iPhones are great for photography. They have an easy-to-use camera functionality (with front and back cameras) that are so simple even your Grandma would be able to use them. And with each newer model of iPhone, the camera keeps improving. But the iPhone has a bunch of features to improve your shots that you might not even know about. Check them out below.
The camera shortcut
Ever struggle to unlock your phone in time for the perfect shot? Life moves fast, so it only makes sense that you need to be able to access the camera quickly. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a camera shortcut on the front of your phone on the Lock screen. It’s in the bottom right corner. To use it, swipe upwards on the icon, and voila! The camera is open.
Third-party apps
If you are more interested in taking the time to get the perfect shot, you might be interested in some of the manual third-party apps available in the App Store. If you fancy yourself a budding photographer, these apps allow you to adjust shutter speed, ISO and aperture, just as you would on a normal DSLR camera.
Turn off flash
Let’s face it: Can you think of any photos you’ve taken in recent memory that actually look decent with flash? If you’re taking pictures at night, try turning on some lights or moving to a well-lit area to avoid the red eyes that seem to go hand-in-hand with flash photography. And during the day, use natural lighting so you can avoid using flash altogether.
Focus on an area in the photograph
If you want to prevent your iPhone camera from focusing on something irrelevant when you’re trying to take a photo, there’s an easy way to fix that. You can tap on the area of the screen that you want to focus on, and the iPhone will register that you are interested in that area. To lock the focus in that area, simply tap and hold on the area until you see the yellow AE/AF Lock alert. If you want to unlock the area, just tap anywhere else on the screen.
Avoid camera shake
Sometimes, when you’re taking a photo with the normal camera button, the iPhone will shake and blur the photo you’re trying to take, because the iPhone is so thin. To avoid this from happening, you can try taking photos with the volume button on the side of the phone, instead. When you’re in the Camera app, just press the volume up button. There you have it – no more camera shake!
Get great action shots
The best way to get a great photo of a moving subject (think kids running around) is to use Burst mode. This is where the camera takes a lot of shots in quick progression, so you have a better chance of getting a great picture. To use Burst mode, hold down the shutter button. When you want to stop shooting, take your finger off the button. The photos will be saved into your Camera Roll. It’s as easy at that!
