The post Shallow Depth of Field: How to Get It in Your Photos (5 Easy Ways) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
What is shallow depth of field photography? And how can you create it for beautiful, pro-level effects?
In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about shallow depth of field, including:
What shallow depth of field actually is
Why shallow depth of field is useful in photography
Five easy ways to create that gorgeous shallow depth of field effect
In fact, here’s my guarantee: By the time you leave, you’ll be a shallow DOF expert.
Sound good? Let’s dive right in, starting with a simple definition:
What is a shallow depth of field in photography?
A shallow depth of field refers to an effect where very little of the image is in focus.
For instance, an image might include an in-focus subject, but have a blurred-out background. This is common in portrait photography (and if you look through this article, you’ll notice that my shallow depth of field examples are all portraits for this very reason!).
A shallow depth of field contrasts with a deep depth of field, where the entire shot, from foreground to background, remains in focus. Deep depth of field effects are common in landscape photography, where detail is a key compositional element.
Why is a shallow depth of field effect important?
Plenty of photographers love shallow depth of field effects – for two big reasons:
A shallow depth of field separates the subject from the background, helping the subject stand out.
A shallow depth of field generally blurs the background, which looks really gorgeous (when done right, that is!).
Often, a shallow depth of field is a stylistic choice, one that certain photographers tend to prefer and other photographers like to avoid.
Here’s a list of genres that gravitate toward shallow DOF effects:
Portrait photography
Wildlife photography
Street photography (sometimes)
Fashion photography
Product photography (sometimes)
Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, and regardless, don’t feel hemmed in. If you prefer shallow depth of field but you shoot landscapes, that’s okay – do what you like!
How to get a shallow depth of field effect: 5 techniques
Now let’s take a look at how you can create shallow depth of field effects in your photos:
1. Increase the subject-background distance
It’s one of the easiest ways to achieve a shallow depth of field effect:
Position your subject as far away from any background objects as possible.
If your subject is standing right in front of a wall, it’ll be in focus no matter what you do. But if they’re standing 100 meters in front of that same wall, it’s going to be a lot more blurry. Think of it as giving your background more room to blur.
Quick note: Technically, increasing the distance between the subject and the background doesn’t make the depth of field more shallow. The depth of field remains the same regardless (it depends on other factors that I discuss below).
But bringing your subject forward increases the appearance of a shallow depth of field and gives you a near-equivalent effect.
2. Use your camera’s Portrait mode
These days, most beginner cameras include a little wheel on top with lots of little icons on it – the Mode dial.
And on certain beginner models, the Mode dial will feature Scene modes, such as Landscape, Night, Sports, etc.
Generally, one of these modes is Portrait. And if you’re uncomfortable using more advanced modes (such as Aperture Priority or Manual mode), Portrait mode is a good way to decrease the depth of field; it sets a large aperture (discussed in the next section!), which will make the depth of field smaller.
Now, Portrait mode doesn’t offer any control over your depth of field effect, so I only recommend you use it if you feel completely lost or have no intention of learning basic camera settings.
And if you do want to gain more control, check out the next method of creating shallow depth of field:
3. Widen your lens’s aperture
Every lens includes an aperture – essentially a hole – that widens or narrows depending on your camera’s aperture setting.
And the wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field.
Portrait mode will automatically widen your aperture. But if you want a greater level of control, I’d recommend using either Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode, which allow you to dial in your preferred aperture (then watch as the background is blurred).
If you’ve never set the aperture before, know that small numbers, such as f/1.8 and f/2.8, correspond to a wide aperture (and hence a shallow depth of field). Large numbers, such as f/16 and f/22, correspond to a narrow aperture (and a deep depth of field).
For ultra-shallow depth of field effects, stick to f/2.8 and wider if possible, though your aperture capabilities will depend on your lens (because all lenses have an aperture maximum).
In fact, if you like the idea of adjusting the aperture to achieve the perfect depth of field effect, I highly recommend you put your camera on Aperture Priority mode, find a subject, and test out a handful of different apertures. Then review each photo carefully, paying attention to how the aperture setting affects the depth of field.
4. Use a long lens (and get close to your subject)
The closer you get to your subject, both optically – by using a long lens – and physically – by moving toward your subject – the shallower the depth of field and the better the background blur.
That’s why the best shallow depth of field portraits tend to be taken on an 85mm lens or a 70-200mm lens, not a 50mm or 35mm lens. The longer focal length makes it easier to get close, which in turn decreases the depth of field. Make sense?
However, if you only own a 35mm lens, don’t worry; you can still create a shallow DOF. You simply need to get close to your subject. Yes, it might be a bit uncomfortable if you’re photographing people – you’ll be shooting from right in front of their face! – but the results will be worth it.
By the way, longer lenses have another advantage over shorter lenses:
They compress the background. The actual effect is difficult to explain, but it leads to a smoother background blur and the appearance of a shallow depth of field.
So if possible, shoot your images from up close – and use a long lens, too. (Don’t get crazy with your focal length, though, especially if you’re photographing people; if you go over 200mm or so, you’ll be forced to back up ridiculously far, which can become unmanageable, plus you’ll lose a level of photographer-subject intimacy.)
5. Get a wide-aperture lens
Previously, I explained that a wide aperture leads to outstanding shallow depth of field effects. I also mentioned that some lenses feature a maximum aperture.
So if you’re serious about achieving a shallow depth of field, a lens with a wide aperture (known as a fast lens) is your friend.
Unfortunately, fast lenses tend to be expensive, but they can also be worth the investment. Plus, there are a few fast primes – such as a 50mm f/1.8 – that are optically impressive, capable of beautiful background blur, and are also quite cheap.
(Fast lenses also let you shoot in low light, which is a major bonus.)
By the way, some lenses offer better background blur than others. So before purchasing, I recommend reading reviews of possible lenses (or at least viewing sample images). Good reviewers will discuss background blur (also known as bokeh), and you can determine whether the lens is right for you.
Shallow depth of field: final words
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about shallow depth of field and how to create it.
So head out with your camera. See if you can get some beautiful depth of field effects. Try out the methods I’ve suggested.
And have fun!
Now over to you:
Which of these methods is your favorite? Do you have any tips that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Shallow Depth of Field: How to Get It in Your Photos (5 Easy Ways) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
Your iPad is one of many convenient small devices that is always on you and thanks to the integrated cameras is a great tool to take photos and videos on the move. Unfortunately, iPads are notorious for producing blurry images, which can also be caused by other factors. If you own an iPad and have always asked yourself how to Continue Reading Photodoto
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Are you unable to send photos from your iPhone to an Android device? Do you have the ability to send text messages but not pictures? If you are a photographer or use your phone to take pictures, switching phones can be a nightmare, especially from an iPhone to an Android. Sending edited photos from iPhone to Android can be tedious Continue Reading Photodoto
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The post Zone Focusing: How to (Always) Capture Sharp Street Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.
