Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,730
39,671


Over the holiday season, capturing photos and videos of the festivities with family and friends is an important activity for many. The iPhone has a suite of camera features that can significantly elevate the quality and creativity of your holiday photos and videos.

Five-iPhone-Camera-Features-to-Try-This-Holiday-Season-Feature-2.jpg

It's easy to forget about many of the individual camera features the iPhone has to offer, and many capabilities go unused by most users, so the holidays is the perfect time to revisit them and try something new. For users of Apple's latest models, the iPhone 15 takes things even further with several exclusive camera features.

Spatial Video

For iPhone 15 Pro users, the holiday season presents an ideal opportunity to experiment with Spatial Video capture feature. Available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 17.2 or later, the feature allows users to record videos in a three-dimensional format, bringing a new level of depth and realism to holiday memories.

spatial-video-apple-visioin-pro.jpg

While Apple's Vision Pro or a device like the Meta Quest 3 is required for the best experience when playing back Spatial Video, this should not deter users from exploring the feature. Spatial Video capture is available now to help users begin creating a library of immersive videos right away. Spatial Videos can also be played back as normal 2D content on other devices.


The technology behind Spatial Video Capture involves using the iPhone 15 Pro's Main and Ultra Wide cameras. When recording, the iPhone seamlessly combines inputs from these cameras to create a single video file that encapsulates a three-dimensional perspective. This is achieved through sophisticated computational videography techniques, which intelligently scale the field of view from the Ultra Wide camera to match that of the Main camera.

The result is a video that, while technically 2D in format, contains depth information that can be utilized by compatible devices to produce a 3D viewing experience. The spatial dimension added to these videos creates a sense of immersion and presence that far surpasses traditional video, supposedly making the viewer feel as if they are actually part of the captured moment.

Cinematic Mode

The holiday season is a good time for iPhone 13 and newer model users to try out Cinematic mode, a feature that adds a depth-of-field effect to videos. Cinematic mode uses advanced computational algorithms to automatically focus on subjects and creatively blur the background, akin to what you would see in high-end cinematography.

Cinematic-Mode-iPhone-Feature.jpg

Cinematic mode allows users to focus on details in a creative way, by shifting focus smoothly from one subject to another. Cinematic mode also simplifies capturing these moments by automatically adjusting focus when people enter or leave the frame, or when the subject of the video looks in a different direction.


Ultra Wide-Angle Lens for Group Shots

The holiday season presents the perfect opportunity to utilize the often under-utilized Ultra Wide camera lens. This lens, available on most iPhone models starting from the iPhone 11, offers unique advantages that are particularly useful during the holidays.

iphone-11-pro-ultra-wide.jpg

The Ultra Wide lens is particularly adept at photographing in confined spaces that would be difficult to capture fully with a standard Wide lens. One of the most significant advantages of the Ultra Wide lens is its ability to fit more into the frame without needing to move back. This is especially helpful during family gatherings where you might want to capture a large group of people in one photo.

Portrait Mode

The iPhone 15 lineup introduced some substantial improvements to Portrait mode. Now, users can adjust the focus of an image or add background blur after its capture, even if Portrait mode isn't initially selected.

iphone-15-portrait-photo.jpg

Post-shot editing capability allows you to experiment with different focal points, ensuring that each portrait captures the subject in the most flattering and interesting way. This improvement is especially useful for snapping quick, candid shots of family members and pets over the holiday period. The iPhone 15's Portrait mode has also been refined to perform better in low-light conditions.


Photographic Styles

Photographic Styles, a feature introduced in the iPhone 13 series, offers a personalized photography experience that can help enhance holiday photos. The feature allows users to choose and customize a photographic style that automatically applies to their photos, ensuring that every shot reflects their preferred aesthetic.

photographic-styles-iphone-13.jpg

Photographic Styles are not one-size-fits-all filters. Instead, they are smart adjustments that apply selectively to different parts of the photo, such as skin tones and sky. Photographic Styles intelligently adapt to the lighting conditions in each shot, adjusting to preserve natural-looking skin tones and textures.


Users can choose from preset styles like Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool, each offering a unique look. During the holidays, this means you can select a style that best suits the festive mood and give your images a distinctive look.

Article Link: 5 iPhone Camera Features to Try Out This Holiday Season
 
  • Like
Reactions: citysnaps
I've said it before, but I love when you guys give tips like these. I'd completely forgotten about Photographic styles. Also didn't know I could watch spatial video on my Meta Quest 3. Thank you!!
The standard cam is so dark, often much darker than what I am looking at when I take a photo.

Usually I am not trying to be artsy but only to document the things I see, eat, and places I visit with my friends and family. The vibrant style makes the pictures brighter and more like what I'm looking at. So I just leave it on vibrant.

But go figures, it seems many people like the rich contrast style, which makes the photos even darker than the standard.
 
I started my spatial video library about 2 weeks ago. Even if you’re not planning on picking up the first gen Apple Vision Pro, I’d start capturing spatial video now whenever it makes sense, so you’ll have the memories captured in a few years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: doelcm82
I've said it before, but I love when you guys give tips like these. I'd completely forgotten about Photographic styles. Also didn't know I could watch spatial video on my Meta Quest 3. Thank you!!
You'll need an app to convert from Apple's format to the side-by-side format that the Quest 3 can display. Or a player on the Quest 3 that can read Apple's format. I don't know if there are players that can read and display Apple's format, but if not they will probably exist soon.

I bought a Qoocam EGO to take 3D pictures and videos, and it's a good camera in good conditions, but sometimes the focus is off and it's hard to tell from the display on its small screen. Spatial Videos taken on the iPhone don't "pop" as much as the ones on the EGO, but the iPhone is much better at autofocus than the EGO. You're more likely to clearly capture that special spatial moment with an iPhone.
 
Portrait mode on iPhone 15 is very good. Ability to change focus after shooting is nice. Overall very happy with my 15 Pro Max
 
It would be nice if Apple updated the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max to allow 24mp photos which may be technically possible unless Apple has an explanation why it’s not technically possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 68000/030
I’ll be glad when they can remove objects/people from the photos on the fly…

You know..like Google does.
And Josef Stalin.😁

I kid.😉 I prefer editing done in post processing instead of during the shot. I still regret some old--really old--photos I took where I used those star flare filters for nightshots. While it did look good, I will never get a chance to retake that shot without the flare effect.😕

I do see the appeal for casual photographers. Editing a picture substantial investment in time and resources that for most is not worth the effort.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GeoStructural
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.