Sometimes I just have time to grab my iPhone as my camera is too far away for me to plan and grab a shot, so, when I discovered ‘portrait’ mode for cat photography I knew I had found something you really need to try.
This portrait of Taz is a real success. You will have no trouble taking a shot like this. The ambient light is bright and it lights up his fur’s highlights (important with a black cat).
I did not make any adjustments to my smartphone before I took this photo. But, if it had been sunnier or a bit too later in the day, I might have considered changing the exposure a little bit.
- Always remember – light is the cat photographer’s best friend
Smartphones have a better ability to cope with lower light than you think. You can try a cat photo when the light is not perfect because you have nothing to lose and may end up with a cool photo like Taz. Not sure of the light? Still try the shot.
Smartphone Exposure
Your smartphone will have an option to change it’s exposure. You can usually navigate to the exposure settings from your camera screen but, if you are not sure, check the company’s website. This will have all the basic information you need. You can also use an app like Snapseed to add a gentle touch of extra light.
Most iPhone cameras have a series of options specifically meant to change your cat portrait in different ways. Some are subtle, others add more drama. I admit that I have never used High Key Light Mono sucessfully, but if you have let me know.
iPhone Portrait Options
- Natural Light Nos. 1 – 3 are ways to make slight/subtle adjustments.
- Studio Light
- Contour Light
- Stage Light – isolates your subject with a dark background
- Stage Light Mono – same but black and white
- High Key Light Mono – increases overexposure
‘Not A Cat’ use of Portrait Mode
The ‘Stage Light’ option under iPhone Portrait mode darkens the area around your subject dramatically. It works like a spotlight, lighting a performer and surrounding them with darkness on a theatre stage.
For a change, I wanted to show you the option used on something other than a cat as I was really pleased with the results I got here.
This lamp is similar to the salt lamps you can find, although the ‘stones’ here are rough glass and there is a bright LED bulb inside which radiates no heat at all (the lamp is really heavy even though it is quite small).
The lamp seemed a fantastic subject to try Portrait mode ‘Stage Light’ on. What do you think?
Remember that your smartphone is getting better all the time. So, much as you might love your DSLR/mirrorless camera or compact camera, don’t be afraid to explore with your smartphone too!
Taz is a handsome kitty.
That black cat photo of Taz is lovely! And thanks for the tutorial about the different phone camera settings. 🙂
I have an Android, I’ve been trying to explore stuff. It’s slow going.
That really is a wonderful selfie of Taz, bravo!
lookin awesum pawsum TAZ !!!! grate cap sure bye mum marjorie !! 🙂 ♥♥
now de gurl iz curry uz…not sure portraitz on her fone ( itz az old az her !!! )
Marvelous black cat picture! For now I’m only using the phone but I’ve never come close to that degree of definition with our black kitties, or the others!
I have an Android, not an I-Phone, but I find it, too, works well in poor lighting conditions – better than my camera, in fact. Most of the cat photos I post on my blog are taken with the phone. I don’t often have time even to change the settings!