10 Best Ways To Create Amazing Content On Your iPhone

If you want to create fun, engaging and professional content to build an online community but not spend a fortune on professional camera equipment, then keep reading. 

I personally don’t use a DSLR camera to create social media content – everything I do and create, is on my iPhone.  Apple, in particular their iPhones continue to set camera and video standards in the smartphone world and just keep getting better, making them a great option for creating content.

I believe in getting the most out of all the tools I use, and doing what you can with what you have including capturing the content and editing all on my iPhone.

So here are some of my own tips that I use consistently to create and execute content.

1.    The Rule of Thirds

This is the best-known composition rule in photography.  It is classified as ‘an image that is divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, with compositional elements placed along these lines or their intersections.’  This is where the grid feature on your phone’s camera comes in.  By dividing your image horizontally and vertically into 3 parts each, you can easily visualize those important intersection points and align your subject for a better composition and more visually interesting photo.  You don’t need to apply this rule to everything, it’s just a good reference point. To do this on your iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Grid.

2.    A Tripod

I rarely go anywhere without my trusty tripod.  A stable video/photo improves the quality drastically of video and photos.  You can pick up tripods almost everywhere and at budget friendly prices.  When buying a tripod, ensure it comes with multiple levels for height plus both a tilting arm and swiveling head.  Also, ensure it has an attachment for an iPhone and a Bluetooth remote.  The remote can save you a lot of time and headache.

3.    Editing

Editing social media content is doable on your iPhone and I use CapCut, InShot and Lightroom. I pay a subscription fee for CapCut which gives me all the features I need and for me, I feel is worthwhile as I use it almost every day.  In terms of different apps, I feel CapCut enables me to create slick transitions to deliver quality videos for reels and TikTok’s. When it comes to editing the colour, sharpness and exposure of videos – I usually use the in-built editing function on the iPhone.

4.    Clean Your Camera

It might seem silly, but it’s crucial.  Cleaning your camera lens with a microfiber towel or glasses cleaner before capturing content is essential to produce sharper quality.  Your phone lens can get dirty so easily and smudge from the natural oils in our hands or dust from day-to-day use.

5.    Good Lighting

Lighting is key when capturing any content.  When seeking out the perfect place to snap your shot or video, locate an area with evenly distributed natural light.  Avoid harsh, direct sunlight as this can create shadows. However, if you are in an area with limited access to natural light – get yourself a ring light. It’s a great way to create good lighting in dim, indoor areas.

6.    Crop Photos Without Diminishing Quality

Don’t use the zoom function when taking photos.  This results in your images looking grainy and bad quality.  Use the crop tool built into your iPhone camera.

7.    Vertical Is King

A good rule of thumb is to capture your content vertically if you plan to use it on social media – which most people do.  Horizontal orientation is good if you need the content for YouTube but when it comes to social media – vertical is king.

8.    Video Resolution

Most iPhones can shoot in 720p, 1080p or 4K resolution.  Depending on which platform you intend to use for sharing your video, always select the highest resolution possible. This ensures maximum detail and clarity in your footage. With video, I use 4K at 30 or 60fps.  If you’re in a situation where there is light flickering – use 4K at 25fps (PAL).  Keep in mind that higher-resolution videos will occupy more storage space, so keep an eye on your storage capacity.

9.    Always Use The Back Camera

The rear camera on the iPhone has better quality and better filming capabilities than the selfie/front-facing ones.  Where it’s possible, I will always choose the back camera.

10.  Use An External Microphone

The iPhone built-in microphone is decent, but an external Bluetooth microphone will elevate the quality of your video if it requires speaking audio.

Remember – capturing content is not solely dependent on your equipment but also on your creativity and storytelling abilities.

Irene Feeney Steele