year, as we’ve been travelling in our RV, I’ve had it in my head that I would write an eBook teaching people techniques for taking and editing photos using only their phones.

Last Friday, that book, Picture Play, officially released to the world and the response has been incredible.

Photography is something I get asked about a lot on the @babyrabies Instagram account and on @happy.loud.life as well. People will ask what camera I’m using and what settings. Most of the time I’m shooting with my iPhone (not even the newest iPhone) and editing with a few apps I’ve fallen in love with over the years.

Sometimes I will post pictures to IG that I took with my DSLR, but even then, I’m bringing it over to my phone to edit. It’s just easier and more effective than busting out Lightroom or Photoshop. Especially on the go.

Related: Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside

Inside Picture Play (delivered to you as a 161-page eBook that you can read on your phone, tablet, or computer) I go over how to take and edit photos using cheap or free apps, in a way that will help you discover your own style so that you can start making your photos look exactly how you want them to look- and bring new life to old photos waiting in the depths of your phone storage.

I Wrote An eBook And Here's What People Have To Say About It

When you purchase Picture Play, you’ll also get access to the exclusive Facebook group where we share our photos, go over edits together, and I share even more advanced techniques and demonstrations.

The eBook already has 20+ amazing reviews over at ShopBabyRabies.com. Here are just a few:

I know life changing seems a little dramatic but I’m so in awe of what this has helped me do. We live in Washington so we often have dark overcast skies and it can be hard to get the right picture. But this taught me about what curves actually were and how to adjust lighting and warm or cool a picture. And now I don’t have to freak out over a rubberband on a wrist because I have learned how to remove it just from this book! – Katie

I highly recommend this book! Everything is broken down and easy to understand. I love that it has actual pictures as examples to walk you through it. I’m always taking pictures of my kids on my phone due to convenience and looking for ways to make them pop later. This is definitely a game changer! It’s great being able to go back to the book as a reference. I’ve been using the book and apps every day since I downloaded them! Great Job Jill! – Kimmy

I’ve always been so impressed with Jill’s photos on her blog and her insta pages, and assumed she used costly programs for editing. Within a few minutes of reading this book, I’ve started making some amazing edits of my own photos! The e-book is beautiful, with easy-to-follow tips and app recommendations. I can’t wait to keep practicing with old and new photos! – Andrea

You don’t need all the fancy equipment to make beautiful edits happen, and when so many of us are relying on just our phones to capture our lives, it really feels like less pressure knowing you can photograph on the go and still make it look amazing.

I wrote more about why and how I wrote Picture Play over at Happy Loud Life if you want to read on. I’ve also shared a coupon code for readers that will be available until December 20, 2018.

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

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Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside
Photography

Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside

by Jill
written by Jill

Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my new eBook, Picture Play, coming out November 30th and available for pre-sale at $5 off the regular price. Order your copy at ShopBabyRabies.com. Since it’s the time of year where the days are getting shorter and darker, I wanted to help you find creative light sources in your home! Enjoy!

So, it’s not daylight outside, or you can’t get much sunlight to stream into the room you’re in. Now what? There’s nothing wrong with using other light sources to light your photos. This is a great time to get creative with what those light sources can be.

A well-placed lamp that illuminates your subject can make a beautiful, moody photo. Imagine if I’d turned on the overhead lights for this too. This photo would feel less dramatic and it would have less depth and interest than it does with this single, focused light source.

Just like sunlight, creative lighting is all about where the light comes from in relation to your subject. In this photo, you can see how the lamp is directly behind my head making my face dark, my hair too bright (notice the complete loss of detail in those bright white parts of my hair), and the overall feel of the photo very messy and grainy.

By simply repositioning my phone so that the light source was off to the right side of the frame instead of directly behind me, I was able to light my face properly and even capture some catchlights in my eyes. The shadows and highlights fall naturally across my face and the top of my baby’s head.

With a little editing, I can brighten the photo a bit more.

Here’s a great example of using a lamp to create a silhouette of subjects—very excited subjects who were listening to a hockey game way past bedtime when their favorite team won. The mood and the motion are more important than the subjects’ faces here.

Tip: Your light sources don’t have to be traditional lamps. Consider a TV, a lava lamp, an iPad, or a computer screen.

Sometimes all you need is an open door and lights on in the room next to you. This photo of my daughter and husband at bedtime is lit by an adjacent bathroom with the lights on.

You can still get well-lit photos with incandescent, fluorescent, or LED overhead lighting. A common issue when relying on interior lighting is that your white balance may be off. Do you see how the white bed in this photo is taking on a yellow tint?

