Take Control of iPhone Photography

Take Control of iPhone Photography

by Jeff Carlson
Released April 2024
Publisher(s): Take Control Books
ISBN: 9781990783494

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Book description

Take your iPhone's cameras to the next level
Version 1.0, published April 3, 2024

Would you like to unlock the powerful features of your iPhone's cameras and create better photos and videos? This book is the friendly, step-by-step guide to capturing great photos using the iPhone, the camera that’s always with you, taught by an author and professional photographer who has been taking mobile photos on iPhones since the first model.

Apple's marketing for the iPhone always emphasizes the cameras over most other features. And it's true: iPhones have fantastic cameras, made even better by hardware and software that analyzes and improves your images as you take them. That makes your snapshots look better, but an iPhone can do so much more. Using the iPhone as a camera, you can create professional portraits and landscapes, capture stunning close-ups and remarkable low-light images, and even record cinema-quality video.

Photographer Jeff Carlson has spent decades honing his craft, and he brings his expertise with photography and Apple equipment together in this definitive guide to iPhone photography. Whether you're a casual photographer wanting to get the best-quality photos or someone with lot photographic experience who wants greater control over the iPhone's cameras, this book has all the information you need.

In this book, you'll learn:

  • All the details of Apple's Camera app and the iPhone's numerous options for triggering the shutter
  • The best ways to compose your photographs to get the effect you want
  • How to take better selfies
  • What you can do to control the exposure and change the zoom level
  • The differences between optical zoom and digital zoom and how the iPhone cameras handle each
  • When and why to capture raw images
  • Options for capturing images in low light, such as Night Mode and the built-in LED flash
  • What to do when you want an extreme close-up (macro) image
  • Approaches to taking better portraits, including Apple's Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting
  • How to create a panoramic photo in either horizontal or vertical orientation
  • Why and how to create a Live Photo that features a few seconds of video
  • Ways you can alter a photo's appearance with Filters and Photographic Styles
  • The details of Apple's file formats available for photos and videos, including HEIC, JPEG, ProRAW, HEVC, and H.264
  • How aspect ratio, resolution, file format, and (for video) frame rate affect the size and quality of images
  • Numerous ways in which you can adjust settings to customize camera behavior
  • How to record video with your iPhone in standard, Slo-Mo, Time-Lapse, and Cinematic modes
  • What third-party apps and accessories can do to enhance your photography even further

This book covers the iPhone 12 and newer models, including the iPhone 15 series and the iPhone SE (3rd generation).

This richly illustrated book contains enough details to satisfy the most tech-savvy user, while also making the process of photography simple, accessible, and fun for beginners.

Table of contents

  1. Read Me First
    1. Updates and More
    2. Orienting the Orientation
  2. Introduction
  3. iPhone Photography Quick Start
  4. Start with a Snapshot
    1. Take a Snapshot
    2. Review the Image
  5. All the Ways to Open the Camera App
  6. Take a Photo
    1. First, a Quick Pre-Check
    2. Tap to Focus
    3. Trigger the Shutter
    4. Use the Timer
  7. Take a Selfie
    1. How to Capture a Selfie
    2. Tips for Better Selfies
  8. Compose Your Shot
    1. Learn Composition Basics
    2. Enable Grid Lines
    3. Mind the Level
    4. View Outside the Frame
    5. Optionally Select an Aspect Ratio
  9. Control the Exposure
  10. Choose a Zoom Level
    1. Change Zoom Levels
    2. Understand Optical and Digital Zoom
    3. When the Camera Picks Digital Zoom
  11. Choose a Resolution
    1. Capture High-Resolution Photos
  12. Why and How to Shoot Raw
    1. How to Capture Raw Images
    2. Apple ProRAW vs. Other Raw Formats
  13. Photograph in Low Light
    1. Night Mode
    2. Use the Flash
  14. Capture Photos in Bursts
    1. Take Photo Bursts
    2. View Photo Bursts in the Photos App
  15. Macro Mode (Pro Only)
    1. Capture Macro Photos
  16. Capture a Portrait
    1. Portrait Mode
    2. Portrait Lighting
    3. Editing Portrait Effects Later
    4. General Portrait Advice
  17. Capture a Panorama
    1. Create a Panorama
    2. Panorama Advice
  18. Capture in Live Photo Mode
    1. Take Live Photos
    2. Apply Live Photo Effects
    3. Choose an Alternative Key Photo
    4. Make a New Image from a Live Photo
  19. Use Filters and Photographic Styles
    1. Apply Filters
    2. Set and Apply Photographic Styles
  20. Use a Third-Party Camera App
    1. Focus Manually
    2. Choose Shutter Speed and ISO
    3. Set White Balance
    4. Use Macro Mode on Non-Pro Models
    5. Capture Raw (not ProRAW)
  21. Record Video
    1. Understand Video Format Basics
    2. Record a Video
    3. Record a Slo-Mo Video
    4. Create a Time-Lapse Video
    5. Record in Cinematic Mode
  22. About This Book
    1. Ebook Extras
    2. About the Author
    3. About the Publisher
  23. Copyright and Fine Print

Product information

  • Title: Take Control of iPhone Photography
  • Author(s): Jeff Carlson
  • Release date: April 2024
  • Publisher(s): Take Control Books
  • ISBN: 9781990783494