Capturing moments in a photograph and video has become almost a daily norm for most of us. But are you making the most of your precious moments? As we notice the little things that make us smile, or memorialize a child’s first steps, it’s important to learn how to properly capture these memories.

Today we’ll be focusing on some foundations of a great DIY video using your phone.

Tips for Shooting Videos With Your Phone

1. Make sure your lens is clean. Use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe away smudges or dust.
2. Although you may want to see yourself as you film, the back camera is of higher quality. Avoid using the selfie camera.
3. To capture quality audio keep the camera at least 3ft. in front of you. You can also use headphones with a microphone to keep the audio clear.
4. Make sure to film in landscape mode (sideways).
5. A tripod will make for great videos with less motion. If you don’t have a tripod, ask a friend to film you or prop your phone against something sturdy.
6. Look into the camera lens.
7. Try and avoid filming in busy situations like in public; where background noise will interfere with your video.
8. Lighting is key! Face the window, don’t film with it behind you.
9. Be aware of your surroundings and what’s in your shot. Remove anything that will be distracting.
10. Be yourself!
11. If your phone can film in 4K, that’s the best choice. You’ll see the option on iPhones at the top right corner of your video screen. Tap to change to HD or 4K.
12. Don’t email or text the clips from your phone because you’ll lose quality. Use DropBox to share files.

Tips for Recording Your Computer Screen

What if you’re on Zoom or video chatting with friends and family during an important occasion? Maybe it’s a gender reveal or a socially-distant celebration. Stop using your phone to take a video of your computer screen! We have much better ways to record these special moments.

How to Record Your Screen on a Mac:

Open your QuickTime Player application. Then click File>New Screen Recording and you’ll be able to record your screen and capture the event in much better quality.

How to Record Your Screen on a PC:

We suggest using PowerPoint to record your screen.

Step 1: Open PowerPoint and click Insert on the menu bar followed by the Screen Recording button located on the Media panel to the far right.

Step 2: Click the Select Area button and use your mouse to draw a box around the area you want to record.

Step 3: Click the Record button.

Step 4: To save the recording, right-click on the Video displayed within PowerPoint and select the Save Media As option on the pop-up menu. Follow the on-screen prompts to save your recording.