With the introduction of the iPhone 13 family, Apple added macro photography capabilities to its phones for the first time. No, it doesn’t use an extra camera — the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have improved ultra-wide camera lenses, capable of focusing on objects as close as 2 cm (0.78 in) to the lens.
To celebrate the new functionality, Apple’s latest “Shot on iPhone” contest asks participants to throw in their best macro shots. The contest will run until the 16th of February so you still have some time to join in!
tl;dr - post your macro photos on Twitter and Insta
with #ShotoniPhone and #iPhonemacrochallenge
But what makes a good macro photo?
How to take good macro photos with the iPhone 13 Pro?
OK, to clear up the how-to — if you didn’t know, in order to activate macro mode on the iPhone, all you need to do is bring the camera extremely close to a subject. That’s it. The iPhone 13 Pro, in typical Apple fashion, will automatically switch to the ultra-wide camera and focus in on the close subject.
If you don’t want to take a macro photo, just tapping on one of the zoom circles on the bottom will exit macro mode and the iPhone 13 Pro will refrain from going back to macro unless you move it around and go in close again.
In actuality, the common guidelines for taking a regular wide-angle photo mostly apply to macro photography as well. However, since macro tends to be a bit more intense, with the subject super-close to the camera, some limitations and some extra opportunities may present themselves along the way.
We compiled some guidelines that will help you get started on the journey of exploring macro photography with your iPhone 13 Pro. But the top tip we can give you is this — make plenty of photos, shoot everything, shoot often, don’t be afraid to experiment, and see what works for you.
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General tips for macro photos
Up your lighting game
Generally, the iPhone 13 series do great with low light. Even when in macro mode, the iPhone 13 Pro is still capable of utilizing Night Mode.
This opens up a whole plethora of options for you to experiment with. Does the photo look better with more light or does it get more enticing once you dim the lightbulbs. Can you add colorful LED lights for extra effect?
Like, check out this shot of my LEGOs — the well-lit shot is clearer, sure. But once I turned off half the lights in my living room, it got more interesting!
Consider using the flash
The iPhone will avoid using the flash as much as possible when it’s set to Auto. That’s because, even in a dark environment, it’s always best to try and squeeze out as much as you can from the sensor, before going for an artificial bright light.
You can activate the flash in always on and experiment with that. I would suggest grabbing a bit of paper scotch tape and placing it over the flash LED for a makeshift diffuser that will make the light less harsh!
Clean up as much as possible
Macro photography magnifies things… a lot! Super-tiny specks of dust or hairs are usually unnoticed by the human eye. However, on a macro photo, they make the subject look super-grimy.
Experiment with angle
When shooting macro, we usually tend to go for a parallel angle. Since a macro photo is meant to show off a pattern or just something that we rarely see up close, a parallel angle will work fine in most scenarios.
However, once you nail that initial shot, don’t be afraid to rotate the camera a bit, see if you can add some movement, have the photo ask a question or tell a story just by having the subject a bit off-kilter.
Centered or offset?
Macro photos can be pretty intense, especially if you have the subject dead center. This is cool, but you can also try to tell a story or have some sort of continuity in the photo by moving the subject off-center.
Use the 3x3 grid lines as a guide and place your subject roughly a third to the side of the photo. Think of geometric shapes and straight lines and see if you can arrange a photo that points towards the subject or has a story or question in the background.
Consider what’s in the background
To continue the point above, when offsetting your subject, you get a lot of room to fit a background into. Have something interesting in the far distance and you will have it obscured in creamy bokeh.
Or, thanks to the iPhone 13 Pro’s excellent HDR, you can literally shoot into the sun and still end up with a photo that has visible shadows and no burnout in the highlights!
Diagonal lines create movement, straight lines have a more intense effect
If you want your photo to look a bit more dynamic, a bit more lively — see if you can get something to make a diagonal line in it.
Alternatively, if you want an intense photo that demands our attention, stick to straight lines. This one risks being boring, but you can also end up with an effect that evokes some “liminal space” feelings.
Edit your shots on the iPhone or an iPad
The “Shot on iPhone” contest does not prohibit photo editing. You can use the excellent editor within Apple’s own Photos app, or a 3rd party app like Lightroom, Snapseed, Canva, or hey — all of the above!
I found the most use out of the iPhone’s perspective fixer, especially when straining myself to take macro photos at weird angles. I would end up with a photo that is slightly skewed and uneven, despite my best attempts. Playing with the level wheel and perspective fixer in the Photos editor app, I was able to fix my snafu and get a much better photo in the end!
< SkewedFixed >
What objects are good for macro photos?
OK, the tips are fine and dandy, but you still don’t know what to take macro photos of? Well, let us get you started with some ideas!
These are all individual subjects that you can capture, but you can mix and match them, have a few different components within one photo.
Wildlife
Bugs or other tiny wildlife are great candidates for macro photography. Sadly, I couldn’t find any in mid-Winter in the middle of the city, so I’ll give you a couple of old photos taken last summer (not taken with iPhone 13 Pro!)
Alternatively, furry friends are always great subjects for macro. Dog or cat eyes, noses, or the bottoms of their paws can look great up close. As long as you can get your pet to stay still for long enough…
Plants
Of course — the petals or blossoms of a plant, or a huge tree leaf that has an interesting pattern. These can work great if you can get the sunlight to shine through the plant and make it “glow” a bit.
Small figurines
LEGOs or any other action figures can look really fun when blown up in a macro shot. Any of these items that we are used to being… well, tiny, can evoke emotions of wonder and excitement when they look like they are as big as us.
Daily items that show wear and tear
Coins, leather wallets, worn denim, or the cool weave of your watch strap are all good candidates here.
Rust or urban decay
Even your local rain drain grate probably has some rust on it. It may look perfectly fine to your eyes, but go in close with an iPhone 13 Pro and you may end up with a very striking photo that instantly makes us think of an abandoned facility.
Rocks or stones
Perfectly-shaped pavement or a random rock with an interesting texture — get some light in from the side and pick an angle. You’d be surprised how macro photography makes them look much more interesting.
Tech up close
Your tablet’s speaker grilles, a backlit keyboard, a microphone, or the pixels on a screen. Any one of these look super interesting up close and can make for a great macro photo if you play with angle, lighting, or combine them with something else. (Dog paw on a backlit keyboard, here we go-o-o-o!)
Anything with a pattern
The perfect patterns in manufactured items are pretty fascinating to examine up close. We rarely do so, so your role as an aspiring macro photographer is to draw attention to them.
Go out and take your best macro photo yet!
There you go! A few tips and tricks to get you started. Now, go out and start shooting macro! You may just discover a passion for the details that you never knew you had!
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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