the secret to taking amazing long exposure photos

All about Apple

If you are passionate about photography and have an iPhone, know that it has a hidden trick that can completely transform your photos: long exposure mode. This feature, which often goes unnoticed, is capable of capturing scenes with an impressive level of detail and effect, such as the smooth movement of rivers, the trail of car lights at night or even the dynamism of people in motion.

What many users don't know is that, with a few taps on the screen, you can create long exposure photos on your iPhone without the need for third-party apps or specialized accessories.

Here, we'll show you how to use your iPhone to take long exposure photos and make the most of this functionality built into the device. If you want to take your photography skills to the next level, mastering this trick will open up a whole new world of possibilities for capturing stunning images right from your Apple device.

What is a long exposure photo?

Long exposure photos are those in which the camera records movement for an extended period of time, creating a blurring effect on objects that are moving, while static elements remain sharp. Traditionally, this type of photo was taken with DSLR cameras, using slow shutter speeds and often tripods and filters to ensure a stable and balanced capture.

This type of photography is ideal for capturing dynamic landscapes, such as rivers and waterfalls, where the movement of water becomes a smooth veil, or in busy cities, where people and vehicles are transformed into luminous lines. Fortunately, the iPhone offers a simplified way to get this long-exposure photo effect with Live Photos, a feature that's been around since the iPhone 6.

How the iPhone creates long exposure photos

Live Photos on the iPhone are responsible for transforming ordinary scenes into artistic images, without the need for complicated manual configuration. When you take a photo with Live mode turned on, your iPhone records a short three-second video, capturing both the moment of the photo and what happens immediately before and after it. The magic happens when iPhone recognizes moving objects and creates a blur on them, while keeping static elements sharp.

This feature allows you to take long exposure photos even in bright lighting conditions, such as outdoors during the day. Professional cameras, on the other hand, require special filters and advanced techniques to prevent the image from being overexposed. With the iPhone, it is possible to achieve this effect simply and without the need for additional accessories.

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Enabling Live Photos

To capture a long exposure photo, the first step is to ensure Live Photos mode is turned on. This can be done directly from the camera app. At the top of the screen, you will see the icon of two circles, surrounded by a dotted circle. If there is a line through the icon, it means Live mode is turned off. Tap the icon until the message “Live” appears in a small yellow frame, indicating that the mode has been activated.

Capturing the photo

After activating Live mode, choose a scene with moving and static elements. A classic example would be a waterfall or fountain. Moving water will be blurred, while surrounding rocks and trees will remain sharp. When taking a long exposure photo, it's important to keep your iPhone as steady as possible to get the best results. Even if you don't need a tripod, resting your iPhone against a stable surface like a wall or post can help reduce unwanted shaking.

Turning Live Photo into a long exposure photo

After capturing the Live Photo, the next step is to turn it into a long exposure photo. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Live Photo from your iPhone's gallery.
2. In the top left corner, you will see an icon with the word “Live” and an arrow pointing down. Tap the arrow.
3. Among the options that will appear, select “Long Exposure”.

In a few seconds, the iPhone will process the image, blurring the movement and keeping fixed elements in focus. The result will be a stunning photo that looks like it was taken with a professional camera.

Tips for capturing the perfect long exposure photo

Taking long exposure photos with your iPhone may seem simple, but some tricks can help improve the final result even further.

Choose scenes with static and moving elements

Not every scene is ideal for a long exposure photo. Moving objects, such as water, people or lights, create the necessary blur for the effect. However, it is important that there are also static elements, such as buildings, trees or rocks, to contrast with the movement. This contrast is what makes the long exposure effect so impressive.

Keep iPhone stable

Although the iPhone is quite efficient at capturing long exposures without the need for a tripod, the more stable the device is, the better the result will be. A simple technique is to rest the iPhone on a fixed surface or hold the device firmly with your elbows close to your body to minimize shaking.

Take multiple photos

A good practice when photographing with your iPhone is to capture multiple images of the same scene. This increases your chances of getting the perfect shot, especially if there is unpredictable movement in the scene, like waves or people walking.

Experiment in different light conditions

While long exposure is often associated with night photography or low-light environments, the iPhone lets you capture these images in broad daylight. Test the feature in different lighting conditions to see how the effect behaves. In some situations, intense light can create surprising results, especially when reflected from water or shiny surfaces.