ith Summer coming we are all going to be shooting more and more video on our iPhones, so with this in mind I thought i’d put up a few tips on how to make that video look even better.

 

1. Hold the iPhone the correct way for video:

Remember when your looking at TV the picture is in landscape aspect (Widescreen – 16:9 ratio) not vertically. A lot of people film video with the phone vertical and this does not lend itself to good video. Hold the Phone horizontally after launching the Camera app, and make sure all of your video is recorded the same way with the camera located on top.

2. Steady as she goes!

When you don’t have a tripod its difficult to keep the camera steady and this is more relevant when dealing with a small iPhone camera. Remember to use both hands to grip your iPhone, keep your elbows close to your body and you’ll see a big improvement in how steady your will be footage.

 

3.Tap – Tap – Tap

The auto focus facility on the iPhone is a good one but don’t forget to tap the screen on the subject you’d like to keep in beautiful sharp focus. Apple’s tap to focus technology lets you decide which subject the camera will dedicate its focus to but remember you can change it on the go as you’re shooting, if you need to.

Now a little known fact is that in addition to choosing where the camera lens will focus, a tap on the screen will also cover both the exposure and colour balance for your scene as well. This will allow you to brighten the image in the area of the picture you want. But it’s not a manual adjustment,  if your footage changes during a shot and you don’t like what you’re seeing, try tapping and see if the image improves.

4. Move around and frame someone!

Remember how you’ll view the footage later on a big-screen TV. If you can barely see what’s happening on the iPhone’s tiny display, you probably won’t be able to see much better on a bigger screen. A common problem with amateur footage is that it tends to be static and shot from a distance. Wider shots have their place for establishing where you are, but get closer to your subject.

If you want to keep your friends and family happy remember to frame your shots correctly. No one looks good being shot from a low angle. Your also better getting more interesting shots of babies and kids by crouching down to their eye level rather than hovering above them. Also, we tend to shoot female subjects from slightly above their eyeline rather than straight on, which enhances the natural beauty inherent in all members of the fairer sex!

If you plan to shoot a special event and edit it later, it helps to think like a filmmaker while shooting. That means keep your shots less than 30 seconds, and vary the camera angle a bit so things don’t get boring. Establish the location by using a wider shot that captures the scope of the event, but if possible try to shoot closer angles so you have a tons of footage from which to choose when you edit.

5. Move that file!

Don’t forget when you have captured all that beautiful video footage get it off your phone. There’s no point capturing hours of video if some night you drop your phone into the toilet or your phone is stolen. Taking the video off your phone will also free up all that valuable memory that HD video tends to hang onto.