Learn How To Take Better Smart Phone Photos From This Photography Pro

Your Instagram game will go from 0 to 100, real quick.

This is Brad Mangin, and he's a genius behind a camera. Aside from using his DSLR to shoot professionally for Sports Illustrated and the MLB, Brad is also an avid Instagram user and loves taking photos on his iPhone 6.

Tip 1: Take your photos to another level by using apps such as Snapseed and VSCOcam. Also, don't be afraid to utilize all of the creative tools Instagram provides.

Via instagram.com

"EarlyBird and Lo-Fi are two of my favorite filters that I've been using a lot lately. I also like the Dynamic Light app which gives my photos a vibrant HDR look to compliment the built-in HDR in my iPhone."

Tip 2: Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal with your subject.

Via instagram.com

"With an iPhone, you can get much closer to people than you think compared to when using a DSLR, which can feel more obtrusive. Don’t be afraid to do it. Some of my best portraits are candid moments because I was at the ready with my iPhone 6 Plus like the fun photo of Buster Posey or iconic moment with Travis Ishikawa. I only had seconds to capture this quick shot taken in the locker room — Travis had just gotten the winning ball back and I was prepped with my iPhone 6 Plus."

Tip 3: Not everything looks best in color, try black & white!

Via instagram.com

"I shoot all my iPhone photos in color, but sometimes it's amazing how much better an image looks in black and white. Many times if I'm shooting in low-light settings, I like converting my photos to black and white because I find that it captures a more timeless photo. Also my iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization which really helps improve the quality of low-light still photos. For example, the photo of Pablo Sandoval smoking a cigar was taken in a dark clubhouse in low light with iPhone 6 Plus - doesn’t get better than that. The photo of the Willie Mays statue was taken at dusk on the eve of Game 3 of the NLCS with iPhone 6 Plus."

Tip 4: Look for great clouds, and shoot them.

Via instagram.com

"People often ask how I get such great stadium shots. One great tip is to shoot with clouds in the sky, and look for the right light. Late afternoon/early evening is usually a great time to capture this effect. The new HDR sensor in iPhone 6 Plus picks the clouds up for just the right contrast."

Tip 5: Its all in the details.

Via instagram.com

"The iPhone camera captures amazing detail with the new Focus Pixels. I like to take advantage of this by shooting different objects to give added color to the game that my followers might not be able to see when I take photos with my DSLR camera or major broadcast networks."

Tip 6: Have fun and shoot what you love!

Via instagram.com

"Sports/Baseball is fun. I do this because I love it. I love photographing baseball season and capturing fun fan moments, or players goofing off in the locker room or dugout, sharing the joy of the game with fans and capturing behind-the-scenes moments that with my iPhone. I like to show up early and shoot little things that capture the spirit of the game - see the photo below of the head groundskeeper and crew watering the infield. "

Tip 7: Find the perfect mix of material for the ideal shot.

Via instagram.com

"I look for great light, great backgrounds, great faces, great moments. You can have a great moment but a terrible background or bad light. It’s rare that you can get everything where it all comes together, but try to get at least two of these elements to capture a memorable moment."

Now grab your phone, get out there, and start using these tips because the world is waiting for you!

glogster.com / Via glogster.com