Unlock 6 Secret iPhone Camera Features

learn how to take photos like a pro: secret IPhone camera features revealed

Want to take better pictures with your iPhone? Learn secret iPhone camera features no one ever told you about that will turn your photos from good to great!

It seems crazy that we all have these expensive iPhones with awesome cameras and we really have no idea the potential they hold. Why do only a few professionals know how to use them? Well, I am here to change that. Through research I have discovered these six hidden iPhone camera features. I can’t wait to share them with you. Firstly, they are very easy to start using right away. Secondly, they exist on all the iPhones, not just the latest versions. It’s time for us all to start taking better pictures.

iphone camera features revealed

Note: If you are not an iPhone user scroll to the bottom where I share two breakthrough tips that will help EVERYONE take better photos.

How to Get the Most out of Your iPhone Camera Features

Photography is a challenging art. It combines technical savvy with artistic creativity. Our answer to meeting the challenges of photography is to continually be students of the art. We share more of our latest photography tips in 10 Powerful Ways to Up Your Photography Game. These tips will help anyone looking to improve their photography results.

Here are 6 secret iPhone camera features that are the key to unlock your best photography.

1. Swipe to Open

This one some of you may know already. This can be crucial when taking action shots or capturing unexpected moments. The time it takes to open the regular way by entering your passcode you may have missed the shot. Touch the home button to “wake up” your phone. Then grab the “camera grabber” icon at the very bottom and slide it up. It will open directly to your camera (skipping the verification step).

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On my iPhone 7 doing this brings me to another screen where I have an option to choose the camera icon in the bottom right corner. If you are shooting home decor (like I am) this one isn’t a game changer. For spontaneous captures and all sports/action photography this really is vital.

2. Tap Focus and Set Exposure

Here’s the biggie! To manually tell your camera where to focus tap the screen. How did I not know this? This is very important. By tapping the screen and telling your camera where to focus you can control what is in focus (which will be what you care about). Now that you have set where to focus you can also adjust the exposure manually by sliding your finger up or down on the screen.

Pro Tip: When in doubt go slightly darker because in the after editing you can always lighten. But you cannot bring back details lost by overexposing because the shot will not have that stored information. Hopefully that makes sense.

unlock iphone camera features

3. Lock Focus and Exposure

Let’s go deeper into your iPhone camera features. Now you’ve spent some time setting the focus and exposure. But as soon as you take that one photo those settings disappear, and your camera goes back to no setting. You might want to take one or two (or 30) more photos of this shot. You do not want to have to repeat this every time.

So set your focus and exposure to lock itself. When you tap the photo to begin the process instead of releasing it simply hold it for a couple seconds and the text will appear at the top “AE/AF LOCK”. When you are done, simply tap the screen again to unlock.

 

4. Take HDR Photos

Here is one of the most powerful of your iPhone camera features. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Confession: I would see this on my photos from time to time and I had zero idea what it meant. I didn’t even know how it got on there. I’m so happy to be enlightened now, and to share this in case you too have been in the dark.

HDR allows you to properly expose your photos so that both the highlights (lighter areas) and the shadows (darker areas) are properly exposed. This is especially helpful when you are taking landscape photos, but it also is sometimes very helpful when you have a room with a lot of light in one area and dark in another area.

Your iPhone will automatically have HDR set to Auto. You can change this to On. At the top of your camera screen is a bar where you have the flash option, HDR, live option, timer option, and filter option. Hit HDR and select ON.

You will want to set your camera to save both the HDR version and non HDR version so you can compare and choose which is best. In your phone go to SETTINGS, then PHOTO & CAMERA, at the bottom under HDR select “Keep Normal Photo”. Then your phone will save two of the same photos. It does a two-shot burst to capture the best lighting.

5. Burst Mode

5th on the list of powerful iPhone camera features is the burst mode. If you are taking home decor photos as I am you will not be as excited about the burst mode as sports photographers are, but it’s still good to be aware of. Burst is very useful for moving subjects. Tap and hold your finger down on the shutter button and you will create a burst of photos, which is a collection of rapid-fire photos. It is great when you are trying to get the timing right. This takes the guess work out of when to push down the shutter.

Then, at the top of the burst gallery, you can select the best ones and discard the rest. This way your photo gallery doesn’t fill up with your burst photos.

