iPhone tips: how to (always) take better portrait photos

Do you take a lot of photos with your iPhone? In this week’s iPhone tips, we give you three handy tips to take better portrait photos.

iPhone tips: how to (always) take better portrait photos

With portrait photos you can sometimes give photos just that little bit extra. But to really get the most out of the function, it is smart to keep the tips below in mind.

Do you always want to stay up to date with the latest tips for your iPhone, AirPods or Apple Watch? Then sign up for our newsletter, so that you discover new functions every week!

1. Turn on the grid on your camera

When you use the grid option, the screen is divided into nine areas. When taking a photo, try to place your subject on one of the vertical lines.

You then simply adjust the rule of thirds to your photos, and that can help to create an interesting photo, including when taking portrait photos.

To turn on the grid, tap ‘Settings > Camera > Grid’. And while you’re there, you can also turn on the ‘Level’ function. This ensures that you always take a photo with a straight horizon. You will then see a horizontal line in the middle of the screen.

2. Taking portrait photos

iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max automatically capture depth information when you take a photo that includes a face. So essentially, your iPhone is automatically taking a portrait photo. You can also use it to blur the background of the photo after the fact.

On older iPhones (and objects where the iPhone 15 can’t do it automatically), you’ll need to turn on Portrait mode to take a portrait photo. Open the Camera app and swipe through the row of options to open Portrait mode. So if you really want to make sure you’re taking a portrait photo, you’ll need to turn on Portrait mode before you take the photo.

Taking portrait photos on your iPhone takes a little more effort than taking normal photos. This is because portrait mode places more demands on your position. The Camera app indicates when you are holding the camera too close or too far away. It also indicates when the environment is too dark, for example. You are at the right distance when the bottom bar turns yellow.

You can cheat the system a little by using your finger on the screen to indicate where you want to focus. Then, hold your finger on the screen and swipe down (or up) just a little bit. The message ‘AE/AF lock’ will appear.

Now you can adjust the camera position a little bit until the bar at the bottom turns yellow. Keep in mind that the iPhone holds the focus point and you may get a bit blurry if you move too much.

3. Editing portrait photos

The last function in these iPhone tips is often overlooked: post-processing. This always makes a photo just that little bit better. The iPhone loves realistic colours, but often the photo looks a bit dull because of this. Fortunately, this is easy to do with the built-in editing functions. Open the photo in the ‘Photos’ app and tap ‘Edit’ at the top right to open the photo editor (in iOS 18, tap the three lines at the bottom).

A photo taken in portrait mode has an extra option that you don’t see in ‘normal’ photos. So tap the first icon at the bottom (the cube) and adjust the light by choosing the ‘Studio light’ option (in iOS 18 you will find the cube at the top left). This gives the subject a bit more lighting.

Then tap the aperture icon (recognizable by the letter f) and adjust the depth of field of the background to your liking. Try to stay at about 1/3 of the maximum blur.

Also useful to know

Portrait mode lets you take photos where the subject is sharp and the background is blurred. This makes your subject stand out from the background, giving you a professional-looking photo. All iPhones from the iPhone 7 Plus onwards support portrait mode to a greater or lesser extent.

Please note: Having an iPhone with portrait mode does not mean you can use all the features. There are some minor differences between the devices. For example, the iPhone XR and iPhone SE 2020 cannot use portrait mode to photograph animals or objects. And from the iPhone 12 Pro (Max) and iPhone 13 Pro (Max) you can also use portrait mode in the dark.

More tips for iPhone

• iPhone tips: how to (always) take better portrait photos

• New on Netflix and Apple TV Plus: Check out our tips for August 2024

• Beginner’s Tip: How Much iCloud Storage Should I Buy on My iPhone?

• Swimming with your iPhone: can you do it with peace of mind?

• Tip: Here’s how to recover deleted WhatsApp messages