That’s a white balance issue. When you have proper white balance, the whites of your photos will appear, well, white. There’s a proper balance of temperature and tint: warm yellows and magentas and cool greens and blues. When this is not balanced, your photo can look more yellow, magenta, blue, or green than the real scene appears to the eye.

There are simple fixes for this we’ll get into later on in the apps section, so don’t stress too much over it now.

Tip: One easy way to deal with white balance AND low light? Convert the photo to black and white. (We’ll get into black and white conversions more in the eBook.)

Many of the indoor photos you take without natural light can still look awesome with just a little brightness and contrast added.

I hope you found these tips helpful! Be sure to pre-order your copy of Picture Play before November 30th so you can save $5 off the regular price! Head over to ShopBabyRabies.com to get your order in today.

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Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss
Photography

Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Pro

by Jill
written by Jill

When I was pregnant with my 2nd baby in 2010, I was desperate for a “fancy camera”, not just a point and shoot that would give me blurry photos.

I felt I NEEDED a $600+ DSLR, plus a $150+ prime lens. Honestly, back in 2010, that really was one of the best options for capturing beautiful photos of my soon-to-be-born baby girl and toddler son.

Using my PHONE to capture photos I would cherish forever, print, and frame? Ha! That never crossed my mind, and if someone suggested that I’d have laughed.

Baby Photo Ideas

Fast forward 8 years, I’ve invested thousands of dollars in pro-level photography gear and photo editing programs. I’ve taken classes and spent countless hours teaching myself how to master my DSLR camera and complicated programs like Photoshop and Lightroom.

And I’m here to tell you that some of my very favorite pictures of my kids were taken on my iPhone, and edited with free or inexpensive apps.

Honestly.

Baby Photo Ideas

As a full-time parenting and travel blogger, there is a place for my fancy camera and advanced editing programs.

But as a parent, thanks to rapid advances in camera quality and intuitive and accessible apps, many times my phone is all I need to beautifully capture my kids in the moment.

And so, I’ve written an eBook to help you get the same satisfaction of snapping the best photos possible using just your phone and some super accessible apps!

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

Pre-order the Picture Play eBook today and save $5

Who is this book for?

  • If you are totally clueless about how to take pictures that you will love with your phone, this book is for you.
  • If you are good with taking pictures, but have no idea how to make them pop and look beautiful or you tend to over-filter your photos, this book is for you.
  • If you carry your fancy camera everywhere with you, but would love the freedom of getting great shots from your phone, this book is for you.
  • If you want to up your Instagram game, this book is for you.
  • If you just want to take better pictures that you have no intention of sharing online, this book is for you.
  • If you own an iPhone, this book is for you.
  • *If you own an Android, this book is for you.

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

Click here to order now >>

BONUS!

When you purchase Picture Play, you are invited to join the exclusive Picture Play Facebook group where you can learn even more! I’ll be demonstrating more advanced photo edits weekly in the group and I’ll be available to coach you through editing some of your own photos as well!

*While I personally speak from my own experience with using an iPhone (currently a 7+, not even the newest model), most of the techniques I’m sharing will work on any type of phone, and all apps are available for both iPhone and Android. I will not get into the basics on how to operate the camera function on any phone. This book assumes you know how to access the camera on the phone you own and how to take a photo with it.

Pre-order the Picture Play eBook today and save $5

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Playgroup Week 5: Smartphone Photography Tips
ParenthoodPlaygroupVideos

Playgroup Week 5: Smartphone Photography Tips

by Désirée
written by Désirée

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This week’s episode of the Baby Rabies Playgroup is all about getting the best results from your smartphone camera. I love my DSLR, don’t get me wrong, but I’m sure you guys can relate to using your iPhone WAY more for taking pics of your kids.

It’s handy. It’s simple. And in today’s episode and I’m going to show you some of my favorite tips and tricks for taking and editing photos with your phone.

Each week we’ve had some amazing brands to share giveaways with you, and this week is no different. One lucky winner is going to get an awesome prize back from our friends at Bebe au Lait, including:

I’ll also be taking over the @bebeaulait Instagram TOMORROW (March 1st) to share our day, so get ready for lots of Wallace snapshots 😉

Enter below for your chance to win!

Playgroup Week 5: Smartphone Photography Tips

Playgroup #5 Giveaway: Bebe au Lait

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Photography

iPhone and Instagram Inspiration

by Jill
written by Jill

I know a lot of you lament that you don’t have “fancy” cameras or that you don’t have time to learn how to use yours, and thus you feel you will never get “beautiful” pictures.

