Be the envy of Instagram

GH COVER PHOTOGRAPHER NICKY JOHNSTON

‘Smartphones have made photographers of us all, but a few simple tips can set your pictures apart from the rest. Shoot people from above. Most people just hold their phone at eye-level, but holding the phone higher than the faces you are shooting means they’re forced to look upwards. This angle elongates the features and is endlessly more flattering.

Zoom in. When you point your phone and shoot, it’s using a wideangle lens that distorts faces and makes them look bigger than they are. By zooming in a bit, you flatten the face and flatter the person.

Add movement. Get your subjects to move around – jump in the air, arms around each other! If you want natural smiles, get them all to look at each other. Having to make eye contact with someone in close quarters is uncomfortable, so it inevitably makes you laugh.

Use the burst mode. This means taking lots of pictures in quick succession – 10 photos every second – which is useful when you’re photographing children, pets and tipsy friends! Do this on an iphone by tapping and holding the shutter button within the camera app.

The flash on smartphones isn’t good enough for taking pictures in low light. Buy a flash you can attach to your phone for around £10 for flattering light whenever you need it. And be your own editor! Your phone has a host of editing tools, so use them. An interesting crop, a quick brighten or a fun filter can turn an average photo into something you actually want to post on social media – or even hang on your wall!’