Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
One of the most popular photo seminars in the world happens every December, when hundreds of photographers flock to the tiny town of Socorro, New Mexico to document the migration of some 20,000 birds en route to Mexico.
Could I pull it off with just an iPhone?
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we tried to revive wet smartphones by sticking them in a bag of rice and hoping for the best.
Now, most modern smartphones are “water-resistant.” If water gets into them, they won’t be destroyed, like in years past. Still, we’re not supposed to dunk them in the water. But try telling that to kids.
Common sense says you pick up the iPhone, open the camera app and just start shooting. That’ll work, but there happens to be so many settings and features hidden within these phones that stump way too many people, even some of us pros sometimes.
Thus, I was inspired to jot them all down and explain them one by one, with tips on what I think are the best settings for each one of my top 13. And I’m singling out the iPhone here because A., I’m an iPhone user, B. I think the 13 Pro is far and away the best smartphone camera on the market and C. if you’d like me to do a follow-up on Android, just say the word!
To begin, let’s assume you’ve updated to iOS 15, the latest operating system. Next, open the camera app. Here’s what you’ll see, and what I recommend.
For years, Apple’s iPhone Live Photos has been my favorite smartphone camera trick. But now the tricks are seemingly gone!
We’ve all been there. We’re trying to get great food shots in a bakery, but the brownies and cookies are hidden behind reflective glass. Our shot is ruined!
Or we’ve paid good money to go to an urban rooftop or another location for the best view in town, only we’re stuck behind glass. Foiled again! The glass seems dirty, but it’s not. Still, it’s ruining your shot by catching the daylight reflections, your image, and any other bright objects out there.
So what to do? Thanks for asking. Because we have a common-sense solution.
I use the GoPro Hero cameras all the time for my video productions, but not for action. I like the tiny Hero’s for moving car shots, street walking and just general situations where a little camera can be placed in out of the way places to pick up my shot.
So when the Hero 10 arrived for review, with an emphasis on improved stabilization and power, I knew who to call to help me do a 10 vs. 9 shootout.
How many times can you photograph the exact same thing, over and over again?
I’ve asked myself that question too many times, in regards to a certain local monument, the historic, majestic pier that greets visitors to the small Los Angeles beach community I live in.
Manhattan Beach, California is anchored by the historic, 101-year-old Pier at land’s end.
And people really love it. I can do the most amazing portrait, unusual street photography assignment, a celebrity, you name it. Nothing gets the response that a shot of the Pier does. And most people don’t realize I’ve taken the same shot (or similar) over and over.
The reaction I’ve gotten from people watching my latest #shotonaniPhone Photowalks video episode has been across the board.
“What camera did you use to shoot this? It looks amazing.” That was the first comment. My sentiment too.
This is related to the one key new feature of the latest iPhone, which is “Cinematic Mode.” It allows the photographer to blur the background as we do in Portrait Mode for iPhone stills, or by shooting with a small F stop on our cameras.
As you know, my gear was stolen in broad daylight as the camera was rolling two weeks ago in a public San Francisco park.
Another photographer got hit this week near San Francisco and way worse than I did. He was parked near Battery Spencer Park in Sausalito, in the Marin Headlands, which offers one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and thieves bashed in his SUV windows and fled with multiple cameras, computers, hard drives, and more.
Call this a Stand-up Robbery.
But at least there was no gunplay.
This week I was in San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, on a video shoot, in Crissy Field, one of the premier spots in town, at the foot of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge.
Thursday I was doing what they call in the trade a “stand-up,” at around 5:30 p.m. Tripod extended, camera mounted, microphones plugged in, and there I was, talking directly to the camera about great places in San Francisco for the best photography.
That’s when this young teen came running towards me, faster than you can imagine, with a giant grin on his face. He somehow was able to grab the entire tripod and camera operation, and shove it within seconds into the getaway car, a blue Honda.
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!