Tips, tactics and techniques for killing it with you iPhone People and Portrait Photography

J A C K H O L L I N G S W O R T H
i P H O N E P H O T O G R A P H Y
P O R T R A I T P H O T O G R A P H Y
How to make sure your iPhone portrait photos don’t suck.
TIPS, TACTICS &
TECHNIQUES
FOR KILLING IT WITH YOUR
iPHONE PEOPLE AND
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
www.iphonejourney.com
Twitter: @photojack
Instagram: @jackhollingsworth
Email: jack@jackhollingsworth.com

5
5
I N T R O D U C T I O N
TAKING A
PHOTO
A n y on e can “take" a ph oto. Poin t y ou r camera,
press th e bu tton an d viola. No tech n ical or
creative skills requ ired. Takin g a pictu re resu lts
in sn apsh ots.
MAKING A
PHOTO
Makin g a ph oto requ ires creative in ten t an d
requ ires collaboration in th e process. Makin g a
pictu re resu lts in ph otograph s.

6
“You don’t take a
photograph,
you make it.”
A n s e l A d a m s

7
SOUL vs FACADE
Obviously there are many physical, external factors
that go into portraiture. But our aim is to get under
the skin and show the soul and personality of the
person we are photographing.

8
“Photographers tend not to photograph what
they can’t see, which is the very reason one
should try to attempt it. Otherwise we’re going
to go on forever just photographing more faces
and more rooms and more places. Photography
has to transcend description. It has to go
beyond description to bring insight into the
subject, or reveal the subject, not as it looks,
but how does it feel?”
D u a n e M i c h a l s

PERMISSION Vs
FORGIVENESS
This approach I’m sharing
with you is predicated on
asking permission, not
forgiveness, of the people we
shoot. Permission based
portraiture yields the
best results.
9

10
“It is more important
to click with people
than to click the
shutter.”
A l f r e d E i s e n s t a e d t

11
11
NO SPECIAL
CAMERA OR APP
REQUIRED,
JUST SKILL.
Everything I'm showing you here can
be shot with the iPhone’s Native
Camera App (called iSight camera by
Apple).
11

12
“What’s really important is to
simplify. The work of most
photographers would be improved
immensely if they could do one
thing: get rid of the extraneous. If
you strive for simplicity, you are
more likely to reach the viewer.”
W i l l i a m A l b e r t A l l a r d

13
THE PITCH
(Over 90% success rate when using this same pitch)
( entry-levelpermission,oftenall youwill actuallyneed)
“May I take your photo?”
“Your ( n a m e a f e a t u r e ) caught my eye”
(sincereflatterymakesfriends)
“It will take less than a minute”
(give anapproximatetime frame)
"If you are an iPhone user l would be happy to share these photos with you via
Airdrop.”
(make sure toshare)
“I’m working on a project/portfolio called ( n a m e ) and your look is perfect for it.”
(explain yourintent/purpose)
“If I use, the final picture will be published in/on (d a t e ) .”
(name publication,blog, etc.)
“If I post to Instagram, I can tag you.”
(Instagram)

14
“My aesthetic gets simpler every
year as I rely less on gimmicks and
more on powerful content.”
A n n a K u p e r b e r g

15
15
B E G I N N E R T I P S
15

16
16
FAMILY
FRIENDS
STRANGERS
Practice these tips on family and friends first. Then hit
the street and photograph perfect strangers.
16

17
“It’s one thing to make a picture
of what a person looks like, it’s
another thing to make a portrait
of who they are.”
P a u l C a p o n i g r o

18
18
FIRST 60 SECONDS
The first 60 seconds is the most critical connection.
You have 30 seconds to make your pitch, establish
rapport and trust.
Then 30 seconds to get your shot.
Done!
18

19
“You can look at a picture for a
week and never think of it again.
You can also look at a picture for
a second and think of it all your
life.”
J o a n M i r ó

20
20
ORIENTATION/
ASPECT RATIO
I tend to shoot
individual and
couples in vertical
orientation. And
group shots in
horizontal
orientation.

21
“When people look at my pictures I
want them to feel the way they do
when they want to read a line of a
poem twice.”
R o b e r t F r a n k

22
22
ARMS LENGTH
AWAY
Because you are shooting with the built-in
iPhone wide-angle lens, don’t get any closer
than an arm’s length away. Getting to close
distorts facial features.

