Daily video digest (Canon)
I love the video digest that seems to come with every Canon camera (to the point that I’m unlikely to switch brands without a compelling argument—I have the G9 X as my point-and-shoot).
Canons have a function that works a bit like the "live photo" function on the iPhone (which I also highly recommend), except that it creates a daily "video digest" by combining the tiny video clips into a single video of the 24hr day you took the photos.
Tripods
While we're on the topic of photography, get yourself a tripod. You'll immediately start finding uses for it. Get a cell phone adaptor. Do time lapses of putting together Ikea furniture. Take pictures of the sky at night. Or try to capture some fireflies.
There are a million options out there, but I would probably just start with this one from AmazonBasics which is generally around $25, but is frequently on sale (or used in "like new" condition) for $20. It has shortcomings, but I think you'll learn enough about what you actually care about in a tripod, that the $20 will be worth it before investing in something more perfectly suited to you.
See also,
Digiscoping/Phonescoping
I’ve recently been introduced to the idea of using your iPhone as a digital viewfinder and/or camera in conjunction with a pair of binoculars or a scope.
Similar to using something like this with a microscope (see
This great intro video is rife with tips and tricks and discusses adaptors as well as use cases:
Here’s a link to some suggestions for new things to try with your photography:
Many people mostly end up taking pictures with their cell phones — the best camera is always the one you have with you. A few tips for the iphone (also on the
You can open the camera app without unlocking your phone by just swiping left (useful for taking a shot with a friend's camera as well as just quick-draw).
If you tap on the screen where you'd like the camera to focus, it will also adjust the exposure accordingly, but you can then "scroll up" or "scroll down" to manually adjust the exposure (in a situation like that, you might also want to turn HDR to "on" or "auto" to try to capture the bright areas and the areas in shadow digitally—newer phones will do this by default).
You can trigger the shutter with the physical volume buttons as well as the red button on the screen.
Lens distortion is relevant on any camera. For a more natural look, instead of bringing the camera close for a portrait, try standing back and zooming in. People near the edges often look stretched, especially with a wider angle; keep an eye out, and consider software that attempts to repair lens distortion, eg. Lightroom.
Prints
Consider choosing a framing option that reduces glare. I tend to mount (e.g. on styrene) rather than frame matte or lustre prints because I hate the separation of placing art or prints in a shiny glass box, but I was recently at an outdoor artisanal market and a vendor’s photographs were framed behind anti-glare UV glass. Even in full sun, the prints were clearly visible and felt basically naked. I don’t yet understand all the options and costs, but worth knowing about and looking into.