Have you tried using the Camera Grid of your iPhone or iPad to get better photos. To turn it on, Go to Settings > Photos & Camera >Grid and click the buttton.
Turn the Grid on. A grid pattern of squares will appear on your iPhone or iPad.
Next touch what ever square where you want your focus. The camera will adjust focus and exposure to prioritize that area.
If you want to lock in your exposure, press on the Square, it will flash and AE/AF lock will appear on your screen then release. You might have to practice this one a few times to get the hang of it.
To change your flash settings tap the flash symbol upper left of screen. You can choose on, off or auto. Auto is usually the best setting. Your HDR (High Dynamic Range Setting ) can be turned off and on here also.
HDR – camera takes three shots – under and over the base exposure and blends them together. Some times the results can be much better than just a standard photo. You can also choose Pano – for a panoramic photo. Follow instructions to keep moving and keep camera as level as possible.
To change from Photo to Video – just slide your finger to move the setting. Now you can choose a square photo for Instagram fans. If you tap the 3 overlapping circles bottom left corner you can choose a filter effect. But best to take a “normal” filterless photo also! You might decide later you hate the effect and you can’t remove it. I prefer no filter as there are plenty of great editing apps with filters you can add to your photo later.