23
“Photography for me is not
looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t
feel what you’re looking at, then
you’re never going to get others to
feel anything when they look at
your pictures.”
D o n M c C u l l i n

24
24
FOCUS
FIRST, THEN
BRIGHTNESS
I always Focus first (the eyes) then
tweak brightness. Lock focus and eyes
and then use Brightness slider to
darken/lighten.
24

25
“If a photographer cares about the
people before the lens and is
compassionate, much is given. It is
the photographer, not the camera,
that is the instrument.”
E v e A r n o l d

26
EXPOSURE VALUES
Darker skin subjects require deliberate
“under-exposure” (slider down). Fairer skin
subjects require deliberate “over-exposure”
(slider up).

27
“Of course, there will always be
those who look only at technique,
who ask ‘how’, while others of a more
curious nature will ask ‘why’.
Personally, I have always preferred
inspiration to information.”
M a n R a y

28
28
BRACKETING
I constantly use the brightness slider to bracket my
exposure. I’m committed
to getting it right "in-camera”.
Reduces post-production efforts.
28

29
“In a portrait, you have room to have
a point of view and to be conceptual
with a picture. The image may not be
literally what's going on, but it's
representative.”
A n n i e L e i b o v i t z

30
30
POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT
FLATTERY
DIRECTION
I consider myself an ambassador of
self-esteem. No hiding behind my
viewfinder. Making Portraits is like
having an intimate conversation with
someone.

31
“A portrait! What could be
more simple and more
complex, more obvious
and more profound.”
C h a r l e s B a u d e l a i r e

32
32
I N T E R M E D I A T E T I P S
32

33
33
CAMERA-TO-SUBJECT
ANGLE
The most flattering camera-to-subject angle
is slightly above eye-level. Looking “down” is better
than looking “up”. Raise your camera angle.
33

34
“A photographer is like
a cod, which produces a
million eggs in order
that one may reach
maturity.”
G e o r g e B e r n a r d S h a w

35
35
EYE GAZE
Direct eye-gaze (looking at camera) creates
intimacy.
Indirect eye gaze (looking off-camera)
create mystery.
35

36
“I am not interested in
shooting new things –
I am interested to see
things new.”
E r n s t H a a s

37
37
CROPPING FOR
DUMMIES
There are 5 ways to crop a
portrait (personal choice):
1. full length
(head-to-toe)
2. 3/4 view
(above the knee to top of
the head)
3. waist up
4. head & shoulders
5. face

38
“There are no bad pictures;
that’s just how your face
looks sometimes.”
A b r a h a m L i n c o l n

39
QUALITY OF
LIGHT
The quality of light is either hard or soft. Hard
light creates hard shadows (unflattering). Soft
light creates soft shadows (flattering).

40
“To me, photography is an art of
observation. It’s about finding something
interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve
found it has little to do with the things
you see and everything to do with the way
you see them.”
E l l i o t E r w i t t

41
41
CONTEXT vs
BACKGROUND
When you include the context, you are
creating a “sense of place”. When you
photograph a person against a general,
non-descript background, you are creating
a “sense of person”
41

42
“You don’t make a photograph just
with a camera. You bring to the act of
photography all the pictures you have
seen, the books you have read, the
music you have heard, the people you
have loved.”
A n s e l A d a m s

43
EXPRESSIONS AND
EMOTIONS
I tend to start with minimal emotion
and expressions. And work my way up if I
sense subject has time and personality to
emote.

44
“A portrait is not made in
the camera but on either
side of it.”
E d w a r d S t e i c h e n

45
45
A D V A N C E D T I P S
45

46
46
2X
On dual-lens iPhones, the 2x uses the
short telephoto lens (not the wide-
angle lens). I use this for 80% of
my portraits. It’s flattering for
portraits.

47
“I tend to think of the act of
photographing, generally
speaking, as an adventure. My
favorite thing is to go where
I’ve never been.”
D i a n e A r b u s

48
PORTRAIT MODE
This is a great feature for creating, in-camera,
defocused backgrounds. Brings attention to
subject, not the background.

49
“The single most important
component of a camera is the
twelve inches behind it.”
A n s e l A d a m s

50
50
BURST MODE
I tend to use Burst mode more and more for
capturing peak action and emotion in a portrait.
Fire away!
50

51
“A portrait is not a likeness. The moment
an emotion or fact is transformed into a
photograph it is no longer a fact but an
opinion. There is no such thing as
inaccuracy in a photograph. All
photographs are accurate. None of them is
the truth.”
R i c h a r d A v e d o n

52
AUXILIARY
LIGHT
On rare occasion, in
low-light, I might use a small, auxiliary
light to boost the light intensity.
52
AUXILIARY LIGHT
On rare occasion, in low-light, I might use a
small, auxiliary light to boost the light intensity.