Do you struggle to capture consistently sharp, in-focus street photos? You’re not alone.
In street photography, consistently nailing focus, especially if you don’t have the opportunity to look through your camera’s viewfinder, can be insanely difficult (and often seems impossible).
That’s where zone focusing comes in.
You see, zone focusing lets you set your focus in advance. And then, when your subject steps into the frame, snap – you get the shot.
Not every street photographer zone focuses, but the ones who do swear by it. And while I use autofocus when I can, I swear by zone focusing, too.
So what, specifically, is zone focusing? How does it work? And how can you learn to do it for sharp photos?
All will be revealed in this article! Let’s get started.
Canon 5D Mark II | 17mm | f/11 | 1/320s | ISO 1800
What is zone focusing?
Zone focusing is a technique where you manually prefocus your lens to a certain distance and adjust your aperture for a deep depth of field. Then, when you’re confronted by an interesting subject, you don’t need to focus through your viewfinder; instead, you wait for your subject to enter your acceptable zone of focus and capture the photo.
Note that zone focusing is very flexible. If you like to shoot intimate portraits, you can zone focus just a few feet in front of your lens. And if you prefer wider shots with more distant elements, you can zone focus 10+ feet away.
Why is zone focusing so useful?
Zone focusing works to varying degrees in plenty of photography genres, but it’s most commonly used by street photographers for two major reasons:
When shooting on the streets, the world happens fast. Gorgeous photo opportunities slide by in the blink of an eye. If you take the time to focus, you’ll often miss the shot.
In street photography, putting a camera to your eye often makes your subject (and you) uncomfortable. So if you can focus without looking, you’ll be able to keep discomfort to a minimum while capturing more honest scenes.
In other words, if you’re a street photographer, zone focusing is an easy way to increase your keeper rate while keeping your photos perfectly candid.
Zone focusing and depth of field (dof)
Canon 5D Mark II | 28mm | f/4 | 1/250s | ISO 3200
Before I explain how to zone focus, it’s important that you understand the factors that go into creating a zone of sharp focus, also known as a deep depth of field.
As you may already be aware, depth of field refers to the zone of acceptable sharpness in a scene. So when you focus on a subject and you create a deep depth of field (more on how to do that in a moment!), your subject will turn out sharp – but so will a certain area in front of and behind your subject.
For instance, if you focus on a subject that’s 10 feet away, a deep depth of field would ensure sharp focus from around 8 feet to 14 feet, depending on your specific camera settings. Keep in mind that the area behind your subject that is acceptably sharp will always be greater than the area in front of your subject, and in many cases, it will be much greater.
What affects your depth of field? Three simple factors:
Aperture. The smaller your aperture, the greater the depth of field. So if you’re shooting at f/16, you’ll have far more in focus than if you shoot at f/2.8.
Focal length. Wider focal lengths create a deeper depth of field. So if you are shooting at 28mm, much more of your scene will be in focus than if you are shooting at 100mm. (This is why I rarely zone focus with lenses longer than 35mm.)
Distance to the subject (or point of focus). The further away you focus, the more depth of field there will be in a scene. So if you focus on a person 10 feet away, then you’ll have a deeper depth of field than if you focus on a person 3 feet away.
If you want to test out these different factors and see how they affect the depth of field in real life, check out this website, which offers a handy depth of field calculator.
How to zone focus: step by step
Canon 5D Mark II | 17mm | f/8 | 1/400s | ISO 1600
You can zone focus in three simple steps:
Adjust your camera settings for a deep depth of field
Prefocus your lens in the right area
Hit the shutter button when your subject moves into range
Let’s take a look at each step in greater depth:
Step 1: Adjust your camera settings for a deep depth of field
When zone focusing, you want the range of sharpness (i.e., the depth of field) as large as possible. That way, you have the most room for error, and you’ll end up with the most keepers. Plus, a deep depth of field will allow you to keep multiple subjects sharp, which is useful if you’re capturing a more complex, layered shot.
First, you’ll need to choose a wide-angle lens, such as 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm. My personal go-to focal length is 28mm, but any of these options work for zone focusing. Unfortunately, if you zoom any closer (50mm, for example), you’ll struggle to get a usable depth of field range.
Next, make sure your camera is set to Manual mode, and dial in a narrow aperture. I’d recommend working at f/8 and beyond – so depending on the light levels, you might use f/8, f/11, f/13, or even f/16.
Because zone focusing is often done with moving subjects (and you might be moving, too!), make sure your shutter is at least 1/250s, though higher is better, if you can afford it. And adjust your ISO to keep your exposure sufficiently bright.
Really, it’s the combination of the wide focal length and narrow aperture that’ll give you the deep depth of field you need, but it’s important not to neglect your other settings.
Step 2: Prefocus your lens in the right area
Now that you have your camera settings dialed in, it’s time to determine where you want to focus your lens.
Part of this should be personal preference and may depend on the context. For instance, if you prefer more intimate street portraits, you’ll want to focus a few feet in front of you. Or if you’re shooting in an environment where people are passing at a distance, you’ll want to focus farther away.
But it’s not just about artistry. Recalling the discussion of depth of field, you know that a closer point of focus decreases the range of acceptable sharpness. So if you want to maximize the chances of a sharp shot, it’s a good idea to focus far off in the distance.
Regardless of where you plan to focus, a lens with a manual focus display is a huge benefit here. I’m talking about something like this:
That way, you know exactly where your lens is focused (and you can consistently prefocus in the same spot).
If your lens doesn’t include a manual focus display, that’s okay, but you’ll need to spend extra time learning to estimate distances.
Step 3: Hit the shutter button when your subject moves into range
You’ve got the right settings, and you’re prefocused in the right spot.
Which means that all you need to do is take the photo.
Keep an eye out for interesting photo opportunities. Estimate your range of focus.
Then, when something interesting happens, wait until the subject comes into your focusing zone, then take a photo. The closer your subject gets to the center of your range of focus, the better (and don’t be afraid to capture multiple photos to maximize your chances of nailing a sharp shot).
A zone focusing tip: learn to guess distances
Zone focusing works really well, and if you’re shooting in bright light with a narrow aperture, you’ll have a lot of leeway.
But if you’re like me, then you often do street photography in less than ideal lighting, such as on the subway. And thanks to the poor light, you’ll need to widen your aperture – to f/2.8 and beyond.
What does this mean? Well, even with a wide-angle lens and a relatively distant subject, you’ll need to be very careful; your range of sharpness will be quite small.
Fujifilm X100 | 35mm | f/2 | 1/250s | ISO 3200
For this reason, you must learn to estimate the distances away from your camera’s lens, all the way up to around 12 feet. I suggest using a tape measure and measuring out the distances. Then just go out and practice.
Find different objects and try to guess their distance. Then, before you head out to shoot, pick an object at a known distance, focus on it, and use it as a sort of “calibrator” for all your future photos.
