The best iPhone camera tip ever
Summary: Yes, we need to click a button to take a photo, whether on a digital camera or with your iPhone. But the secret with the iPhone is whether we click or release.
Yes, we need to click a button to take a photo, whether on a digital camera or with your iPhone. But the secret with the iPhone is whether we click or release.
Jeff Carlson at TidBITS is the author of the recently published Take Control of Your iPhone Apps book, which is available in electronic download or hardcopy (costing $10 and $20, respectively).
There's an excerpt at CreativePro.com that has a number of great tips on sharing and managing photos as well as what he calls the "best iPhone camera tip." And I agree. It works with the 3G and 3GS, for sure.
Carlson points out that the Camera app's button doesn't take a photo until you release the shutter button. Of course, when we see the button, we think press and release. But it doesn't have to be so simple.
So do this: press and hold the button as you frame your shot. You can still set a focus area on the iPhone 3GS with the button held down. When you’re ready to take the picture, release the button. This technique minimizes camera movement because you don’t have to both press and release the button with your finger.
Sweet!
He's right that this releasing of the button help to frame the shot and to avoid camera motion.
I have also found this tip helpful when taking a photo in low light conditions. Here's my technique: I hold the iPhone in my right hand as I might a bottle with the edge of my palm on a table or other object and with my thumb straight up, bracing the top edge of the iPhone. Then I use my left index finger to hold the button down on the screen. It's essential here to not push the iPhone against your left hand finger because then the camera will move when you release the button. Instead, it's all about pushing down on the iPhone with your right thumb, which anchors it.
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Talkback
better way to control camera movement
Camera still stinks ....PERIOD!
Technolgy Trainer/Consultant
I agree, get a camera
meh, it works OK.
If I want a better shot, I'll use my real camera.
At least learn to spell your own job title
RE: The best iPhone camera tip ever
Best IPhone Tip Ever !
Use Darkroom
Greets,
Bert Mengerink
Thanks, I just downloaded it.
trying it out for a few minutes it seems to work pretty good. My only
qualm is that it does not take advantage of the touch focus that the
default camera comes with, but for dark photos it helps a little bit.
Here's another one
pointing it out.
Now, there's even more you can do with it. I was recently
contemplating a wonderful sunset in Provence (in the
south of France), and decided to capture it with the iphone
camera. Problem: there's no filter on the iphone, nor
possibility to fix the sensitivity (ISO levels) of the exposure.
This means the nice red color of the sunset will not get
captured as the iPhone adjust the light level automatically.
Quick tip: let the iPhone camera focus on the pavement
and adjust light on that of the pavement. Then quickly
raise the camera above the horizon, and snap at the sky -
the red levels will be perfectly rendered... the hold and
release trick should make it better, but at the end of the
day you're just using the fact that the autofocus is much
faster than the light balance adjustment. Works with the
3G, not sure of the 3Gs with better processor still lets you
do that.
Cheers,
D.
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