Learn from photographer Erika Iida how to take photos that will preserve the memories of your trip with loved ones

Photographer who will be teaching us: Erika Iida

Graduated from Nihon University College of Art, Department of Photography. In 2013, she began her career as a girl photographer. Based on her own memories of her childhood, she creates works in pursuit of the expression "girl photography" that captures girls, girls who can be photographed now. She aspires to be a photographer for girls. She also organizes "Blinking Girls," a community for girls who want to photograph girls.

linktr.ee: Iida Erika

(1) Film cameras are also recommended. Choose a camera that is easy to carry around.

Cameras such as SLRs can take beautiful photos, but they are still heavy... When traveling, you often walk a lot, and a heavy camera can be tiring, so you may end up not carrying it around. Here are some recommended small cameras that are easy to carry around.

・Utsurun

For some reason, the warmth of photos taken with a film camera is close to my memories. Since the "Utsurundesu" is a disposable camera, it's fun to take a whole roll of photos on a trip. It's easy to use, just wind the film and release the shutter to take a picture, but you should use the flash when taking pictures indoors or in the shade. If you're used to using a smartphone, you can take bright photos indoors without the flash, but with a Utsurundesu, you can't take a picture indoors without the flash. Also, the position of the camera's viewing window and lens are slightly off, so when taking a landscape photo, if you look through the window and raise the camera a little from the composition you intended, the subject you want to take should be in the center.

・Compact film camera

If you are into the texture of film, I recommend trying out a compact film camera. I personally use the FUJIFILM KLASSE W, but there are many different types, including cameras that automatically adjust focus and settings, perfect for beginners, and simple cameras like a disposable camera that you can just press the shutter to take a picture, so choose the one you like.

・PaperShoot

This is a digital toy camera from Taiwan! It looks very cute and is very compact despite being a digital camera. That's because it doesn't have an LCD monitor. You don't know what you've taken until you load the data, and it's just as exciting as waiting for film to be developed. It's digital, but you can take cute, retro photos.

(2) Tips for taking photos with the most common cameras, iPhones and other smartphones

Most people have smartphone cameras, such as iPhones. You can take bright pictures on auto to a certain extent, but you can't take pictures that look like what you see with your own eyes... I think many people find this to be the case. With a few tips, you can take pictures that are close to what you see.

The camera lenses of smartphones such as iPhones can capture images with a wider angle of view than the human eye can see. This is the first major cause of the discomfort.

Tips for resolving discomfort (1) Use digital zoom

When I visited Chinatown in Yokohama, I first tried to take a picture of my friend standing in front of the gate, but the gate was farther away than I expected and the picture came out small. That's when you can use digital zoom. For example, when taking a picture with an iPhone, you can zoom to the size you want by spreading two fingers apart, or tap where it says "1x" to change it to "2x" and zoom twice as much.

I was able to capture both the gate and my friend in the photo, and their expressions looked large, making for a great photo.

Tips for eliminating discomfort (2) Don’t get too close

When you want to take a close-up shot of a friend eating a meal, for example, it's important not to get too close! This is because when you take a picture with a smartphone, the edges of the screen tend to stretch. Have you ever taken a group photo and found that the faces of people at the edges of the screen are stretched? It's probably not a very pleasant experience to have your face stretched...

The photo on the left was taken a little too close, causing the head to stretch out. The photo on the right was taken from a distance so the head wasn't too far off the edge. The key is to have the person in the center of the frame, leaving some space around them.

If you want to take a closer shot, you can either use digital zoom from a composition that leaves some space, or crop the image later to avoid distortion and stretching the face. If you capture a good expression, you'll want to keep it as a close-up!

Another tip for taking a full-body shot is to hold your smartphone upside down instead of holding it normally. By holding it upside down, the lens position is lowered and you will be taking the photo at a slight angle, which will make your legs look longer and your face look smaller, giving you a slenderer impression.

Again, if you try to fit the whole body to the entire frame it will appear stretched, so make sure to leave some space in the composition.

(3) Two compositions to remember: "Hinomaru composition" and "rule of thirds"

I usually take my photos using the "hinomaru composition," which simply places the thing I want to photograph in the center of the screen, or the "rule of thirds" composition, which divides the screen into thirds and places the main subject in one third of that screen.

・Hinomaru composition

Because the Hinomaru composition is simple, it is easy to capture the subject's facial expression and take a photo that conveys your subjective opinion and what you wanted to photograph.

・Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds allows you to take well-balanced shots with a wide field of view or a wide margin. If your camera has the function, it should be easier to understand if you display the grid lines. In the photo above, the head is roughly in one third of the screen, and the exterior of the Western-style house we visited is clearly visible, creating a well-balanced shot.

