Apple Shares Tips for Taking 'Pro' Photos Using iPhone 7 Plus Portrait Mode

[AndyDiamond]

Just a comment - it is possible to get good bokeh / depth of field effect using an iPhone WITHOUT using the depth effect.
And you get nice sharp edges around the object that is in focus.

 

[rom3o]

In short, it's about the photographer. Not the cost or pedigree of the gear used.

I beg to differ. While a great photographer will be able to shoot great pictures with any equipment, this only gives evidence of one's experience to adapt to given circumstances.

But no artistic skills can compensate for the limits a technology bears and therefore determines wether you will be able to transform your ideas into actual photographs.

In short: Your creativity shouldn't adapt to your equipment. It's your equipment that should support your creativity.

 

[citysnaps]

I beg to differ. While a great photographer will be able to shoot great pictures with any equipment, this only gives evidence of one's experience to adapt to given circumstances.

But no artistic skills can compensate for the limits a technology bears and therefore determines wether you will be able to transform your ideas into actual photographs.

In short: Your creativity shouldn't adapt to your equipment. It's your equipment that should support your creativity.

Strongly disagree. I've yet to see any compelling photographs that were driven by gear.

I've seen a lot of photographs by photographers with expensive gear who think that's what photography is about and in the end create ho-hum photos.

If you want to believe it's about having great gear, carry on. It's what makes you happy. As a photographer who has used a wide range of equipment, and, a critical viewer of photographs, I'll go with it being about the photographer.

 

[Floodzie]

Rather, a compelling photograph, one that has the power to release narrative and stir a viewer's mind and imagination, is made by and comes from within the photographer.

A photographer's life experiences, curiosity, imagination, ability to assess the potential of what's in front of him/her, the ability to read and understand the quality of light, the ability to decide what should and should not be within the frame, understanding gesture, ability to hide information when necessary to provoke viewer imagination and narrative, and, ultimately, creating a composition based on those and many more factors is what drives the success of a photograph.

In short, it's about the photographer. Not the cost or pedigree of the gear used.

Oh pulllease..... a lot of great pictures were happy accidents. Certainly most of my good shots, and pretty much all of Henri Cartier Bresson ;-)

 

[citysnaps]

Oh pulllease..... a lot of great pictures were happy accidents. Certainly most of my good shots, and pretty much all of
Henri Cartier Bresson ;-)

Did I rule out occasional happy accidents somewhere? You're stating the obvious.

Making compelling photographs day in and day out, however, is not the result of continual happy accidents. And therefore disagree with your assessment that all of HCB's work is the result of happy accidents.

Would love to see your photos if you can post a link.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

In short, it's about the photographer. Not the cost or pedigree of the gear used.

Agree that the photographer is the main thing not the gear, but gear can be limiting a photographer from implementing a particular vision.

 

[citysnaps]

Agree that the photographer is the main thing not the gear, but gear can be limiting a photographer from implementing a particular vision.

Sure, that goes without saying. Obviously there are edge cases. As an example, I would not make photographs for the NFL using my iPhone.

 

[Floodzie]

Did I rule out occasional happy accidents somewhere? You're stating the obvious.

Making compelling photographs day in and day out, however, is not the result of continual happy accidents. And therefore disagree with your assessment that all of HCB's work is the result of happy accidents.

Would love to see your photos if you can post a link.

You don't really get emojis, do you? And you are very defensive. Here's a handy tip - step away from the keyboard and get outside for a walk.

 

[citysnaps]

You don't really get emojis, do you? And you are very defensive. Here's a handy tip - step away from the keyboard and get outside for a walk.

Huh? Somebody disagrees with your assertions and you resort to digs?

I'd still love to see your photos, though. Do you have a link?

 

[citysnaps]

Oh go away

Thank you, no. I enjoy photography and like to talk about the subject. And, look at photos.

Seems you're the defensive one.

Curious, do you know much about HCB, as you brought him up earlier?

 

[BlargKing]

Its not purely about the gear, but there are photos you can create with a DSLR that would be impossibe/difficult on an iPhone.

This photo of mine for example:

It took a lot of trial and error and dialing in the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed in order to get this photo. That level of control doesn't exist on an iPhone. Nor does an iPhone have the massive lens, big image sensor, and signal to noise ratio that would result in the quality.

I also shoot a lot of astrophotography, which requires a lot of fine tuning as well, and again would be practically impossible to capture with an iPhone.

The gear doesn't make the photographer, but it expands on what the photographer can do. Its completely possible to take excellent, pro-quality shots on a modern smartphone, but only under certain circumstances. The flexibility, adaptability, and customization that DSLRs offer allows good photographers to do more under a wider variety of circumstances.
[doublepost=1481127843][/doublepost]The best analogy I can come up with is a person with a smart car, and a person with a jeep. The person with a smart car can be just as good a driver as the person with the jeep. The difference is, the jeep can go off road, and tackle a wider variety of terrains, as well as take on more difficult terrains. The jeep is the equipment that allows the good driver to do more.

And fitting to this analogy, a determined and creative person can take that smart car off road too. It might be difficult, and challenging, but a good enough driver can make it work.

 

[citysnaps]

Its not purely about the gear, but there are photos you can create with a DSLR that would be impossibe/difficult on an iPhone.

This photo of mine for example:

It took a lot of trial and error and dialing in the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed in order to get this photo. That level of control doesn't exist on an iPhone. Nor does an iPhone have the massive lens, big image sensor, and signal to noise ratio that would result in the quality.