The other reason to get good at guessing distances? People move and scenes develop. You might want to capture a person walking toward you at 10 feet, then again at 5 feet. To nail both those shots, you’ll need to have one hand on the focusing ring, and practice manually focusing back and forth, from 10 feet to 8 feet to 6 feet and so on.
Eventually, you’ll be able to capture someone walking toward you at both 10 feet and 6 feet, without even having to look through the viewfinder. It’s an incredibly effective technique, and you can use it for some gorgeous results.
Canon 5D Mark II | 28mm | f/5 | ISO 1600
How to zone focus: final words
Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be a capable zone focuser – though I certainly recommend you spend some time really getting to know different distances (and how to accurately prefocus at those distances, too).
So head out with your camera. Have some fun with zone focusing. You’ll love the results!
Now over to you:
Have you tried zone focusing? What do you think? Do you like it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Table of contents
Street Photography
GENERAL
10 Tips for the Aspiring Street Photographer
7 Street Photography Rules That Should Be Broken
How to Approach Street Photography in 12 Easy Steps
50 Things I Try to Avoid in Street Photography
5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Improve Your People Photography
5 Exercises to Improve Your Street Photography
PREPARATION
7 Steps to Get Over Your Fear of Street Photography
How to Plan a Street Photography Shoot When Traveling
SETTINGS
Zone Focusing: How to (Always) Capture Sharp Street Photos
What is zone focusing?
Why is zone focusing so useful?
Zone focusing and depth of field (dof)
How to zone focus: step by step
Step 1: Adjust your camera settings for a deep depth of field
Step 2: Prefocus your lens in the right area
Step 3: Hit the shutter button when your subject moves into range
A zone focusing tip: learn to guess distances
How to zone focus: final words
What is zone focusing?
Why is zone focusing so useful?
Zone focusing and depth of field (dof)
How to zone focus: step by step
Step 1: Adjust your camera settings for a deep depth of field
Step 2: Prefocus your lens in the right area
Step 3: Hit the shutter button when your subject moves into range
A zone focusing tip: learn to guess distances
How to zone focus: final words
What are the Best Street Photography Camera Settings and Why
LIGHTING
There is No Bad Light for Street Photography
Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos
COMPOSITION
The Importance of Capturing Gesture and Emotion in Street Photography
Seeing and Street Photography
13 Great Subjects for Urban Night Photography
How to Avoid Distracting Backgrounds in Street Photography
How the Square Format Can Enhance Your Street Photography
Tips for Minimalist Photography in an Urban Environment
How to Improve the Impact of Your Urban Images Using Lines
How to Use Framing in an Urban Environment
GEAR
5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer
Pros and Cons of a Telephoto Lens for Street Photography?
The Five Key Features on any Street Photography Camera
Which Street Photography Lens is Right for You?
6 Reasons Why You Should Use a Standard Lens for Street Photography
A Look at the Fujifilm X100V in Action for Street Photography (video)
How to Use a Wide-Angle Lens for People Photography
Street Photography with $ 10 Ilford HP5 Film Camera
ADVANCED GUIDES
8 Advanced Street Photography Tips to Get You to the Next Level
Getting Close and Personal: 11 Tips for Close-up Candid Street Photography
7 Tips for a More Anonymous Approach to Street Photography
A Cowards Guide to Street Photography
6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography
9 Tips for Creating Great Street Portraits
Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference?
17 Tips for Shooting Better Urban Portraits
What Makes A Great Street Photograph and How Do We Create Them
How to Tell a Story With Your Street Photography
In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography
7 Tips for Urban Landscape Photography
A Street Photographer’s Guide to New York City
Urban Exploration Photography – Urbex
7 Tips for Capturing the Decisive Moment in Street Photography
A Common Misconception About Street Photography – Just Take Photos of People Walking
What do I look for on a Photo Walk? Part 1 – City Walk
8 Things You Should Know if You are Dating a Street Photographer
7 Ways to Become More Spontaneous with Your Street Photography
5 Essential Shots You Need to Get for Street Market Photography
Using Humor In Street Photography
Watch a Street Photographer Going about a Shoot [VIDEO]
Using Street Photography to See Beyond the Ordinary
CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
5 Tips for Shooting Glass to Enhance Your Street Photographs
Window Street Photography ~ Try Something New And Grow!
The Pros and Cons of Black and White Versus Color for Street and Travel Photography
4 Ways to Add a Sense of Motion to Your Urban Photography
7 Steps to Create Street Photography Silhouettes
POST-PROCESSING
How to Enhance Urban Night Photographs Using Luminosity Masks in Photoshop
13 Steps for Editing Street Photography in Lightroom from Start to Finish
How to Turn Day to Night Using Photoshop for Urban Landscapes
BUSINESS
Model Releases: Working with People on the Streets
INSPIRATION
20 Beautiful Examples of Urban Decay Photography
30 Street Photography Images to Inspire You
33 Gritty Photos of Graffiti Street Art
28 Diverse Images That Showcase People Photography
39 Street Photography Images That Have Common Threads
Focus on Thomas Leuthard – Street Photographer
Focus on Street Photographer Eric Kim ~ In your face with a smile!
Focus on Chris Porsz ~ It’s All About The People
Focus on Scott Frederick – Urban Explorer
OPINION
The Uncomfortable Truth About Street Photography
Street Photography: Exploitative vs Respect
To be or not to be a Street Photographer
Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People
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The post Zone Focusing: How to (Always) Capture Sharp Street Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.
Jeff Cable, a photographer covering the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, appears to have accidentally shared the sensor resolution of Canon’s forthcoming EOS R3 mirrorless camera
To date, Canon has announced the EOS R3 is in development and even shown off the body of the camera, but it hasn’t yet revealed what specifications we’ll find from the hardware inside the camera. However, we might have at least one piece of the puzzle thanks to Cable, who has been testing out Canon’s unreleased EOS R3 camera at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Note the ‘Image Width’ and ‘Image Height’ sections on the left screenshot and ‘[Camera] Model’ in the right screenshot. Click to enlarge.
On a blog where Cable is sharing his photos from his time covering the Olympics, he’s uploaded a few images that still have that metadata attached. As spotted by members of Canon Rumors’ forums, this metadata can be read by the Chrome plugin EXIF Viewer Pro, which shows at least some of the images were taken by a Canon EOS R3 camera and have a resolution of 6,000 pixels by 4,000 pixels — the image size coming from a 24MP sensor.
This isn’t necessarily confirmation Canon’s EOS R3 mirrorless camera will have a 24MP sensor, but the data is there to see and appears to be legitimate so far as we can tell (we have been able to confirm the metadata in the images). DPReview has contacted Canon for a comment on the matter, but no response has been received as of the time of publishing this article.