I don’t believe that’s how it has to be, though! The key to getting beautiful pictures isn’t the camera that you use, it’s you knowing enough to make whatever you have work for you.

I’ve been inspired by Emma Wood since I discovered her on the Clickin Moms forums last year. She does phenomenal things with her Nikon D700. But you know what? Even she admits that sometimes an iPhone is just a better tool, and the images she captures with hers are stunning. 

I asked Emma to write a guest post for me on this subject and I’m super excited to share it with you all today. I hope it inspires you to get creative with whatever camera is easiest for you to document everyday life with. It’s certainly made me look at Instagram as an entirely new canvas. (Do you follow me over there yet? @Babyrabies)

After a day out with my family last week, as I was looking through my pictures, I realised that I had many more images on my iPhone then I did my Nikon and something struck me that I think is probably true for many people.   As fantastic as my camera is, and as in love as I am with it, it’s just not always possible or convenient to capture every moment with it.

Picture this.  There I was walking over potholes in the mud, a human packhorse – holding all the kids coats, that they’d decided they didn’t need to wear, under one arm,  while holding onto my 3yr olds hand with the other, trying to distract her from her worries about stepping in sheep poop.  At the same time keeping a watchful eye on two of my other smaller children who were getting a bit too close to the edge of a hill for my comfort, and trying to have a conversation with my Hubby about what groceries we needed to get on the way home.

Sound familiar?   As we rounded the corner to a spectacular view with the prettiest light i’ve seen in a long time, did I think about getting out my D700?  Absolutely!   But my beloved camera was in my camera bag slung across my body underneath a handful of coats and it would have meant letting go of too many of the balls I was trying to juggle.   So instead, for the majority of the day, I found myself reaching into my coat pocket for my iPhone 4s.

I knew that there were moments that I needed to capture, that couldn’t be missed on one of the very few and precious days that I had with my family, and my iPhone camera was easy, accessible and I think pretty darn effective.  Don’t get me wrong, my D700 is still the love of my life and there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t pick it up, but having the convenience of my iPhone camera absolutely rocks my world these days.

Here are some images I did manage to get with my D700

And a couple more iPhone pics…

In some ways, I actually think I captured the real feel of the day with the iPhone camera, probably because with it, I managed to snap those fleeting moments faster than I would using my DSLR.  They might not be perfect, they might not be as aesthetically pleasing, but they are real, raw and honest – I like that!

And just a few of my very favourite iPhone images.  I usually edit them using the VSCO CAM app because I love the filmy feel to it,  and then take them straight into Instagram.

So no excuses, if you don’t have a DSLR, or even if you do and it’s all too difficult, grab that iPhone or whatever else you DO have and see what you get. You never know, you might be surprised.

Emma Wood is a mother of 7, wife of a pilot and natural light, film inspired lover.  She spends her days documenting the lives of her children and family, which is what inspired her to learn as much as she could about photography and to join Clickin Moms 2 years ago.  After spending a great deal of her life traveling and living abroad, she now lives in the UK. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. She blogs here.

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PhotographyThe Story

Snap With What You’ve Got

by Jill
written by Jill

Last summer, I attended a photography session at Blogher where the lovely Rachel Devine kept emphasizing that the best camera to have is the one you’d have with you and use.

Of course, at the time I thought, “well, my POS point and shoot is just not good enough.” And so, I got my DSLR. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve taken some fantastic shots with it, and I’m only getting better at it; however, a camera is only as good as you let it be. If you’re not going to keep it out all the time, take it everywhere with you, then you’re not going to get great shots all the time, everywhere you go.

Today we ventured to the pool as a family for the first time this summer. I knew it was a moment I’d want to capture, but I also knew I wouldn’t feel safe bringing my fancy camera and using it poolside. It would likely sit in my beach bag the whole time, so I just left it at home and decided to commandeer my husband’s iPhone4.

After watching Kendall “jump” (more like belly flop) into his daddy’s arms several times, I carefully balanced the lump-of chub-shoved-into-a-bathing-suit on one hip and steadied the phone with my elbow against the other hip. Then I employed an iPhone picture taking technique I picked up from Her Bad Mother, where you press down on the shutter button while you’re anticipating the shot, but don’t let up until you see the action you want. There is a little anticipation required, but it’s much easier to get great in-motion pics this way! I’m forever indebted to Catherine for sharing this.

And that is how, without any “fancy” camera or lens, I snapped this beauty…

… a moment I never would have preserved if I relied on my fancy camera, alone.

Just goes to show you, great memories can be captured when you just snap with what you’ve got.

Kendall is 3 years 2 months and Leyna is 6 months old

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