6. Take Photos with Your Volume Button

Did you know you that among your iPhone camera features is a versatile way to take your photos? You can actually take photos with your volume button on the side of your phone. When you are trying to get level with a surface or just need to hold your phone like a camera it can come in handy to have this spot to take the picture. Sometimes the center of the screen isn’t easily accessible.

Find more lessons regarding iPhone camera features and techniques of iPhone photography.

 

Two important tips that can greatly improve your iPhone Photography:

1. Use a Tripod with an iPhone Camera Attachment

We don’t realize how much our hands and bodies move when we take a picture. Nor do we realize that this is causing our pictures to be less sharp than they should be. You really can’t hold the phone completely steady. This is why I’ve started to use a tripod.  It takes an extra minute or two to adjust but it is worth it when you see the clarity. This set is only $17 and comes with a case and a blue tooth remote control so you don’t have to even touch the camera to take your shot.

Just click on the photo below to purchase. This is an affiliate link that helps us pay for our blog. Thank you.
Great phone tripod for photography with blue tooth remote

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Should You Buy a DSLR?

Trying decide whether or not to invest in a DSLR camera? In Camera Phone vs. DSLR: Pros and Cons we thoroughly and objectively address everything you should consider before you spend your hard-earned money.

2. Camera Lights

Use camera lights to get the correct lighting on dark days or in darker spaces. Jodie and I took a couple video and photography courses recently at the blogging conference, Build Your Blog Conference in Salt Lake City. Every photographer mentioned the essential use of lights. We had been waiting around for sunny days, and even then, there were places in our homes we couldn’t adequately capture due to shadows and not enough light.

Professionals don’t wait around for light. We thought these lights were hundreds of dollars, even thousands (and the best are). Well, we found a complete set of 3 lights (with 2 umbrellas) and carrying case for under $55! We were so excited. This is the exact set recommended by our teachers at the conference and the exact one Jodie and I both purchased and are thrilled to have.

Just click on the photo below to purchase (at the same place, for the same price we did.) This is an affiliate link that helps us pay for our blog. Thank you.
Inexpensive portable light set for better photography

Powerful iPhone Camera Features

With the quality of the camera we already own in our iPhones we don’t need to be using a fancy DSLR camera. If we take full advantage of all the iPhone camera features, we can be taking stellar photos. Who’s excited now?

Just as with a DSLR camera or any camera you use, the technology is only useful if you know how to use it. In manual mode the iPhone is limited. But with this added knowledge you will be able to take your photography to the next level with just a few easy-to-learn adjustments.

My best advice is to begin using these six iPhone camera features immediately. Once you incorporate them into your daily photography you will have no problem remembering them. They will soon become second nature.

Want to learn about four more iPhone Camera features?

Click on the box below for FREE bonus materials just for you.

Ready for more? Read our blog post about the best APPS to use for photo editing and more.

Happy Shooting!

XO,

jodie & julie

iphone camera features revealed

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Unlock 6 Secret iPhone Camera Features
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Unlock 6 Secret iPhone Camera Features
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Want to take better pictures with your iPhone? 6 secret iPhone camera features no one ever told you about that will turn your photos from good to great!
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The Design Twins
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  1. AnnaMargaret says:

    Wow!! Thank you so much for all of this information !!!
    Anna

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      You are so welcome Anna! We are thrilled to share this information. I think the most exciting part is how easy they all are to use immediately and and start taking better photos today! It’s crazy that these features were hidden all along and we never new about most of them! We are so glad you made it over to our blog. We hope you will sign up and visit us often…we’ve got so much more in store. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  2. Patti says:

    Thank you so much for this informative post! Who knew our phones were amazing cameras!! I appreciate you two sharing your beautiful decor and all the tips and tricks as well as your personal lives. ? Your friend, Patti you

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Patti, Oh my goodness! You are such a sweetheart! Thank you for your kind message. Jodie and I are so thrilled to hear you are enjoying the blog. That’s great news, because we sure are having a ball creating it for you! We get excited about each and every blog post, we really do. But this recent post about unlocking the features we never knew existed on our iPhone cameras is a particular celebratory occasion! haha! Thank you again for you wonderful support. We hope you have signed up and will come back often to visit us and say hello 🙂 Love, Julie & Jodie