I also shoot a lot of astrophotography, which requires a lot of fine tuning as well, and again would be practically impossible to capture with an iPhone.

The gear doesn't make the photographer, but it expands on what the photographer can do. Its completely possible to take excellent, pro-quality shots on a modern smartphone, but only under certain circumstances. The flexibility, adaptability, and customization that DSLRs offer allows good photographers to do more under a wider variety of circumstances.

That's a cool photo - thanks for posting.

What you said is true. What is also true, is that having the best gear available will not by itself create compelling photographs. So many people think that dropping their credit card on the counter to buy the best/latest gear will make them good/great photographers, not realizing making creative photographs comes from within.

Indeed, go to any photography forum and they're full of posts about what is the best lens, best camera, best bag, best flash, etc. As if having the best is the solution. Rarely do you see conversations about actually making or crafting strong photographs.

 

[BlargKing]

That's a cool photo - thanks for posting.

What you said is true. What is also true, is that having the best gear available will not by itself create compelling photographs. So many people think that dropping their credit card on the counter to buy the best/latest gear will make them good/great photographers, not realizing making creative photographs comes from within.

Indeed, go to any photography forum and they're full of posts about what is the best lens, best camera, best bag, best flash, etc. As if having the best is the solution. Rarely do you see conversations about actually making or crafting strong photographs.

I agree, there is a lot of stigma about having "the best" in photography gear. I personally only see a difference in quality up to a certain point. I use a Canon 60D, which is now a 6 year old model, and for the vast majority of the photos I take I use the lens that came with it (which is a decent lens on its own). I've yet to feel any desire to get a "better" camera or a "better" lens (I would get lenses for different purposes though) other than the idea of getting a 5D Mk.IV, but that would be for its better video capabilities.

 

[citysnaps]

I agree, there is a lot of stigma about having "the best" in photography gear. I personally only see a difference in quality up to a certain point. I use a Canon 60D, which is now a 6 year old model, and for the vast majority of the photos I take I use the lens that came with it (which is a decent lens on its own). I've yet to feel any desire to get a "better" camera or a "better" lens (I would get lenses for different purposes though) other than the idea of getting a 5D Mk.IV, but that would be for its better video capabilities.

Sounds like a good plan...

I'm not against better cameras/lenses, btw. Just the notion that so many have about photography being about acquiring the "best;" something you see in so many tech/photo forums.

I think it's because entry into photography is relatively easy - just get a camera. Becoming a photographer who can routinely make strong photographs takes a long time, a lot of practice and patience, looking at others' work, looking at photobooks, networking with other photographers, traveling, talking to people on the street, going to museums to study the photographs from the greats, and making a sh**t ton of crappy photographs and learning from them.

I believe for many, that's just too much work. Much easier to pull out the credit card and buy a piece of shiny gear to feel good. Which is fine if that really makes one happy.

When I meet a photographer on the street or at an event, often I'll ask, "What do you shoot?"
If the answer is about the subject matter that jazzes them to make photographs, that tells me a lot. If the answer is something like, "A 5D4 with a 24-70," or "a Leica M6 with a pre-asph Summilux," that tells me a lot as well.

 

[StyxMaker]

Oh pulllease..... a lot of great pictures were happy accidents. Certainly most of my good shots, and pretty much all of Henri Cartier Bresson ;-)

I remember a comment from a National Geographic's photographer about how he managed to get so many pictures published. He said, you take 300 photographs for each one that gets published.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Said before, say again. want to work towards great pics gear independent....read a book. THE book actually.

Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson. Its 4th edition now iirc. Look for latest as always.

Possibly the only thing in photography you can get 9/10 photographers (possibly even 10/10) to agree upon as the right thing to do is read this one book.

 

[Floodzie]

I remember a comment from a National Geographic's photographer about how he managed to get so many pictures published. He said, you take 300 photographs for each one that gets published.

Yes indeed - the joy of digital! I don't know how manual photographers did it... I bought the manual version of my Oympus (an Olympus OM-1) for fun and I can barely bring myself to take a pic - I keep missing all the good shots!

 

[DexBell]

I should sell my Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II lens and trade in my iPhone 7 for a 7 Plus!

Speaking as a pro photographer for 12 years now, its usually the ones who brag about their gear who are lacking in the skills department. Id always ask new photographers at workshops Id teach why they chose such an expensive camera and they would always say they wanted the best camera to get the best pics. Its like a brand new guitarist buying a Strat because he thinks it will make him sound like Hendrix...Ive shot international magazine covers with a Rebel XTi and a $75 nifty fifty lol. How much your gear costs or how fancy it is is irrelevant.

 

[rom3o]

Strongly disagree. [...]

Sure, that goes without saying. [...]

mac_in_tosh pointed out exactly the same limitations of technology that one simply can't circumvent. And BlargKing provided you with a photograph that couldn't be taken without certain equipment.

So what is your point here? No one disagrees with your statement that the photographer himself is the most important prerequisite for shooting great images. This is pretty much Photography School 101.

 

[citysnaps]

mac_in_tosh pointed out exactly the same limitations of technology that one simply can't circumvent. And BlargKing provided you with a photograph that couldn't be taken without certain equipment.

So what is your point here? No one disagrees with your statement that the photographer himself is the most important prerequisite for shooting great images. This is pretty much Photography School 101.

My point was already stated.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
Enough with the arguing, some posts were removed, as they were derailing the thread.