Your iPhone probably goes everywhere that you do, which is why it’s perfect for your photographic needs. Mobile photography reached the “good enough” threshold a long time ago, but there are still some quirks and limitations you might want to overcome.
So here are a few tricks that I keep in my back pocket at all times. Try to keep these in mind the next time you flip open your iPhone’s camera app.
1
Wiping the Lens Clean
I know, it’s hardly a “trick” but when was the last time you actually cleaned your iPhone lens? You’ve got at least one of them on the back of your device (three if you have an iPhone Pro), plus a front-facing camera under the Dynamic Island or notch for those all-important selfies.
Related
These iPhone Apps Put the Dynamic Island to Good Use
Just don’t call it a notch.
Unlike digital SLRs or mirrorless cameras which rely on a lens cap between shooting sessions, your iPhone is exposed to all of the elements, all of the time. Your oily fingers, any surface you put your phone on, and the sunscreen on your face and ears whenever you take a call can all get in the way of a good photo.
Sometimes, it’s not obvious how filthy your camera lens is until you examine your images on a larger screen. At that point, you’ll see the hazy smears of grease catching every light in the scene, diminished contrast, and an unwelcome fuzziness that could have been avoided.
I don’t carry any special wipes for this purpose, I just make sure to use the hem or sleeve of a soft cotton t-shirt before each shot, or even in the inside of a pocket. You’ll be amazed how quickly it becomes muscle memory once you start doing it. Unfortunately, man-made materials like nylon are a poor choice.
Tip: If you’ve been somewhere sandy or gritty, give the lens a quick blow before you wipe it. Any sand or other fine coarse material could scratch the lens and cause permanent undesirable outcomes.
2
Locking Focus and Adjusting Exposure
While your iPhone is the ultimate point-and-shoot camera, you can often achieve better results by pointing, adjusting, and then shooting. This is thankfully very easy to do. You can use a simple tap of the viewfinder to quickly pick a point of interest, which hones the focus and exposure on whatever you’ve tapped.
But this is a temporary measure, and moving your iPhone around too much will reset the camera. That’s why I prefer to use tap-and-hold instead. Once you see the “AF/AE Lock” notice appear on the screen, you’ll know that you’ve locked both the focus and exposure points.
This is particularly useful for picking separate points of focus and exposure. It’s ideal if you want to focus on a darker part of the scene while exposing for the lighter part. To do this, tap and hold the focus point, then slide your finger up or down to adjust the exposure accordingly. By doing this you can claw back the exposure and avoid losing detail in the highlights or shadows.
It’s especially good for portrait shots, particularly when a bright object like the sun or a spotlight is in the background of the shot.
Related
How to Shoot Portraits on Your iPhone Like a Pro
Say cheese (or don’t).
3
Triggering Photos by Timer or Watch
Sometimes you want to take a picture without holding your iPhone. Even if you’re really good at hiding your arm in selfies, you can’t beat a carefully composed full-body shot. It’s also very hard to get a whole group into a selfie. That’s where remote triggers come in.
The iPhone has a self-timer, accessible by tapping the chevron “^” at the top of the Camera app viewfinder. It looks like a stopwatch. Tap it, pick between three, five, and 10 seconds and then hit the shutter button and retreat to a safe distance. Your iPhone flashlight will count you down and let you know when the image has been taken.
Though this is good, it’s nowhere near as convenient as using your Apple Watch if you have one. Position your phone somewhere stable, with the main (back) camera facing you. Now open the “Camera Remote” app on your Apple Watch and the Camera app on your iPhone will kick into action.
You’ll see a preview of your iPhone’s viewfinder on your Watch screen, allowing you to adjust your position and even tap on the scene to set exposure or focus points. You can still use a timer in this mode, which you should do otherwise you’ll look like you’re always checking the time in any photos you take.
And don’t worry about carrying a tripod. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to lean or wedge and iPhone into a good spot for a photo.
The Camera Remote app on Apple Watch can be a bit temperamental at times, speaking from experience and having used it on a variety of iPhone and Watch models. I find that closing the app a few times and disabling any VPN connections are the two most effective remedies if the viewfinder isn’t showing up.
4
Disabling Night Mode to Preserve Motion
I love watching live music, I spend as much time as possible at gigs. While I’m not a fan of staring at the back of someone’s iPhone as they record the entire set, I’ve been known to snap a few images at opportune moments to remember the event. I try to make these photos count so I can get back to enjoying the moment.
Two things that can really ruin these images are the flash, which is an easy remedy (and mine’s always off), and Night Mode. The latter is a little more complex, as it constantly turns itself on by default even if you just turned it off to snap a photo five minutes ago.
At this stage, switching off Night Mode has also been committed to muscle memory. Failure to do so will result in images that are captured over the course of a few seconds, with any movement in the shot appearing blurred. It’s a useful tool for taking still photos, but it’s a killer the moment things start moving.
So now whenever I take my iPhone out of my pocket in such a scenario, I point it at the ground or cover the lens with my hand and tap on the “moon” icon in the top-left corner of the screen to turn off Night Mode. I can then take a photo at the most opportune moment, like when a stage light illuminates the performer nicely.
I also use this trick when taking pet photos. Black cats are notoriously good at triggering Night Mode, even in the day!
Night Mode can be useful, but if you want to disable it altogether (and only enable it manually) then head to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings and enable the “Night Mode” toggle. Now open the Camera app, trigger Night Mode (covering the viewfinder will do it), and turn it off. It won’t bother you again unless you manually enable it.
5
Shooting With Long Exposures in Mind
If you’re taking long exposure images on an SLR or mirrorless camera, you need to lock your camera down to avoid any movement at all. But the iPhone is a little different. You can get great long-exposure results without using a tripod, simply by holding your iPhone still while you take a photo.
For this to work, you’ll need to make sure “Live Photo” is enabled in the camera viewfinder in the top-right corner of the screen (it looks like three circles).
These images aren’t quite going to rival those from a “real” camera, but they’re impressive nonetheless. Just shoot an image with motion in the frame and try to keep as still as possible. Try to remain stationary for a few seconds on either side of the shutter press for best results.
Now open your camera roll and find the image in question. Tap on “Live” and choose “Long Exposure” then wait for the iPhone to process the image. In a few seconds, you’ll see your photo as a long exposure, and you can share or edit it accordingly. To get back to the regular image, tap on “Long Exposure” and choose “Live” again.
The iPhone is a simple camera to master, but that doesn’t mean it can’t take stunning photographs. You don’t need a camera upgrade to do this, there’s a good chance your existing iPhone already takes excellent images.
If you’re looking to progress from a smartphone to a higher-quality camera but don’t want to blow the budget, consider buying an old full-frame camera instead.
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