As for why the metadata was still attached, PetaPixel says Cable ‘was not instructed by Canon to scrub the EXIF data from any photos he uploaded to his blog.’ It might seem unusual Canon wouldn’t impose these kinds of restrictions, but it wouldn’t be practical for working photographers. Many news organizations and photo agencies require metadata to stay attached to the original image for archival and ethical reasons, so if Canon were to limit this, Cable (and others testing the EOS R3) wouldn’t be able to submit the images he captured with the camera.
The post Creative Phone Photography: 8 Tips for Artistic Mobile Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
A phone with a camera is great for photography. But it can be tough to break away from a “snapshot” mindset and start taking images that are truly creative.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some tips to help you capture creative phone photography. Specifically, I’ll share:
Key settings to make the most of your phone’s camera
Several tips to get you creating unique, artistic compositions
A simple secret for surreal-looking phone photos
Much more!
So if you’re ready to shoot some creative images, then let’s get started.
1. Shoot in RAW
Familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of your phone camera is an important way to expand your creative options. Modern camera phones have a surprising range of capabilities that you can use for better photos.
For example, it’s a good idea to shoot in a RAW file format (an option now offered by many native camera apps). While JPEGs are the default format on many phones, they experience a loss in image quality thanks to compression – whereas RAW files are uncompressed and therefore tend to look better.
RAW files also offer greater post-processing versatility. You can adjust colors and tones and recover lost details in a natural, realistic way.
So if you’re after high-quality photos – which allow for extensive enhancement during post-production – then try switching to RAW. (Even if your mobile phone doesn’t offer RAW in its native camera app, you should still be able to find a third-party app that produces high-quality RAW files.)
RAW activated in Pro mode on an Android device.
2. Make the most of Manual mode
As with a conventional camera, Manual mode allows you to take control of your phone’s camera’s settings when capturing a photo. In Manual mode, you can adjust shutter speed, ISO, and white balance – and this additional control allows for greater creative input.
To activate Manual mode (also known as Pro mode) on some devices, open your Camera app and look at the camera mode tray. You should see settings like Timelapse and Panorama, and if you’re lucky, you’ll also have a Pro option.
Simply tap the Pro mode icon, and you’ll be good to go; you’ll gain access to numerous options for adjusting your phone camera’s functionality.
If your phone doesn’t offer a Pro mode, don’t worry. Simply download a third-party app such as ProCamera, Camera+ 2, or Obscura 2. All of these apps feature a Manual mode of sorts, and you can use it to harness your phone camera’s creative potential.
3. Don’t forget about composition!
Over time, plenty of guidelines have been developed to help photographers compose effective images. While none of these guides are inflexible laws, if you’re familiar with some basic compositional concepts, your photos will come a long way.
Of course, compositional knowledge translates to creative phone photography, too! For example, by activating your phone camera’s grid function, you’ll get a useful visual overlay, perfect for positioning key points of interest.
Learn about the rule of thirds, leading lines, the rule of space, triangular composition, and more; each of these will be helpful tools that’ll aid in your creative phone photography.
4. Make use of editing apps
I’ve already mentioned how third-party camera apps can give you increased control over your phone camera. But did you know that editing apps offer a whole other world of creativity?
For instance, Snapseed (Android and iOS) is a (free!) Google-owned application with plenty of tools for tweaking images and applying filters. VSCO (Android and iOS) offers some editing functions for free, including artistic, film-like filters. Adobe Lightroom (Android and iOS) supplies image editing tools similar to its desktop counterpart for free, and it can also be upgraded to a paid premium version for additional functionality.
(Unlike VSCO and Snapseed, only the paid version of Lightroom will edit RAW files.)
There are plenty of fun, creative apps available for both iOS and Android devices. Need a retro aesthetic? Afterlight (above, left) provides users with an advanced toolkit to add light leak effects to an image. Want to combine two images into a single photograph? Snapseed (above, right) allows you to quickly and easily merge image layers to create a double-exposure effect.
There are a multitude of apps that suit a huge variety of purposes and capabilities. The fun part is trying them all out!
5. Try different perspectives
One of the great things about creative phone photography is the mobility of a small photographic device. A camera phone isn’t just an accessory; it’s a pocket-sized machine capable of capturing stunning photos.
So take advantage of the size and portability of a phone camera by physically experimenting to create intriguing perspectives. Place your phone close to the ground, try a high angle, or shoot from off to the side. Just make sure to get a non-conventional perspective, and you’re bound to end up with interesting results.
6. Go abstract
Also known as experimental, non-objective, or conceptual photography, abstract photography avoids depicting immediately identifiable subject matter.
In fact, creative phone photography and abstraction are a good mix. The accessibility of the phone camera allows you to snap abstract images anywhere, anytime. For instance, when you’re out in a city, you might capture abstract images of puddles on the ground, posters torn off a wall, or reflections in a glass building.
And thanks to readily available editing apps, unique abstract perspectives can be rapidly captured, edited, and shared – or even saved as inspiration for a later shoot with a dedicated camera.
7. Photograph details
If you have your phone in your pocket all the time – and let’s face it, most of us do! – you’ll be ready to capture even the smallest occurrences at a moment’s notice.
Even when it’s tough to find inspiration, focusing on the details that shape an everyday environment can make for beautiful photos. Try activating your phone’s close-up or macro function, then get close to a subject. You can even purchase little lenses that attach to your phone for close-up photography. A small tripod or a sturdy surface can help keep the camera phone steady.
8. Experiment!
It may sound obvious, but doing great phone photography can take a little experimentation. Many people assume (due to the advanced and accessible nature of phone camera technology) that every shot will be successful.
But in reality, practice and experimentation are the keys to effective creative phone camera photography. Familiarize yourself with your phone camera’s capabilities and make time to shoot. The more you experiment, the better your images will turn out.
Creative phone photography tips: conclusion
Phone photography is a great way to create stunning photos, especially if you want to be artistic without investing in a heavy camera.
Plus, with such a huge variety of apps available, doing creative phone photography has become a much more streamlined process.
There is an old saying: “The best camera is the one you have with you.” And while this might not always be the case, if you take advantage of your phone camera, you can create some truly outstanding images!
Now over to you:
Have you done a lot of phone photography? How do you like it? Which of these tips do you plan to use first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Creative Phone Photography: 8 Tips for Artistic Mobile Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
The post Where Are My Lightroom Photos, Presets, and Catalogs Stored? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Helen Bradley.
Are you struggling to determine where Lightroom stores your photos? Looking for your Lightroom catalogs? Need to identify the location of your presets?
In this article, I’m going to share quick, easy ways to determine where Lightroom has stored all of these items – photos, catalogs, presets, and more.
And by the end, you’ll know exactly where to find your files.
Let’s dive right in.
Where is my Lightroom catalog stored?
To find the storage location of your current Lightroom catalog, simply select Edit (Lightroom, if you’re on a Mac), then tap Catalog Settings:
Lightroom will display where your catalog is stored:
To open your catalog’s location, click Show:
You’ll be taken to your catalog folder. And if you look inside, you’ll see your .lrcat files, which contain your catalog data.