In this photo too, the person takes up one third of the screen, so the balance with the background is good.

(4) Make use of backlighting and windows. Use natural light to your advantage.

Even in backlit photos where the sun is behind a person, you can take dazzling photos wrapped in light by adjusting the brightness of the photo to match the person. Backlit photos often come out dark unless you adjust the brightness, so the key is to make it as bright as possible before taking the photo.

I like to take photos filled with sunlight as much as possible, because these photos are able to express the dazzling time spent with friends and the radiance of their presence.

Even if you're indoors, we recommend taking photos by a window where natural light comes in. Natural light by a window is soft and makes it easier to take beautiful photos of the subject, so be sure to give it a try.

(5) Tips for taking photos while eating or at a cafe

When you travel, you take photos while eating at a restaurant. It's hard to make facial expressions while eating, so if you can get a good photo of yourself before you start eating, I think the person you're photographing will be happy.

When taking photos of food, if you have a lot of items, you can arrange them in an "U" shape to create depth, or you can get as close as possible to one item so that the texture of the rice (in this photo, the glossy texture of the sauce) comes through.

When taking photos at a cafe, it is best to keep the background simple, compose the photo with some white space, and take the photo from the front. Also, if there is natural light, it will be easier to take beautiful photos if the light hits the subject from behind, as this will create a soft, three-dimensional effect.

I would like to capture in photographs the relaxed atmosphere and expressions that can be captured in a cafe.

(6) Things to keep in mind when communicating with people so that you can capture their expressions naturally

Having your picture taken can be nerve-wracking. You may feel nervous at first when taking pictures of people you're with, but the key to getting over that is to make taking pictures natural. Once people know you as someone who always takes pictures when you go out, they'll gradually get used to it and accept it.

A good tip to avoid making the other person nervous is to use a smartphone or small camera at first. A sturdy camera like a single-lens reflex camera gives the impression that you are going to take a picture, and can be intimidating, making the other person nervous. It may be a good idea to start with a small camera, and then move on to a single-lens reflex camera as the other person gets used to having their picture taken.

One technique I often use to keep people from being conscious of the camera is to keep talking while taking pictures. If you keep talking while taking pictures, your friend's attention will also be on the conversation, and they won't be too conscious of the camera, allowing you to capture natural expressions.

While we were eating these dumplings, I was taking photos and saying to him, "Wow, you've put a lot of sauce on them. Isn't that too much?" After he took a bite, it seemed there was indeed too much sauce, and I was able to get a photo of him nodding and laughing.

(7) How to polish photos taken with your iPhone using default features and apps

If you feel that the photos you took with your iPhone are boring as they are, you can adjust the tone, brightness, color, etc. of the photo to get closer to the temperature and texture you felt on that day. You can also correct photos that were taken on a dark background.

Let's try correcting this photo using the iPhone's default photo editing functions.

Since I had the window behind me, I adjusted the brightness to make the face look brighter. I used the "Vivid" filter because I thought it might have a film-like color.

Here is the corrected photo.

You can also use the iPhone app "Dazz Camera" to easily make the photos you take look like film.

There are a variety of camera filters available, including those that make your photos look like they were taken with a disposable camera, Polaroid filters, or compact film cameras, so you can have fun adding a warmer feel to photos you take with your iPhone.

Photos show the love for the people you're with. Erika Iida took photos of a trip with her best friend

I remember the fascinating bustling streets of Chinatown, my friend's dissatisfaction with the fruit tea I bought because it was too sweet, the delicious braised pork at a restaurant famous for its boiled dumplings, and my excitement at the cute interior design of a Western-style building. I took snapshots of all sorts of little memories during my trip. I hope that by looking at the photos I took of my friend's back walking ahead of me, or the beautiful shadow of her lace skirt on her feet, or the condensation on my drink, I can remember how hot it was that day. There's a sense of security in knowing that the photos will remain, even if I forget someday.

I felt like I was finally able to take a break from my everyday life by taking pictures and looking at various scenery. The temperature of the photos I took with my iPhone didn't match the scenery I saw in my mind, so I tried to make them as close as possible. You can also get closer to the scenery by using the default editing functions on your iPhone.

I love spending time with people, and I believe that photography captures the love you have for the people you're with. I would be thrilled if my photography style and photographic expression could be useful to people who want to take photos of their loved ones and keep them in their memory. In an age where anyone can take photos, I hope the world will be filled with photos that capture the emotions felt by those people. Try capturing your gaze in a photograph.

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