Apple’s Camera app is the most used iPhone app for many people. But many of the most useful functions are well hidden. In this article, we list eight practical tips.
1. Use the Camera shortcut on your lock screen
You can prepare some photos, but usually a photogenic moment occurs spontaneously. In such cases, every second counts, and luckily Apple has thought of that. The lock screen of the iPhone has a standard button that you can use to go directly to the camera.
You do this on the iPhone XS, for example, by firmly pressing the Camera icon with 3D Touch. On older iPhones, simply swipe the lock screen to instantly open the camera. If you want to view your images after taking a photo, you will still have to log in with Touch ID or Face ID.
2. Always turn on Live Photos
Apple introduced the Live Photos feature with the arrival of the iPhone 6S. This turns a still photo into a short 3 second animation. That’s nice, but it can also play a role in improving your photos. By turning the function on by default (by tapping the circular icon at the top of the screen), you can save a failed photo afterwards. This works as follows:
- Open the Photos app and find the Live Photo you want to edit;
- Tap Edit;
- Choose the moment at which the photo did look good at the bottom of the screen on the timeline;
- Tap Done to save the new photo.
3. Choose the correct position for the situation
Apple’s Camera app is more comprehensive than you might think. In the app you can switch between different modes by swiping the bottom bar (above the shutter button). For example, you can activate the Portrait mode, create a square window (ideal for Instagram) or start the Panorama function.
4. Turn on burst mode for action photos
If you want to make sure you capture that one moment, you need to activate burst mode. This mode shoots ten photos in a second, making it a lot easier to capture movement without blurring the image. This is useful, for example, if you are photographing a moving car or a person jumping in the air.
Activating this burst mode is very easy: hold down the shutter button for half a second or longer and your iPhone will immediately switch on burst. Afterwards you can choose the photos that are good enough in a new window. This prevents your entire film roll from filling up at lightning speed.
5. Turn on the grid
Are your photos often a bit skewed, or is the subject often not quite in the center? Then it can help to turn on the grid of the Camera app. This works as follows:
- Open Settings;
- Go to Camera;
- Set the switch behind Raster to green.
From now on, the image from your camera will be divided into nine rectangles. This makes it easier to determine the exact center point of your image. You will of course not see the grid in your final photos.
6. Use the volume knob to print
When you have the perfect shot in front of your camera, it can be annoying to go to the digital button on your screen to print. Depending on where on you hold the iPhone, it may be easier to print the photo with a volume rocker. You do this by tapping the button with which you turn up the volume.
7. Set focus and exposure manually
The iPhone has excellent autofocus, but every now and then it goes wrong. So always check what a photo looks like when you set the focus and exposure yourself. You do this by choosing the subject you want to focus on in the Camera app. Then swipe from top to bottom to make the exposure brighter or darker.
8. Turn on AE / AF lock
Are you satisfied with your manually set exposure and focus? Then you probably also want to use it for other snaps more often. In that case, it may help to turn on AE / AF lock.
This will lock the settings you have just made. You do this by pressing the yellow square that indicates your focus area for a second. The term “AE / AF lock” appears at the top of the screen.
Looking for more helpful iPhone tips?
The iPhone is a device with an enormous amount of applications, if you know where to look. Do you want more of these kinds of handy tips to learn more about indispensable apps that belong on every iPhone, how iPhone fast charging works and much more? Then take a look at our iPhone beginner’s guide.
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