53
“The most difficult thing for me is a
portrait. You have to try and put
your camera between the skin of a
person and his shirt.”
H e n r i C a r t i e r - B r e s s o n

55
55
HOW MANY
SHOTS IS
ENOUGH?
I generally take
20-50 shots per short session
then pick the best in editing.
E X P E R T T I P S
55

56
“My job as a portrait
photographer is to seduce,
amuse and entertain.”
H e l m u t N e w t o n

57
57
CONTRAPPOSTO
E X P E R T T I P S
Distribute primarily body weight to either
foot. 90% of a photos emotion comes from
the curvature of the spine.
57

58
“To sit for one's portrait
is like being present at
one's own creation.”
A l e x a n d e r S m i t h

59
59
HAIR PART
Generally speaking the
part of the hair is the
most flattering and
photogenic side of the
face. Feature that side.
E X P E R T T I P S

60
“Every portrait that is painted
with feeling is a portrait of the
artist, not of the sitter.”
O s c a r W i l d e

61
61
PULL CHIN
(AND EARS)
FORWARD
This helps to thin the face.
E X P E R T T I P S

62
“Sensitive people faced with the prospect
of a camera portrait put on a face they
think is the one they would like to show
to the world... Every so often what lies
behind the facade is rare and more
wonderful than the subject knows or
dares to believe.”
I r v i n g P e n n

63
63
TURN
SHOULDERS
SLIGHTY AWAY
FROM CAMERA
This greatly helps “thin” the body.
Keep face at-camera but body slightly
away from camera.
E X P E R T T I P S
63

64
“A photographic portrait is a
picture of someone who knows he
is being photographed,
and what he does with this
knowledge is as much a part of the
photograph as what he's wearing
or how he looks.”
R i c h a r d A v e d o n

65
SIZE OF EYES
Surprisingly, most folks have
different size eyes. If noticeable,
feature the smallest eye, toward
camera.
E X P E R T T I P S

66
“The best images are the ones that
retain their strength and impact over
the years, regardless of the number
of times they are viewed.”
A n n e G e d d e s

67
67
LOOK AT
PHOTOGRAPHER,
NOT AT LENS
If you want your subjects eyes to look
more “engaged” then have them look at
you rather than the lens.
It’s more natural too.
E X P E R T T I P S
67

68
“Photography for me is not looking,
it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what
you’re looking at, then you’re never
going to get others to feel anything
when they look at your pictures.”
D o n M c C u l l i n

69
69
E X P E R T T I P S
RELAX HANDS
AND FINGERS
Photographic posture looks so
much more relaxed when the
hands and fingers are open and
relaxed.

70
“A portrait is not made in
the camera but on either
side of it.”
E d w a r d S t e i c h e n

71
71
CLOSED LIP SMILE
It is much easier for most to have a closed,
rather than open-lip/teeth smile. I tell them to
“smile from the inside”.
E X P E R T T I P S
71

72
“For me, every photograph is a
portrait; the clothes are just a vehicle
for what I want to say. You're
photographing a relationship with the
person you're shooting; there's an
exchange, and that's what that picture
is.”
P e t e r L i n d b e r g h

73
73
LARGE/LONG
NOSES
Best to shoot head-on than from the side. 2X
works best.
E X P E R T T I P S

74
“A journalist is supposed to present an
unbiased portrait of an event, a view devoid
of intimate emotions. This is impossible, of
course. The framing of an image, by its very
composition, represents a choice. The
photographer chooses what to show and what
to exclude.”
A l e x a n d r a K e r r y

75
75
SPACE
BETWEEN
ARMS AND
TORSO
It is so much more natural and
flattering to create space between
the arms and torso.
E X P E R T T I P S
75

76
“There are always two
people in every picture:
the photographer and the
viewer.”
A n s e l A d a m s

77
FINAL THOUGHT
Want to be abetter portrait photography?
Then learn first to bea better humanbeing.

78
78
78
FINAL THOUGHT
Want to be abetter portrait photographer?
Then learn first to bea better humanbeing.

79
TIPS, TACTICS &
TECHNIQUES
iPHONE PEOPLE AND
Twitter: @photojack

81
TIPS, TACTICS &
TECHNIQUES
iPHONE PEOPLE AND
Twitter: @photojack

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Tips, tactics and techniques for killing it with you iPhone People and Portrait Photography