You can also find the location of your catalog by right-clicking on the Lightroom title bar, then selecting Show Catalog location:
Your catalog file will pop open (though note that you’ll be one level deeper in the folder hierarchy compared to the previous method).
Where are my Lightroom presets stored?
There are two simple methods of finding your Lightroom presets; the first will take you to the folder containing all of your presets, while the second will take you to the location of an individual preset.
Method 1
To find where your Lightroom presets are stored, select Edit>Preferences (Lightroom>Preferences if you’re on a Mac):
The Preferences window will open. Select the Presets tab:
Finally, select the Show Lightroom Develop Presets button (depending on your version of Lightroom, this might instead say Show Lightroom Presets Folder):
And you’ll immediately be taken to your preset storage location.
Note: You’ll need to click to see each individual preset folder:
Method 2
To find the location of an individual preset, here’s what you do:
First, open the Lightroom Develop module:
Then navigate to your Presets panel on the left-hand side:
Right-click on a preset, then select Show in Explorer:
Lightroom will instantly open the preset in its corresponding folder:
And you’ll be able to see many of your other presets, as well.
This is useful for situations when you’ve created your own preset and want to share it with others. You simply need to find the preset file, then share it!
Where are my Lightroom photos stored?
Lightroom is a catalog program, which means that it doesn’t actually store your images – instead, it simply records where your images are stored on your computer, then stores your edits in the corresponding catalog.
In other words, the images you import into Lightroom are located exactly where you chose to store them on your hard drive, USB drive, etc., and not in your Lightroom catalog.
So to find the location of a photo, simply right-click on its thumbnail, and select Show in Explorer (or Show in Finder for Mac users):
The relevant folder will appear with your image selected.
You can also see where an image exists inside Lightroom by right-clicking on that image, then selecting Go to Folder in Library:
This will switch you over to the Library module and select the folder in which your image is stored:
(Note that the selected folder corresponds to the actual hard drive location of your file.)
Why are my images stored in that location?
When you import photos into Lightroom, you’re given three broad options:
Copy, Move, or Add.
You can copy the photos, which creates a copy of each file in the selected location but leaves the originals alone. Then, when you ask Lightroom to show the location of the images, it will display the location of the copies.
You can move the photos, which deletes the originals and copies the files into your new selected location.
Or you can add the photos, which leaves the originals in place and makes no copy of the files; instead, Lightroom just records where you’ve stored your images. In this case, the images will stay where you initially stored them.
Where are Lightroom backups stored?
When you back up your Lightroom catalog, the actual catalog is backed up, but not your photos.
By default, the backup of your catalog is stored in the same location as your Lightroom catalog (in a folder called Backups).
However, if you want the exact backup location, or you’re struggling to find your backup folder, simply select Edit>Catalog Settings (or Lightroom>Catalog Settings on a Mac):
Then switch the Back up catalog option to When Lightroom next exits:
That way, the next time you exit Lightroom, you’ll see your backup folder location:
And you can also change the backup location if you like (by selecting a different folder).
Lightroom photos, presets, and catalog storage: conclusion
Hopefully, you now know the exact location of your Lightroom files.
So you should be ready to do anything you might need – such as move catalogs, find photos, and more.
Good luck!
The post Where Are My Lightroom Photos, Presets, and Catalogs Stored? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Helen Bradley.
The post 10 Landscape Composition Techniques for Breathtaking Photos (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
In this article, I’m going to share 10 simple landscape photography composition tips – so that you can start creating beautiful, flowing, dynamic, balanced landscape images.
Specifically, you’ll discover:
How to draw the viewer straight into the scene (and keep them wanting more!)
How to position your horizons for maximum dynamism and balance
A simple trick for minimalistic landscape shots
A cool technique to focus the viewer exactly where you want them
Much more!
So if you’re ready to take your landscape compositions to the next level, let’s dive right in, starting with my number-one most useful technique:
1. Include a main subject to engage the viewer
To instantly level up your landscape compositions, here’s how you should start:
By including a clear, identifiable subject in each photo.
The subject can be anything: a rock. A mountain. A river. A shell on the beach. Waves crashing on the shore. Lightning in the sky.
The point is to include at least one element in your photo that the viewer can grab onto – something that sucks them into the frame and piques their interest. Otherwise, your viewer will become confused. They won’t know where to focus, so they’ll move on to a different image and never look back. (Not good!)
Here, the main subject is the waterfall – it’s what really captures the viewer’s attention.
Is it okay to include multiple interesting subjects? Absolutely! In fact, many landscape photographers these days specialize in packing both a foreground subject and a background subject into a single photo (more on that later). But be careful not to include so many subjects that the viewer no longer has a place to focus. When in doubt, simplicity should win out.
2. Use the rule of thirds to position your key elements
The rule of thirds is one of my favorite landscape composition tools. It’s a great way to get started with composition, and it’ll give you an easy way to arrange key elements within the frame, like your main subject, your horizon, and other supporting elements.
For those unfamiliar with the rule of thirds, here’s a quick explanation:
The rule of thirds tells you to split your composition into vertical and horizontal thirds, so you end up with a series of gridlines. Then, for the most powerful compositions, you should place compositional elements along those gridlines (and at their intersection points).
This often comes into play when working with horizon lines. Instead of putting the horizon smack-dab in the center of the frame, you can put it along the top rule of thirds gridline (a good idea if your foreground is especially interesting) or along the bottom rule of thirds gridline (a good idea if your sky is colorful or dramatic).
For this image, the blowing sand in the foreground is stunning – so the photographer chose to put the horizon along the upper gridline:
You can also use the rule of thirds to position your main subject. You might put the subject along one of the vertical gridlines, or – even better – at an intersection point.
A quick word of caution, though:
The rule of thirds is a helpful technique. But despite the name, it’s not a landscape composition rule – rather, it’s a guideline, so you don’t need to follow it all the time. Instead, use it when it works, break it when it doesn’t.
Make sense?
3. Use foreground interest to create depth
Most landscape photos, even the mediocre ones, include background interest (such as a distant mountain, a dramatic sunset, or a house on a cliff).
But if you want to really take your landscapes to the next level, I highly recommend including foreground interest, which should sit somewhere between your camera and the background. (It’s also referred to as the near-far composition technique.)
This is a powerful tool, one that’s insanely popular among today’s professional landscape photographers. And the reason it’s so popular? It helps create the illusion of depth in a scene.
For instance, a photo of a distant mountain can look nice, but it often appears rather flat.
But add some grass close to the camera, and the whole composition immediately deepens. The viewer first focuses on the foreground grass, then moves into the midground, then finally sees the stunning mountain in the background:
So the next time you find a beautiful background subject, like the mountain I mentioned above…
…take a few moments to look for foreground interest. Then include both foreground and background in a single shot.
