Using your phone to capture photos of your day-to-day life is a GREAT option! But I know that sometimes it can be frustrating to go to take a photo and realize it’s too dark or not quite what you were hoping for. Especially when you’re taking photos indoors, lighting really does matter! Today, I’m sharing my top THREE tips to help you choose the best light for mobile photos. They’re really simple and I know they’ll make a huge difference in the quality of your cell phone photos!

How to choose the best light for mobile photos

1. Use a LOT of natural light. Whenever you take photos, natural light is ALWAYS best. It’s not as harsh and is just more, well, natural. This is why I’m a huge fan of shooting outdoors instead of indoors! But obviously, life doesn’t always happen outdoors! If I am inside and want to use my phone to capture some photos, I will open up as many windows as possible. I know it can seem counterintuitive to turn off light when you’re ready to take a photo but the more natural light, the better. Seriously, natural light will help your images stay more consistent and beautiful! When you’re outdoors, you don’t really have to worry about it as much. But it’s still good to look for clean spaces and even light.

2. When taking photos inside, follow two key principles: Turn off all the artificial lights and open all the windows. Like I mentioned before, I know it feels weird to turn off lights but trust me when I say it makes a HUGE difference. Artificial light is usually very warm and when you try to combine it with natural light, you get an uneven color to your photos. Instead, opening windows to light natural light in will help ensure you’re sticking to ONE light source – and one that’s more beautiful at that!

3. If you’re looking for the BEST time of day for lighting, shoot at golden hour! Sometimes, you can plan your mobile photos ahead of time – I know I do this when I want to grab photos of a new outfit or something for the brand. And so, if that’s the case, aim to take photos about 1-2 hours before the sunsets. Golden hour (as it’s known) is dreamy and magical and can lead to some really pretty images!!! You know that “glowy” light you see on people’s photos? That’s because they photographed it during golden hour. Overall, the light is softer and adds warmth to your images so really, it’s a no brainer whenever it’s possible to shoot then!

Lighting mobile images can feel tricky at first, but by understanding how natural light can help you enhance your images, you’ll be surprised how elevated they start to feel! Want more tips to elevate your mobile photos? See more tips here!

Have you heard the news? My mobile presets launch on June 9th! Make sure you’ve signed up for the waitlist so you’re the first to know when they go live!! SIGN UP HERE!

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