Happy Monday, everyone! Today, we have the lovely Kate from Kate Giovinco Photography. I met Kate a few months ago when she hired me to redesign her photography studio (we aren’t finished with it yet, but you will LOVE it!) Kate is an amazing photographer! Make sure to check out her website and you can also find her on Facebook.
Check back later this week for your chance to win an awesome portrait session with Kate!
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Good morning. Thank you to The Mouse House for having me today.
My name is Kate from Kate Giovinco Photography.
Our studio is located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but we shoot 95% on location. We specialize in custom family portraits at home and the Jersey shore. Today I am going to share with you some basics on taking a good picture with the camera you have on you. And yes that does include your smart phone. I cannot express enough that the best camera is the camera you have with you. Don’t believe for a second that you can’t take a good picture with the camera that is on you. It is all about knowing the basics and making the camera work for you. And since I am sure it will get asked. Yes, the higher end cameras offer more features, but as long as you know how to use the camera to it’s full potential you can take a good picture. Here are my top 5 tips for taking a better portrait with the camera you have on you.
1. Remember the basic rules of photography. a. Rule of Thirds – Imagine your image divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The first image shows the horizontal and vertical grid on the picture. You should place your subject where these lines intersect. It will draw your eye to the subject.
b. Focus on your subject – Make sure the subject is the first thing you notice in your frame. 
c. Use leading lines – Leading lines are used to draw the viewers eyes through the photograph to the subject. 
d. Pay attention to detail – You don’t want a tree coming out of someone’s head or for the person to be taller than a building. Keep perspective in your photos. 
e. MOVE – Move yourself, move your subject, change angles of how you shoot. Don’t always shoot straight on. With children get on their level. 
2. That brings us to the 2nd tip. Get close to the subject, crop in your camera and forget about the zoom feature. It takes away from the quality of the image when you use the internal zoom. Especially with the camera on your phone. 
3. Ditch the flash! Even in low light use any other available light source. For example when outside use the headlights on a car or lights on the house, inside use overhead lighting or a candle. Do whatever you can to avoid flash. On camera flash is too close to the lens and is very unforgiving. It is the number 1 offender of creating red eye and blown out images! Don’t let the flash control your image. The picture below was taken after dark in a kitchen. The only availble light was over head and coming the room behind me..
4. Know your equipment. It doesn’t matter if it is a fancy DSLR, a tiny all in one camera or the camera on the phone, learn how to use it. Read your manuals. If you know it’s features you will know how you can use it to it’s full potential. 
5. Try to avoid shooting in full sun when photographing pets and people. The best lighting is on an overcast day or when the sun is rising and setting, but that isn’t always available. Don’t be afraid to shoot in full sun. Learn to work around it. Find open shade. You can use an over hang on a building or even the side of a building. 
My last tip! Backup and PRINT, PRINT, PRINT! Backup your files on your camera phone and computer. When you get a new phone or your computer crashes you want to make sure you have a backup as well as a printed version of those memories. There is nothing like holding a print in your hand. Go on out and shoot. I would love to see the images you create so please feel free to share them with me.
— Cheers, Kate
Hayley
Hayley Crouse is a wife, mother and multifaceted designer. Her love of sewing, crafting, cooking and interior design infuses her daily life and naturally spills over into her online presence. She pushes the envelope of her creativity and hopes that others will be inspired to do the same. She currently authors the Welcome to the Mouse House Blog, is the pattern designer behind Mouse House Creations and is a collaborative designer with Willow & Co. Patterns.
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