Mobile Mastery:
Smartphone Photography for Professional Results
by Sheila Catilo
Learn to take amazing, professional-looking photos with the camera you carry with you all the time—your smartphone!
With her course, Mobile Mastery: Smartphone Photography for Professional Results, veteran photographer Sheila Catilo teaches tips and tricks on using your phone cam to take and edit the kind of photos you usually have to pay for.
You can then go on to use these skills for your own marketing and social media campaigns or even sell these and add them to your portfolio as an up-and-coming photographer.
Are you an aspiring photographer looking to build a portfolio but don’t have a fancy camera because it costs tens of thousands of pesos to get one?
Are you a blogger, social media personality, or content creator looking to level up your visual content and tell stories through your photos?
Maybe you’re a business owner looking to take quality photos of your products and services, but can’t afford to hire a professional photographer. That doesn’t mean you can’t have images that will put your brand on the map and generate more sales, right?
Or perhaps you just love photography and want to learn how to take great photos using your phone.
If you identify with any of the situations above, here’s some good news: you CAN do all of these with just your smartphone—no fancy photography gadgets required!
Here are three easy-peasy tips to instantly up your photo game, regardless of what camera you’re using:
Go natural (with lighting).
Using natural light lets you play with ambient light and shadows. It will help establish a mood and character for your photos, not just when you’re taking scenic or landscape photos but also portraits. Use natural backlighting for dramatic silhouettes, for example. Or angle your portrait subject’s face to fit the mood—toward a window for something brighter or looking away with a shadow cutting across their face for something more serious and dramatic.
Find the right framing.
Framing is a technique where you use natural layers to focus on a specific subject by blocking other parts of the image with something already present in the environment. Using this method adds a level of drama and depth to your photos. Some ways you can do this is by taking photos through windows or holes in a structure or using existing architecture like a narrow street. Reflections in mirrors are also great to play with.
Shoot for symmetry.
Your photos can really pop when they feature two parts that are mirror images of each other (or close to it). An example might be a vertical shot of a tree-lined road or maybe a shot of mountains reflected on a lake. Looking for symmetry makes for great shots of architecture and nature.
Would you believe the examples above were all shot with smartphone cameras?
Learn more about these three tips, plus other tricks to level up your photos by taking Sheila’s course.
Meet Your Mentor:
Sheila Catilo
Lifelong photography enthusiast and professional lifestyle and portrait photographer since 2005
At the age of nine, Sheila Catilo got her hands on her first point-and-shoot camera and fell in love with capturing moments through photographs. She especially enjoyed taking pictures of her family, friends, pets and eventually became their high school paper’s photojournalist. She went on to turn her love of the art into a full-time career and business in 2005, after leaving her first job at GMA7.
Since then, she has contributed her photos to publications like People Asia, Metro Society, Metro Weddings, Working Mom, Hola, FOOD Magazine, Mabuhay, Lucerne Luxe, Town & Country, and others. Her husband Jorem is also a photographer, and together they are known in the industry as The Catilos. Their first big project together saw a collection of their photographs on the walls of The Peninsula Manila.
In collaboration with Mommy Mundo, Sheila held her very first solo exhibit called “MOMPOWERMENT: Faces & Phases” in September 2018 at Central Square, BGC. Mompowerment featured portraits of different women who shared stories on motherhood and how their journeys have empowered them to create positive changes in their lives, in their families, and in their communities.
Sheila’s love for her craft has expanded to teaching others about photography both through print and online articles, as well as by holding classes with different groups of people. She started by teaching parents, students, and hobbyists. In the past years, she has regularly been invited to hold workshops by different brands, companies, communities, and non-profit organizations as part of their enrichment programs.
She has made it her mission to share the joy of capturing stories through images, no matter what camera you carry.
Game Changer, a boutique agency with custom tailor-fitted business services for companies and brands, has been working with Sheila Catilo since 2014 for workshops, events, influencer marketing, brand campaigns, and product launches. She is a trusted service provider-turned-good friend! Sheila always delivers impeccable output and service, and goes beyond expectations. The fact that we’ve been working with her for nearly a decade is a testament to how much we trust her with our clients’ brands and our own brands. Beyond work, Sheila is a wonderful person who’s an absolute joy to be with.
Em Sulit
Director, Game Changer Inc.
www.gamechangerph.com, @gamechangerph
www.ReallyGoodPH.com, @reallygoodph
Mobile Mastery:
Smartphone Photography for Professional Results
Introduction to Mobile Mastery
Unlocking Your Smartphone's Capabilities
Foundations of Composition
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Composition
The Role of Light
Editing Tools and Essentials
Advanced Editing and Color Grading
Narrative Photography and Storytelling
Photography Genres: Shooting People, Places and Things
Course Wrap-Up and Next Steps
Once you complete the course, you’ll get a certificate of completion from Pinay Girl Boss Academy.
I had the pleasure of attending a mobile photography workshop by Sheila years ago, and once in a while I find myself still inspired by her class even now! I was not expecting much from taking pictures with a smartphone but not only did she give neat tips and tricks, but she imparted wisdom and encouragement about capturing moments and not just pretty pictures. As a fellow mom, she inspired a lot of us to look beyond the documenting and the lessons we all learned were invaluable!
Diane Sipin-Gabriel
Once you’ve taken this course, you’ll be able to:
Master using your iPhone or Android smartphone to take professional-quality photos.
Make visually stunning photos with any camera as you apply the principles of composition and harness natural and artificial lighting effectively.
Edit photos for better visual impact after getting hands-on experience with photo editing apps.
Construct compelling narratives with your photos by understanding how to use storytelling techniques in photography.
Effectively capture images of people, products, places, moments, and more now that your photography skills have leveled up.
We’ve had the privilege of working with Sheila as a photographer and as a mentor. As a photographer, we always know we are in good hands—her photos are consistently beautiful—whether for portraits or product shots. As a mentor, Sheila is articulate, insightful, and generous with practical ideas. If you want to learn to take great photos through tips, methods, and techniques explained simply and clearly, Sheila’s class is a MUST.
Mia Roa-Lauchengco
Not only is it half or even a third of the price of Sheila’s in-person workshops, but that’s also less than:
Four drinks at your favorite coffee shop
Three orders of a cheeseburger meal with fries and a drink from popular fast-food chains
One session at the nail salon getting a mani-pedi with a foot spa
With this, you’ll find yourself taking amazing photos you’ll be proud to post on your personal or business pages and accounts. Get attention, tell a story, and engage your audience instantly!
And if you decide this course isn’t for you? Well, your photos may still be pretty. But are they the prettiest they can be? Do they convey the right message? Maybe, maybe not. And if you’re in a business that relies on views, clicks, and buys, that may be a chance you won’t wish to take.
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