Sky photography
Credits: Backlight

How to take pictures of stars with iPhone?

Sky photography
Credits:
Backlight

Apple iPhones have one of the best cameras in the smartphone industry at the moment and there is no one who can deny this fact. Having a good camera was sort of a unique selling point for Apple when it first came out and every model ever since has focused more and more on camera and today, we can proudly say that iPhones have the best camera to be ever put in an iPhone.

But can you click star pictures with your iPhone?

Well, the simple answer is ‘yes’, but the quality of these photos will not be as good as professional DSLR camera because of the simple fact that iPhones have a smaller sensor installed in them. However, there is a way that you can take significantly better photos of stars from your iPhone using some software tweaks and buying photography apps that give the users control over camera features like Shutter Speed, ISO and more.

If you have an iPhone 11 or later, you will discover that there is a feature called ‘Night mode’ that takes significantly better low light pictures than before. As per reports, this mode basically clicks multiple pictures and then combines them to produce a much better output. This feature is instilled with a combination of features that can control processor, sensor, and software features to capture as much light as possible from that tiny sensor.

Here’s how you can activate night mode on your iPhone.

  1. Open your iPhone camera and set it up on a tripod for best results.
  2. Frame your shot while being set on a tripod.
  3. As soon as your iPhone detects low light, it will automatically turn Night mode on, and the icon will appear on the top left corner of the screen.
  4. If the night is dark, set the duration of the shutter to maximum limit to capture as much light as possible.
  5. Tap on the shutter icon and wait for a few seconds because it takes time for iPhones to capture good quality pictures in night mode. Set the timer for 3 seconds for best results.

Voila! You have successfully captured your night mode shot of the stars. In most scenarios you will like the output, but you can also edit the picture and play with the exposure settings to brighten out the stars as you like.

There are apps on the App Store that can even allow you to change camera settings on your iPhone camera like ISO and shutter speed. These are usually paid apps but can work better than the normal iPhone camera. Please keep in mind that there is a technical limitation with the sensor being small, the quality of the images will never come as good as from a professional DSLR camera.

 

 

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