We’re transitioning away from the previous weeks’ topic of light, and diving back into your iPhone’s portrait mode today!
Did you know you can change the aperture in your portrait mode photo?
Some of you are probably thinking, “What the heck is aperture?” So let’s talk about it…
Aperture is controlled by the “f-stop” number, and is responsible for how much light is let into your camera. This goes for DSLRs and newer iPhones.
The smaller the f-stop number, the more light is let in, the more the background is blurred, while the foreground or subject is crisp. The larger the f-stop, the more crisp the entire image is, and allows less light in.
Still not quite sure how the f-stop relationship works? For my visual learners:
Setting: f/7.1 Setting: f/1.8

So now you want to know HOW you can tailor your portrait images to your own taste, yes?
Take a peek at this phone screenshot. See where the little “f” button is in the top left corner? That’s the f-stop setting. Click on that, and you’ll see a dial show up on the bottom of your image. Play with the depth dial, and feel free to use the images above for specific setting references..
You can also find a how-to video in my Instagram reels here.
There is no such thing as a dumb question, so please ask away. I’m happy to answer your questions!
