Apple teaches you how to take memorable photos and videos using iPhone

Apple has recently released a couple of videos to help you learn more about your iPhone's video recording and picture tasking capabilities. The first video is titled "How to Make a Video Montage in Cinematic Mode on iPhone with Arielle Bobb-Willis," which is pretty self-explanatory. Cinematic mode is available on the iPhone 13 line only, although it surely will be offered on the upcoming iPhone 14 series.

Cinematic mode allows users to do something that you'll see often in the movies and television; it changes the focus from one subject to another. The video "stars" portrait photographer Arielle Bobb-Willis and is hosted by Today at Apple Creative Pro Jahmyra. The video was filmed in and around Apple Tower in Los Angeles.

As the video notes, users can change the focus in Cinematic mode by simply tapping the screen on the part of the scene you want the focus moved to. The subject once in focus becomes blurry and the new subject becomes crisp and clear. Once enough footage was shot, Bobb-Willis and Jahmyra returned to the Apple Store to edit the video which they did on-device using the Clips app which is included on iOS by default. If you watch the video to the end, you can see how their montages came out.

Before we get into the second video, we should tell you that Today at Apple is a free program that is scheduled at Apple Stores. Much like the videos in this article, you get to learn how to master your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Learn new techniques to improve your abilities as a photographer (including videos), musician, artist and designer, and app developer.

You can see the sessions coming to the Apple Store near you and learn all about the Today at Apple program by tapping on this link.

The second video is titled "How to Shoot & Edit Dramatic Summer Light on iPhone," and like the first video, the title is self-explanatory. The photographer doing the teaching is Eddy Chen assisted by Creative Pros Jahmyra (once again) and David. Summer light offers the opportunity to take photos that feature dramatic lighting and by following the tips in this video, you can make your photos more compelling.

This time, the filming locale is Apple Antara in Mexico City. The pro photographer Eddy has a great quote. He says, "Everything you need for a great photograph is right outside. All you have to do is pay attention how light changes the way things look during the day." He also says that he likes taking photos when the light is low because the shadows create interesting shapes.

Jahmyra shows us a technique that could create some interesting shadows on your photos. Tapping the iPhone screen with the camera app open and pressing the display again will bring up an icon of the sun. Tapping the icon and dragging it down on the slider that appears will lower the exposure and enhance the shadows on your photos.

Eddy, the pro photographer, says that to capture dramatic photos using the shadows of people, he finds a compelling background first, composes the photo, and waits for someone to walk by. To compose the shot, he changes the settings for contrast, warmth, and saturation. 

The video also shows how to best take photos during the Golden Hour. This is the last hour before sunset and the first hour after sunrise. Photographers say that this hour provides them with the perfect light to capture great photos. One tip mentioned in the video is to turn your subject's face toward the light for more dramatic portraits. Also recommended is the use of Portrait mode during the Golden Hour because of the bokeh effect that keeps your subject in focus and the background blurry. The video also shows you how to intensify the blur.

Other settings such as Black Point, Brightness, and Shadows are adjusted to improve the contrast of the image and to make it more dramatic. Speaking of dramatic, at night you can take photos that stand out thanks to street lights and the lights turned on by stores and restaurants. Night mode allows you to capture these low-light images.

When taking photos with your iPhone, you can just tap the shutter to get the picture. Or, you can experiment with the settings to improve the results. If you are serious about photography, you might want to see what Today at Apple sessions are coming to your Apple Store.