Apple wants you to take better photos and videos this Raya with your iPhone. Here’s how

With the festive season coming up, everybody is gearing up to capture the best moment during the family gatherings. Many of the phones that will be used will undoubtedly be Apple devices. In light of that, here are some top photo and video tips from Malaysian content creators on getting the best photos and videos with your iPhone, the next time you meet up with your family and friends.

Tip 1: Arrange your subjects properly!

Getting the right arrangement to fit your family in the frame is key to capturing the right family photo. A wealth of tips from photographer Muhd. Hidayatullah -“Enhance your family portraits with a simple adjustment to your arrangement. Familiarise yourself with your subjects, highlighting their best features to achieve the perfect shot. Ensure your phone is held steadily and your subjects are well-framed in the centre for a clean portrait.”

Zooming in is another good way to capture photos as the zoom helps tighten the shot and compress the background. According to Annice Lyn, a photojournalist, “The 2x telephoto lens enhances the perspective, facilitating the creation of visually stunning narratives by connecting deeply with subjects, conveying authenticity and emotion in a more intimate and closer manner.”

Of course, the selfie is a powerful tool to capture pictures with family and friends this Raya. The latest selfie trends will help elevate those selfie photos and add more experience to the user’s photography experience. For example, using Portrait Mode in selfie mode will make subjects pop out more, enhancing the photo overall.

Tip 2: Capture your photos remotely

The timer mode on cameras is neat – you can set a timer, and then go back to your position as the camera app counts down to capture your picture. But many times, the experience is sketchy – what if the distance between your smartphone and your position in the group photo is a long distance away?

Then what you need is a remote trigger. You can either get a Bluetooth trigger or just use your Apple Watch to trigger your camera while you are in position using the Double Tap gesture – no fuss or muss. This is especially handy with a large group shot. Plus, you can do it without looking at the watch, so your photos will look more natural.

Tip 3: Edit the photos to make it pop out more

Smartphones are minicomputers living in your pockets. Modern devices have more than enough performance to edit all of your captured moments on the spot. Apple’s built-in editing suite is as powerful as any desktop software, but more convenient as it is right there on your phone.

With a simple tap in the Photos app, you can easily crop your photos to go from landscape to portrait-oriented shots to be shared on social media. Or you can also use any other multitude of editing apps out there like VSCO, Photoshop or Snapseed.

Tip 4: Want more colour and contrast? Turn on HDR Mode!

To liven up the photo, we suggest turning on HDR mode before you take that shot. HDR or High Dynamic Range mode helps to capture shots in high-contrast situations – such as outside in the bright sunlight. The iPhone for example will take several continuous shots at different exposures and then blend the photos into a single unified photo. 

You can even do the same for video – on some iPhone models (iPhone 12, 13, 14 and 15 series) HDR mode is used automatically so videos recorded will have true-to-life colour and contrast. 

Tip 5: Add drama and style with Cinematic Mode

Apple’s Cinematic mode adds a different flair to your Raya videos, by applying a depth-of-field effect that keeps the subject of your video sharp while creating a beautifully blurred foreground and background.

You can select Cinematic Mode right in the camera app. Adjust the depth-of-field effect in the camera app, and then shoot away. Your video will have a dramatic, cinematic look baked into the footage that you can later edit in your favourite video editing app/software. The iPhone 15 camera can record up to 4K footage, so take advantage of that and capture memories in the highest resolution possible.

Using the camera app, you can also add more depth and drama to your footage by playing around with the zoom. According to Umar Naqshbandi, a video content creator: “Continuous zoom with Cinematic mode is another incredible subtle feature to help add dynamic elements to your simple subjects. What once required expensive camera equipment to move, zoom and pull focus, can all be done with my thumb.”