Apple has made photography a lot more accessible for everyday users while allowing professional photographers to flex their abilities with a small, yet powerful camera device like the iPhone 15.
Yes, that also includes low-light photography and taking photos in Night Mode. To get the most of out Apple’s iPhone 15 and its photography features, here are some tips on shooting Night Mode and Low Light on the iPhone 15, according to photographers.
Aik Beng Chia
Artist Aik Beng Chia shot these images at the recent Phuket Vegetarian Festival. These shots were taken during the festival’s culmination, with firecrackers and a procession through the streets of Phuket, on his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
“Night mode on iPhone 15 Pro Max is so much better now, and you can see how the camera was able to capture the sparks from the firecrackers as they explode amidst all the darkness. Details in these pictures are also very well preserved: dark and light are kept distinct and do not bleed into each other,” said Chia.
“I just let my iPhone do its work – and it’s done this very well. All I did was bring the exposure down and lock focus to my intended subject, then point and shoot. iPhone does the rest!”
Darren Soh
Architectural photographer Darren Soh captured a scenery at Kampong Was Hassan in the northern tip of Singapore near Sembawang Park using the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s main wide-angle camera (24mm equivalent) and shot it in Night Mode.
Javan Ng
Photographer Javan Ng shot the 6-metre-tall bronze KAWS’ larger-than-life sculpture. Ng made use of Night Mode and expressed how the iPhone 15 acted as a stabilizer for his less-than-steady hands.
“I composed this shot by framing the sculpture standing side by side with the heritage shophouses and the Pinnacle HDB public housing. I’ve also included a car passing by in the frame,” said Ng.
“It was quite dark and dim at this spot at night. With Night mode, I can capture this image even in such a poorly lit environment. It’s like having a built-in stabilizer, so even if my hand shakes a bit, the photos come out crisp and clear, as if I had the steadiest hand. I don’t need to worry about my photos looking unnatural due to poor lighting. Night mode also maintains the true colours of my subjects.”
Yafiq and Yais Yusman
Creative twins Yafiq and Yais Yusman take joy in playing with compositions and colours when shooting in Night Mode and low light.
“This image was captured using Night mode with the assistance of a 5x zoom lens. The details are mind-blowing, especially since I used Night mode in combination with ProRaw. It provides me with a lot of opportunities to enhance the photo,” said Yafiq.
“This shot was unplanned. I was photographing the sunset in the area and stumbled upon a puddle during blue hour. I carefully positioned my phone close to the puddle to capture a reflection of the building. I’m always fascinated by how water reflections can alter perspective and create an almost perfect symmetry,” said Yais.
“One of my favourite enhancements in Night mode is how the colours turn out. Coupled with the sharper image, it results in a better photo! I enjoy shooting at night a lot more now.”
Yudhi Aristan
Photographer Yuhdi Aristan shot the moon on his iPhone 15 Pro Max. Capturing objects in the sky used to be a difficult task but with a simple tap on the screen, the moon shines bright against the building it looms over.
“The light sensor in the new iPhone 15 Pro Max has significantly improved compared to the older model, you can see more details in the shadow and the highlight area. Details around the LED logo and cloud details around the moon can still be clearly seen in this photo,” shared Aristan.
“My tip for night shots is to tap on the darker spot in the image and lock the focus point, then you can adjust the exposure cursor next to the camera focus box to get to the exposure that you intended. Night mode will usually kick in as soon as you tap on a dark spot.”
Zinho De Costa
Geek Culture’s photographer Zinho De Costa took the iPhone 15 Pro for a spin at a Halloween Horror Nights, shooting scare actors in low light and capturing the atmosphere of scare zones using Night Mode.
“Low Light photography gets better with the iPhone 15. I shot these photos with an iPhone 15 Pro during Halloween Horror Nights 11. I lowered the exposure, locked onto the subjects, and let the iPhone 15 Pro do its magic. The details in the make-up and set design are preserved, and light and dark areas in a photo do not cross each other,” said De Costa.
“Patience and luck are key factors in getting these shots, however, the iPhone 15 Pro has worked extremely well in these low light situations.”
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
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Si Jia
