Mark Hemmings and his book iPhone Photography For Dummies (Image: Mark Hemmings' Facebook)
If you want to level up your iPhone photography skills, a new book out this month from a Saint John photographer will help you get that perfect shot.
Photographer Mark Hemmings’ first book, iPhone Photography For Dummies, was published August 4.
Hemmings was contacted by How To…For Dummies publisher Wiley Publishing last September about whether he would be interested in publishing a book about iPhone photography.
“I started writing in October and just through the winter and a little bit into our COVID quarantined time.” He said. “I was able to finish it and I’m really happy that it’s available now.”
Hemmings shared that the most common photography mistake is the most easily fixable.
“I guarantee you that it’s because they have fingerprints on their lenses — if you think about it, we grab our iPhone or Android or anything out of a pocket or a purse and almost all the time people grab with sweaty fingers and it’s making a mess of the lens,” Hemmings explained, adding that before taking a picture, people should clean their phone lens with a cloth.
Another quick tip is making sure people are shooting their subjects in a best possible light. “I always ask people to actually shift themselves so that the prevailing lights, whether it be through a window or the sun, is not casting deep shadows under their nose or where their eyes are,” he said. “That is something that is common for all photography, not just iPhone photography.”
Hemmings teaches online and local courses and estimates 90 per cent of his students take the courses for self-fulfillment, while 10 per cent are people and small businesses wanting to learn how take photos for advertising on social media and marketing.
“iPhone or Android is great for getting your local product or service out to the world,” he said.
Hemmings’ goal when teaching his courses is to infuse an artistic element to what people normally see as snapshots, teaching how to mimic the quality and aspects of a DSLR camera on an Android or iPhone. He built up a following through his Instagram account where in each photo he gives a free lesson and explains the photo, which led Wiley Publishing to contact him.
“I always love to share what I know and so far it’s only been the physical photo workshops internationally or some locally, so this will get the word out a lot more, which I’m really happy with,” he said.
Those interested in Mark Hemmings’ work can check out his website and Instagram. iPhone Photography For Dummies can be ordered on Amazon.ca.