  3. Debbie says:

    Thanks for #2… I knew how to tap to focus but nothing about setting the exposure !!! I always had to go into editing and adjust the brightness ◠‿◠

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Debbie, You are so welcome! Well, you were ahead of me…I didn’t know about either. And really, they’re all simple! That’s the best part! Thank you so much for visiting our blog. We hope you will sign up and come back and visit us often. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  4. Lynne Olsen says:

    Thanks for all the great tips. Where did you find the camera lights. I would really like to order them

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Lynne, Thank you so much for joining us on our blog. To order the lights simply click on the picture of the lights and you can purchase (same place, same price, same lights) that we bought and are enjoying! Thank you again! Happy Shooting! XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  5. Heather says:

    I am new to Instagram and the information y’all have provided is AMAZING!! I can’t thank you enough!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Oh Heather! That is so exciting. We are simply thrilled to hear this from you. It makes all our efforts worthwhile when we know we have assisted someone. I feel like celebrating! Thank you for your kind message. We hope you will sign up (if you haven’t already) and come back and visit us often as we have so much more in store! With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  6. Kathleen says:

    These are great tips!! I also love the “portrait” setting on my iPhone 7. It gives you a nice sharp, crisp focal image while gently blurring the background. I love it for close-ups of vignettes. Thanks so much for researching and sharing this info!!

    Have a great day!
    -Kathleen

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Kathleen, Yes, I agree. That portrait setting is a nice feature. These tips here are actually available on all iPhones, even as far back as the iPhone 4, if you can believe it. The portrait setting was the only thing I did know about before researching. Thanks so much for reading and your ever so kind reply. We hope you will come back again and visit us. Have a blessed day! XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  7. Helen says:

    Thank you both so much for this info. I’m setting up my blog now and there’s no spare cash for cameras so I’ll be using my iPhone 7 for a while. This post is really helpful!x

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Helen, Thank you so much for replying. We are very happy that you found this helpful! And congratulations on starting your blog. That’s very exciting. We are just about ready to publish a post about beginning a blog. It details some of the things we really had no idea about before we took the plunge. We decided to write it because we want others to have information that we would have liked to have to help us a) decide and b) prepare for the realities of blogging. We hope you will come back often and visit us. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

      • Helen says:

        Oh wow, I’ve subscribed so I shall look forward to receiving that in my inbox! Thank you x

      • Jaime says:

        Hi, first I would like to say I love seeing you both daily with your beautiful homes! Your like friends I can visit in little extra moments of my busy day! I am new to IG and I am LOVING snooping through all these inspiring pictures! I’m trying to figure out my deco style and what I like and don’t like.
        You both have been so encouraging and funny! I look forward to future posts!
        Jaime

        • jjdesigntwins says:

          Hi Jaime! Welcome 🙂 We are So, So glad you are here! What a kind and heartfelt message to receive from you. We cherish your words of kindness and friendship. Also, we should say, welcome to IG. IG can be all that you make it. We recommend reading as many of our Instagram related posts on here…we think there are about 7. They really will help you navigate and make the most of your journey. If you ever have questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Wishing you a joyful journey! With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

        • Jaime says:

          I forgot to tell you what I would pick if I won your giveaway! I would love some design help with my home! I have an old farm house that needs a redo, I just need some inspiration!!! I love you both and appreciate your posts!!!
          Thanks,
          Jaime

          • jjdesigntwins says:

            Jaime, You are too darn cute! And we adore your sweet heart! Whenever we do some kind of giveaway it’s so hard for us because we end up wanting everyone to win. This one even more so because we feel it so personally. Maybe we’ll run a special so it’s more affordable for many people to use our one-on-one services. Well, we just love having you here on our blog. We truly hope you will come back often and visit us. In the meantime, we share many of our best tips and advice that we give to clients right here in our home decor posts. So we highly recommend checking out the posts for ideas and inspiration you can implement today! With love, Julie & Jodie

  8. Tina says:

    Wonderful post, Julie! Another bit of info when using HDR, your phone will save 2 of the same photo. It does a 2 shot burst to capture the best lighting!
    Aren’t iPhones, and technology, amazing! I love not having to tote around a camera anymore!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Oh, very cool, Tina. Thank you so much for sharing. Obviously Jodie and I are just learning. With no formal training we have to learn by doing and by researching. I want to have time to take a photography course, but I just don’t right now. Thank you SO much for your kind support and for the advise. I’m going to add that to the post! XO ~ Julie

