You can have the best camera in the world and still take terrible photos with it. 

It’s not the camera. It’s knowing how to use it.

When you understand the basics, you don’t need 27 tries to get a good shot. Which means fewer decisions and way less overwhelm later.

five ways to take better iphone photos

1. Clean Your Lens (Seriously)

This is the most overlooked tip and it has a huge impact.

Your iPhone lives in your pocket, your bag, your car… it’s constantly collecting fingerprints, dust, and smudges. That soft, hazy look in your photos? It’s probably not lighting… it’s grime.

Before you take a photo, give your lens a quick wipe on your shirt.

That’s it. Instantly your photos look clearer and sharper.

2. Use the Right Lens (Stop Pinching to Zoom)

When you pinch to zoom, your phone is digitally zooming, which is a bit fuzzier. Instead, use the built-in lenses. The number and type of lenses will vary based on your iPhone model.

• 0.5x = ultra-wide
• 1x = standard
• 2x, 3x or 5x = telephoto (depending on your model)

If you want to get closer, physically move your body when you can. If you can’t, switch to a telephoto lens instead of pinching.

This change will make your photos look sharper and more professional.

3. Tap to Control Exposure

Your iPhone is smart, but it doesn’t always guess lighting correctly. Before snapping a photo:

• Tap on your subject
• Then slide your finger up or down on the little sun icon to adjust brightness

Too dark? Brighten it slightly.
Too blown out? Bring it down.

This gives you control instead of leaving it up to the phone… and can make a big difference.

4. Use Portrait Mode (and Fix It Later if needed)

Portrait mode isn’t just for people… it works great for pets, food, and everyday moments too. It creates that soft, blurry background effect that makes your subject pop.

And here’s the part most people don’t know: you can adjust the focus after you take the photo.

If it focused on the wrong thing:

• Open the photo
• Tap “Edit”
• Tap the area you want in focus

You can also adjust how blurry the background with the ‘f’ slider at the bottom.

5. Pay Attention to What’s in the Background

Before you take the picture, take one second to scan the frame:

• Is there clutter behind your subject?
• Is something awkward “growing” out of someone’s head?
• Is there a distraction pulling your eye away?

Sometimes all it takes is:

• Taking one step to the side
• Lowering or raising your angle
• Moving a random object out of the frame

A cleaner background = a photo you’re more likely to share and print.

You don’t need to buy a new phone or camera… you need to learn how to take better photos with the one you already have.

• Clean lens
• Use the right lens
• Control your exposure
• Use portrait mode
• Be aware of your surroundings

None of this takes more than a few extra seconds, but it can change the quality of your photos more than buying a whole new phone!

You can visit the Apple Help website for more information about your iPhone model’s camera or find more iPhone tips in my blog archives!

The post how to take better iphone photos appeared first on Miss Freddy.

currently…

geeking out over our new solar setup. It’s basically a whole home generator but powered by solar and I’m watching the app compulsively because the energy data is so interesting!

taking my vitamins consistently (it’s this month’s wellness habit).

doing acupuncture for the first time in my life. I love it!

wearing this silly donkey-in-my-pocket t-shirt.

reading What Rose Forgot. My son picked this out from our favorite secondhand bookstore for my Christmas gift!

listening to Upward Bound on audiobook.

watching season two of The Pitt. That show is so addicting!

eating the Whole Foods “meal deal”… on repeat. I’m obsessed! For $35 you get to choose one protein + two sides and it’s enough to feed four! I’ve been buying one for a family dinner and one for myself to each for lunch through the week. There’s a ton of variety and so reasonably priced.

experimenting with Claude to build a tracker in my business to help get a better idea of how my ads and funnels are converting (that data is so hard to track over a long period)!

starting to prep for my summer break. It’s not until June 1, but scanning and video conversion projects take a few weeks to turnaround so the deadline is April 30th on those (and that always sparks a surge in projects)!

*This post contains affiliate links which means I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase based on my recommendation.

The post life right now [april] appeared first on Miss Freddy.

Let’s break this down in a very practical way… cost, time, and what this realistically looks like.

option 1: scan photos yourself

What this actually looks like: order a scanner, set it up, learn how it works, and scan photos in batches.

Typical cost:

The cost of a scanner varies based on the type you purchase.

• A high speed scanner costs ~$500 (read more about the one I recommend)
• A flatbed scanner costs much less ~$100-150
  

Time commitment (this is the part people underestimate):

Scanning photos is a time-intensive, hands-on process. You’ll be removing photos from boxes or albums, feeding them through the scanner, monitoring the output and fixing issues or re-scanning when needed.

