Step-by-step

Produce better looking holiday snaps

1 Get the grid

To help you compose better looking shots make sure the overlay grid appears in the iphone’s Camera app. Go to Settings> Camera. In Composition toggle on the Grid.

2 Considered composition

By placing a person where vertical and horizontal grid lines intersect you can create a composition that obeys the Rule of Thirds. This has been used by artists for centuries.

3 Straighten tilts

The grid also helps you snap a level horizon. If you capture a tilted horizon tap ‘Edit’. Tap the Crop icon. Tap the Straighten icon. Swipe to counteract the horizon’s tilt.

4 Perfect panoramas?

The Camera’s Pano mode helps you include more of a landscape in the shot. If you tilt even a little as you pan however, you’ll get bulges in the horizon that can’t be fixed.

5 Go wide

For a better panoramic image, choose ‘Photo’ mode. Tap the chevron and choose widescreen 16:9 and the 0.5x Ultra Wide lens. Now the shot will be wide but not distorted.

6 Contrasting lighting

When viewed on the iphone our subject’s shaded face looks under-exposed compared to the sunny background. However what we see isn’t necessarily what we’ll get!

7 Smart HDR

In contrasting light the iphone 13 can capture multiple exposures and combine them to reveal colour and detail in bright and dark areas. We’ve not edited this shot at all.

8 Quick burst

To capture a fast subject (such as a leaping cat!) tap the shutter button and swipe down to take a burst of shots. In Photos, tap ‘Select’ and choose the best frame.

9 Share it

To share a holiday snap with friends, family or followers tap the Share icon. Tap to select a social media app such as Twitter (or a friend’s phone). Add text and tap ‘Send’.