  9. Ellen says:

    Great post!! Love all the new tips and affordable accessories!! You ladies rock!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Aw Ellen! You Doll you! Thank you Honey Pie! You are one of my favorite people. Every time I see your comments my heart just lights up! So, so sweet! We are thrilled to have you join us here on the blog. We hope you come back often and visit us dear one! Blessings, Julie & Jodie

  10. Deborah says:

    Thank you so much for this info!!! I struggle all the time with trying to take the best pictures for my etsy shop. This will help tremendously!! I would love to hear more about how to use the camera lights. I have one room in my house that gets sun but on gloomy days I have a terrible time trying to get a good picture.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Deborah, Oh you are so welcome! We are very glad you found this helpful! The camera lights are so easy. Really, we had to play around with them for just a few shots before we were easily placing them like the pros. There is no science except to see where the shadows are and place them to fill in light those darker areas. You’ve got this! We hope you will come back often and visit us here. Blessings, Julie & Jodie

  11. Anna says:

    I’d like a one-hour design consultation if I win the Giveaway!❤

  12. Tanya says:

    Ok….some of those I knew…..but I just learned SO much from this! Thanks “sisters”!! ❤

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Tanya, That’s great! I’m so glad we could teach you a few new things. Worth it right there! I love learning new things…so cool, especially when it’s something we can use right away. These tips were so easy to immediately employ that it was quite satisfying. XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  13. Ellen says:

    Yay! So stocked about your consultation services and the awesome giveaway!! As you know I can certainly use the Instagram consultation as I am trying to grow my “brand” and work as brand rep and embassador for home decor brands and businesses!!

  14. Regina says:

    Hello Beautiful Ones ~ I was so happy to find you both on instagram. I personally love all that you share. I’m new to instagram. I want to share so many things as I grow and learn. We are all unique and created for a purpose. Recently only months I have been changing our home. I want to pour into it and create something beautiful for me and my family. I also blog. My mom who was my mentor passed away 7 years ago and one of the things I cherish are her journals and bible study lessons that she left behind. That’s why I started blogging to leave something behind for my family. I love creating and making people comfortable in our home and want to help people create beauty in their homes too. I would be blessed to win the Instagram consultantation.

    Blessings and Laughter,
    Regina

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Dear Regina,
      Wow, it is so nice to “meet” you 🙂 We just met but I love your heart already. I love your motivation…so inspiring. I want to go to your blog now. “We are all unique and created for a purpose” love love love this. That is my mantra. I am so in tune with you, dear friend, and if feels so good. We too want to share so many things…it’s hard for us to focus, but it’s better if we try to a bit. Anyway, we are thrilled that you are here, and absolutely loved hearing from you. Good luck with the giveaway. We hope you will come back and visit us often. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

      • Regina says:

        It’s so good to hear back from you! Yes, you both inspire me and look for you both on my feed. Your right it’s hard to focus sometimes. I think I have squirrel syndrome lol (The cute dog from the movie Up) someone says squirrel and I forget what I’m doing! Yes I believe in purpose and purposefully moments. Thank you! Can’t wait to hear the winner! Blessings

        • jjdesigntwins says:

          Oh My Gosh, Regina, we are SO on the same page…I love feeling the likeness of others…Jodie’s and my continual joke is “SQUIRREL!!!!” and off we go! Hilarious! One of the traits of Geminis is constant change and going off on tangents. Our conversations always crack us up because it is (and has always been) one tangent after another. Regina, we were meant to be friends. So happy to feel your heart and visit with you…hope it’s a regular thing. With love and many blessings (for you know who has brought us together), Julie

          • Regina says:

            Awe me too! Iron sharpens Iron! Inspire, Create and Impact to reach others through our gifts! Your blessings both of you. Love and Laughter keeps us going and family! Many blessings to you and let’s keep pressing on to finish the race that was appointed for each of us from above!
            Regina

