Month: October 2025

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Originally posted at: Shannon Beador’s Black Leather Blazer Dress on WWHL

Smartphone photography is often associated with quick and easy snapping away. That’s because you can just walk around, point at something, click – and there’s your photo! 

I’d like to take a different approach to smartphone photography. It is amazing that modern technology has put a camera in the back pocket of so many people. But I also know that it takes a lot more than the push of a button to make a photo that has meaning. 

Wouldn’t it be great if by just a few adjustments you could elevate your smartphone photos from a simple record of the events and people in your life to photos that tell a story, have meaning, and are still beautiful to look at years from now?

You know, it really doesn’t matter what kind of camera you have. It’s about the person behind the camera and what that person is capable of. 

With these 5 smartphone photography tips, you’ll be able to go from quickly snapping away to mindfully shooting with intent so you can start making beautiful smartphone photos.

Find Your Subject

The first thing you should be asking yourself when you pick up your smartphone camera is, what’s my subject? And secondly, why do I want to make this photo? 

When you have an answer to these questions, it becomes easier to make a photo that tells a story, is full of meaning, and is interesting for other people to look at. 

This may seem a little complicated to you, and I get it. But there’s no need to overthink this. It can be as simple as the desire to photograph a colourful flower, an overwhelming landscape, or the gorgeous faces of your grandkids. 

Just stop and think for a few seconds about what you’re about to photograph. Why does it touch your heart? Why did it grab your attention? 

You see, the next step is to figure out what the best way is to show that. It’s a lot easier to do that when you’re aware of what delights you in your subject.

Once you’re used to photographing like this, I can assure you the process of taking pictures with your smartphone will bring you more joy and your phone photos will become a lot better. 

Decide on Orientation

A very important choice in composition is the orientation of the frame. 

It’s very common for smartphone photographers to shoot in a vertical orientation. Probably because that’s how you normally hold your phone. It’s also quick and easy to take a picture with just one hand. 

And of course, there’s nothing wrong with a vertical photo. It’s more about the somewhat automatic way most smartphone photographers shoot vertically.

Because the truth is, a horizontal orientation is a better fit for a lot of photos. 

So I’m encouraging you to change your default ‘shooting vertically’ mode to a default ‘shooting horizontally’ mode.

Photographing in a horizontal orientation seems like a simple thing, but it will have an impact on your mindset while you are photographing.

Why? Because when you photograph horizontally with your smartphone you need both hands. And somehow it’s difficult to take a photo with both hands and keep on walking without tripping over your own feet.

It forces you to stand still and pay attention to what it is you’re photographing. Which is a very important aspect of photography.

Photographing horizontal also has a big impact on the photo itself. It influences your composition as well as how you experience the photo. 

Because there is a difference in the way we perceive a horizontal and a vertical image.

A horizontal photo is usually more dynamic and engaging. It’s easier to connect to because we have a horizontal view ourselves. 

A vertical photo is usually more formal and static.

Turning on the grid in your settings will help you to take photos with straight horizontal and vertical lines.

Use Natural Light

A smartphone camera has a small sensor, the thing inside that captures the photo like the film in the old days. Because it’s so small it loves to have a lot of light. And natural light is the best!

It’s full of mood, flattering and beautiful. It also influences the colours, it emphasizes textures, and creates attractive contrasts.

Natural light can give the most simple things a magical touch.

So, take advantage of the natural light whenever it is present. 

It’s also a good idea to have your flash turned off by default. Because then you can decide to turn on your flash when there’s no way around it. 

If you leave it on Auto Flash, the camera will make this important decision for you, and that’s not something you want to leave up to the camera.

Using natural light to your advantage is not something you learn overnight. And certainly not by reading a blog post. But you can start by becoming a student of light. 

You don’t even need a camera to study light. You can do that all day long just by observing the light and discovering all the different ways natural light touches your surroundings.

Don’t Use Your Zoom

I understand it’s very tempting to use your zoom when you want your subject to be closer. But the thing is your smartphone camera has a digital zoom and not an optical zoom like most regular cameras. 

This means your camera is fooling you!

It ‘zooms in’ by showing only a part of the whole, making it seem like you’ve brought the image closer. But all it does is cropping the image on the sensor and showing you an enlarged image.

That’s why zoomed-in photos always look a little blurry and pixelated. 

If you want your subject to be closer, it’s better to walk towards it. 

Your photos will remain crisp and sharp, while also making you into a more active and involved photographer. 

It becomes more natural to walk around your subject and try out different things. So not only will you keep the image quality high, it also makes you a more creative and intentional smartphone photographer!

Change Your Point of View

And that brings me to my last smartphone photography tip. 

A lot of beginning smartphone photographers shoot from the same eye level perspective all the time. 

Eye-level is the way we usually see the world. It can work fine in a lot of circumstances but it’s not always the most interesting take on the world. 

So, next time try a different point of view. 

You can kneel down and photograph from a low point of view. You can hold your smartphone camera high and get a bird’s eye view. Or how about photographing someone at the back?

You can also walk really close to a subject and photograph an interesting detail. 

Changing your point of view is a great way to create variety in your photographs. And you can infuse your photos with personality and meaning. Because your point of view in photography can say something about your perspective on life.

Final Thoughts

As you’ve probably noticed, every tip is about photographing with your full attention. When you shift your mindset to shooting intentionally, you can create wonderful photos with that seemingly common camera you have with you all the time. 

