Menu
Menu
Often, we’ll experience a moment and afterwards think:
“Oh, I wish I’d taken a photo of that!”
While some moments are best enjoyed without being photographed, it can be so nice, every now and then, to feel prepared when there is a true Kodak moment. However, for young parents, we know that getting a child, pet or partner to stay still long enough for a good photo can feel almost impossible! Some people seem to just have that ‘knack’ for taking great photos, even on a smartphone. So what’s their secret?
We want to help guide you in exploring some of the ways in which you can take gorgeous, candid photos using your smartphone. Utilising knowledge from our highly skilled team of photographers, we put together a how-to guide for taking beautiful at-home photographs, sharing our top hints and tricks for that effortless, candid imagery we know you want filling your camera roll!
So, where is the best place to begin…?
One of the best ways to ensure you are going to take clear, beautiful phone images is to check if your lens is clean! As many of us keep our phones in our handbags, pockets or similar, the lens on the back of the phone can easily become cloudy or smudged.
Give your lens a once-over with a soft cloth, making sure it’s smudge-free before you begin.
Using the cloth and spray from your glasses (if you’re a glasses wearer!) Is a handy hack to get it sparkling!
The well-known phrase “lights, camera, action” starts with ‘lights’ for good reason!
Lighting is super important when using any type of camera, so you will need to ensure you have some great lighting for creating clear, focused photographs.
Great light is really a key element to getting a great image, as your camera processes light quite differently from the way your eyes do. This means what you see whereas what your camera sees, isn’t the same at all.
Firstly, try to avoid direct sunlight. Sharp lighting can be quite unflattering in photographs, as it emphasises shadows and imperfections, and also creates harsh lines on faces.
Go for softer, natural lighting such as afternoon light, or ‘golden hour’ lighting, as it is often referred to in the professional photography world.
This is that hour of the day where the sun is setting, and the light becomes a more golden, warm hue. This creates really flattering, soft colouring for capturing photos, a beautiful time of day to take out the camera and capture some portraits!
Also, try a room with nice daylight flooding in, and then ensure your kids are facing towards the window, as this will act as your lighting source. If you have sheer curtains, you can create softer lighting by keeping them closed if you’re shooting in the middle of the day.
There’s a fabulous feature on more recent smartphones called ‘portrait mode’. For those that may not be aware, portrait mode is where the phone applies something called the ‘bokeh’ effect, to keep the subject of the image in focus, whilst giving more of a fade to the background.
This mode can be used on almost all smartphones and adjusted to suit a variety of lighting, such as ‘natural light’, ‘studio light’, etc. Simply select the lighting within settings that is suitable for your scenario, and you’re ready to go!
Long gone are the days of stiff, stuffy formal shots. People nowadays are learning towards natural, effortless imagery that captures candid moments, full of genuine emotion.
Some of the best candid photos can be created in the most unassuming of moments.
It may be whilst your children are helping to cook dinner, and you get a great shot of them stirring the pasta pot- it might be that they are assisting in the garden and you get an image whilst they are planting some flower seeds…There’s no need to keep everyone still or ‘pose’ them as such, simply capture what you are seeing.
Keep in mind, it may take some practice to capture these types of moments. A great image tells a story, and often keeping it simple can make for a powerful photograph.
It’s difficult when taking photos on your phone to get everyone in the photo. We’ve all had that moment, whilst attempting to take a group shot on a phone, where we look around for the friend with the longest arms to get the best chances of including everyone in the frame!
A much easier way to capture everybody is to set your phone timer and have the phone take the photo for you. You will need a stand, a ledge or something to hold the phone for this particular trick, or you can buy phone tripods from most leading retailers. They will hold onto your phone for you and will make taking timed photos a breeze!
When following the advice above, you will find that you begin to start building up quite a collection of family images that capture your family memories. It takes perseverance and patience, especially when photographing children, pets and multiple people!
If you don’t have the time for creating these types of photos at home, or simply if getting creative isn’t your thing, then you could book a Verve shoot and let us take care of all the fiddly details for you.
These fun shoots are a great way for parents/carers to be featured too, as they will often be the one at home taking the photos!
These sessions also become a beautiful opportunity to not only capture moments already taking place, but to also have the family all come together, and spend a few precious hours of quality time with one another.
Phones have come a long way, and there are many incredible things we can do with our smartphones in 2025; there is also a lot they can’t do. No matter how advanced they may become, a phone will never be able to replace the experience, emotion and talent of a true professional photography session.
No matter how quickly they grow-up, or how fast those moments go, those precious memories you capture will be with you, long after the moments themselves have passed.
We hope you have found these at-home photography tips helpful, and we hope you can create some gorgeous family images you are truly proud of. Best of luck!
Need more tips on how to take professional photography with a smartphone? Check out our Studio vs Phone article.
To book in your portrait session with Verve, or chat further with our lovely team, you can reach out to us via the phone on 1300 083 783, or book online at verveportraits.com.au
Yes, and it usually comes down to lighting, lenses, and experience. Phones are great for quick everyday moments, but studio photography is designed to capture more flattering light, sharper detail, and stronger composition. It’s also much easier to get everyone looking their best in a controlled studio space.
A professional photographer knows how to work with lighting, angles, and posing so the final images feel polished but still natural. They also have professional equipment that handles low light better, captures more detail, and creates that blurred background look you can’t always get from a phone. Just as importantly, they know how to bring out real expressions, especially with kids.
Because a studio session gives you more than a photo. It gives you an experience, guidance, and a finished result you can actually display. A lot of people also want quality images where the whole family is included, not just whoever happens to be holding the phone at the time.
The most common ones are harsh lighting, busy backgrounds, and awkward angles. People also tend to stand too far away and zoom in, which can reduce quality and distort faces. Another big one is taking photos too quickly without checking the light first. Small changes like turning toward a window or stepping into open shade can make a huge difference.
You can definitely improve your phone photos with a few simple tweaks. Use natural light near a window, avoid direct midday sun, and keep the background clean. Try taking photos from slightly above eye level and focus on expressions, not just poses. That said, studio sessions are still the best option if you want consistently high-quality portraits and images you can print large.
