Taking the perfect photos of your setup is now easier than ever thanks to these helpful tips from iPhone’s Photography School and HIDEit’s very own Gaming Affiliates. It may take a bit of practice, but even beginners can take thumb-stopping photos without professional photography equipment! All you need is your smartphone and a little inspiration.

Ready to get started?

#1 Preparation

TIP: The closer you keep the phone to your body the more steady the positioning is for a clearer photo. 

TIP: Using a tripod will always result in clear/steady photos. You can also utilize the time tool when using a tripod.

TIP: Always clean the lens before taking a picture. This will result in the best possible quality.

"Have a subject/item in mind before just randomly taking photos of stuff. Sometimes planning is best.” - @iitzsteven

“In order to have some creative, unique photos, I always start off with trying different varieties of angles along with making sure that I don't have unwanted sunlight reflection on my monitors and keeping my focus point centered.” - @creative_klarity

 #2 Focus

TIP: Make sure you have a steady grip on your phone so your images are in focus and still.

TIP: On your iPhone tap the screen where you want to set the focus. Once the yellow box appears around your focal point that means it’s in focus. 

TIP: Locking focus - hold your finger on the focal point and that will lock the spot that you want to focus in on. 

“Whether it's a DSLR or your phone, make sure your photo is decent quality and not out of focus. If your subject is out of focus, peoples eyes are not going to be drawn to it.” - @iitzsteven

“Simple things like cleaning your setup and keeping it tidy as well as good cable management are super important too. That takes away distractions and areas that peoples eyes may be automatically attracted to which takes away from what you are trying to capture. Taking the time to keep your desk or setup clean, organized and decluttered while also putting time and effort into proper cable management brings out the best in what you’re showcasing.” - @fknhammahstix

 #3 Lighting

TIP: If the lighting on your iPhone photo is off, you can slide your finger up and down the screen to adjust the brightness of the photo.  

TIP: Avoid too many highlights; this is when there are a lot of white spots on the image. You want to make sure everything is visible.

TIP: Locking exposure - hold finger down to set exposure.

TIP: It’s best to take the photos a bit darker and then edit the photos to make them brighter.

TIP: You want to have natural light so that all the objects in your photos are visible and clear. 

“So for me, it's all about lighting. I only use natural light. I do have to wait for certain times of the day depending on what I'm photographing, but it's totally worth it.” - @thesinglewhitefemale

“Lighting is everything. Use different angles to position reflections where you want them. When photographing anything shiny, light up the area around it instead of the object itself. Use camera angles to emphasize the good and disguise the bad. Strive to make it look good in camera without the need for editing programs.” - @retroturbotimmy

 #4 Editing

TIP: For the best quality photos spend some time adjusting the brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, highlights and shadows.

“Get some practice with a decent editing program. Even the best photos can need a little tweaking. Don’t go overboard with editing (i.e. max saturation or contrast) in my opinion it ruins it. I like to choose subtle editing styles such as reducing highlights.” - @iitzsteven

“I came to notice for myself; portrait settings and night vision settings on my smartphone has helped me tremendously in creating some professional photo shots that you would’ve thought came from an actual camera.” - @creative_klarity

“All in all, don’t over think things or overcomplicate it. You don’t need fancy cameras, lenses and expensive equipment to take good photos. You just need a good eye and some patience to make it happen.” - @fknhammahstix