Iphone, the professional pocket camera

Author: Enrique Serrano Muñoz

Today Apple and its well-known iPhone have revolutionized society, and with it, they have brought a multitude of changes and trends. While it is true that most people associate these devices with the well-known instant messaging or Internet access, they are also diamonds in the rough when it comes to photography and video-filming.

Therefore, thinking about how to bring you something new and above all “fresh”, a tutorial that would not be outdated in 2 days, I have opted for this topic that I think is very little exploited and that can give a lot of play (something that companies like Instagram have seen and have taken advantage of it). An iPhone can become your best camera or a great ally when it comes to comfortably record video in areas where a conventional camera is not so easy to handle.

I wanted to upload the following graph that I found in order to show you how much this device is changing habits compared to the use of a conventional camera.

The power to make the best professional photos is in your hands, you just have to know a couple of tips and tricks to give them the best finish. To create the best videos you need to know a minimum of photography and I hope I can help you to make your iPhone the perfect camera.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

The most important and fundamental thing is to know the device we have in our hands and all the possibilities it can offer us. The iPhone 4S has a masterful camera (as well as video) that has been significantly improved compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 4, which had a camera of 5 mpx.

The iPhone 4S camera incorporates 5 optical elements that offer improved sharpness and even an f/2.4 aperture, plus an advanced hybrid-type infrared filter that prevents infrared light from entering for more accurate and uniform colors. Of course, its iOS5 operating system also incorporates improvements in camera-related aspects. It now includes a quick activation button, the ability to use the volume controls as a shutter button and even the possibility of retouching our image. In addition, we can record video at 1080p.

All of the above makes this device capable of taking brilliant quality shots:

Photograph taken with an iPhone 4S.

Now let’s go with all those programs and applications that allow us to get the most out of this device and make it our ultimate professional and artistic camera (or if not, its best substitute).

– Instragram

This application allows us to take photos with our iPhone applying to it a series of filters and retouching so that we can achieve outstanding results and also offers the possibility of being able to share it instantly in the cloud, which is essential for those who want to instantly share their captures. It allows photographers to make themselves known because in addition to taking pictures, modifying them and uploading them to the cloud, we also have the possibility of importing them, being able to use this application as a way to promote ourselves and make ourselves known in the world of photography.

In addition, this application is completely free and is available on Apple’s App Store.

– Camera +

Very complete application that allows you to take pictures and add different options: stabilizer, digital zoom, timer … we can also edit instantly: crop, rotate the photo or apply various effects. Its use is very intuitive and can be a great option to the native application for taking photos of the iPhone itself.

It is available in the Apple App Store at a price of 1.59 €. The price is not excessive considering the multitude of options it offers.

– Filterstorm

One of the most complete applications when it comes to image retouching. It has tools to edit curves, color correction, noise reduction… it is an app to satisfy the most demanding users when it comes to work on each of the captures with care.

Its price is also not very high although it is higher than other similar ones, 2,99€ in Apple’s App Store. If you are careful when retouching your photos, this may be a great tool.

– Photoshop Express

What can we expect from an application behind which are Adobe and the successful Photoshop. The options it offers are very basic as it is limited to let us shoot with the controls that the iPhone camera has, although it allows you to customize them with several basic options and that can be very effective in our captures. It is not an “app” for those who are looking for a professional touch in their photos, but it is very comfortable and easy to use, having the serious interface characteristic of Adobe Photoshop.

The application is available completely free of charge in the Apple App Store.

– Genius Camera

It is a very large and very well worked application that has several languages, more than 40 filters, multiple borders and frames as well as other effects for your photos. Its handling is very simple and at a glance we can process our captures to our liking. It also allows us to share our edited photos instantly.

It is priced at 0.79€ in Apple’s App Store, a “must have” without a doubt since it is a great application at a price that anyone can afford.

Having already seen five of the applications par excellence to make our iPhone a camera that allows us a professional and artistic approach to our best moments and stories I leave a series of links that I have found where you can discover more in depth the operation of each application mentioned above.

– This Spanish video uploaded by AppleVisionTv shows a guide about Instagram:

– This one uploaded by IpodAppsEverywhere shows how to use Camera + :

– Video uploaded by filterstorm showing the Filterstorm app itself:

– Video uploaded by PsExpressMobile showing how to use this application:

– Video tutorial from iphoneapppodcast showing us how to use Camera Genius.

Finally I would like to introduce you to an accessory called Olloclip. This accessory incorporates fisheye, wide angle and macro lenses. Its design is comfortable and simple and adds more possibilities to the iPhone camera. Maybe the price is a bit high (79,95€), but it is a worthwhile accessory.

Here is a video from tysiphonehelp on how it works:

I hope that this tutorial has helped you to see in a slightly broader way all the possibilities that an iPhone 4S can offer from the point of view of photography.

Best regards and see you next time!