  15. Kerri says:

    I would love the one hour consultation!!!! Have lots of events at my house so I would love a fresh new look!!! And I love the pictures you post and great ideas you have!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hello Kerri, Jodie and I are excited that you made it to the blog. Welcome! We hope you will come back and visit us often. Wishing you good luck in the giveaway. If you don’t win, remember we have a ton of design tips, tricks, ideas, and our best decorating advice written in our decor blog posts too. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  16. Piper says:

    These are all such good tips! Now I need to get in there and try some of these. Love this series you’re doing on cameras and equipment!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Aw Piper! Yay! So happy to see you on here. I highly recommend you try the features right away because you are going to be SHOCKED at how easy they are. And the sooner you try and see the sooner you can work them into habits. My picture taking improved drastically once learning these. I am no pro! I tried working with a fancy DSLR for months and finally kind of gave up…haha! We wish you great luck with the giveaway, sweetie pie! We also hope that you will come back and visit us often 🙂 XO With love and gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  17. Tracy Park says:

    Great read on how to use your camera better!! I would love the one hour consultation FOR IG
    Thank you

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Yay Tracy! So happy you made it to our blog! We are so excited! Thank you for your sweet comments and entering our giveaway. Whenever Jodie and I do something like this we have a difficult time because we want everyone to win!! Well, just so you know, we have about 7 Instagram articles on the blog already that share our best advice regarding Instagram based on all our years of experience and research too. We highly recommend reading these. Even if you win, we can only cover so much in an hour. These posts are literally hours of information that take time to learn and digest. You could read one a day and really be an expert in a week! Promise. With gratitude, Julie

  18. Stacey says:

    Hi again! Thank you for your blog & Instagram posts. I would love to win the Instagram strategy consultation with y’all!

  19. This is wonderful….I was thinking about taking a class at the Apple store…such great info here…I bought my iPhone 7 plus because of its great camera features.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Shirley, Good Morning and welcome to our blog! We are so glad you are here. I bought the new iphone7 for the same reasons. But without knowing these tips and having this information my pictures were still not where I wanted them to be. These features have unlocked the potential of the camera and they are so easy to use. I’m thrilled to share them with everyone because they are really making a difference. Jodie and I are continually learning and are excited to share the best of what we learn with you all. We hope you have signed up and will join us on this journey of discovery. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  20. Caroline says:

    Thanks for the tips. I had used a few but didn’t know about all of these.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Caroline, Welcome to our blog. We are so glad you are here. So happy we could share some helpful tips. I certainly found them helpful. The cool part is how easy they are to immediately employ and start taking better pictures. Thank you for your kind reply. We hope to see you here again. Your friends, Julie & Jodie

  21. Elizma says:

    So helpful! I think I way overuse filters as a way to hide my lack of photography skills!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Elizma, We’ve all gone through major learning curves when it comes to photography, as most of us did not start out anywhere near professional. But through trial and error and practice over time we are improving. That’s the beautiful part about it. We are each traveling a road not of perfection but of improvement. We look forward to continuing this journey together. XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  22. Rebekah says:

    Great post! I bought the light set that you recommended. Do you have any advice as far as placement of the lights? Have you found any positioning set up that works best with the 3 lights? Thanks!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Rebekah, Honestly every room, every set up is completely different. This is what I do. I look at the room or the space…sometimes I take a photo. See where the darkness is. See where the shadows are. Bring in the lights and play around with 1, 2, or 3, depending. You don’t want too much light so it looks all unnatural. You don’t want them too low or too high casting weird shadows. One time I had my son hold one because it needed to be higher but usually I have no problem with them on their stands. Sorry to say there’s no formula. But they really aren’t hard. I’ve found working with them to be easy. Good luck & happy shooting! XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  23. Yay! I learned some new tricks AND you pointed me in the direction of affordable lighting for my in-home photos! oh happy day!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Heidi, Happy Day is right! And wait until you start using the features and lights and see how much better your photos look. Then it will really be time to celebrate. So glad you made it to our blog. We hope you will make us a regular part of your day…you know a little morning coffee and The Design Twins. Hee Hee! Blessings to you, Sweetie! and We wish you so much success, Julie & Jodie

