Apple launched the most affordable premium mobile iPhone XR, just ahead of Diwali in India. It is the time of the year when most people go for a cloth shopping spree to look their best during the festival of light. Also, since it is a long holiday next week, most working people travel to their native home to be with their family and spend some quality time.
I have been using Apple's latest iPhone XR (first impression) for more than two weeks and have to say, it is one of the best single-lens camera phones in the industry. It boasts a 26mm lens and F1.8 aperture. If you happen to have bought or planning to gift the iPhone XR to yourself or family, you can not only create great memories and but also capture them and relive them whenever you want, as it offers big storages onboard in addition to cloud space.
Also, we should understand that best camera phone doesn't guarantee best shots and it is pertinent for device owners to know the features of the camera app in the mobile to get the best out of it and also most importantly develop a knack for identifying right moment to capture.
To help you all get started, we are listing professional photographers' tips & tricks to get amazing shots on Apple iPhone XR this Diwali. Here it goes:
[Caution: It goes without saying that mobile owners are advised to exercise caution while taking photos or videos while bursting crackers and make sure you have all the protective eye gear and also shoes, as recently used crackers tend to be hot even after bursting.
All sparklers come with metal wire, which tends to be hot, even after they are exhausted of firepower. Also, be very aware of your surroundings, there are several unfortunates instances we come across during every Diwali festival, that rockets if not placed right, tend to stay and hit unsuspecting victims often causing severe injury to the eyes or burns on other body parts.]
"Shooting in lowlight can be tricky and needs steady hands. Look for brighter colours or spots which are receiving light and lock you AE/AF on that area, by doing this you will expose for a better-lit part of the image and avoid making your image grainy. If you are shooting moving subjects like fireworks, fire, people moving around then shoot on LIVE mode, this allows you to edit/ convert your images and make it a long exposure shot with smooth transitions," says ace photographer Ashish Parmar.
Time Lapse:
Go to camera >> select Time lapse>> tap the red recording button. Be advised to find a vantage point for a wide angle of view.
Slo-mo video recording:
Slo-mo camera mode in the iPhone XR (also in XS & XS Max) is one of the best for a mobile in the industry. It can take full HD (1080p) videos at 240 fps (frames per second) and also 120fps. You can toggle between them by going to Settings >> Camera>> Record Slo-mo>> choose either 1080p HD at 120fps or 1080p HD at 240 fps (I suggest the latter).
This is one of the best ways to capture a Bhoochakra and Sparklers firecrackers. Also, you can record the Diya's flame flutter, which is a lot safer to record in close distance. Just open the camera >> select slo-mo (it is right beside time-lapse feature).
Ashish Parmar Tip: When I head out for a long day of intensive shooting, I almost always proactively turn on Low Power Mode at the beginning of the day to make my battery last as long as possible. You can do this just by telling Siri "Turn on Low Power Mode," or you can add Low Power Mode to your Control Center via Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls"
Video:
Apple iPhone XR offers six options—720p HD at 30fps, 1080p HD at30 fps, 1080p HD at 60 fps, 4K at 24fps, 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 60fps. You can go to the Settings >> Camera>> Record Video>> select whichever video resolution type suits you best. Also, be sure to enable Stereo sound. Go to Settings>> Record Stereo Sound.
Photo:
With Apple iPhone XR (and also iPhone XS and XS Max), Apple has introduced Smart HDR, which brings more highlight and shadow detail in the photos than ever before. The Smart HDR is enabled by default. If any mischief colleagues or family members have turned it off, you can go to Settings>> Camera>> enable Smart HDR.
With Smart HFR on, the iPhone XR will take good snaps to be in the bright sunny outdoors, or indoor lighting condition or the flower pot firecrackers bursting in the night.
This is also good to get photos of an individual or big group, which can be used for the family photo frame to cherish them, longer.
Portrait:
Apple iPhone XR (and also iPhone XS and XS Max) come with one advanced camera hardware that offers best Portrait mode pictures for a mobile. The iPhone XR's primary camera offers three modes- Natural Light, Studio Light and Contour Light.
On the front, Apple iPhone XR offers two additional modes—Stage Light and Stage Light Mono. In total, it will have five options and all of them capture good selfies worthy enough to be shared on social media channels.
Siddhartha Joshi tip: Before capturing photos, make sure to toggle between the different Portrait lighting modes to see how the image will look.
Like the iPhone XS series, the iPhone XR comes with depth control feature, which allows users control blur effect of the background from F1.4 to F16 both on front and the back cameras.
And with the recently released iOS 12.1, users can now do it real time, before capturing the image. This is a great value-added feature, which will come in handy while taking selfies.
The separation of the subject and fading of the background while swiping from F16 to F1.4 is really satisfyingly fun.
"Find A Portrait Background That Makes The Subject Pop. Portrait photography isn't just about having a great subject. It's also about having a great background. Also, make sure that your subject wears a colour different from the surrounding elements. Otherwise, your subject will blend into the background!"--Siddhartha Joshi says.
"You need to compose carefully. Composition refers to the placement of elements in an image. When framing or composing your shot, keep in mind that you don't need to centre your subject. Another composition tip is to frame your subject. Do this by using a natural frame such as a doorway or window. If you're photographing outdoors, look for trees or bushes. Then place your subject inside them," Joshi suggests to iPhone XR users.
Panorama (Pano):
This is the best way to capture wide-angle view image of a big family reunion. Just do what the camera app say once you tap the Pano mode in the extreme right of the camera features. Once you tap the on-screen shutter button, you just move from left to the right side. The iPhone XR capture entire stretch in a single photo.
