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 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 includes 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 Light 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

03 Record 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.