Tips to use the iPhone 7 Plus portrait mode like a PRO!

Apple iPhone 7 Plus has a special feature which is making waves with almost any user who uses the phone - the portrait mode. Launched a a Beta with the iOS 10, portrait mode has two quintessential features which are Apple hallmark - easy to use, and superb results.

But is iPhone 7 Plus portrait mode actually worth the hype? If yes, are there any tips to up the game with using it optimally?

Well, as it actually turns out, the answer to both the questions is a big and resounding YES, and here's a guide on how you can also take stunning pictures with your iPhone! :)

Note: To be able to use the portrait mode, you need to activate the mode on your camera. You can do that easily but only if you have upgraded your iOS to 10.1 or later.

My friend Faizi posing :)

It was actually at the end of a photo-walk in Delhi with a bunch of people I had interacted a lot on Instagram, but get only that morning, that I realised how impact the iPhone 7 Plus portrait mode was. As I casually sipped tea, Anuj decided to check out the hype around the portrait-mode. Since there was no one around, he clicked me and within a second I could see how his face changed and turned into disbelief.

Just moments ago we had both clicked the same sadhu (he on his Canon 5D and I with the iPhone) on the banks of river Yamuna, and the pictures looked rather comparable. He needed a minute to calm down and then he pronounced that this little phone will bring about an end of DSLR photography. Of course, that was an exaggeration, but I understood from the intensity of his statement that, just like me and many others, he was equally shocked by the quality of pictures from a phone!

I had already started a photo-project of pictures with the iPhone, so this was even more encouraging. It's an ongoing project, but here are some of the first few portraits I took using my new device. And while I do that, let me also share some tips on how you can also use your iPhone 7 Plus and maximise it's output.

A man at Jama Masjid

Tips for using portrait mode in iPhone 7 Plus

So without much ado, here are my top tips:

     1. Look for good light

This is true for any picture, but even more true when you try to shoot an image using the portrait mode. If the light is too low, the phone will simply refuse to click the desired portrait, unless you move the subject to a better lit area or move around a bit till the phone gives you a go-ahead.

So good light is not just nice-to-have, but a necessity for your pictures. This does not mean you can't click portraits in low-light, but there is a threshold below which it won't work.

Chaiwala

     2. Background is the king

When you are making a picture, unusually (of course, not always) your subject is in the foreground and most efforts are made to accentuate that. However, in case of the portrait-mode, the background is the king. if the background is cluttered, or there are many other faces, the camera algorithm, gets a bit confused on the right place to focus. This can result in blurring of the hair or the beard along with the background.

Again this can be avoided, you just need to move a little bit always, till you get the sweet spot where your subject is completely in focus. A case in point in the portrait below where there are two faces, but only one is in sharp focus. More the distance between the subject and the background, better is the effect!

Takshila posing with the Sea-link in the background

     3. Experiment when you shoot

The tool in your hand is as good as your ability to experiment, so go ahead and try out new things. For instance, don't just take static portraits, even if it's easier to get the blur effect there.

I am no expert at it, but was very happy when I could click this young man doing wazu at Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Though the portrait mode is a bit slow compared to the regular camera mode, it's still way faster than the regular camera of any other mobile device. Take lots of pictures once your phone locks on to the face.

Time for wazu

The good thing about this mode is that it's really good at identifying faces, so you can even click selfies, like I did in Hong Kong :)

     4. Use editing tools effectively

Don't listen to people who tell you not to edit your pictures. A camera can never really capture the mood of the place exactly as you saw it, and it's only logical to then use editing tools to create that atmosphere. So use your favourite editing app and make your portraits even better.

Sadhu by the Yamuna

What do I use?
I can recommend three apps for iPhone that I love a lot - Snapseed, Afterlight and Lightroom. Out of these, Snapseed is free and probably easiest to use. Check out my tutorial on Snapseed editing to learn more.

     5. Shoot a lot

This is fairly generic tip, but I will always give it to anyone who is keen to improve their photography skills. There is no replacement to the skills that you learn by simply being out there, and making photos. There are tons of intuitive things that you can learn by doing things yourself, and these can never be learnt through a tutorial.

Dancers in Rajasthan

So take your iPhone 7 Plus (or buy one first, if you don't have it already) and step outside! Though it's called portrait mode, it works for host of other things.

Food Photography with portrait mode

A few years back I used my iPhone for food photography in Rwanda and was so impressed and amazed by the results. However, with the iPhone 7 Plus, you can really raise the quality of pictures when you travel. Here are some of my favourite ones from the last few months :)

Chaat in Dehradun

Suryagarh, Jaisalmer

Taj Landsend, Mumbai

Portrait mode with animals

Just to give it a try, I also used the portrait mode for many other things, including animals, food and inanimate objects. Here are some of my favourite ones from the animal series :)

Peacock

Sparrow

Friendly donkey :)

Future of portrait mode?

Of course this is not it as far as this iPhone feature is concerned. In fact this is just the Beta version, and I really looking forward to how this feature evolves in the coming months and years. In fact, we might mot have to wait much as the next iPhone release is only a few months away and it might have an even more powerful camera.

What would I like to see in the next update?
Well, I am not a demanding guy, and there are only two features that I want in the next device.

1. Ability to take RAW images in portrait mode
2. Ability to shoot portrait mode images from apps like ProCamera
3. Shoot videos in portrait mode

Haha...maybe I am being too demanding, but with Apple you can be, and they still manage to surpass your expectations!

Oh by the way, if you are convinced to buy the phone already, here's a link where you can do that right away. I bought my last iPhone on Amazon and was very very impressed by the promptness of delivery.

Travel Photography beyond an iPhone

Even though I love my iPhone, I often use a DSLR for many of my travel photography needs. In fact it's often a mix of the both of these and I think it's a great way to combine the best of both the worlds.

If you are still undecided about which camera to pick for your travel needs, here's an excellent guide with pros and cons of all kinds of cameras. Read more: Best camera for travel photography.