Ditch the studio lights — Apple’s new camera feature uses AI to light your face

By Gannon Burgett September 12, 2017

Portrait Lighting — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Of all the announcements at Apple’s event today, one stands out as the most interesting for photographers: Portrait Lighting. This new photography feature, designed to emulate studio photography lighting on a smartphone, was only briefly glossed over in the keynote, but stands out as an impressive piece of hardware and software engineering that’s yet to be seen anywhere, let alone in a smartphone.

Put in the most simple terms, Portrait Lighting uses the depth map — captured by the dual cameras on the iPhone 8 Plus — to intelligently dodge and burn the contours of a human’s face to replicate the appearance of studio lighting.

As shown on stage inside Steve Jobs Theater, Portrait Lighting works hand in hand with Portrait mode, a camera feature first released last year alongside the iPhone 7 Plus.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

To use Portrait Lighting, open up the iOS camera app and swipe over to the Portrait mode. Once a face is recognized, you can tap on the screen to bring up an overlay that features multiple lighting styles. These individual lighting styles include Natural Light, Studio Light, Contour Light, Set Light, and Set Light Mono. Each of the styles are designed to replicate a specific lighting setup that would traditionally be made with the help of three or four lights and light modifiers, except it’s all done through intelligent, selective brightening and darkening of facial features.

Normally, the process of dodging and burning an image would take a great deal of time inside a dedicated photo editing program. But, thanks to Apple’s clever implementation of its depth information and accompanying software, iOS can now do it with the tap of a button or two.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If it’s anything like the Portrait mode it works alongside, it could prove to be an impressive feature. And one that will likely improve as time goes on. In fact, Apple goes so far as to label the feature “beta” on its website, much like it did with Portrait mode in its infancy.

Will it be putting professional portrait photographers out of jobs anytime soon? No. But it’s a welcomed feature for the masses who don’t have access to thousands of dollars worth of studio lighting for their selfie needs.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Editor

Mobile

Apple iPhone SE 3 release postponed to 2024 with rumor of a iPhone SE Plus model

iPhone SE 2020 rear.

It was earlier rumored that the Apple iPhone SE 3 would be launching in 2022 and that it would be the last iPhone to feature an LCD since newer models sport OLED displays. While the iPhone SE 3 could still end up being the last LCD iPhone, the latest rumor is that the launch date has been postponed, and instead, we may be getting an iPhone SE Plus in 2022.

According to display analyst Ross Young, Apple is looking to launch the iPhone SE Plus next year. It could have a 4.7-inch display, which is the same as the iPhone 8 and last year's iPhone SE 2. It's a little strange that there isn't a bump in screen size for the plus model, but apparently, Apple plans to have that happen for the iPhone SE 3, giving it a 5.7-inch to 6.1-inch display. In terms of appearance, we can expect the iPhone 8 design language with a home button-embedded Touch ID. It will be a 5G device.

Mobile

Google Pixel 6 vs. Apple iPhone 13: Is Google’s new flagship an Apple eater?

iPhone 13 display from the front.

If you're a smartphone lover, Silicon Valley is spoiling you more than a little this year. Not only has Apple recently released the all-around excellent iPhone 13, but Google has just released the Pixel 6, its best phone yet. We dive into how the Pixel 6 vs. iPhone 13 fare against each other in a head-to-head comparison. While Pixels have always been very good Androids, the sixth-generation model finds Google really pushing things to the limit, adding every feature it can to ensure it's capable of competing with the very best flagships. This means it comes with a powerful dual-lens camera array, a big 4,614mAh battery, a speedy Google-made processor, and a gorgeous AMOLED display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate.

Of course, as good as the Pixel 6 is, the iPhone 13 is certainly no slouch. Building on the already impressive specs of the iPhone 12, it adds a longer-life battery, improved camera sensors, the new A15 Bionic chip, and increased internal storage. In other words, it's certainly the best non-Pro (or non-Pro Max) iPhone you can buy today. Does this mean it's better overall than the Pixel 6? Read on to find out.
Specs

Mobile

How to use Apple FaceTime like a pro

Woman looking at iPhone.

If you reside within the Apple ecosystem, your preferred videoconferencing method is probably FaceTime, Apple's video-calling software that lets desktop and mobile users make video calls over both Wi-Fi and cellular networks. With FaceTime, there's no need for a special account or screen name for access to smooth conferencing with 256-bit end-to-end encryption. All you need is the contact information -- phone number or email address -- of the person you want to speak with, and you're ready to yak.
While FaceTime was originally designed just for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users, Apple’s iOS 15 update allows other platforms into your FaceTime calls for the first time. With iOS 15, when you start a FaceTime call from an iPhone, you can now invite people using Android devices or Windows PCs.
We give you the lowdown on the major aspects of using FaceTime, including the new features available in iOS 15.

After you've tackled video messaging, check out our comprehensive guides on how to use iCloud and how to use Find My iPhone, along with our most recent picks for the best iPhone apps.
FaceTime system requirements
Facetime works over Wi-Fi or via your cellular data plan. You can use FaceTime via Wi-Fi on an iPhone 4 or later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 2 or later, all iPad Mini models, and iPod Touch 4th generation or later. Only the 5th generation and later of iPod Touch supports FaceTime audio calling. When using your cellular data plan, FaceTime works on an iPhone 4S or later, all iPad Pro models, and iPad 3rd generation or later.