The dual-camera system in the iPhone 7 Plus has significantly closed the gap between smartphone cameras and DSLRs. It comes with a Portrait mode that gives your images a “bokeh” effect to blur the background and focus the viewers’ attention on the foreground subject. Though iOS has a built-in Tips app, it doesn’t yet offer tips on the Portrait mode.
iPhone 7 Plus Portrait mode: Tips from pro photographers
Portrait mode has become immensely popular among the iPhone 7 Plus owners, but a large number of users don’t know how to take full advantage of the feature. So, Apple talked to professional photographers in various fields and shared “Shoot like a Pro” tips with users. Each photographer provided tips on how they use the iPhone 7 Plus to take pictures in their day-to-day lives.
JerSean Golatt says the 5.5-inch iPhone “adds value for those with lower than commercial budgets.” He recommends getting “up close to your subject to bring out the details.” Celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart recommends minimizing the background and cutting out the distractions from your subject. If you want to give your images a more cinematic look, pull the exposure down “just a hair,” said Jeremy.
Pei Ketron, an avid traveler and photographer, says Portrait mode on the iPhone 7 Plus “creates beautifully realistic background bokeh that rivals DSLRs.” If you are taking pictures of pets or animals, give your animal some space, said Ketron. She recommends a distance of eight feet between the camera and the subject, since the Portrait mode uses the telephoto lens.
iPhones most popular cameras on Flickr
Apple also pointed out that iPhones remain the most popular cameras used by Flickr users. In its latest report, Flickr said that eight out of top ten devices used by photographers on Flickr were iPhones. Its data showed that DSLR cameras and point-and-shoot cameras continue to lose ground while smartphones rise in popularity. Smartphones accounted for 48% of uploads on Flickr, followed by DSLR cameras with 25%, point and shoot cameras with 21%, and mirrorless cameras with 3%.
Flickr said Apple’s share jumped from 42% last year to 47% in 2016. The top three devices were the iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, and iPhone 6S. The iPhone 7, which is barely a few months old, sits on the sixth place. Except for camera enhancements and other minor improvements, the latest iPhones are similar to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
As the iPhone 7 demand slows, Apple has been highlighting the phone’s camera capabilities in promotional campaigns during the crucial holiday shopping season. In its latest Romeo and Juliet ad, Apple claims that the iPhone 7 Plus camera is as good as a movie camera.
