Photo and video
Make the most of your iPhone’s image capture capabilities
Thanks to improved cameras in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro and changes to the Camera app, in iOS 13, capturing good–quality photos and video is easier than ever. The new iPhone SE is no slouch either — it may lack the twin lenses of the iPhone 11, or the triple–lens array of the iPhone 11 Pro, but it’s still equipped with a 12MP Wide camera with f/1.8 lens and 5x digital zoom. Crucially, it also has Portrait Mode, which enables stunning people pictures, including a selective blurring background effect known as “bokeh.” Read on to find out more.
01 Take a portrait
The iPhone SE uses machine learning to enable you to shoot portraits without the need for the fancy lens setups found on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. While Portrait Mode works reliably with people and pets on the iPhone SE, it’s less sure–footed with inanimate objects. You still get Portrait Mode effects such as High Key Mono, though.
02 Go panoramic
Seen a jaw–dropping vista while out on your travels but can’t fit everything into the frame? Switch the Camera app into Panorama mode, then slowly pan the camera from left to right while keeping the horizon on the horizontal line shown on screen. Want to pan from right to left instead? Simply tap the line to change direction.
03Record in 4K
Your iPhone SE can record video in 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) quality — that’s 3840x2160 pixels of resolution, perfect for viewing on a UHD TV. You can also shoot at 24, 30 and 60 frames per second in 4K by tapping that option when you place the Camera app in Video recording mode — in portrait orientation it’ll appear in the top–right corner; top–left in landscape. Tapping here also enables you to switch between 4K and HD. To change the defaults, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video.
04 Shoot a selfie
As well as having a 12MP rear camera, the iPhone SE has a front–facing 7MP camera too — perfect for FaceTime chats and selfies. The front camera also supports Portrait Mode, so when you’re
ready to share your face on social media, just say cheese…
05 Take your time
Team up your iPhone with a tripod (such as the Joby GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod, $79.95, apple.com) and you’ll be able to use Time–Lapse mode. In this mode the camera captures a sequence of shots over an extended period of time, then strings them together so they play like a video. The results can be stunning.
06 Go slo–mo
Slo-Mo mode shoots a video at a very high frame–rate (120 or 240 frames per second), then plays back the results at normal speed… slooowwwiiinggg the action right down. Play back your finished video and it’ll start off at normal speed, slow down in the middle, then speed up again near the end. You can edit it in the Photos app so it plays back in any way you want. To change the capture speed and video resolution, open the Settings app and tap Camera, followed by Record Slo–Mo to see your options.
07 The Self–Timer
Located in the Camera app’s Settings drawer — accessible by tapping the chevron (mode toggle) at the top of the screen — is the Self–Timer. Perfect for taking group photos or for avoiding camera shake, it enables you to choose either a three–second or 10–second delay after you press the shutter, but before your iPhone takes that all–important shot. If you own an Apple Watch you gain even more control because you can get yourself into position first, then trigger the iPhone’s camera from your wrist.
08 Fire up Photos
The ultimate destination of all the photos and videos you shoot on your phone is the Photos app on iOS and Mac. This acts both as a photo library and a space where you can edit stuff. And if you use iCloud Photos (check its status in Settings > Photos > iCloud Photos), your images will automatically be uploaded to iCloud so they’re available across all your devices. But if you have iCloud Photos enabled and you delete a shot from your library, it will be deleted everywhere. You can get accidentally deleted images back by heading to Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted on your iPhone, or Library > Recently Deleted on the Mac. For more on the Photos app, check out ML #168.