Since I turned to iPhone photography in 2012, I have tried to find ways to make low noise and sharp photos at night with my iPhone. This blog post will outline three ways to do night photography with iPhone and show you which apps and accessories I use. Show
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Sample night photos shot on iPhoneBefore we have a look at the apps you can use for night photography with iPhone, let's have a look at these sample photos. I took them using the apps that I'll cover later in this blog post View from the Shard at night shot on iPhone 6S Plus using ProCamera Low Light Mode Music Theatre in Vienna during a lockdown shot on iPhone 11 Pro using night mode Parliament in Budapest at night shot on iPhone Xs using Slow Shutter Camera App All of the three camera apps I use for taking photos at night with iPhone have a dedicated low light or night mode. Slow Shutter Cam App was one of the first apps to offer such a night mode. Then came low light mode in ProCamera App and finally Apple released the night mode in the stock iPhone camera app. From what I've learned, these night modes basically work similar. How night mode works: A high level explanationIf you switch to night mode or low light mode in any of the below camera apps, then this camera app basically does two things:
As noise occures randomly in a photo, layering multiple exposures basically allows you to completely eliminate noise that often occures in photos taken a t night. Moreover, similar to HDR, some algorithms will even improve the exposure. Now let's have a lock at the three apps in more detail: iPhone Night Mode Camera, Slow Shutter Cam App and ProCamera App low light mode. 3 Apps to take night photos with iPhoneI use three different apps for night photography with iPhone: The stock iOS camera app with night mode, ProCamera with night mode, and Slow Shutter Cam App in night mode. From the camera apps I use, you can see one important thing they have in common: For taking great photos at night with iPhone, you'll need a camera app that comes with a dedicated night mode. Night mode of the iOS camera appApple introduced night mode with the release of the iPhone 11 and iOS 13. Night mode was originally only available for use with the standard wide lens. iPhone 13 and iOS 15 now allow you to use night mode with all three lenses (if you have a pro model). So, as of May 2022, night mode works with all iPhone 11, 12, and 13 models. To my knowledge, it does not work with iPhone SE models. If the iPhone camera app detects a low light scene, it automatically enables night mode. That's indicated by a night mode symbol in the upper left corner of the screen that also displays the exposure time like 2 seconds in the screenshot below. Night mode indicator in the iPhone’s stock camera app You're ready to shoot if you see this night mode symbol and an exposure time. The exposure time the camera app displays is just for your info. You don't need to adjust it - though you can. To show the exposure adjustment slider in night mode, tap the night mode icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Then this slider will appear at the bottom of the screen. Now you can manually adjust the exposure time suggested by the camera app. Night Mode exposure slider Note: The exposure adjustment slider is only available if night mode is enabled. If you don't want to use night mode despite the camera app suggesting it, tap the night mode icon in the upper left corner. To turn off night mode if the iOS camera app enables it:
I usually use night mode for snapshots. When I'm shooting, I rely on the night mode of the ProCamera app because it provides a little more control. ProCamera App: Low Light ModeEven before Apple introduced night mode, my favorite third-party camera app, ProCamera, introduced several night modes that they call Low Light+. I've used them frequently since they were launched. Vintage Style Cinema in Vienna at night shot on iPhone XS using ProCamera Low Light Mode To enable Low Light+ in ProCamera, tap the mode selector to the left of the shutter release button and select low light+. Enable Low Light+ in ProCamera App I prefer ProCamera's low light mode because the app always displays the exposure adjustment slider, and I don't have to tap to see it. Using this slider, you can adjust the exposure time. Enable Lux+ in ProCamera App Did you notice the Lux+ icon on the left side of the screen? ProCamera will apply an extra boost to the exposure time by tapping it and enables you to take well-lit photos in challenging low light situations. I use it mainly when photographing inside abandoned buildings. To learn more, please head over to my ProCamera low light mode review. Slow Shutter Cam AppSlow Shutter Camera App does what the name suggests: It lets you take long exposure photos with your iPhone. Slow Shutter Cam App has three different shooting modes:
Please choose the Low Light mode to take photos in low light situations. Because I can manually adjust ISO and shutter speed, Slow Shutter Cam app is my preferred app for really challenging light conditions. You won't find that level of control in the stock camera app or the ProCamera app. Parliament in Budapest shot on iPhone XS using Slow Shutter Cam App Once you've chosen low light mode, set the noise reduction, shutter speed, and ISO. I generally recommend setting noise reduction to low and ISO to a value around 100 or even lower. If you set noise reduction to anything higher than low, you may kill all the fine details in your photo. If you set ISO to a value higher than 100, your image may be noisy. The recommended shutter speed depends on the amount of light you have. There is no rule of thumb for this setting. I recommend taking a picture and then checking if you need to increase or decrease the shutter speed. Yes, it's a bit of a trial and error, but it's worth the effort. I use Slow Shutter Cam app for night photography mainly for really difficult light settings when I need full control over settings like ISO and shutter speed. I have posted a full Slow Shutter Cam App review earlier in my blog. Do I need a tripod for night photography with iPhone?The unsatisfactory answer to this question is: it depends. Suppose you photograph a nightly scene without any movements, like an illuminated building at night. If you use the night mode of either the stock camera app or ProCamera App, you most likely won't need a tripod if the shutter speed is around 1 second. For any longer shutter speed, I strongly encourage you to use a tripod like the ultra-portable Joby Griptight magnetic or the Rollei Traveller No. 1. I use both of these two tripods. Read my Joby Griptight magnetic review or head to my review of the Rollei Traveller No. 1 tripod. If you want to capture light trails, photograph a firework with iPhone or use Slow Shutter Cam App in general, you'll definitely need a tripod. Otherwise, your photos will be blurry. Tips for taking night photos shot on iPhoneAnd finally, here are a few tips for editing your night photos taken with iPhone either with the Photos app or Adobe Lightroom mobile.
SummaryThanks to the power of the iPhone and smart developers, taking well-lit and low noise photos with iPhone is possible. You can use one of the three apps I've mentioned above: How do I take Night mode pictures on my iPhone 10?Tap the Night mode button that appears below the viewfinder, then use the slider above the shutter button to choose Max, which extends the capture time. When you take the photo, the slider becomes a timer that counts down to the end of the capture time.
Does iPhone 10 have Night mode?On supported iPhone models, you can use Night mode to capture photos when the camera detects a low-light environment. You can use Night mode with iPhone 11 and later.
How do I take good pictures at night with my iPhone?10 Essential Tips For Amazing iPhone Night Photography. Use iPhone 11 Night Mode To Capture Incredible Color & Detail. ... . Keep Your iPhone Camera Steady For Sharp, Shake-Free Shots. ... . Reduce Exposure In The Camera App. ... . Shoot in Well-Lit Areas That Illuminate The Scene. ... . Shoot Around Sunrise & Sunset.. |