iPhone photography tips to improve your portraits and action shots

In today's digital age, photography has become more accessible than ever before. With the advancements in smartphone technology, capturing stunning photos is now possible with just a tap of your finger. Among all the smartphones available, the iPhone stands out for its exceptional camera capabilities. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned photographer, this article will provide you with tips and tricks to take your iPhone photography to the next level.

Gone are the days when you needed to carry around heavy studio equipment (unless you want to). With just a swipe and a tap, you can capture stunning images right from the palm of your hand.

Contents:

• Understanding the basics of iPhone photography
• Mastering the art of iPhone portrait photography
  • Portrait lighting effects
  • Adjust depth control
  • Use night mode portraits
• How to capture the perfect action shot with your iPhone
  • Burst mode
  • QuickTake video for action
  • Adjust exposure and focus
  • Increase shutter speed with third-party apps
  • Use live photos for action shots
  • Panning technique for motion blur
• Editing your iPhone photos
• Sharing and storing your iPhone photos
• Wrapping up

Understanding the basics of iPhone photography

Before diving into the world of iPhone photography, it's essential to understand the basics. One crucial factor that can make or break your photo is lighting. The right lighting can highlight the subject and add depth and dimension to your images. Natural light, especially during golden hours (early morning or late afternoon), can work wonders for your iPhone photography.

When it comes to lighting, it's important to consider the direction and intensity of the light. Different lighting conditions can evoke different moods and emotions in your photos. For example, soft, diffused light can create a dreamy and romantic atmosphere, while harsh, direct light can add drama and intensity to your images. Consider using a ring light to help you achieve your desired results.

Understanding how light interacts with your subject is also crucial. Shadows can add depth and texture to your photos, while highlights can bring out the details and create contrast. By paying attention to the play of light and shadow, you can create visually striking compositions.

Additionally, exploring the camera settings on your iPhone allows you to maximise the potential of your shots. Experimenting with different modes, such as portrait, landscape, or video, will help you capture a wide range of subjects effectively. Understanding how to adjust exposure, focus, and white balance can significantly improve the quality of your photos.

Exposure refers to the amount of light that enters the camera sensor. By adjusting the exposure, you can control the brightness or darkness of your image. This is particularly useful when dealing with high-contrast scenes, where you want to ensure that both the highlights and shadows are properly exposed.

Focusing is another essential aspect of iPhone photography. The iPhone offers various focusing options, including autofocus and manual focus. Autofocus is convenient for quick shots, while manual focus gives you more control over the sharpness and depth of field in your photos.

White balance, on the other hand, determines the overall colour temperature of your images. Different lighting conditions can cast different colour tones, and adjusting the white balance ensures that the colours in your photos appear natural and accurate.

Composition, another vital element in photography, plays a crucial role in iPhone photography as well. By applying the rule of thirds or experimenting with leading lines and symmetry, you can create visually appealing and captivating images.

The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that suggests dividing your frame into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. By placing your subject along these lines or at their intersections, you can create a more balanced and visually pleasing composition.

Leading lines are another powerful compositional tool. These are lines within your frame that lead the viewer's eye towards the subject or create a sense of depth and perspective. They can be anything from roads and pathways to rivers and fences.

Symmetry, on the other hand, can create a sense of harmony and balance in your photos. Look for symmetrical elements in your surroundings, such as buildings, bridges, or reflections, and use them to create visually striking compositions.

Mastering the art of iPhone portrait photography

Portraits are a popular genre in photography, and the iPhone offers remarkable features to capture stunning portraits. But what makes a great portrait? It's not just about pointing your iPhone at someone's face and pressing the shutter button. It's about capturing the essence of the person, their emotions, and their unique personality.

One advanced technique to elevate your portrait photography is to experiment with different angles. Don't be afraid to get down low or shoot from above to create interesting perspectives. This can add depth and dimension to your portraits, making them more visually engaging.

Another important aspect of portrait photography is lighting. Natural light can create a soft and flattering look, especially during golden hour, which is the hour after sunrise or before sunset. But if you're shooting indoors or in low-light conditions, you can also experiment with artificial lighting, such as using a small LED light or a reflector to add a touch of brightness to your subject's face.