A realistic pace for most people:

• ~200 photos/hour with a high-speed scanner (this is the one I recommend)
• ~25 photos/hour with a flatbed scanner (like this one)

Cost/Time Breakdown:

Let’s say you have 1,000 photos to scan, here’s the cost breakdown:

• High Speed Scanner: ~$.50 per photo, ~5 hours of scanning work
• Flatbed Scanner: ~$.15 per photo, ~40 hours of scanning work

And most people have way more than 1,000 photos. So you’re realistically looking at multiple weekends (or more) to complete your project, even with a high speed scanner.

And that’s if you stay consistent… most people get started and end up leaving the project unfinished.

Pros:

• More affordable
• Your photos never leave your home

Cons:

• Very time-consuming
• Easy to lose momentum halfway through
• Setup and tech can feel like a hurdle

Scanning yourself works best if you have a smaller photo collection and don’t mind repetitive work. If you decide you want to scan yourself, my Organizing Old Photos course will help you with the correct settings and most efficient workflow.

option 2: hire a scanning service

The “I don’t want to deal with this, but I want this done” option.

What this actually looks like: boxing up your photos and shipping them (or dropping them off locally), the company scans everything and sends back your originals + digital files.

Typical cost:

I charge $.79 per photo to scan print photos, but many other services cost much more. If you send your 1,000 photos to Miss Freddy to scan, you’re looking at $790 + shipping cost (~$25) = $815. (learn more about my scanning services here)

Time commitment:

Very little on your end. Turnaround is usually a few weeks, but you’re not the one doing the work.

Pros:

• Saves a huge amount of time
• No learning curve
• Guaranteed completion!

Cons:

• More expensive than purchasing a scanner, if you have a large quantity
• Trusting a company with your photos

This is best if you know you’re unlikely to follow through on your own and just want this done.

things most people don’t think about

These are a few things you may not be considering that may help you decide which path is best for your photo collection.

1. The emotional weight

Going through old photos can be surprisingly heavy. Especially if you’re dealing with grief (often print photos are inherited after losing a loved one).

2. Follow-through

A lot of people start scanning with the best intentions… and then life gets busy. And then it’s a constant “I really should get back to that project” weighing on you.

3. Scanning is only step one

This is the big one. Once your photos are digitized, you still need to: add them to your digital photo library, back them up, and actually use them (sharing, photo books, etc).

If that feels overwhelming, scanning yourself might not be where you want to spend your energy.

so… should you scan photos yourself or hire a service?

Scan them yourself if: you don’t mind a hands on project, have a lot of time to devote to this task, and want to keep costs low.

Hire it out if: you’ve been putting this off for years, your time and energy are limited, and you want this handled.

For most of the busy moms I work with, hiring this out is worth it. Not because they can’t do it, but because they realistically won’t.

That said, if you have a smaller batch of photos or you enjoy this kind of project, scanning yourself can absolutely work. My Organizing Old Photos course will walk you through the best settings to use and a time-saving workflow.

There’s also a middle ground: scan a small set yourself and outsource the rest. I have many clients who decide to scan their print photos, but send me their oversized scrapbook pages/negatives/slides because they need more special handling or different equipment. (Learn more about my scanning services.)

After your photos are digitized, it’s time to make sure they’re organized and backed up so you can actually enjoy them. If you want help with that part:

• My Backup Bootcamp course walks you through it step-by-step
• Or we can handle it for you with my done-for-you organizing service

Either way, the goal is the same: not just getting your photos digitized, but making them available at your fingertips so you can USE and ENJOY them!

The post should you scan photos yourself or hire a service? appeared first on Miss Freddy.

currently…

unpacking from our spring break trip. We visited John’s mom in Florida and then took a 4 night Disney cruise in the Bahamas.

loving this swimsuit I bought for the trip. The skirt is attached and gives nice coverage.

wearing these sparkly sandals. They’re my first pair of Crocs and they were really comfortable. I think the sparkles help them dress up a bit but I wore them the entire trip.

hitting my 100 day streak in Duolingo. I studied French in high school, but have lost it all, and this is helping bring some back.

reading It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan. I’ve enjoyed her other books so I was excited when this was available at the library.

listening to The Women on Platform Two on audiobook.

watching the new season of Scrubs. It’s so fun to come back to these characters after so many years!

eating chia seed ‘pudding’ for breakfast. I prep them on Sundays for the entire week. Each morning I mix in vanilla protein powder instead of a sweetener, plus fresh fruit, and it’s a nice high fiber, high protein way to start the day.

hopping 100 times every day this month. This was the wellness habit I decided to try for March and it’s been silly (my kids roll their eyes when I do it!)… and admittedly I haven’t really noticed any benefits.

working with a business coach on some behind the scenes things related to my free training to see if I can increase conversions to the Backup Bootcamp course.