If you want to go deeper with your smartphone photography, you’re welcome to enroll in my essential smartphone photography course Fabulous Phone Photography. It’s a great course for beginning smartphone photographers who want to take mobile photography to the next level.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How often do you use your smartphone as a camera? What’s your usual process of picture-taking? Do you ‘snap at it’ mindlessly, or do you carefully plan each shot? What can you do to make your smartphone camera work to your advantage? Let’s discuss below. Please join the conversation.

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Originally posted at: Heather Dubrow’s Black Sunglasses

No one likes rejection. I certainly don’t. That pesky thing called ego makes it really hard to swallow the humble pill when you hear the word “No.”

No, you weren’t successful on this occasion. No, you weren’t picked. No, I just don’t love you anymore.

No can also be sliced, baked and sugar coated to not seem as harsh, but it still means the same thing, and you are left dealing with the sting of rejection whilst putting on a brave face… or not. For some people, that sting can linger, stirring up emotions or memories that run deeper than the moment itself. Perhaps you find it hard to control your emotions and suddenly you are full pelt ugly crying, the type of cry where you let everything out and you just can’t stop it, snot and the lot!

Or maybe you get a bit angry or defensive and then look for all the reasons to shift the blame on the other person, situation or event. If only they… If only it was like this… You replay all the alternative versions in your head and convince yourself that it could have been different.

After the initial sadness, hurt, frustration or anger dissipates, what’s left, and how you react, is key to your own mental well-being.

A Great Example – or Not

I remember going for a job interview. It was something I had lots of experience in, and the job title was a grade or two below what I would normally go for (although job titles vary these days). I had years of experience doing the exact thing they wanted me to do: writing copy, editing, sending email campaigns, and managing social media. I knew I was more than capable of doing the role.

On the interview day, I walked into a very welcoming environment and was greeted by two younger women. We chatted away while they asked various questions. The rapport was great, and I felt it generally went well. After the interview, I was led to a small room to complete a 30-minute short task. I had to take information from an article and create an email newsletter event and then proofread a document.

Before I knew it, the coordinator walked back in and advised that time was up, and I didn’t even get to the proofreading section! She gave me five minutes extra, and I whizzed through the document in a couple of minutes in a panic.

Despite this, I was convinced that through the interview and the hope that I managed to spot as many errors as possible, it would have sufficed.

I came out feeling really good about the interview, not so good about the task, but still quietly confident.

Needless to say, it didn’t suffice, and I got the news from the agency the next day, who let me down in the gentlest way. Apparently, my answers were too vague, and they would have expected me to score higher in the task as this was a fundamental part of the role.

What Comes After Rejection

Well, that was a knock in the teeth, and suddenly the old limiting beliefs of “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not clever enough,” “I’m crap at my job” resurfaced, stemming from rejections in relationships, work and life in general, spanning a lifetime of my existence.

It’s funny how quickly those old stories can creep back in, even when you think you’ve moved past them.

Over the years, we will all face rejection at some point, but how we deal with it can make the difference between reopening old wounds that haven’t healed or using it as data to improve ourselves and empower us in the long run.

It’s never nice to receive a knockback, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. It didn’t work out because it wasn’t meant to, and you were meant to go down a different path or learn something valuable from it.

So, after the initial shock and pain, how can you use rejection to your advantage?

1. Feel It

Take time to process your feelings. How are you feeling? Angry, upset, embarrassed? Be aware of what is showing up and journal on this to dig deeper. Ask yourself: What am I feeling now? Why? Have I felt this way before? If so, when? Does it go back further?

2. Learn from It

Once your initial feelings wear down, it’s time to look at your learnings. Even when the outcome isn’t what you hoped or imagined, what can you take from it? If you can’t see anything, dig deeper. Did it give you more experience? Did it make you work out what you want? Did it make you realise what you don’t want?

Keep journalling until you can find something positive you can take away from the situation. We can all learn something. For example, I learnt from the interview that I need to manage my time better and let go of trying to perfect something that was really about progress, not polish.

3. Reframe It

Now reframe your setback, because this doesn’t define who you are. Rejection can be difficult to cope with, but it does not form the rest of your story. There are so many more bright chapters to come.

Here’s an example of a reframe:

“Every ‘no’ clears space for the right ‘yes’. I wasn’t rejected; I was being re-routed toward where I’m meant to grow.”

4. Refocus It

Now you are aware of your feelings, learnings and have reframed the rejection, it’s time to refocus your energy. Ask yourself: What’s one small step I can take next?

Here are a few examples:

• If work or volunteering didn’t go as planned, explore opportunities that truly value your experience and voice.
• If love or friendship has changed, turn that space into time for yourself and reconnect with what lights you up. Join a group, travel solo or do something that makes you feel vibrant again.
• If life feels different to how you imagined, use this moment to rediscover purpose, joy or a new adventure.

Rejection is never easy, but instead of letting it haunt you or define your future, let it be a great lesson that helps you shape the life you want.

And as author, speaker, athlete and veteran Steve Maraboli reminds us, rejection is often a stepping stone in the right direction:

“Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.”

If You Need Further Help

If you’re ready to turn your setback into a fresh start, I offer a free 30-minute Discovery Call where we’ll talk about what’s been holding you back, the changes you’re craving, and how to move forward with more confidence and clarity. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure chat and just a chance to focus on you and what’s next.

Let’s have a conversation.

Have you ever faced a rejection that turned out to be redirection? What did it teach you about yourself? Share your thoughts below, sometimes a simple conversation is all it takes to start seeing a “no” in a whole new light.