TikTok has become a haven for amateur and professional photographers who must do more than share memorable photos to capture viewers’ attention. That’s why you’ll find photos showing behind-the-scenes (#forthephoto), little-known locations to shoot photos organized by city, as well as tutorials or hacks. Before we dive into the fun stuff, we need to take a look at a possible TikTok ban (again!).

In August 2020, then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order that would have banned TikTok in the United States if its parent company ByteDance did not sell its U.S. operations to an American company within 45 days. He expressed concern about national security and the potential for the Chinese government to access user data. ByteDance filed a lawsuit and the impending ban was blocked by the courts. Fast forward two and a half years, and now we have the Biden administration pushing ByteDance to sell the app or face a possible ban.

In the meantime, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted earlier this month to approve a bill that could grant a president the authority to ban the platform entirely. TikTok has already been banned by several dozen states from use on government phones, by the federal government on phones used by the military, and by several universities that now prohibit accessing TikTok on their Wi-Fi networks. You can imagine the brouhaha on TikTok.

I think it’s unlikely that a ban would be enacted. If you are concerned about your privacy, it’s important to note that TikTok does not collect any more data than the other major social networks, including Facebook and Instagram. And like with those platforms, it is a good idea to not share your location while using any social media app. (Turn off location sharing in each app of concern in your phone’s settings.) Further, you can watch TikTok videos without opening an account.

Now to the fun stuff. One of the most popular methods of taking photos demonstrated on TikTok is taking a photo from the ground and turning your phone upside down. Because you’re shooting upwards, you will see a foreshortening effect where the subject’s feet appear bigger, their legs longer and their upper bodies shorter. Remember, whatever is closest to the camera will appear larger. This is a great trick to try when you want a dramatic or imposing shot of your subject. For a more subtle effect, just flip your phone upside down and shoot — those few inches will make a noticeable difference.

To add even more drama, activate wide-angle mode that was introduced with iPhone 11. With your Camera app open, tap 0.5 above the shutter button to switch to the ultra-wide camera. Now go low, flip your phone upside down and snap.

Use panorama mode for more than just sweeping vistas by flipping your camera into a vertical position. You will be able to capture a taller field of view, which can be useful in tall and narrow settings like a soaring building interior or a tall monument. Just remember to hold your phone very steady as you move it from bottom to top.

You can easily add a motion effect to your photos by using long exposure. You’ll want your subject to stand in front of a moving background like traffic or a fast-paced crowd. Make sure Live Photo is turned on. You’ll find this feature as the bull’s eye icon in the top right of your photo app. Take the photo and then go into your camera roll and select it. Tap the dropdown arrow next to the word “LIVE” above the photo and select “Long Exposure.” Your phone will process the image so the moving object will be shown as a blur behind your subject.

For better portraits, use Portrait mode, which works best when you have a subject that stands out from a very simple background. The hallmark of this mode is a blurry background and a crisp subject in front, called a shallow depth of field. Photographers achieve this effect by using a large aperture or a long focal length but you can do it easily with Portrait mode in iPhones going back to the 7 Plus.

With your phone’s camera open, select Portrait mode. You will see a yellow banner at the top of the screen that says “Depth Effect.” Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust the amount of background blur. Drag the slider to the right to increase the blur and to the left to decrease it. With a bit of practice, you’ll find the setting that best suits your style.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness, and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.

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