Note that the foreground interest can be a discrete subject, like a patch of grass. Or it can simply lead the eye into the frame, as I discuss in the next tip:
4. Use leading lines to suck the viewer into the scene
Leading lines are lines that draw the viewer into the scene. They generally start in the foreground of the composition, then move back, back, back…until they reach a distant subject.
In the photo below, the road acts as a leading line, which moves the viewer toward the beautiful sunset:
The road isn’t really a discrete subject, but it does provide foreground interest, and it moves the viewer toward the background.
By the way, you can make leading lines out of pretty much anything. I highly recommend you take a look at some of your favorite landscape photography and see how it incorporates leading lines; you’ll find all sorts of creative compositions, with lines created out of roads, rivers, fallen trees, ferns, lines in the dirt, and much, much more.
The river leads the eye toward the mountains in the background.
5. Use lots of negative space to create minimalist landscape compositions
These days, minimalism is all the rage in landscape photography. Here’s how it works:
First, find a scene full of negative space. (Negative space refers to emptiness in a composition, like a long stretch of blue sky, a swathe of green grass, a smooth, barren beach, etc.)
Second, find a small, isolated, lonely-looking subject, like a tree in a field, a rock jutting out from a flat landscape, or even a person.
Third, position your isolated subject so it’s small in the frame, and it’s surrounded by plenty of negative space. Here, it often pays to break the rule of thirds; instead of putting your subject at a rule of thirds intersection point, you put it closer to the edges of the frame, which serves to emphasize the emptiness.
The person walking alone provides a focal point and is surrounded by plenty of negative space.
You’ll end up with an attention-grabbing shot, one that feels both contemporary and timeless.
6. Don’t be afraid to go tight
Most photographers do landscape photography with wide-angle lenses. And in general, this works really well; you can capture the vastness of the scene while emphasizing foreground and background subjects.
That said…
It sometimes pays to zoom in tight using a telephoto lens (a 70-200mm or 100-400mm will do a good job).
This works especially well on relatively flat subjects with graphic lines: a distant waterfall, cracks in a canyon wall, overlapping mountains. Zooming in will compress the scene, so advice about adding depth tends to fly out the window, and that’s okay.
Instead, focus on using landscape compositional tools like the rule of thirds to create balance and flow. And as I emphasized at the beginning of this article, make sure to include a clear point of interest!
A telephoto lens compressed these mountains, so you get a beautifully layered composition.
7. Use layers to help simplify the scene
Layers are one of my absolute favorite landscape photography composition techniques, because they make scenes simpler, easily digestible, and all-around beautiful.
When you’re out with your camera, just look for a clear bottom layer, middle layer, and top layer (though more layers is fine, too!).
One of the great things about layered compositions is that they work regardless of your focal length or subject of interest. You can create layered wide-angle shots by incorporating clear foregrounds, midgrounds, and backgrounds into the composition.
Note the grasses in the foreground, the water in the midground, and the sky in the background.
And you can create layered telephoto shots by compressing distant elements (as I mentioned in the previous tip, overlapping mountains look great, but you can also layer trees, sand dunes, and more).
Here, the layers are more subtle – the mountains are layered, though the final layer is the sky.
Not every composition is amenable to layering. But when you find a scene with repeating or overlapping elements, that’s a good sign you can get a layered shot – and when possible, I recommend you go for it.
8. Incorporate diagonal lines to add movement
This one’s a more advanced landscape composition tool, and the effect can be subtle – but when done right, it can level up a good photo to a great one.
You see, diagonal lines are an effective way to move the eye around the scene and add flow to a shot. They’ll carefully push the viewer toward the main subject, while also prompting them to have a fun little journey around your photo.
To get started, I’d recommend first identifying your main subject. This should be the focal point of your image, and the place you want the diagonal lines to lead.
Then walk around, looking for potential diagonals that point toward – not away! – from your subject. You’ll often need to get creative. Consider all your options: paths, lines of trees, fences, rivers, a shadow, even clouds!
Finally, compose your photo, including at least one diagonal line moving toward your subject (and feel free to use two, three, or four lines if you can find them).
The clouds provide diagonal lines that move the viewer toward the mountain.
Note that diagonal lines can be foreground leading lines, but they don’t have to be. It’s perfectly acceptable to find a diagonal line that starts far off in the distance, as long as it moves toward your main subject.
9. Use geometry, especially triangles, to add flow and stability
In landscape photography, geometry is your friend.
Specifically, you can incorporate shapes, such as triangles, squares, and circles, into your compositions. These will help create both flow and stability, plus they just look very cool (especially when done with subtlety!).
For instance, consider the triangle, one of the most powerful shapes available to the landscape photographer. It includes diagonal lines and therefore adds plenty of movement. It also tends to be very stable, thanks to its strong edges and wide base.
The mountain creates a clear triangle – and it makes the composition far more powerful.
Circles are great, too – partial circles create nice curves for plenty of flow. And complete circles create eye-catching points of interest.
You don’t need to find full shapes in the landscape, by the way. It’s okay to use a somewhat circular rock, a vaguely triangular mountain, and so on. The point is to include shape-like elements when you can, without stressing too much about whether you have a complete shape or an implied one. That way, you create strong compositions that still feel natural.
Make sense?
10. Find natural frames to focus the viewer
As emphasized earlier in this article, foreground interest is a great way to add depth to landscape compositions.
But sometimes, you run into foreground elements that can’t quite work as a discrete compositional element…
…yet can still sit around the edges of your photo as a frame.
This is the landscape photography framing technique: You include tangential elements around the outside of an image and use them to direct the viewer toward the interesting midground and background.
For instance, you might include an overhanging branch toward the top of the image, in order to guide the viewer toward the subject in the middle of the shot:
Or you might find a tunnel of rocks that leads the viewer toward the sunset in the background.
In wide-open spaces, finding frames can be tough. But if you’re shooting in a more chaotic landscape, you can often find trees or rocks to create a frame. In fact, it’s often these simple frames that take a good composition to the next level; they provide much-needed focus by showing the viewer exactly where to look (and when positioned carefully, they can also block out distracting elements).
Landscape photography composition: final words
Well, there you have it:
10 techniques to enhance your landscape compositions.
Practice these techniques, and above all, have fun!
Now over to you:
Which of these composition tips is your favorite? Which are you going to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post 10 Landscape Composition Techniques for Breathtaking Photos (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
The post 13 iPhone Camera Settings to Improve Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
There is an amazing array of iPhone camera settings you can tweak, customize, and configure to get just the right shots. Some of these settings are obvious, but others are buried beneath layers of buttons and menus and are easy to miss.
And while anyone can take great shots on an iPhone just by launching the camera and pressing the shutter button, learning a few of the custom options can truly take your iPhone photography to the next level.
Also, most of these iPhone tips and tricks are available no matter your iPhone model – so even if your iPhone is a few years old, you can still access some very helpful settings.
Are you ready to discover 13 highly useful iPhone settings?
