Well-made Portraits with an iPhone

The collaborative art of portraiture has an age-old history, one that far predates photography, and the appeal of a well-made portrait is timeless, even as the genre continue to evolve. One of the newest methods for capturing a human likeness is the iPhone. This ingenious digital device is ideal for making meaningful portraits with skill and ease, whether they are of friends, family, or people you meet on your travels.

Susan Bloom shares the tips and techniques that elevate your iPhone game. We discuss the resources, materials, and equipment necessary for creating compelling iPhone images, examining the native camera app and its various modes, most notably portrait mode and live mode. At the same time, we learn how to use natural light to our advantage, controlling focus and exposure.

As we delve into the variety of high-quality third-party apps for capture and processing, we explore digital darkroom possibilities, including black-and-white interpretations, vintage film looks, and the impact of filters on your images. We finish with a discussion of archiving and storing your digital photographs, so you can create a secure and accessible library of images.

You come away with the skills that result in confident and deliberate portraiture—from that first digital snap to image interpretation, all the way through printing and exhibition.