Further to my post from last week about not needing a great big SLR to take great pictures. It's here if you missed it, Taking Great Pictures. Today's post is about taking great pictures with the iPhone.

Now, to make something clear. You will not be able to take the same type of pictures with an iPhone as you would with a Point & Shoot (P&S). Same goes for a P&S compared to an SLR. They use different technology, sensors and glass. However, as I wrote in last weeks post above, this wont stop you from taking great pictures. 

As a photographer, or as someone who is learning. It is your responsibility to play to your camera's strength's and not to its weaknesses. Let's start with the iPhone 4.

Strengths:

Portable
Lightweight
Easy to stand up for shots that require stability

Weaknesses:

Small sensor thus noisy night-time shots
Slow to get ready

Ok, so according to our rudimentary list there; we should use it during the day, and we can take advantage of standing it up on its own for stability purposes maybe during latter parts of the day where the sun might be going down, and its slow so the shot should cater towards landscape shots, though of course you can still take people shots but you might miss the specific shot you wanted, I know its happened to me many times. 

If the sun is going down, what I like to do (since it is unlikely you will be carrying an iPhone tripod everywhere you go, I know I don't) is lay the iPhone on its side on a flat surface. Line up the shot as you see fit, and ever so slightly touch the shutter button. This should give you a crystal clear image, and I have used this technique many times.

Using a dedicated camera app is extremely beneficial, with features above and beyond the stock camera app. My personal favourite is Camera+ (Link), it costs just $1.99 and is a worthwhile investment if you plan on shooting with your iPhone routinely, it is not by any means necessary but it does make it easier. It has dozens of high-end features not found on the stock app, most useful of which is the 'Stabilizer' which snaps the photo at the moment the iPhone is most stable. This will potentially save dozens of shots that would have otherwise turned out slightly blurry.

With these tips in mind, its very easy to take great shots with your itty bitty iPhone which goes everywhere you do. The only thing left to focus on is composition. Composition at the end of the day is what will make a photo great. The above tips only give you the potential to get a great shot, but won't make a great shot for you. Remembering or learning the rule of thirds (Wikipedia Link) will help with the quality of your shots.

Lastly, the number one tip that I can give on getting a great shot with an iPhone or any camera, is to have an object in the foreground of your shot, especially for landscape shots. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, as there is with all rules, but usually a faraway landscape in which nothing stand outs, is quite boring. The wider the shot, the more important it is to have something in the foreground. Try it next time you want to shoot something far away. Take a with and without picture and compare them yourself, get the feedback of your friends and family. I'm sure you'll find it makes a difference. Sometimes, even angling the camera towards the ground is enough. Experiment with it and find out. 

The below shot was taken in Saida, Lebanon on an iPhone 3GS. The iPhone is a fantastic device for taking pictures, it's portable and always with you. Just play to the iPhone's strength's and you will get great shots.