  24. Annette says:

    So many great tips! Thank you! Can’t wait to try some out!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Annette, Welcome to our blog, sweet friend! Truly, it makes us so happy to have you here and also to know you benefited from this post. You are going to be very excited when you start using these features because they are so easy! You do have to get in a habit of using them, but that’s the hardest part…so don’t delay, start putting them to use right away and watch your pictures improve dramatically! We hope you will come back often so we can learn and grow together. With love, Julie & Jodie

  25. Janette Fluke says:

    I have an iphone and learned many new tricks and tips. Thank you so much for this. When the snow melts and my garden blooms, i will be able to really capture them so much better than before.
    March maddness.
    Janette

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Janette, Yes, how exciting! Jodie and I LOVE learning new things. And we’ve found we love sharing the new things we learn EVEN MORE! If that’s possible. We truly have found our calling with this blog, so it brings us great joy to have you here coming along with us on this journey. 31 days of giveaways…we hope you will come back all 31 days for all your chances to win something fun. But in the process we hope you will enjoy your time here and that it will benefit you far more than the original gift 🙂 Your friends, Julie & Jodie

  26. Natalie says:

    This is wonderful!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Natalie, Welcome to our blog sweet friend! We hope you will come back each day not only for another chance to win but to be inspired, to grow in friendship, and to take away unexpected blessings. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  27. Linda says:

    I didn’t know you could adjust the exposure…awesome! Thanks for the info!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Linda,

      I know….crazy! I have been using an iPhone for years and years and had NO IDEA!! I was so excited when I discovered this I just HAD to share! So happy you were able to join us on the blog! We hope we can continue to share and inspire you!

      Thank you so much for your feedback!

      With love and gratitude,
      Jodie & Julie

  28. Brooke says:

    Loved this post! A few I had no idea my iPhone would do! …..Now I’m off to take more pictures!! ????

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Yeah!

      Brooke, that’s exactly what we love to hear! We are so happy that you found this post helpful!

      We hope you will check back regularly for more helpful tips and useful posts….for your photography, your social media….and decorating ideas too!

      With love and gratitude,
      Jodie & Julie

  29. Bon says:

    ✨✨✨March Madness✨✨✨ Thank you for all of this great information….and thank you for the opportunity to enter his fun giveaway!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Bon,

      You are so very welcome! Thank YOU for coming and joining in the fun!

      Good luck!!

      And God bless,

      Jodie & Julie

  30. Melissa says:

    Thanks for all the great information! I have had an iPhone for years and until I read this I had no idea how to get better pictures
    Melissa
    March madness

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Melissa,

      Isn’t it cool!? So happy you found it helpful! Thanks for coming over and visiting! We appreciate you!
      Good luck on the giveaway!

      With love and gratitude,
      Jodie & Julie

  31. Brenda Silveira says:

    Thank you for sharing!
    Tried them all…very helpful!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Brenda,

      I’m so happy that you found it useful! That makes me so happy!
      With love and gratitude,

      Jodie & Julie

  32. Gayla Frasier says:

    You girls take great pics, I’m currently obsessed with your style! Time for a phone upgrade for me! Happy March Madness! Gayla

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Gayla,

      You are so sweet. Thank you for the kind words. As far as photos go I totally understand how you feel. I feel with every bit of improvement, my photos are never quite as good as I would like. But we are all about improvement, not perfection! Celebrate each step of the way and soon you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished!! xoxo

      With love and thanks,
      Jodie & Julie

  33. Jill Stephenson says:

    Jodie & Julie,

    Thanks for the tips! I had no clue what HDR meant on my iPhone 7!!! Going to try your tips today with my family! Thank you for including your Canadian Friends in the March Madness all month long.

    Warm wishes for a bright day ahead!

    Jill

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Jill,

      We are so excited that you were able to learn something new and useful from this post! That is truly what inspires us and motivates us to do what we are doing! Writing and sharing with we learn with others is so rewarding!

      Thank you for visiting us and sharing your experience with us!

      Good luck on the giveaway and we hope we will see you again during the month and beyond!

      With love and blessings!

      Jodie & Julie

  34. Anne H says:

    Pretty amazing! I learned a few things. My favorite tip is using the volume button to snap the picture! Will be using these tips on my up coming trip to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee! I would love more photography tips. I’m really lacking in that area and I know I have a great camera on my iPhone 6 Plus.. Your Instagrams have become my daily go to’s and will be even after March Madness! Thank you!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Anne,

      We are so excited that you learned something new from this post! Julie and I are both novices with photography so we get equally excited every time we find something that will improve our pictures! And you have definitely come to the right spot because every time we make a personal improvement in this area our first instinct is to share it with YOU!

