The Growth of Mobile Photography
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Lakeside Chautauqua iPhone Photography Workshop July 3, 2015 Copyright 2015 Ian Adams Photography All Rights Reserved A Great Photograph Makes a Strong Emotional Connection with the Viewer What are the Key Elements of a Great Photograph? Key Elements of a Great (iPhone) Photograph • An interesting or beautiful subject • Correct exposure • Optimal sharpness and depth-of-field • Great lighting • Strong composition The Growth of Mobile Photography • 61% of American adults own a smartphone with a camera • 1.5 billion (!) cell phone pictures are shared every day on Facebook alone • More than 90% of people have only taken photos using a phone camera • As of 12/31/14, 41% of smartphone users owned an iPhone, & 33% of tablet users owned an iPad • Despite strong competition from Samsung, Nokia and other competitors, Apple sold a record 69 million iPhones and 12.3 million iPads in Qtr 4, 2014 • Time Magazine used an iPhone photograph of Hurricane Sandy as their cover photo in November, 2012 iPhone Advantages for Photography • Your iPhone is (nearly) always with you • Your iPhone is lightweight and unobtrusive • The 8-megapixel iPhone camera can produce high quality photographs • There are hundreds of inexpensive, photography-related programs (apps) available for your iPhone • It’s very easy to share your iPhone photos with other people iPhone Limitations for Photography Your iPhone camera isn’t well-suited for: • Fast action (Except iPhone 5s, 6/6Plus) • High-contrast subjects • Photographs with shallow depth-of-field • Wildlife photography • Photographs for prints larger than about 12x18-inches Your iPhone Doesn’t Come with a User Manual! • You can visit Apple’s website: https://www.apple.com/support/iphone Or (recommended): • Invest in a good iPhone Guide iPhone Camera Specifications by Model iPhone Model Model Number Resolution Lens focal length Storage Other Features Original iPhone 2.0 MP 3.85mm f/2.8 (37mm) 4 GB, 8 GB, Fixed Focus 1200x1600 16 GB pixels iPhone 3G A1324, A1241 Same as original Same as original 4 GB, 8 GB, Fixed Focus 16 GB iPhone 3GS A1325, A1303 3.0 MP Same as 3G 8 GB, 16 GB, Autofocus, Touch-to- 1536x2048 32 GB focus, 640x480 pixels Video iPhone 4 A1349, A1332 5.0 MP 3.85mm f/2.8 (28mm) 16 GB, 32 GB LED Flash, 5X Digital 1936x2592 Zoom, HDR Option pixels iPhone 4s A1431, A1387 8.0 MP 4.28mm 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB 5-element lens, face 2448x3264 f/2.4 detection, 1080 HD pixels (31mm) Video iPhone 5 A1532, A1507 8.0 MP 4.28mm 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB Panorama mode, A1529, A1456 2448x3264 f/2.4 picture editing tools A1516, A1526 pixels (31mm) A1529 iPhone 5s A1533, A1457 8.0 MP 4.28mm 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB Twin flashes, larger A1530, A1453 2448x3264 f/2.2 pixel pitch, faster A1518, A1528 pixels (31mm) processor, burst A1530 mode iPhone 6/6 Plus A1586, A1589 8.0 MP 4.28mm 16 GB, 64 GB, 128 Larger screens, A1524, A1593 2448x3264 f/2.2 GB larger pixel pitch, pixels (31mm) faster processor, more editing tools How to Find Out Which Operating System is on Your iPhone • Tap “Settings” • Tap “General” • Tap “About” • Check the Version Should You Upgrade to the Latest Operating System (iOS 8)? • If you have an iPhone 4 or earlier, consider upgrading to an iPhone 5/5s or 6/6 Plus, with iOS 8 • If you have an iPhone 5 or 5s, upgrade to iOS 8 so you can use the latest features and enjoy better encryption and phone security • If you have an iPhone 6/6 Plus, you already have iOS 8 Quick Way to Activate the Camera • Swipe the camera icon upwards from the “slide to unlock” screen. • If your iPhone has the iOS 7 or 8 operating systems, you can also access the camera at any time through the Control Center, which is reached by swiping up from the bottom of the screen at any time. Repositioning the Camera Icon • If you plan to do a lot of photography with your iPhone, consider moving the Camera icon to the bottom of the Home screen. Shoot in Horizontal (Landscape) or Vertical (Portrait) Format Camera Screen Layout (iOS 6) Flash Control Select front or back camera Grid, HDR, & Panorama Options Select still photo View the photos in or video your Camera Roll Shutter button Camera Screen Layout (iOS 7) Flash Control Select front or back camera Select video – slow HDR motion or regular Select format – rectangle, square or panorama View the photos in your Camera Roll Select filter Shutter button Camera Screen Layout (iOS 8) Flash Control Select front or back camera Select self-timer Select video, slow HDR motion or time-lapse Select format – rectangle, square or panorama View the photos in