The best camera is the one that you have with you! The iPhone is a multi-purpose tool, always present to capture those unexpected photo-worthy life moments. Here are just some of the shots I took with my iPhone while on vacation in England last year:

Clients often ask how to take better pictures of their kids using the camera on their phones, so I’ve come up with 5 of my best tips. With back-to-school season officially underway, I hope these will help you to better capture your upcoming life moments:

1. Use two hands for stability

I like to hold my phone with my right hand and stabilize it with my left, very similar to the way I hold my “real”camera. One-handed shots usually turn out blurry, and possibly crooked.

2. Get closer to your subject

The closer you zoom in with the iPhone, the quality of the image decreases. I zoom in with my feet and get as close as I need to. If you’re photographing children, get down to their level. Squat down to the eye level of the child to dramatically improve your photos.

3. Find the right angle

The best angle to hold the camera at when taking pictures is around waist-level for a pulled back, wide shot. For close-ups of faces, hold the camera up high, just above your own head. This goes for selfie’s, too…

4. Find the light

Bright, direct sunlight should be avoided on faces. The easiest and most flattering light for pictures of faces is open shade, such as in the shadow of a building or under a large tree. Try to avoid using the flash if at all possible — I just keep mine off.

5. Pick your exposure

Not only can you can tap on your screen to focus on a specific spot, you can pick your exposure this way too. For example, if you wanted to take a photo of a child in a doorway, and wanted the child to be in silhouette, you would tap on the brighter area around them. If instead you wanted to expose for the child’s face, you would tap on them instead.

Bonus Tip: Video screen-shots for fast-paced action:

Although this method won’t produce the same quality as a still image, it can work in a pinch for fast-paced action. If you are photographing your kids doing an activity, you can simply video them doing it and then take screen shots of the perfect moment after the fact. The images won’t be good enough to print, but they’ll work just fine for sharing on Instagram. If you have an iPhone, holding down the home button (the circle one) and the hold button (the one on the outer edge of the phone) will take a picture of whatever is on the screen.

Happy shooting!