Let’s dive right in.
A picture of a lake near the United States/Canada border (shot with my iPhone). When you know how to tweak your iPhone camera settings, you can get the shots you’re looking for.
1. Show and hide camera options
Nestled near the top of the iPhone camera is a thin strip (with the Flash icon on the left and the Live Photos icon on the right, as displayed below). Situated directly between these two icons is a small arrow pointing up, like the ^ caret above the number six on a keyboard:
Tap the ^ icon at the top of the camera interface to show/hide the camera options icons at the bottom.
Tap the caret at the top to show and hide a row of options near the bottom of the camera interface. As you can see in the screenshot above, this uncovers a handful of useful options, including filters and real-time cropping.
Another way to access these settings? Press your finger directly on the middle of your iPhone screen with the camera open, then swipe up or down. This yields the same result as tapping on the ^ icon, but some people find the press-and-swipe method to be a little more convenient. Either way, the hidden row of options puts some powerful tools right at your fingertips and can help you instantly take better photos.
One caveat: When you reveal this row of settings icons, your normal photo modes, such as Pano, Portrait, and Video, disappear. You can still access them by pressing on the middle of your phone and dragging your finger to the right or left, but it’s easy to get lost without seeing the name of the mode you are currently using.
I recommend you first set the photo mode (i.e. Portrait, Photo, etc.), and only then reveal the row of camera options icons.
2. Use the volume buttons as your camera shutter
When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, he proudly declared that it would not have a keyboard (much to the chagrin of smartphone users around the world!). Replacing the physical keys was a revolutionary touchscreen that could transform into whatever the developer wanted.
While the touchscreen was a brilliant move, it meant some common actions like snapping a picture became a little more tricky. It’s not always easy to hold your phone just right and press the shutter button at the same time.
Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this common frustration:
Press the volume-up button to snap a picture.
This feature is enabled by default, but many users aren’t aware that it exists. Once you learn to use it, you won’t ever want to go back to awkwardly tapping the touchscreen to take pictures.
(Also, quick tip: When you press and hold the volume-up button, your phone will begin recording a movie. Release the button to stop recording.)
Many people don’t know this, but the volume buttons on any iPhone can be used to take a picture. You don’t have to change any settings to do it – it’s enabled by default.
3. Shoot in burst mode
An iPhone might not seem like the ideal device for action photography. After all, it can’t compare to a high-end DSLR or mirrorless camera that can fire off a burst of photos in rapid succession.
Or can it?
In fact, iPhones offer a burst mode – and with it, you can get action shots you never thought possible. You can shoot dozens of rapid-fire photos, then choose the best one from the batch.
Here’s how it works:
With the Camera app open, press and hold the shutter button, then quickly slide your finger all the way to the left. Burst mode will activate, you’ll start taking a series of images, and you’ll see a counter with the number of captured shots.
Use this during moments of fast action. You’ll always end up with those split-second, perfectly timed shots – without spending thousands of dollars on high-end camera equipment.
Press and drag the shutter button with your finger to take a burst of photos. The shutter button displays your photo count.
4. Press and hold the volume button for a photo burst
Burst mode is great, but what if you prefer using the camera volume buttons to snap pictures? If you press and hold the volume button, your phone starts recording a movie, not a burst – but did you know that you can force the volume buttons to shoot in burst mode when held down?
First, navigate to the Settings app. Then scroll down to Camera.
Next, look for the option that says Use Volume Up for Burst, and tap to enable it.
If you find the touch-and-drag method of taking burst photos inconvenient, you can set the volume-up button to take a burst of images.
That’s it! Now, if you hold the volume-up button, your iPhone will fire off a burst – and if you hold the volume-down button, you’ll record a movie. It’s the best of both worlds, and a setting I highly recommend. You never know whether you’ll need a burst or a movie, so it helps to have both options at your fingertips!
5. Use the built-in self-timer
Sometimes, you don’t want to take a photo the instant you press the shutter button. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have a built-in self-timer; it lets you set a delay from the time you press the shutter to the time the camera actually takes a picture.
At first glance, this feature may seem missing from iPhones. But with a quick tap or swipe, you can activate the self-timer and start taking control of your photos.
Here’s what you do:
First, show the row of extra camera options by tapping the caret at the top of the screen (as described in Point 1 of this article).
Then press the Timer icon. Select either Off, 3s, or 10s:
To use the built-in self-timer, tap the Timer icon. Then specify whether to use the 3-second or 10-second delay.
Now, when you press the shutter button, you’ll get a delay before your iPhone snaps the photo.
It helps to have a tripod to hold your phone steady, but the timer works fine for selfie shots, too. That way, you can snap a picture without trying to position the phone and fire your iPhone shutter at the same time.
6. Real-time aspect-ratio cropping
As experienced users know, it’s easy to crop a photo on an iPhone. Just tap on the image, hit Edit, and then press the Crop button.
But while this process works well for cropping your photos after you take them, what if you want to start with a cropped display and frame your image accordingly?
Some high-end cameras allow you to select custom crops when you take photos, and the iPhone has this ability, too.
First, tap the caret at the top of the screen to reveal the hidden camera options. Then, tap the 4:3 button (which represents the 4:3 ratio in which iPhone photos are shot):
To use real-time cropping, access the hidden camera options and tap the 4:3 icon. Then specify what type of crop you want: Square, 4:3, or 16:9. Note that these options might be slightly different depending on your iPhone model.
Now you can choose whether to shoot in a 4:3, Square (1:1), or 16:9 aspect ratio – and you won’t have to go through the painstaking process of cropping your photos individually afterward.
Real-time cropping lets you see how your cropped photo will turn out (without any guesswork).
7. Portrait Lighting
In 2016, the iPhone 7 Plus was released with the first iteration of Portrait mode.
Portrait mode essentially mimics the blurry background effect you can get with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but with Apple software algorithms. And the blur mimicry has gotten much better since those early incarnations, and now incorporates a feature called Portrait Lighting. This gives your Portrait mode images the appearance of being captured in various lighting conditions, and the result is so good it’s downright uncanny.
To access Portrait Lighting, first put your phone in Portrait mode (find it in the mode options just above the shutter button).
You should see a series of circles above the Portrait label; these are your different Portrait Lighting effects:
Enable Portrait mode, then touch and drag the icons above the shutter button to change the lighting effects. Your phone will show you a preview of the final result in real time!
The default lighting mode for portraits is “Natural Light” but this can be changed to “Studio Light,” “Stage Light,” “Contour Light,” and more. You actually see the effect in real time, so you know how the finished result will look, and you can change lighting modes as much as you want before you take a picture.
Portrait Lighting is a great way to punch up your portraits, and you can even go back and change the Portrait Lighting effect afterward when editing a Portrait mode image in the photo library.
8. Use filters as you shoot
Instagram and other social networks popularized the idea of filters, and now it’s almost strange to see photos without some kind of filter applied. The most common way of using filters is to snap a photo and then apply the filter afterward – but your iPhone camera has an option to use filters as you shoot.