your Camera Roll Select filter Shutter button Recommended Camera Option Settings Flash Control Set to “On” or “Off” as needed, based on the ambient light HDR Set to “On” or “Auto” Grid and HDR Options Turned “On” • The Grid setting is useful when applying the “Rule of Thirds” for composition. • Think of the Rule of Thirds as a guideline, not an absolute rule. • The HDR option takes two exposures, one light and one dark, and combines them into a single photo with better highlight detail. I leave it set to “On” or “Auto” all the time. Filter Option (iOS 7 and iOS 8) • You can apply any of 8 filters when you take the photograph. • You can also apply the filters as part of the editing process after the picture has been taken and stored in the Camera Roll. • The filters are non- destructive – you can always go back to the original photo by selecting the “None” filter. Focusing & Exposure Control • Tap the screen at the point where you want the camera to focus. A box will appear at this spot on the screen. • The area under the box is also used to determine the exposure. To lock the focus and exposure, tap and hold the screen until the box flickers and an “AF/AE Lock” message appears on the screen. • In iOS 8, You can adjust the exposure up or down using the “sun” slider to the right of the box. The Digital Zoom Feature – Avoid it! • Aim the camera, then pinch outward with your fingers on the screen or slide the zoom bar to the right to zoom in and to the left to zoom out. • Note that the zoom feature is digital, and not optical, so the more you zoom the lower the image quality of the photo. Instead of using the digital zoom, zoom with your feet - get closer to the subject. Tips to Avoid Camera Shake When Taking an iPhone Photo • Spread your feet for better stability. • Brace yourself against a tree or a building if one is available. • Hold the iPhone with both hands and lock your elbows against your sides. • Gently Tap the shutter release button or either of the volume controls (iOS 7 and iOS 8) • Press the shutter release button, compose the photo, then gently release the button to take the photo (iOS 6). • Shoot like a sniper! Breath in, hold your breath, gently release the shutter button, then breath out. Close-Up Photography With the iPhone • Your iPhone can focus as close as 4 inches from the subject. How to Take an iPhone Screen Shot Press and hold the Home button, then press the Power button. The screen image will be saved in your Camera Roll. iPhone Photography Apps for Capture • 645 Mk III ($3.99) • Pureshot ($2.99) • Hydra ($4.99) 645 Pro Mk III ($3.99) • dSLR owners will enjoy all the camera info & control provided by this app. • Great for control freaks! • Excellent User Guide can be downloaded from jag.gr website. Pureshot ($2.99) • Download an excellent user guide (PDF) from the jag.gr website • Use the “lift only” Shutter Release option (under “Menu”) to restore the “hold and release” operation of the shutter button in iOS 7 and iOS 8 using the Pureshot capture app Hydra ($4.99) • Use Hydra when you want to maximize the sharpness and/or resolution in an iPhone photo of a stationary subject. • Hydra takes many shots in rapid succession, then combines the individual images to produce a single, large photograph that is 32 MB - 4 times bigger than a standard iPhone photo. • Try to keep the iPhone as still as possible when you press the shutter button. Brace yourself against a tree or wall if one is available. Shoot like a sniper! Shooting a Panorama with Your iPhone (1) • On the Camera screen, scroll to the Panorama button. • Hold the iPhone vertically, line up the left side of the panorama, and press the shutter release. • Move the iPhone slowly and smoothly from left to right, up to 240 degrees, keeping the iPhone level (watch the arrow), then press the shutter button again to finish. • Tap the arrow first if you prefer to move the iPhone from right to left. Shooting a Panorama with Your iPhone (2) • Practice a few times until you can judge the best speed to rotate the iPhone. • The finished panorama will be saved to your Camera Roll. • You can also shoot a vertical panorama if you wish. Shooting a Video with Your iPhone • Your iPhone lets you do three kinds of video: time-lapse, slow- motion, and regular video • Video mode records and plays at 30 frames-per-second (the 6/6 Plus can do 60 fps) • Slo-Mo mode allows you to slow down selected parts of the video when it is played back • Time-lapse mode compresses your video to play in 20-40 seconds, regardless of the length of the original video Shooting a Video with Your iPhone (2) • You can change focus, zoom in, and take a still photo (by tapping the red button) while you are recording your video.