Diwali is here, and so is the season of getting dressed up and clicking a lot of pictures. No matter wherever you go, the streets are filled with lots of interesting subjects and dramatic instances that you may want to capture and preserve with you. While you needed a good professional camera to capture the festive vibe till a few years ago, even a phone camera can do equally good job now. How do you get the best out of it?
“This year go ultra-wide with your photos and videos on the iPhone 16 series,” says Joshua Karthik, Photographer and Director. It makes a lot of sense as Apple has upgraded the ultra-wide sensor across the iPhone 16 series. The one on iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max has a higher resolution while the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus now support macro shots through the ultra-wide sensor itself.
“iPhone 16 Pro and Max shoot have four times the resolution this year, and the new 48MP sensor makes for fantastic images. Group photos of family and friends are significantly better this year. Just tap the 0.5 icon in the camera app, and make some ultra wide magic,” Joshua added.
You can also use your phone to record beautiful videos of the evening.
“This Diwali depend on iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max to capture your precious memories in 4K at 120 fps,” said Garima Bhaskar, Street Photographer and Visual Artist from New Delhi. Further, you can use the cinematic mode to make your videos look even better.
“Start by focusing on a diya or candle, then slowly shift focus to the background to create a dramatic reveal of the scene,” she shared.
But taking good festival pictures on an iPhone is no joke. So this Diwali, make sure you follow these tips and tricks to click great pictures on your iPhone that can help you stand out in the crowd.
1. Night mode is your best friend: Night mode on iPhone is ideal for low-light photos. It may seem as a bit of hindrance while clicking picture as it requires you to hold your pose, but it captures a lot more details in the picture. The iPhone 11 and later models use the data to analyze the shot and enhance details. If possible use a tripod or stand to make sure the divide sits stable while clicking photos.
2. Use Burst mode: Burst mode allows you to take multiple photos quickly. While you wont be able to capture photos in Burst mode and Night mode together, the Burst mode can help you capture an action that is performed at a high speed. To set it up on your iPhone, go to Settings → Camera → and toggle on for “Use Volume Up for Burst”. Once done, you can long press the Volume up button to capture a subject that is moving at a fast speed.
3. Control Exposure: While youre capturing subject such as a light or a diya/candle, try playing exposure settings before you click a picture. One may not realize, but it can big a huge difference in your shot. In order to do that, simply tap on the subject and bring down the slider, and done. In case youre in an environment that is overexposing your subject, you can slide up and tap on Exposure icon and drag the slider to get the right amount of light in your shot. The secret to get good pictures is also to not overdo it, as it can just make the entire shot dark.
4. Photographic styles: This iPhone feature is often overlooked, but if taken in consideration and executed decently, can alone bring a huge difference in a picture. Up until iPhone 15 series, Apple allows you to use 5 different kinds of Photographic Styles, but the iPhone 16 series brings to you a lot of additional styles that you can use to set a mood and tone to your picture.
5. Frame your shots better – It’s only after a bit of experimentation with angles and perspectives that you can add charm to your Diwali pictures. Using the basic photography principle’s such as rule of thirds, to place the subject at intersecting points. This alone can drastically improve your festive picture and iPhone’s grid lines are your best friend in order to do that. Feel free to switch to Ultra-wide mode to get a different perspective as Joshua suggested to make the most out of your iPhone camera.
6. Make the most of lighting – The pictures that have a mix and shadows and lighting are the ones that look good. And luckily, Diwali being the festival of lights, offer you multiple key and decorative lighting. With flash turned off, place your shot in a way to keep the subject in the foreground and lit the background with lights to create dramatic silhouettes and portraits. Also, give a shot to the the Portrait mode as the iPhones are highly capable of offering you a professional background blur.
7. Last but not the least, be mindful about small thing such as not zooming in digitally, as it can pixelate the picture, especially while taking pictures at night. Try using tripod or some sort of stand to not get shaky pictures. And super importantly, tapping on the subject to focus in case your iPhone struggles to focus due to tricky lighting.
While these tips may seam basic, these can instantly help you get take much better pictures this Diwali. The iPhone’s camera systems are a tool in your hands, and it will all come down to what you make of it. So make sure you try them and share with us on Instagram. Happy Diwali.
