Night Photography with an iPhone

Transform your travels into a magical journey with these simple techniques

This is my picture of people taking pictures at sunset.

Even when I have my mirrorless camera with me, I sometimes reach for the iPhone. Night photography is one of those times. The iPhone’s computational processing shines bright when the lights go down.

The camera automatically switches to night mode when the ambient light decreases to a low level. An icon appears in the upper left-hand corner of the screen letting you know that it’s changed gears. As smart as the device is, you still want to hold the phone very steady during exposure. I often lean against a wall or use a handrail to ensure the best quality possible.

Hold the camera steady in Night Mode. Not even computational photography can compensate for a shaky hand.

Once you have the capture, there are two common issues to address. The first is color. Night photography often involves mixed lighting situations that can yield some very garish results. I like to harmonize those colors using Selective Color in the Photos app or HSL in other editors.

You can shift hues, brighten and darken colors, and tweak their saturation to harmonize your color palette.