iPhone® Photography & Video For Dummies®

Chapter 5. Working within the Camera's Capabilities

In This Chapter

• iPhone camera variables

• Handling high-contrast scenes

• Understanding ISO

• Dealing with noise

The iPhone does a great job simplifying taking a photo. There's very little to do besides see, point, and shoot. Many common adjustments are made by the iPhone automatically and don't require your intervention. However, that means you don't have much control over certain aspects of your iPhone camera's operation that you might want to change. But you're not helpless.

Understanding what these camera adjustments are based on and what they correct is extremely important. That way, you can put yourself into photographic situations that allow the camera to perform at its maximum efficiency.

In this chapter, I show you how external factors and internal (to the iPhone camera) factors can affect the quality of your photographs.

Understanding the Effect of Fixed Aperture and Variable Shutter Speed

Traditional digital cameras (or film cameras for that matter) allow the photographer or built-in software to control the amount of light reaching the sensor or film by changing the aperture size and/or the shutter speed.

The iPhone 3GS's fixed aperture of f/2.8 (f/2.4 for the iPhone 4) allows the maximum amount of light through the lens and onto the sensor.

Tip

The "f-stop number" is inversely proportional to the size of the lens opening; the smaller the ...