How to take better photos of your friends on your phone

You know the scenario. You're out with your people. Maybe it's Pomme de Terre on a perfect summer day, maybe it's grabbing food on the Bolivar square, maybe it's literally just someone's back porch with a string of lights and good snacks. The vibe is immaculate. You pull out your phone to document the moment.

And the photo is... not it.

Someone's eyes are closed. Someone's face is in shadow. There's a trash can in the background that nobody noticed. You all look like you were photographed in a cave by someone who was actively trying to make you look bad.

It doesn't have to be this way.

The goal here isn't to turn you into a photographer. I kind of believe if you can take a photo then you’re a photographer.

But the point is for you to like the photos you take because these moments are worth keeping. Here's what actually makes a difference:

1. Take WAY More Photos Than You Think You Need

This is the single biggest thing. People take one or two photos and call it done. Take 15.

Take 20. Keep the camera going through the laughing and the talking and the "okay wait, one more." The best photos almost never happen in the first frame — they happen when everyone relaxes and forgets they're being photographed. More photos = more chances for magic.

You don’t have to keep at this approach but it’s good for candies with friends.

2. Find the Light and Put It on People's Faces

This sounds complicated but it's actually simple: wherever the light is coming from (a window, the sun, a lamp), turn people so they're facing it. Not sideways to it. Not with it behind them. Facing it. That one change alone will make your photos look 10x better immediately. Backlit photos (where the light is behind your subject) almost always turn out dark and muddy unless you really know what you're doing.

Outside in the 417? That golden hour right before sunset is your best friend. Even a quick walk to the square during that window will do things for your photos that no filter can replicate.

3. Get Closer Than You Think You Should

Most casual photos are taken from too far away. You end up with a lot of tiny people surrounded by a lot of not-that-interesting background. Move closer. Fill the frame with the people you actually care about. You can always step back. you can't zoom in later without it getting blurry and grainy.

4. Tell everyone what do do

sk a question, say something ridiculous. "Okay, everyone think about the weirdest thing that happened to you this week." Watch the actual expressions that show up on people's faces. Those are the ones.

5. Clean Your Lens (We Know You Haven't Done This In a While)

Just wipe it on your shirt real quick. Fingerprints and pocket lint create this hazy, low-contrast look that no one can figure out the source of. Clean lens = sharper, crisper, better photos. Takes two seconds and makes a real difference.

The Bigger Point: Document Everything

We talk a lot at Be More You about the idea that only you see the world the way you do.

That's not just about studio sessions — it's about your everyday life too. The lunch on the square. The lake day. The random Tuesday where everyone ended up at your house and nobody planned it but it was somehow perfect.

Take the photos. All of them. The blurry ones, the mid-laugh ones, the ones where everyone's looking at different things. That's your life. That's the good stuff.

And when you want photos that really do it justice? You know where to find us.