ESN-NYC recently went on an Apple Store Photo Walk as a part of the Visual Art Elective. Our instructor, Leo, gave us great tips on how to use an iPhone as a professional, digital camera. The students learned technical vocabulary and also how to apply the “rule of thirds” technique to turn any normal photo in an amazing composition.

To test their skills, students went outside to study the enormous buildings around the famous World Trade Center. It was a bright, sunny day — perfect for practicing lighting exposure. The students experimented with the time-lapse and slow motion settings to capture boats going by. The students transformed their phones and discovered a new way to look at New York City.

The cell phone isn’t just for making phone calls anymore; it has become a classroom tool, camera, camcorder, music player, and much more. No matter which smartphone you have, there are many cool things you can do with it!

Wanna try using the slow-motion setting that the students learned how to use? Check out the following video! And to learn more about using your phone like a pro check out apple.com!

Photography Vocabulary

rule of thirds: a grid or lines that meet each other to help align or straighten an object in focus

exposure: the amount of light that hits a camera lens

time-lapse: a camera setting that allows you to speed up actions that happen over a long period of time

slow-motion: a camera setting that allows you to slow down a lot of actions that happen in a short period of time