Have you found your favorite photo style?

A Little Color Goes A Long Way

I just replaced my old iPhone with a spiffy new iPhone 14 Pro and I’m all excited about the cool new features. A lot has happened since my iPhone 11 Pro was fresh out of the box, particularly with the camera. How about a 48 megapixel file? A 3X telephoto. Close up Macro photography. In fact, for a moment, with the square edged design and a little more heft than my 11 Pro, it actually felt more like a compact camera than a smartphone.

Which takes me back to my film photography days, because the Camera setup resurrects the concept of Styles, the foundation of creative photography.

Back in the day, professional photographers tried to create a signature look, or style, to their images. Most of that was a result of their preferred lens choice, the framing of their images, and how they used light. You could usually tell if a photo was taken by Slim Aarons, or Irving Penn, or Richard Avedon. They each had a certain visual Style.

A key element of that style was the film they chose to use, because each film had a different way of recording the image. Some films created very open and bright pictures while others were rich and dramatic.

Some films were especially good at recording fine detail while others were very “grainy” and authentic. Some films were preferred for how well they captured skin tones or foliage or a certain color. It’s hard to imagine now - when we have pixel-level control - how much planning went into the creation of a photograph back then. Photos are just an interpretation of a visual moment, after all. And we have all these ways of adding our creative spin in the pictures we take.

Which brings me back to Styles, a new feature in the Camera App that was introduced on the iPhone 13 and is reminiscent of that film photography experience.

When you set up your iPhone 13 or 14 and launch your camera, you’ll be prompted to choose a default Style. This is like choosing a film because that Style will be applied to every photo you take until you choose a different Style. But instead of having to rewind your film and pop a different film type into the camera back, you can switch Styles right in the Camera view and shoot on.

So what do you get?

STANDARD - This is the look we’ve come to know in iPhone photos and it is the default setting. It is a picture that is true to the actual scene in color and contrast. If you rarely make adjustments to color or contrast in edit mode, then this is your baby.

RICH CONTRASTt - Adds a bit of drama and color saturation to the picture. It’s said that writers always describe a scene as how it should have been. This is the style that captures the picture how we thought it was. Just a bit more than real life.

VIBRANT - Boosts colors without affecting skin tones or shadows. Creates slightly brighter, more vivid looks.

WARM - Sunrise, sunset, indoor photos. All are typically warmer - slightly orange tinted - than mid-day outdoor pictures. It’s a happy, pleasant look. Can make that “golden hour” before sunset look even more golden.

COOL - Subdued and slightly edgy without being monotone. Hints of an overcast, wintery look that feels a little detached and blue.

Styles can be changed in Settings > Camera or in the Camera App by tapping the reveal arrow in the top tool bar.

Now, you may be asking how Styles are different than the Filters that Apple Photos has offered for years. Well, like different films, Styles offer subtle adjustments that adapt more to the scene than the Filters we’re so used to using. If the Vivid Filter is barbecue sauce, then the Rich Contrast Style is Himalayan salt with a pinch of herbs. You could say that Styles adds a little flavor to your photos.

Next time you're taking a photo of something you do a lot, try different Styles and see if one stands out. Don't expect dramatic differences, just some interesting, subtle differences, that might become your signature style.