With this, you can see what your edited pictures will look like before you even take them.
Filters can be applied as you shoot your images so you can see exactly what the final result will look like.
To use real-time filters, access the camera options by tapping the caret at the top of the screen. Then tap the icon with three intersecting circles.
The filter options will appear, and you’ll be able to choose from a variety of looks, including Vivid Warm, Dramatic Cool, Silvertone, and more. I find this method much more practical than applying filters after I take a photo, plus seeing your filters applied in real time can have a dramatic effect on your images!
9. Choose your preferred photo format (HEIF vs JPEG)
Until recently, the iPhone shot pictures in JPEG format. But while JPEGs are a good compromise between quality and file size, they’re ill-suited for today’s users, who want features like HDR imaging while still keeping file sizes small.
HEIF is a new file type designed to solve this problem, and it’s now the default format for iPhone photos.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a device that can load HEIF images, which makes sharing iPhone photos somewhat problematic – unless you know a handy iPhone settings solution.
Go to Settings, then Photos, and scroll all the way to the bottom to Transfer to Mac or PC. The Automatic setting will convert HEIF pictures to JPEG when sending them to a device that can’t read HEIF images. (Keep Originals will always send images as HEIFs).
You can also change the image format from HEIF to JPEG or JPEG to HEIF. Go to Settings, then Camera, and select Formats:
High Efficiency is a good option for saving space, but Most Compatible uses the more common JPEG format.
If you tap High Efficiency, your iPhone will shoot HEIFs – whereas selecting Most Compatible forces your camera to use JPEGs.
Generally, I recommend shooting photos in HEIF and leaving Transfer to Mac or PC on Automatic. But it’s always useful to know how to change these settings to your liking!
10. Optimize iPhone storage
If you take a lot of pictures on your iPhone, you might quickly find yourself running out of storage space. And while you can’t add more storage to your iPhone, there is a trick that lets you take tons of photos without worrying too much about using up space on your phone: storage optimization.
Go to Settings, then tap Photos. Look for the Optimize iPhone Storage option:
While you can’t add more storage space to your iPhone, you can take advantage of iCloud storage to help ease your photo storage burden.
This will automatically upload the photos to your iCloud account while keeping tiny, low-resolution thumbnails on your iPhone. Then, when you load a photo, the original is automatically downloaded from iCloud.
A caveat is that you need enough space on your iCloud account to accommodate your photos. Unlike your iPhone, you can add more iCloud storage, but you will have to pay. Prices range from one to ten dollars a month, and the one-dollar plan is plenty for most people.
So if you find yourself constantly running low on iPhone storage because of all your photos, don’t delete them! Just use the Optimize iPhone Storage option and let iCloud take care of the rest.
11. Show/hide the camera grid
Many DSLR and mirrorless cameras have grid overlays that help you compose your shots. They’re a great way to make sure your horizons are level, and you can use them to guide your rule-of-thirds compositions.
But did you know that your iPhone also has a grid?
All you have to do is select Settings, then Camera, and enable the Grid option.
Enable the Grid option in your Settings to display a grid overlay as you shoot pictures.
Now, when you take a photo, you will see a 3-by-3 grid, like this:
The grid overlay is a great way to make sure your photos are straight and well-composed!
12. Adjust the blur strength in Portrait mode
The iPhone camera has a fixed-aperture lens.
What does this mean? Well, unlike a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can’t decide whether to shoot wide open or stopped down – and so you don’t have control over the background blur.
Except that, when shooting in Portrait mode, your iPhone does let you customize the level of blur. This effectively mimics aperture adjustments (through software trickery).
First, select Portrait mode from the mode options. Then tap the f icon in the top-right corner.
A slider should appear at the bottom of the camera screen; it approximates various f-stops of a camera lens:
Once in Portrait Mode, tap the f button in the top-right corner. Then drag the slider above the shutter button left and right to increase and decrease background blur.
Slide all the way to the left for f/1.4 and all the way to the right for f/16. You will see the blur change in real time as you adjust the slider. I often find that the default value selected by my iPhone (usually between f/2.8 and f/4.5) is great, but it’s nice to be able to customize.
You can adjust the blur level of your Portrait mode backgrounds (even on some lower-end iPhones with a single camera).
13. Preserve Settings
This final trick isn’t going to do anything for your photos, but it could save your sanity! If you find yourself frequently using a specific filter, adjustment, or Live Photos setting, you can tell your iPhone to preserve those settings – instead of forcing you to enable them one by one every time you take a picture.
Enabling the Preserve Settings option is simple:
Tap Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings:
The Preserve Settings option lets you keep all your favorite settings in place.
Here, you can specify the settings you want your iPhone to remember. Then, every time you open the Camera app, all your custom settings will remain just as you left them.
iPhone camera settings: final words
Well, I hope you found these tips helpful! Note that these are just some of the iPhone camera settings you can change to help customize your photography experience. There are dozens of other options to change and tweak, and with just a bit of practice, you will soon find yourself adjusting plenty of settings to suit your needs.
Also, don’t be afraid to poke around in the Camera app and Camera Settings menu. You just might find some new options you didn’t know existed!
iPhone camera settings FAQs
Do I need a high-end iPhone to use Portrait mode?
The first iPhones to do Portrait mode combined pictures from two separate cameras. Now, iPhones with only a single camera offer Portrait mode thanks to advanced software algorithms. Even the iPhone SE, the lowest-priced iPhone, can do it with the rear camera and the front-facing selfie camera.
How can I stop my iPhone pictures from looking blurry?
If your photos are blurry, your iPhone is probably having trouble focusing. Tap the screen to focus in one particular area, then give your phone a half-second to adjust focus. That should help keep your photos sharp.
Why can’t I use Night mode on my iPhone?
While all the settings in this article can be used on virtually every iPhone, Night mode requires special hardware and is therefore only available on certain models. If you try to take a photo in dimly lit conditions and your iPhone has Night mode, it will automatically show up as an option. If you don’t see Night Mode appear, then your iPhone probably does not have this feature.
What are the best settings for casual, everyday use?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at all the iPhone camera settings, my advice is to just ignore everything and go take some pictures. The default values for your iPhone camera are just fine. You don’t have to change, tweak, or customize anything to get great photos.
The post 13 iPhone Camera Settings to Improve Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
The post 7 Composition and Lighting Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photos (Video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Looking to take your landscape photography to the next level?
In this video, professional landscape photographer Nigel Danson takes you through his shooting process and shares 7 simple tips and tricks to elevate your photos. While Danson mostly focuses on composition, he throws in a couple of lighting tips for good measure – and each piece of advice is carefully illustrated with breathtaking video footage and stellar example photos.
So give it a watch! And then leave a comment below, letting us know your favorite tip from the video.
The post 7 Composition and Lighting Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photos (Video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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