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Shooting in front of a window confuses the smartphone and exposes for the background instead of the foreground. Pictured: Robin (Mom) Cayetano and Natalie (14)
Have your subjects illuminated by the window instead and they'll look great
For family photos, use chairs to make sure you see everyone's faces Back row: Bernie, Robin, Aaron and Natalie Cayetano. Front row: Gary and Aline Leo
When people go in the back row for family photos, they tend to get hidden
Instead of using two rows, just all line up together and you'll see everyone
Tap focus on the smartphone to make sure you don't focus on the plant instead of your subject
Since the digital zoom is just a crop, you'll get a sharper photo using your feet to get closer. Notice how much sharper this image is. Pictured: Aaron Cayetano (17)
Bad zoom --pinched in and pixelated
"Zoom": on smartphones is usually just a digital crop, and isn't wise. Zoom in all the way and you get a pixelated, non sharp photo
The smartphone flash tends to make the subject look like he/she was lit by a blow-torch. Pictured: Bernie Cayetano and Gary Leo
Turning on lights instead provides more realistic and pleasing colors
Family photo bad --not eye level
Using a table tripod and the smartphone timer is a great way to get a family photo without a photographer present. But it needs to be at eye level. Because otherwise, you're looking up at people's chins, not their best look. To get eye level, stack the tripod atop books.
everyone looks better when photographed at eye level, even if some people have to crouch to get into the shot