*This post contains affiliate links which means I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase based on my recommendation.

The post life right now [march] appeared first on Miss Freddy.

And sometimes that works… for a few days. Then the message comes back.

Here’s what to do when your cloud storage is full (even if you don’t want to hear it): when your cloud storage is full, you need to pay for more storage.

Not constantly delete your way down to a plan that’s too small for you.

Choose the Cloud Service You’re Committing To

First, get clear which cloud system you’re actually using. For most people this is iCloud (iPhone users) or Google Photos (Android users).

Both are designed to hold your entire photo library, not just a small portion of it. Once you choose your system, go all in. Let that service store your full photo library so your photos stay searchable, organized, and easy to access.

Trying to keep only some photos in the cloud and others somewhere else is not a good strategy. It makes it more difficult to find, use and enjoy your photos.

Picture this… you need to find a photo from a trip 2 years ago, but you transferred those over to a hard drive in order to save cloud space. That means you have to: find the drive, plug it into a computer, open folders and dig through files. That kind of friction keeps you from enjoying your photos. When the cloud has your whole collection, you can just search for that photo you need and find it in seconds. Done.

Stop Trying to Delete Your Way Into a Smaller Plan

Many people try to stay on the smallest storage tier possible. That leads to a constant cycle of: deleting photos, checking storage, deleting more, panic when you can’t take photos because you’re out of space.

This turns photo management into a stressful maintenance task.

And, the math doesn’t work. Modern phones take nice, high-resolution photos and videos. Over time, the amount of storage you need naturally grows.

That’s not a failure. That’s just the reality of digital photography!

A Helpful Mindset Shift About the Cost

One thing that helped me feel better about my monthly cloud storage payment was putting the cost in perspective. Before digital photography, we used to regularly buy rolls of film and pay for the photo development.

A single roll of film plus developing could easily cost $15–$25, and you only got 24 or 36 photos.

Now compare that to modern cloud storage. Upgrading to the large storage plan (this is what most people need) with services like iCloud or Google Photos, will cost you $10 a month and you can safely store tens of thousands of photos.

Another shift that helped me was changing the way I think about the cloud. It’s easy to think of it as just “storage space,” but it’s actually so much more than that. The cloud powers incredible features that make your photos usable again. It allows you to search your entire library and find the exact photo you need in seconds. It recognizes people, locations, and even text inside your photos. You can search for something like “beach 2010” or “soccer” and instantly find the memory you’re looking for. That kind of technology didn’t exist in the film days. So the real question becomes: is it worth about $10 a month to instantly find a photo from a specific memory, right when you need it? For me, the answer is absolutely yes.

We used to gladly pay for film and development because we valued our photos. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that they’re still worth investing in.

what to do when your cloud storage is full

The next time you get a “cloud storage full” message, ask yourself “is this the cloud service I’ve chosen to manage my photos?” If so, upgrade to the plan that comfortably fits your library.

When you’re clear on the cloud service you’ve committed to, this also gives you the freedom to break up with others you may have inadvertently signed up for in the past.

What this looks like for me: I’m a Mac and iPhone user who has chosen iCloud as my cloud service. If I get a message that I’m out of iCloud space, I will upgrade as needed. If I get a message from Google that I’m out of space, I will go to Google and delete photos/documents/emails as needed to make sure I don’t have to buy more space. Google is not my chosen cloud service.

Ready to Get All Your Photos Into One Place?

If this post made you realize your photos are scattered everywhere- some on old computers, some on phones, some on external drives- I can help!

The Backup Bootcamp course is my step-by-step program that walks you through gathering all of your digital photos and getting them safely into a cloud system. Instead of trying to navigate the tech on your own, follow my clear tutorials that help you finally bring everything together.

Inside the course, you’ll choose the cloud platform that makes the most sense for you and then follow the tutorials for that system. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure approach with guided instructions for: iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, Amazon Photos or OneDrive.

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