Ayup! Following my return to iPhone photography, I’ve dialled in a really rather pleasing simulation. When I say dialled in, I mean I selected a preset at the touch of a button. Now, just like with my Sony a7C II, most of the look I want can be achieved in-camera.
With a touch of grain and/or noise added in post, we can almost get away with calling it a film simulation. High contrast, rich tones and a beautiful, timeless feel. That’s what I’m talking about!
This isn’t a filter that you add afterwards. It’s a style that’s applied to all of your images as you shoot them. This enables you to see how it’s going to look before you’ve even taken the photo.
Photographic Styles continue to unlock the creative potential of the iPhone camera, and I think the new Bright style is going to be really popular.
Stark B&W & Muted B&W
As I mentioned in my last post, I’d been having a few issues shooting in JPG. This is my preferred format, but it kept swapping from 48MP to 24MP. Anyway, I’ve been playing around with it today, and it’s now firmly stuck on 48MP. Hooraa!
Not shooting in ProRAW means you have access to Photographic Styles. Simply press Photo at the bottom of your screen when the camera app is open. You’ll then see the Styles button, which lets you pick the look you want. For black and white photographers, you have two options:
- Muted B&W
- Stark B&W
Both are absolutely stunning. Muted B&W gives you a clean, low contrast look. Conversely, Stark B&W is deep, rich and loaded with contrast.
On supported models, Photographic Styles intelligently adjust specific colors in different parts of your photos to create a customized look. The style you select applies automatically to all photos you take, but you can make adjustments in Camera or edits later in the Photos app.
Just add grain
One thing I absolutely love about a JPG workflow is less editing. Not that I don’t enjoy it. I even like to take my time and absorb the mindfulness benefits. That said, it’s a massive bonus to have most of the heavy lifting already done for you. Especially when you arrive back to your laptop with hundreds of photos.
To further bring out the film look, I’ve been adding a healthy dose of grain and noise. Most editing apps have one or both of these options these days. I’m using a combination of:
- Apple Photos – Grain (desktop version)
- Affinity – Noise
- Affinity – Add a texture layer
All three are producing some absolutely beautiful results. Any of the above techniques help to remove the over-processed look that you sometimes get with mobile photography. With the right editing, dare I say it, you’ll be giving Fuji’s film simulations a run for their money.
If you want your monochrome photo to punch you in the face with its highlights and shadows, this is the Photographic Style for you. Rather than a desaturated version of your regular photo that the regular B&W mode offers, the Stark B&W style produces a far more dramatic effect.
Pretty. Darn. Excited.
I’ve been feeling a new sense of excitement, enjoyment and passion using the iPhone camera again. The black and white photography looks have only served to enhance this reaction.
I’m currently reading Still by Paul Sanders. It’s a book on mindful photography. Every new chapter is brimming with practical ideas. Paul also uses an iPhone for some of his work, which has partly inspired my return to mobile photography.
Very much looking forward to playing around with both Stark B&W and Muted B&W.