Shooting in Portrait Mode

In this lesson with Photography with the Camera app on the iPhone we take a look at how we use Portrait mode including how we can compare the photo taken in Portrait mode vs. the normal photo.

Portrait Mode
To switch to Portrait mode, swipe to the left or right until you see Portrait below your preview. When you are in Portrait mode, the Camera app will instruct you on what to do. If you are too close to your subject, it will tell you to move further away. If it’s too dark, it will tell you that you need more light. Once you have it positioned correctly, you’ll see Natural Light at the bottom, this is the Studio Light mode, which we talk about in another lesson. When in Natural Light mode, you can take a basic Portrait mode photo where your subject is in focus while the background is out of focus. When in Portrait Mode, you can still tap on the screen to set the focus and exposure just like with standard photos. Also, if you are taking a Portrait photo in low-light conditions, you’ll want your subject to be still while you take a photo.

Comparing Original Photo to Portrait Photo
If you want to see what the original photo looked like before the iPhone applied the Portrait effect, you tap on the thumbnail in the lower left corner to review the photo. When you are looking at a photo taken in Portrait Mode, you’ll see Portrait in the upper left corner. To see the original photos without the effect, tap on Edit. You’ll see Portrait in hello at the top, tap on this and your iPhone will remove the effect. Tap on it again to re-apply it.

That’s how we use Portrait mode in the camera app on the iPhone.

See this lesson in Action
If you want to see how this in action, I show you how this all works in the video above.