Latest Apple iPhone ad shows you how to make the subject stand out in a portrait

Those with the Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are able to adjust the bokeh background blur on photographs taken using Portrait mode. This Depth Control is also the name and subject of Apple's latest television commercial for the 2018 iPhone models. The Depth of Field adjustment allows the background on a portrait to appear sharp and in focus, or to be a big blur and completely out of focus. The variable settings also allow the photographer to pick a look that is somewhere in between.

The commercial opens on a very busy street in New York City. A cab is dropping off a fare while a workman is welding on a platform, and a man operates a hot dog cart. People are walking up and down the boulevard when a woman wearing a scarf appears, the subject of a portrait. We hear the shutter as the photo is taken, and we see the picture on the screen of an iPhone. The background goes from blurred to sharp and then slightly burred as the iPhone owner uses the slider on the screen to adjust the blur.

With the background blurred, you can see that the subject of the portrait stands out. When the background is sharp, all of the activity in the background takes the eyes away from the subject, especially with such a busy and active scene.

You'll soon find the 30 second ad running during prime time television shows and sporting events. But you can watch it now, by clicking on the video at the top of this article.