      Good luck on the giveaway! We appreciate you and all your support and are happy to welcome you to join us on this journey!

      With love and blessings!

      Jodie & Julie

  35. Tammy says:

    Oh my goodness this is a game changer! Who knew my IPhone had such capabilities for taking photos!! Especially the HDR I couldn’t figure out why it would pop up or what it even meant! Because I’m sure not going to read the instructions in the booklet that came????????the print is so tiny! Thank You for putting it in easy laymen terms that help me to understand!!! And between us I won’t tell my son how many action shots I missed because of my no camera skills!???????? God Bless you Julie and Jodie!!
    March Madness day 2!!!????????????????

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Tammy, I wish I could hug you! Your comment is so darling…your sweet and fun personality just shines right through! We LOVE your enthusiasm and zest for life. I want to bottle some “Tammy” for later 🙂 Cannot even tell you how joyful we are to have you coming to our blog and enjoying our posts. We are just getting stated…seriously, like hold onto your hat, Girlfriend, because we are taking you along with us on a wonderful journey! With love and friendship, Julie & Jodie

  36. Dori Fiedler says:

    Excited to read more on this! ❤️

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Dori, Welcome to our blog! We are thrilled to have you with us! We wish you luck on the giveaway and we hope you will be motivated to come back every day for another chance to win! We also hope that along the path you will take away so much more in the form of inspiration, motivation, knowledge, and yes, friendship. We look forward to growing together on this journey and we sincerely hope you’ll come along. with love & gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  37. Dori Fiedler says:

    MARCH MADNESS! ????

  38. Raquel Delgado says:

    Love you two so much! Every story gives me joy and inspiration. So glad to come across such beautiful people. Everything you do is a work of art. Thank you for the beauty you display and inspire not only in decor but with your touching words of wisdom. ❤????
    March madness!!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Wow Raquel, your words alone could make my day miraculous! I feel like I could stop right there and be joyful for the day! You touched me with your kindness! We feel your sincerity and really, it makes it all worthwhile. We don’t yet make any money on our blog…one day we probably will, but right now I feel like we get paid in love…I mean it…like your comment just now is my reward and it is enough right there. We truly hope you will continue to join us regularly…heck if you came every day for the 31 days of March Madness we’d be best friends by the time April 1st came around hee hee! With love AND friendship, Julie & Jodie

  39. Shea Hayes says:

    Wow! So informative. Thank you for the tips! I love all your decor! March Madness ????

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Thank you so much, Shea! We just love having you here on our blog. We hope you will visit all 31 days of March and hope you win a tangible gift. But our true hope is that you will take away so much more in the form of inspiration, motivation, ideas, knowledge, and yes, friendship. With love & gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  40. Donnamarie Larkin says:

    Love this blog~! so helpful. I have an iphone and i knew there were some secret iphone camera tricks. i have a nikon D3100 which im still learning and while i love my outdoor shots i cant always carry the nikon with me for pics, so i have heard from some of my photography friends to look into the camera secrets for the iphone when im on the go…this was perfect. I definitely learned 2 new features i didnt know with the camera here ….had no idea on the adjust exposure manually after you focus on the pic and heard of the “burst” but never knew how to take them or what they were for. what a great little read this am. Thanks for this blog post. I will definitely be using these tricks and more so now when taking before and after pics of our new home as we decorate and do some facelifts with things along with painting. Look forward to reading more blogs. “March Maddness” 🙂

  41. Stacey says:

    I am so glad you posted this. I have had an iPhone for a few years and never knew about the ability to adjust exposure. I have been utilizing all of your tips. Thank you again! March Madness is the best!

  42. Sarah Maney says:

    Thank you for these great tips! I feel like photography and IG is a constant learning process. You gals are great! ???? (March madness)

  43. Lauren says:

    Thanks for the tips! Always good to know because I take A LOT of pictures.???? March madness ????

  44. Pam says:

    Well I learned 3 new things that will come in very handy! Thank you both for sharing your knowledge.
    ???? March Madness ????

