The Portrait function gives the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X a unique camera function. How exactly does the function work and more importantly: what do you have to do to take the best possible Portrait photos with it?
iPhone Taking portrait photos: that’s how it works
To use the Portrait function of the iPhone, it is important that your device is running on iOS 10.1 or higher. The Portrait function uses the iPhone’s dual camera lens to create an impressive depth of field effect (or ‘bokeh’). An iPhone with a dual camera lens is therefore required. At the time of writing, these are the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and X.
Also read: This is what bokeh photos with an iPhone 7 Plus look like
By analyzing the photo and recognizing the object or person in the foreground, the iPhone independently makes the back extra blurry. This makes that what you emphasize in the photo stands out extra well. These tips will help you make the most of the Portrait function.
This is how you use the iPhone Portrait function
- Open the Camera app on the iPhone;
- Tap ‘Portrait’ in the bottom bar (above the shutter button);
- Follow the on-screen instructions to take a Portrait photo.
4 tips for taking better Portrait photos
1. Pay attention to the distance
To get the best possible portrait photo, it is important that the object in the foreground is relatively close. A distance of about two meters is ideal, but less is also possible. The more you can separate the background from the foreground, the better the iPhone can apply the bokeh effect. So don’t try to photograph someone with his or her back to the wall.
2. Provide enough (natural) light
Exposure is already important for normal photos, but especially if you want to take a successful Portrait photo. The camera needs enough light to successfully separate the foreground and background. In practice, we found that natural daylight provides the best results. In the absence of anything better you can of course also turn on a lamp, but this sometimes led to some crazy, distorted results.
3. Remove small objects or details from your shot
To give your iPhone a helping hand, you can take small objects out of your shot. For example, the camera cannot focus on this, so that only the subject of your snapshot comes into focus. This is sometimes a bit inconvenient for spontaneous photos, but if you take the time to take the best possible portrait photo, you will quickly see how the quality improves.
Simple photos work best
As mentioned, the Portrait function can sometimes have trouble recognizing objects. That’s why photos with a simple layout work best. An object or person in the foreground, without too much distraction and noise. It doesn’t matter how busy it is in the background.
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