If you read my last blog, you will know all about the different photography modes iPhones have to offer, but in this post we will focus more on when to apply those modes and what modes to use to achieve the best results.
I went around photographing everything I found interesting with my iPhone, but this time I focused mainly on the orientation of the camera; when to shoot in landscape (Horizontal) or when to shoot in portrait (Vertical).
A Nyala bull just off the Yoga deck on the camp path. A long subject like this combination of horns and face works best in portrait mode.
The best way to decide is to first think of how your subject would look best, for instance if I was shooting a single person, I would shoot in portrait orientation as well as portrait mode; this way you capture more of the subject and less of the background. To shoot an actual portrait of someone from the wait up, you would have to stand further back to include this much of their body in Landscape mode, which would mean more of your background was in focus, something you want to avoid , as it can lead your eyes away from your subject.
Ranger Rob Jeffery enjoying his coffee.Taken in Portrait Mode. I was close enough to him to ensure that the background was out of focus, thus enhancing the images’s impact.
Portrait mode is often better way to take photographs for social media, with your screen organically set on portrait mode when scrolling on Instagram or Facebook. it therefore sense photographing that way. This applies especially to Instagram Stories. The objective is to cover as much screen space as possible with your photograph.
Caven the butler thought this was a great photograph, until I showed him the one taken in Portrait Mode (below). This was taken in Photo Mode in a landscape orientation,
Taken in Portrait Mode as well as portrait orientation. Far more visual impact.
So when should we use landscape? Well for exactly that reason: to capture landscapes or a wider scene. When taking photographs of beautiful vistas, sunsets or an interior you want to turn your phone on its side and shoot in landscape. This lets you capture far more of what you are looking at.
Using landscape orientation is also important when shooting video that isn’t specifically for Instagram Stories; by having a wider field of view you will get more in frame and this tells a better story. If you want to use your phone video n combination with video shot on other cameras, go landscape. You can always flip it on its side for IG stories, but if you shoot in portrait from the start and then want to combine it with any Landscape format video afterwards, you will compromise the quality enormously by having to zoom in enough to fill the Landscape frame.
Portrait mode simply would not have worked here.
Sunrise stop for coffee.
A landscape photograph taken in Photo Mode; I did zoom in slightly but not too much so as not to compromise on quality.
Lets look at something slightly different. When using Pano mode on an iPhone, it allows you to pan from left to right and stitches a sequence of photographs together which results in one ultra-wide angle photograph. This is all done in portrait orientation. I found if you flip your phone and shoot the Pano in a landscape orientation, you can now pan from bottom to top, great for capturing something like a tall tree or a waterfall.
Let me know in the comments if you have experimented with this, and what your thoughts are.
Ultimately what I’ve talked about above are mere guidelines; my recommendations to get the most out of your iPhone. Photography and art in general is subjective, so what works for some won’t work for others.
Play around with Landscape and Portrait mode and see what you prefer…
Great tips Matt. I am guilty of using landscape most of the time. I realized now that the pictures of the aloes in my garden would have looked better in portrait.
Very practical tips for iPhone usage and also very important for those who aren’t into using heavy equipment. Everyone deserves good images of memorable moments. Thanks, Matt.
Hi Marinda,
Looking forward to seeing some of your results shooting in portrait, now you can compare the two shots!
Caven always makes a handsome subject. 🙂
Very good photos. When we were in Londolozi in September, my iPhone pics were mostly ‘ho-hum’, but the best one I think was of Ranger Kevin and Tracker Ray when we stopped at sunset for drinks and munchies. Such memories.
With so many using iPhones for their photographing I hope this series continues as I find it incredibly helpful and easy to understand.
Jeff, there will certainly be some more to follow, glad you find them helpful!
Nicely done Matt and particularly valuable for youngsters while their parents are hoisting heavy cameras with enormous lenses!!! Good suggestions!!!
Ive found that its now the youngsters wheedling the large lenses and the folks that have resorted to the iPhonography!
I guess it really depends on the subject matter and what you want to create. For creating a story, landscape might work better but portraits can be very evocative, especially when it comes to close ups.
Matt, really fascinating. I have used the photo and portrait many times, and the video. However, I’ve only shot panorama from left to right in landscape or portrait, depending on the vista. I’d not thought about shooting from bottom to top to capture height. I will have to try this. Many times when I’m in SF, I only take my iPhone and if an opportunity arises, I will take a photo. Less weight and not so intrusive…. thank you for more information on using this device v
Glad you enjoyed it Denise!
Matt, another wonderful insight into using an IPhone for photography. I love your comments about shooting in portrait or landscape.
Hi Joan, so happy you enjoyed it! looking forward to the next one!
I know you using the iPhone and pics are awesome. Great advice for iPhone users. I don’t have an iPhone but will take your advice and try the same on my brand. I hope to improve my pics too. Nice article Matt.