  45. Christina says:

    I have had an iPhone for years and did not know some of these tips! As always thanks for sharing!!! And happy March Madness!!!!

  46. Regina says:

    Oh my gosh!!! Like I’ve said, I am fairly new to posting on IG. I always look at your pics and say, I have got to know how their pics are so perfect! This read was very helpful to me! I am even going to see if my daughter knows some of these tips. ???? Loving March Madness!!!

  47. LaRonda says:

    Thanks for sharing! I am very excited about trying these new tips. Excited for March Madness 🙂

  48. Sharon - momof3babygirls says:

    These are some great tips! I’m always looking for ways to improve my pictures! 🙂 Love March Madness! ????

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Sharon, thank you for your kind reply. Welcome to our blog. We are thrilled that you are here. Every day a new chance to win…we hope you will take advantage all month long and in the process that you learn, grow, get ideas and motivation, and become inspired. Heck, by the end of the month we should all be BESTIES! What better gift is there than that? With love & gratitude, Julie & Jodie

  49. Great ideas for my Iphone!! Love your March madness 🙂

  50. Connie Looper says:

    Thanks so much for these tips! Lighting (mostly how to deal with shadows) has always been a challenge when taking pics in my home. I did not know you could take a pic with the volume button. That’s handy! Also, and this is funny, I kept getting burst shots when I didn’t actually want them. Until I read this, I had no idea why that was happening. Lol! March Madness

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Connie, You are a cutie pie…I have a great desire to meet you! You are a light in my days, even among so many blessed and lovely people you shine brightly and make my heart truly smile. Thank you for the gift of you. Many blessings, Julie & Jodie

  51. Janice says:

    Thank you for the great tips. I didn’t know how to focus and the burst mode. March Madness

  52. Pat Howe says:

    Wow this is so helpful thanks for sharing…HAPPY March Madness!!

  53. Brenda Galiher @growingingracedaily says:

    Dear Friends,
    This post was a game changer for me, until I can upgrade to a better camera, these tips have helped me take better pictures with my I-phone. Hope you are having a great day. Also… *side note love the spring touches you are adding to your homes. #marchmadness

  54. Stephanie Hall says:

    I find myself using my iPhone almost exclusively while my nice dslr collects dust. It’s just reality! March madness.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Stephanie, I feel you! Mine’s tucked away in a cabinet. Jodie is determined that we learn to use it, so this summer when we are together we might combine all our powers (twin powers) and attempt to tackle it again. On my own I have given up. EEK. Thank you Stephanie, for joining us on our blog. We hope you find reason to return regularly. With love, Julie & Jodie

  55. Marilyn says:

    You girls are keeping me busy with reading Miracle Morning, getting up earlier and now I’m going to play with my iphone settings. thank you for the great info! -March Madness

  56. Linda Greer says:

    Awesome tips!!
    Thanks for the info and the March Madness giveaway

  57. Glory Galbraith says:

    I am so grateful for this post. I never knew what a treasure my iphone is for picture taking. I do own a great cannon, and I am experimenting with it. To be honest, I use my iphone the most for capturing sweet moments with my grandkids. I’m also learning to find magic in the morning. Perhaps I’ll catch a great shot of the sunrise and share it with you lovely ladies. March madness!

  58. Melanie says:

    Love my iPhone for taking pictures. Thank you for sharing! March Madness

  59. Lisa says:

    I’ll be putting these tips to the test. Thank you! 🙂

  60. Wendy says:

    Thanks for sharing this valuable info. I knew some of them, but the slide exposure is a great one to know! You girls are adorable, glad I recently found you!

  61. Bobbi says:

    I read this article again and have really come to understand my IPhone 11 even more. Thank you for all you do to provide this information to us!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Bobbi, It makes our day to hear. It takes time to read and to really digest new information. It’s a great idea to read something twice so you can learn and implement what we share. Excited you were committed and in the end that commitment worked 🙂 XO ~ Julie & Jodie

  62. Nishan Singh says:

    I have been reading your posts frequently. I need to say that you are doing a fantastic work. Please keep up the great work.

  63. Arun Sharma says:

    Glad to visit your blog. Thanks for great post that you share to us…

  64. Arun Sharma says:

    Its really wonderful and watchable. I like to share it with all my friends and hope they will definitely like it.

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