Most would agree: the best camera is always the one you have with you. And taking great photos with a smartphone has never been easier thanks to the iPhone’s top-notch camera hardware and software. Recently showcased in Apple’s own Shot on iPhone campaign as well as independent channels like the iPhone Photography Awards, the iPhone is deservedly named the world’s most popular camera on Flickr.
Budding photographers learning the ropes have a good reason to hesitate before investing in a bulky DSLR; the iPhone in your pocket is a perfectly capable camera and home to some of the most advanced imaging technology in the world. But the first step to taking pro-level photos with your iPhone is understanding what’s in it.
What’s in an iPhone Camera?
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus went far beyond what anyone had come to expect of a standard smartphone camera. In fact, the iPhone 7 Plus’s rear camera even packs a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, 2x optical zoom, and full optical image stabilization—all in a module smaller than your fingertip. Combined with Apple’s best-in-class image processing and a bright 4-LED true-tone flash, its camera is extremely powerful for its small size.
If you want to get really technical, we should note this camera even packs rare optical zoom capabilities and the much-publicized portrait mode. It’s also the first of its kind to output uncompressed RAW files for editing in programs like Lightroom and Darktable.
This may sound complex, but Apple again lives up to its reputation of making the complex, simple. To make smartphone photography as accessible as possible, Apple’s camera app replaces most of the manual aspects of a traditional camera with touch-friendly controls. For those who want finer-grained control over their exposure, a variety of apps with manual camera settings are available on the App Store.
Whether you choose to stick with the auto camera settings or learn to snap manual photos the old-fashioned way, knowledge of the camera’s underlying mechanics helps. Where do you start? By learning to control the brightness of your exposures.
How Do I Control Exposure?
Aperture and shutter speed are the two primary camera settings for adjusting image exposure. Aperture refers to the width of the opening behind the lens, and how much light will hit the image sensor. It also determines the depth of field for a scene: a fully-open aperture has a shallow depth of field, where everything except the immediate focal point is blurry.
Shutter speed represents how much time the sensor is exposed to light, expressed as fractions of a second. Changing the duration of the exposure gives starkly different results. Capturing a still shot of a moving athlete requires a fast shutter speed, with longer exposures. To further mitigate the movement of the athlete, the iPhone 7 employs optical image stabilization. Based on input from gyroscopic sensors, this offsets the position of the lens to counteract shakiness and ensure a steady image.
Determining aperture and shutter speed based on your environment is the key to getting a proper exposure. In outdoor scenes, the aperture can be smaller since the sun is providing a lot of light. Likewise, a faster shutter speed is required to keep up with moving subjects and counteract the movement of your hands while holding the camera.
Fortunately, the iPhone camera sets the aperture and shutter speed automatically based on the brightness of your subject, allowing you to focus on the photo’s content without getting bogged down on camera settings. But you can control the brightness of your shot if you’d like.
Open the Camera app.
Tap on your focal point.
Use the sun icon to swipe up and down, which will adjust the brightness of your photo.
What Makes a Great Photo?
Besides finding a compelling subject, the most important aspects of a successful photograph are proper lighting and composition. While these qualities are subjective, there are some helpful rules of thumb that many photographers employ to improve their images. Listed below are some tips to help you get a great shot:
Shooting Landscapes
The quality of outdoor shots is highly dependent on the time of day. Midday light is bright and harsh; to get warm, saturated colors, shoot earlier in the morning or just before sunset to capture scenes at their most vibrant.
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The Rule of Thirds
Not every subject has to be perfectly centered to get a balanced shot. By splitting the frame into vertical and horizontal thirds and aligning your subject along the dividing lines, you can achieve more interesting asymmetrical compositions and intentionally highlight other areas of interest in the shot. This grid can be set to overlay on your iPhone’s viewfinder by default in your camera settings.
Open Settings.
Tap Photos & Camera.
Switch on “Grid”.
Shooting in Low Light
Dark, indoor scenes will push any camera to its limits, so you have to take advantage of any available light. To dial in the proper exposure on your iPhone, tap and hold on an area in the foreground of your viewfinder to activate the AE/AF Lock. This enables the brightness control, allowing you to adjust the lighting of your shot without losing focus.
Shooting Selfies
Taking a great self-portrait is harder than you would think, since you are the subject as well as the photographer. To get a more relaxed pose, place your phone on a steady surface out of your hands. Time your shot just right by using your earbuds: the volume buttons double as shutter controls when your camera is active.
What Else Will Improve My Photos?
Aside from camera technique and proper settings, augmenting your existing lens is the best way to improve your image quality. While you can’t swap out your iPhone’s lens, there are a host of lens attachments available to make it an even more versatile camera. To help you decide what you might need, we’ve compiled some of our favorite iPhone lenses below—all available for under $40.
LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera Lens Set
With the LimeLens attachment, you can securely affix a new lens onto your iPhone or iPad as easily as attaching a lens cap to a full-size camera. This set features a dual-purpose 10x macro/0.67x wide-angle lens to get detailed close ups and wider shots in close quarters, as well as a fisheye for 190° views. Get it for $39.99—that’s 59% off.
Acesori 5 Piece Smartphone Camera Lens Kit
Swap out lenses in a snap with the Acesori magnetic mounting ring. Including separate macro, wide angle, and fisheye attachments, this kit provides the mobile photographer with plenty of options. Store your lenses in the carrying pouch and access them quickly with attached lanyards. Get it for $14.99—that’s 70% off.
Smartphone Telephoto PRO Camera Lens
To get a massive optical zoom upgrade, pick up this clip-on telephoto lens. Perfect for sweeping landscapes or intense macro detail, this attachment provides 8x magnification for your iPhone for just $22.99. Get it for $22.99—that’s 74% off.
Featured Image: Ksenija Toyechkina / Shutterstock, Inc.
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