The Complete Guide to Taking Professional Photos with an iPhone

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Capture magazine-worthy photos using your iPhone
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One of the most powerful features of the iPhone is its camera. The newest models of iPhone boast multiple camera lenses and a powerful suite of built-in tools to create stunning digital photos. But if you want to capture really professional-looking pictures on your iPhone, there’s a little more to know than just pointing and clicking! In this article, we’ll talk you through the basics of taking and editing pro-quality photos on an iPhone.

How to Take Professional Photos with Your iPhone Camera

To take great iPhone photos, make use of the focus and exposure tools. Tap the area you want to focus on, then move the exposure slider to make your photo brighter or darker. Enable the grid and level in Settings to help improve composition. Set yourself up for success by using great lighting and interesting angles.

Section 1 of 5:

Focus and Exposure

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  1. While your iPhone camera can automatically detect and focus on important subjects in a photo, you have the option to choose where your camera focuses. To focus on a specific object or area, tap that area on your phone screen. [1]
    • A yellow box will appear around the area you tapped.
  2. 2
    Drag the exposure slider next to the focus box to change exposure. If the image in your frame looks too dark or washed out, you can adjust the exposure. When you tap on your focus area, you’ll see a slider with a sun symbol on it next to the focus box. Drag the slider up or down to change the exposure.
    • If you have an iPhone 16 or later, you can use the Camera Control button on the right side of your phone to adjust your exposure. Double-press the button with both fingers, then slide your finger on the button to navigate to the Exposure setting. Lightly press the button to select it, then slide your finger to raise or lower the exposure level.
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  3. 3
    Turn automatic focus and exposure on or off. If you want more control over your iPhone’s focus and exposure settings, you can turn off automatic focus and exposure and adjust them manually. To do so, tap and hold the focus area on your screen until you see text that says AE/AF Lock . Tap the screen to unlock the exposure and focus settings so you can adjust them yourself.
  4. 4
    Lock your exposure settings (iPhone 11 and later). If you’ve found the perfect exposure setting and you want to keep it for the next several shots, you can lock it in. In the camera app, tap the ^ icon at the top center of the screen. This will open additional camera tools at the bottom of the screen. Tap the ± icon and move the slider to set and lock your exposure. The exposure you selected will stay locked until next time you close and reopen the Camera app.
    • If you want your custom settings to stay locked, open the Settings app and tap Camera > Preserve Settings . Toggle on Exposure Adjustment and any other settings you want to stay the same whenever you open the app.
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Section 2 of 5:

Composition and Lighting

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  1. 1
    Use the grid and level features to improve your composition. Using the rule of thirds is a great way to improve the look of your photos and add interest to your composition. The iPhone camera’s built-in grid and level tool helps you line up your subject with the grid lines at the left or right side of the image to create a more balanced and dynamic shot. It also helps you ensure that your image is level. To use it: [2]
    • Open the Settings app and select Camera .
    • Toggle on Grid and Level under the COMPOSITION header.
    • In the Camera app, use the grid lines to help you position your subject within the frame.
    • Use the level line in the middle of the screen to ensure that your subject is level. The line will turn yellow when your subject is level relative to the orientation of the camera. It will turn white and tilt in one direction or the other if your subject isn’t level.
  2. 2
    Select the best orientation for your shot. If you’re trying to capture a landscape scene, tilt your phone on its side to get a wider shot (landscape orientation). For a portrait or an image with a narrower focus, hold your phone straight up and down (portrait orientation).
    • You can always rotate or crop your image after you’ve captured it, but holding your phone the right way to begin with will help ensure that you get everything you want in the shot.
  3. 3
    Experiment with interesting angles. Instead of taking every shot straight on, mix things up by shooting from above or below the subject. The best angle will depend on what kind of subject you’re shooting and what feeling you want the shot to evoke.
    • For example, food shots often look best when you take them from directly above, or from slightly overhead at a 45° angle.
    • A landscape shot tends to look more interesting if the horizon is positioned high or low in the shot rather than right through the center.
    • To take a more flattering portrait, position your subject so their body is angled slightly away from the camera (about 45°).
  4. 4
    Invest in a tripod. Tripods are extremely helpful if you need more stability (a must if you’re taking detailed macro shots, for example) or want to take a hands-free shot. Get a tripod or stand that’s designed to hold a phone . Many tripods come with a remote that you can use with your iPhone so you don’t have to touch the camera button with your hand.
    • If you have an Apple Watch, you can use it as a camera remote for your iPhone.
    • Get a tripod with a gooseneck extension to have more control over the angle of your shots.
  5. 5
    Take advantage of your camera’s zoom options. Many iPhone models have impressive zoom capabilities. In addition to digital zoom, some iPhones have multiple lenses that are ideal for either closer or more distant shots. [3]
    • On all models of iPhone, you can pinch the screen in the camera mode to zoom in or out. Just be aware that the resolution of your photo will suffer if you zoom in too much on a distant subject using digital zoom.
    • Use the zoom presets on supported models. If you have an iPhone Xs or higher, your phone likely has a dual or triple camera system. Tap the zoom presets at the bottom of the screen to quickly zoom in or out by a set amount.
    • Move your phone closer or farther away from the subject to switch between cameras (on supported models). If your iPhone has a dual or triple camera system, it can automatically detect which camera is best for the subject you’re trying to capture.
      • To take a macro image (an extreme closeup shot on a small subject), move your phone close to the subject. You can get in as close as 2cm. Your phone will automatically switch to the ultra wide lens. Toggle Macro mode on or off by tapping the yellow flower icon near the bottom of the screen.
  6. 6
    Make sure your shots are well lit. Your photos will look best if there’s plenty of light on the subject. Natural light is generally best, but good artificial light also works if that’s what you have available. Avoid using your iPhone’s flash if you can. While it’s useful in low-light settings, it tends to make your photos look washed out and overexposed.
    • To turn off the flash, tap the icon that looks like a lightning bolt at the top left side of the screen. Flash is off if there’s a diagonal slash through the lightning bolt symbol.
    • When taking photos outdoors, you’ll generally get the best lighting right after sunrise or right before sunset. This is called “golden hour” lighting. Direct sunlight during the middle of the day can look too harsh or make your photos look overexposed.
    • Experiment with lighting your subject from different angles. For a softer effect, try lighting from multiple angles (e.g., by setting up 3 lights around your subject). Strong light from just one angle creates more dramatic shadows.
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Section 3 of 5:

Using Filters and Presets

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  1. Your iPhone’s portrait mode brings your subject into sharp focus while softening the background. There are also several portrait lighting modes you can use to create an even more dreamy or dramatic look, depending on what you’re going for. Note that you might not have access to all of these options depending on what model of iPhone you have. [4]
    • To take a portrait, scroll through the camera modes near the bottom of the screen to get to Portrait . This works with both the back and front (selfie) cameras on your iPhone.
    • Scroll through the options at the bottom of the frame to try different portrait modes. For example, Natural Light creates a natural-looking portrait, while Studio Light and Contour Light have a softer vibe. For a dramatic look where the background is completely invisible, try one of the Stage Light modes or High-Key Mono.
    • Move the camera in or out until yellow brackets appear around the subject. Your phone may tell you to move closer or farther from the subject.
    • Press the camera shutter button to capture your portrait.
    • If you want to increase or reduce the amount of blur in the background, you can do so when you edit the photo .
  2. 2
    Enable filters (pre-iPhone 16). If you have an iPhone model that’s earlier than iPhone 16, you can enable filters that change the color balance of your photos. To do so, tap the ^ icon at the top of your screen to open additional camera tools. Select the Filters icon (it looks like 3 circles overlapping at the center). Swipe through the filters to get a live view of how your photo will look with the filter applied. [5]
  3. 3
    Turn on Photographic Styles (iPhone 16 and later). If you have a newer iPhone, you can use Photographic Styles instead of filters. The style presets accentuate different types of undertones in your photos (e.g., amber, gold, rose gold, warm, or cool). There are a few ways to access and use this feature: [6]
    • To enable a default style, open the Settings app and select Camera . Tap Photographic Styles , then follow the prompts on the screen to set up your default style. Use the sliders to adjust the look of each style.
    • When you’re in the Camera app, you can adjust your photo style manually. Tap the icon that looks like a square with a grid of dots inside at the upper right corner of the screen. Swipe through the style presets above the grid at the bottom of the screen. Move the central dot around on the grid to adjust the look of your chosen style.
    • If you have your camera set to capture photos in HEIC format, you can adjust the Photographic Style when editing your photo .
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Section 4 of 5:

Choosing a Photo Format

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  1. 1
    Adjust your photo format settings in theSettings app. The format you use to capture and save images can make a big difference in the quality of your photos and how easy it is to edit them after the fact. You can change your photo format settings by going to Settings > Camera > Formats .
  2. 2
    Enable High Efficiency for the most versatility. By default, your iPhone takes photos in HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format). These images take up relatively little room but are high in quality. Using HEIF also gives you access to editing tools on your phone that aren’t accessible with other formats (like JPEG). To enable this setting, tap High Efficiency at the top of the Formats menu.
    • The drawback of HEIF is that it isn’t compatible with many platforms and operating systems. However, you can easily convert from HEIF to JPEG or another more universally compatible format using a variety of free tools.
  3. 3
    Toggle on ProRAW and Resolution Control to get the highest possible resolution. If you have ProRAW and Resolution Control enabled, you can snap ultra high-res photos. These photo files are large and contain more information about the photo than other file types, allowing you to do more advanced, professional-level editing on your photos. This option is only available in iPhone 12 Pro or later models running iOS 14.3 or later. To enable and use ProRAW: [7]
    • Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and toggle on the switch next to ProRAW & Resolution Control .
    • Tap Pro Default and select your defaults for pro format images. For example, if you want the highest-resolution images in HEIF format, select HEIF Max (up to 48 MP) .
      • Under the PRORAW FORMAT header, choose your desired ProRAW format. JPEG Lossless has the highest compatibility with other operating systems and photo editing software, and also compresses your files with the least amount of quality loss.
    • In the Camera app, tap the pro photo control at the top right side of the screen to enable or disable pro mode. This icon may say RAW , HEIF MAX , or something similar, depending on the settings you chose.
      • When your pro mode is disabled, you’ll see a diagonal slash through the icon. When it’s enabled, there is no slash.
      • In some models of iPhone, you can tap and hold the icon to select a different resolution (e.g., if you’re in HEIF MAX mode, press and hold HEIF MAX , then select a different option such as RAW 12 or RAW MAX ).
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Section 5 of 5:

Editing iPhone Photos

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  1. Once you’ve taken a photo, you can edit it for an even more professional-looking final image. The built-in Photos app on your iPhone allows you to do many basic edits, although you might want to use a third-party app for more advanced options. To get started, open Photos and tap the image you want to edit in your library.
  2. 2
    Tap theEdit icon. This icon looks like three sliders stacked vertically. It’s at the bottom of the screen.
  3. 3
    Adjust the overall look of your photo with the Styles option (iPhone 16 or later). If you have an iPhone 16 or later and you’ve set your camera to take High Efficiency images , you can adjust the style of your photo using the Styles tool. Styles are basically filters that give your photos a warmer or cooler look. Tap Styles , then swipe through the options to change the vibe or your photo. [8]
    • Tap the grid icon below the preview of your selected style to make adjustments. Drag the dot around on the grid to adjust the undertones of your photo, or use the slider at the bottom of the screen to change the intensity of the style.
  4. 4
    Tap the Adjust icon to adjust your image’s lighting and color balance. This setting lets you adjust things like the exposure, brilliance, color tone and saturation, shadows, and highlights in your photo. Scroll through the options under your photo. Tap an option, then use the slider to make adjustments.
    • You can also tap the magic wand icon to make an automatic “smart” adjustment to your photo’s lighting and color balance settings.
  5. 5
    Tap Crop to crop or rotate your photo. If your photo isn’t oriented the way you want, or if you don’t like the composition of your shot, you can make adjustments with the Crop tool. From the Crop menu, you can:
    • Drag the handles at the edges of your photo to crop out parts of the image you don’t want.
    • Use the flip and rotate tools at the top left corner of the screen to change the orientation of your photo.
    • Use theaspect ratio icon at the top left side of the screen to set your image to preset dimensions (such as square, 9:16, 4:5, and more).
    • Use the perspective tools at the bottom of the screen to tilt the image or create the illusion of a different angle or perspective.
  6. If you took a photo in Portrait Mode, you can make additional edits. Tap the Portrait icon at the bottom of the screen in Edit mode. From there, you can swipe through the different portrait types and use the slider to adjust the intensity of your chosen portrait effect. You can also drag the focus box around on the photo to change the main focal point. Press the f icon at the top left and use the slider to adjust the depth of focus (i.e., to make the background more or less blurred).
    • To toggle portrait mode on or off, open the portrait you want to edit in Photos, then tap PORTRAIT at the top left side of the screen. Select Portrait or Portrait Off from the menu that pops up.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-your-shot-iph3dc593597/ios
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/iphone/iph3dc593597/ios
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/camera-basics-iph263472f78/ios
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102398
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/iphone/iph3dc593597/ios
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/iphone/iph629d2cd37/18.0/ios/18.0
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/119916
      8. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/edit-photos-and-videos-iphb08064d57/ios

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