Lastly, don't forget to make use of the portrait mode feature on your iPhone. This feature creates a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and making your subject stand out. It's perfect for creating that professional-looking bokeh effect.

Portrait lighting effects

iPhone offers various Portrait lighting effects that mimic studio lighting. You can switch between them to create different looks.

How to use portrait lighting:

1. In Portrait Mode, tap the circular Portrait Lighting icon (top right corner).
2. Choose from these effects:
   • Natural Light: Standard mode with a soft background blur.
   • Studio Light: Brightens facial features.
   • Contour Light: Adds dramatic shadows for more depth.
   • Stage Light: Isolates the subject with a black background.
   • Stage Light Mono: Black and white with a black background.
   • High-Key Light Mono: A white background with a monochrome subject.

Adjust depth control

On iPhone XR, XS, and newer, you can adjust the blur (bokeh) effect after taking a photo. Here are the steps:

1. Take a photo in Portrait Mode.
2. Open the photo in the Photos app.
3. Tap Edit.
4. You’ll see a Depth slider (the "f" icon). Drag it left or right to increase or decrease background blur.

Use night mode portraits

On iPhone 12 and newer, Night Mode is available for portrait mode. This is perfect for low-light portraits where you still want that background blur.

How to Use Night Mode Portraits:

1. Open the Camera app in Portrait Mode.
2. When in low light, Night Mode will automatically activate.
3. You can adjust the exposure time by tapping the Night Mode icon (moon symbol) and dragging the slider.
4. Hold the camera steady while taking the shot.

How to capture the perfect action shot with your iPhone

Ideal for capturing fleeting moments, action shots can add an exciting dynamic to your iPhone photography. Whether you're photographing sports, wildlife, or even your pet's playful antics, there are a few techniques you can use to ensure you capture the perfect action shot.

Burst mode

Burst mode allows you to take a rapid series of photos by holding down the shutter button. This is particularly useful when you're trying to capture a fast-moving subject, as it increases your chances of getting that split-second moment just right.

On iPhone 11 and later:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Swipe the shutter button to the left and hold it to capture multiple photos in Burst Mode.
3. Release the button when you're done.

To review Burst Photos:

Open the burst photo in the Photos app. Tap Select at the bottom of the screen. Swipe through the series of photos and select your favourite(s). Tap Done, and choose whether to keep only the best shot or all of them

QuickTake video for action

With iPhone 11 and later, QuickTake allows you to record video while in Photo Mode. This is useful for fast-moving subjects where you can capture both still images and video.

How to use QuickTake:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Press and hold the Shutter Button to start recording video without switching to Video Mode.
3. Swipe right to lock video recording (so you don't need to hold the button).
4. Tap the Shutter Button while recording to take a still photo.

Adjust exposure and focus

For action shots, you’ll often want to lock the focus and exposure to ensure the subject stays sharp even while moving.

How to lock focus and exposure:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap and hold on the subject until the AE/AF Lock appears.
3. You can adjust the brightness by swiping up or down on the screen.

Increase shutter speed with third-party apps

If you want more control over the shutter speed (especially to capture sharp action shots), you can use third-party camera apps like Halide or ProCam. These apps allow you to manually adjust settings like ISO and shutter speed.

How to adjust shutter speed:

1. Download a manual camera app (e.g., Halide, ProCam, Moment).
2. Open the app and switch to Manual Mode.
3. Increase the shutter speed to 1/1000 or faster to freeze motion (the exact value depends on the speed of the action).

Higher shutter speeds require more light, so make sure you have adequate lighting.

Use live photos for action shots

Live photos captures 1.5 seconds before and after the shot, so it can help you choose the best frame in a fast-moving scene. You can also extract a still frame from the Live Photo later if needed.

How to use live photos for action:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Make sure Live Photos (the circle icon) is turned on.
3. Take your photo as normal.
4. To select a different frame, go to the Photos app, open the Live Photo, and tap Edit. Move the slider to choose the best frame.

