This Photographer Has Tips On How To Take The Best Photos With Your Phone This Festive Season

Picture this: you’ve just gotten home from a great Christmas dinner with your friends and family, and you’re lying in bed trying to select pictures to put on Facebook or Instagram. As you’re scrolling, you’re thinking, “I’ve got a double-chin”…”this photo is blur”…”the lighting here isn’t great”…

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

For most of us, photography isn’t a talent that comes easily. So when we’re tasked with taking a photo for the group to remember, sometimes the photo comes out looking less than flattering. Fortunately, we’ve gotten some helpful hints from Raquel Ang on how you can now snap frame-worthy photos this festive season. Raquel chats with us on her work at Another Studio, and dishes out easy steps you can take to up your mobile phone photography.

Raquel Ang, Founder of Another Studio

How did you get the idea to open Another Studio?
I’ve personally always dreamt of having and curating a creative a space where people could gather and be inspired, whether it was for photography, films, brainstorming, events, art gallery, art therapy or just a relaxing afternoon away from a hustle and bustle of life. The vision was that every individual that entered the studio would feel echoes of positive feelings or thoughts, and through that, the desire to be creative. It should be inspiring and serene. One of our first clients was actually here for art therapy, and that further validated my decision to open Another Studio.

How does Another Studio differ from the other photography studios in Singapore?
The studio really prides itself for the abundance of natural sunlight, lush greenery and the colonial windows. I wanted to create an atmosphere, rather than just a photography studio. My priority was to stand out from other photography studios by not being a competitor, but singularly focusing on the overall feeling people get from the space. The space being a photography studio was an added bonus.

What is the most fulfilling thing about your work and owning Another Studio?
To leave my full time career and start a business, and to see the fruits of all your hard work is rewarding. It wouldn’t have been possible if not for all the support I’ve gotten from close friends, family and even ex-bosses. Getting to meet even more talent creatives and people because of the studio and hearing how they enjoyed the space is also very fulfilling. For my space to be able to touch their lives in whatever minute way is really quite a joy.

Being a #girlboss yourself, are there other people who inspire you?
I think being a female boss was never easy to begin with, so when I connect with other risk-taking women that have something they can call their own, it really inspires me in a very personal way.
Some of the women who inspire me are Jaren Ho, founder of local label Yacht 21; Airin, who is a makeup artist and cosmetic science enthusiast; Kate Low, founder of Perk by Kate; Andrea Chong, who is better known on social media as @dreachong; Maxine Eng, my favorite female tattoo artist in Singapore; Syah, who is an aspiring and up-and-coming tattoo artist; and my mom, who is always supporting me from behind the scenes.

Images: Another Studio, 123RF

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This Photographer Has Tips On How To Take The Best Photos With Your Phone This Festive Season

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Tired of looking back at unflattering photos of your family or yourself? Raquel shares some easy tips on how to get the perfect photo with your friends and family every time.

1. Watch your light

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Personally, my biggest pet peeve when shooting a photo is always lighting. Lighting is the greatest factor in creating mood for photos, so always find somewhere great light when deciding where to take your photograph.

Editor’s note: Shooting in the afternoon may cast harsher shadows on your face, which may be less flattering. Try to find a light source that’s less direct, or wait to take your photo around 5pm when the sunlight isn’t as direct.

2. Utilise your AE lock

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One tip for iPhone user is to utilise the AE/AF Lock function. You can activate it by hold and pressing on your camera screen, and you see a yellow box pop up with the words “AE/AF Lock” on the top. Play around with this effect, and you’ll see that can actually do a great deal of things and you can create bokeh effect.

Editor’s note: Another tapping-tip is to tap on the part of the photo you want to focus on, so it helps the camera to decide which parts of your picture can be sharp.

3. Get comfortable with photo-editing apps

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Find your unique photo-editing style or preference. The premier app that most people use is called VSCO, but other than this, there is also another app called Snapseeds that is just as good for photo-editing.

Editor’s note: VSCO allows you to save “recipes”, so you can easily create a preset that you like and effect it onto all your photos.

4. Focus on moments

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The festive period is all about gathering together to celebrate relationships, so capture moments rather than focus on people or things.

Editor’s note: If you find that people automatically start to pose when they spot your camera, holding your camera lower may help you get a few shots where subjects are unaware that they’re being photographer. This captures them in a setting that is more spontaneous.

5. Remember the :"rule of the thirds"

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The “rule of thirds” goes a long long way!

Editor’s note: For those who are not familiar with this term, the “rule of thirds” basically helps you compose a more impactful shot. By aligning your focus subject onto one of the “thirds” line, you can draw more attention to them.

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This Photographer Has Tips On How To Take The Best Photos With Your Phone This Festive Season

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