Panning technique for motion blur

For a sense of motion, you can use a panning technique, where you follow the moving subject with the camera. This can create a dynamic effect with the subject in focus and the background blurred.

How to pan:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Track the moving subject by moving your iPhone along with them as you take the shot.
3. It may take a few tries to get the right balance of sharpness and blur.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Don't be discouraged if you don't get the perfect action shot right away. Keep experimenting, honing your skills, and most importantly, have fun with your iPhone photography!

Editing your iPhone photos

Editing plays a significant role in enhancing the overall look and feel of your iPhone photos. The iPhone provides numerous photo editing tools that can take your images from good to great.

But what exactly can these editing tools do for your photos? Let's dive into the world of iPhone photo editing and explore the possibilities.

An introduction to iPhone photo editing tools

Take advantage of the built-in editing tools on your iPhone, such as brightness and contrast adjustments, cropping, and straightening options. These simple yet powerful tools can help you refine your photos and make them more visually appealing.

Imagine you've taken a stunning landscape photo with your iPhone. The colours are vibrant, and the composition is perfect. However, upon closer inspection, you notice that the image is slightly underexposed. With the brightness adjustment tool, you can easily brighten up the photo, bringing out the details in the shadows and making the colours pop.

Not only can you adjust the brightness, but you can also play around with the contrast to add depth and richness to your photos. By increasing the contrast, you can make the dark areas darker and the light areas lighter, creating a more dynamic image.

Enhancing your photos with filters and effects

If you're looking to add a touch of creativity to your images, explore the wide range of filters and effects available on your iPhone. From vintage-inspired looks to dramatic black and white conversions, these options can transform your photos and give them a unique edge.

Let's say you've taken a portrait of a friend in a bustling city street. The colours are vibrant, but you want to give the photo a vintage feel to match the nostalgic atmosphere of the scene. With just a few taps, you can apply a vintage filter to your photo, instantly transporting your friend back in time.

Filters and effects can also be used to evoke specific moods or enhance the storytelling aspect of your photos. A black and white conversion, for example, can add a timeless and dramatic feel to a street photography shot, emphasizing the contrast between light and shadow.

Cropping and resizing: perfecting your iPhone photos

When it comes to preparing your iPhone photos for sharing or printing, cropping and resizing are essential. By cropping out unnecessary elements and resizing your images to match the desired dimensions, you can ensure that your photos look their best in any format.

Resizing your photos is also crucial when it comes to sharing them on social media or printing them for display. Different platforms and printing sizes have specific requirements, and resizing your images accordingly can ensure that they are displayed in the best possible way.

The next time you take a photo with your iPhone, remember that the editing tools at your disposal can help you unleash your creativity and enhance the visual impact of your images. From adjusting brightness and contrast to applying filters and effects, and from cropping to resizing, these tools can take your iPhone photos to new heights.

Sharing and storing your iPhone photos

After capturing and editing your masterpiece, it's time to share and store your iPhone photos effectively.

Sharing iPhone photos on social media

Share your photos with the world by leveraging the power of social media platforms. Consider using platforms like Instagram to showcase your best work, engage with other photographers, and gain exposure. Remember to optimise your photos for the specific platform by adhering to the recommended image sizes and resolutions.

Storing your iPhone photos: iCloud vs. other options

As your iPhone's storage fills up with captivating images, it's crucial to have a reliable and secure storage solution. iCloud offers seamless integration with your iPhone, providing automatic backup and access to your photos across devices. However, there are alternative cloud storage options available, such as Google Photos or Dropbox, which offer additional flexibility and storage capacity.

Creating photo albums on your iPhone

Organising your photos into albums can make it easier to locate specific images and create a curated collection. Take advantage of the album feature on your iPhone, which allows you to categorise your photos, create personalised stories, or even share albums with friends and family.

Wrapping up

With these iPhone photography tips in your arsenal, you're now equipped to elevate your photography skills. Whether you're capturing precious moments or exploring the world around you, the iPhone's incredible camera capabilities combined with your creativity will enable you to create stunning images that tell a story.