Taking better photos with your iPhone comes down to a few settings and techniques that anyone can use.
You don’t need professional photography knowledge or expensive gear.
You just need to set up your camera properly and understand a few basics.
This guide will show you exactly how to do that.
Do You Need a Pro Model iPhone?
No.
You can get great results on any recent iPhone.
If you have a Pro model (iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro, or 17 Pro), you get access to ProRAW, which gives you more flexibility when editing.
If you don’t have a Pro model, everything here still helps.
You’ll just skip the RAW parts.
Camera Settings
Before you take any photos, fix your settings.
Most image quality issues start here.
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats
Change these:
Camera Capture → High Efficiency
Keeps quality high while avoiding massive files.
Photo Mode → 24MP
More resolution, more detail, and better crops.
ProRAW & Resolution Control → On
Lets you choose RAW and 48MP when you actually need it.
ProRAW Format → JPEG-XL (Lossy)
Smaller RAW files without noticeable quality loss.
Composition Settings
Scroll to Composition and turn on:
Grid — helps line up subjects and horizons.
Level — keeps your horizon straight.
View Outside Frame — most people keep this off so it’s less distracting.
Other Important Settings
Turn these on:
Fusion Camera — enable 28mm and 35mm. Set default lens to 24mm.
Portraits in Photo Mode — lets you convert normal photos into portraits later.
Lens Correction — fixes distortion, especially on ultra-wide.
Macro Control — gives you control over when macro kicks in.
Lens Cleaning Hints — reminds you when your lens is dirty.
Preserve Settings
Go to Preserve Settings and turn on:
- Camera Mode
- Macro Control
- Exposure Adjustment
- Night Mode
- ProRAW & Resolution Control (if you use RAW often)
This keeps the camera from resetting everything every time you open it.
Video Settings
Good defaults:
4K at 60fps — great for most content.
4K at 24fps — more cinematic.
Enhanced Stabilisation — On
HDR Video — On
That’s it for settings.
Take a few minutes to do this once and you’re done.
How to Actually Shoot Photos
Now the practical part.
Clean Your Lens
Sounds silly, but do this every time.
Your phone sits in your pocket, bag, or hand all day.
Oils blur the image.
You’ll notice that if your image doesn’t look clear, more often than not it’s a smudge on your lens.
One quick wipe instantly improves sharpness and contrast.
When to Use RAW vs HEIF
Tap the format button in the camera app.
Use:
HEIF (24MP or 48MP): everyday photos, sharing, normal shooting.
RAW (48MP): when you plan to edit or when the moment really matters.
RAW files are huge. Don’t use them for everything.
Save RAW for the shots you care about.
Lower Your Exposure
Tap your subject. Drag the sun icon slightly down.
Aim for around:
−0.3 to −0.7
This prevents blown highlights, keeps colour natural, and gives you more detail to work with.
You can also set exposure bias permanently using the EV control at the top of the camera.
Stick to the 1× Lens
The main 1× lens has the biggest sensor.
That means:
- more light
- more detail
- cleaner images
- better depth
Use 4× or 8× only in bright light.
Avoid zooming between preset numbers — that’s just digital crop.
Macro Mode
Macro switches to the ultra-wide lens, which has a smaller sensor.
You’ll notice it’s on when you see a small flower icon on your screen.
If macro turns on and the image looks soft, turn macro off and step slightly back.
Use 1× whenever you can.
Use Night Mode When It’s Dark
When night mode activates:
- check the exposure time
- hold steady
- brace against a wall or table if possible
Longer exposures can help, but only if you keep the phone still.
Longer exposures just means that the lens shutter stays open for longer, letting more light in.
More light = better for the lens = better photos.
Lock Your Focus
If you’re taking multiple shots of the same subject:
Hold your finger till you see AE/AF Lock.
This stops the camera from constantly changing exposure and focus.
Editing
Shooting in ProRAW only matters if you edit.
Lightroom is a good option because it handles RAW properly and syncs across devices.
Step 1: Start With a Preset
Presets handle the overall look:
- colour
- tone
- contrast
Apply one, then tweak from there.
Step 2: Make Small Adjustments
Adjust:
- exposure
- highlights
- shadows
- temperature
- contrast
Small moves are better than heavy edits.
Step 3: Fix the “iPhone Look”
iPhones add sharpening by default.
In Lightroom:
Lower Clarity slightly (around −5).
It removes that crunchy edge without making the image soft.
Step 4: Crop and Straighten
Tighten the frame.
Remove distractions.
Straighten lines.
Keep attention on the subject.
Often the crop makes the biggest difference.
Advanced Editing (Optional)
If you want more control:
- mask the sky
- brighten the subject
- darken the background for depth
Add a small amount of grain if you like texture.
It gives your shots that filmic look.
Keep it subtle.
If you want to make this part easier, the iPhone Creator Kit includes presets, LUTs, and simple guides that walk through everything in more detail.
It’s designed so you can get the same look every time without spending ages tweaking sliders.
Common Mistakes
Using digital zoom between lenses
Stick to 0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4×, 8×.
Shooting everything in RAW
Huge files, unnecessary most of the time.
Over-editing
If the photo looks processed, you’ve gone too far.
Ignoring light
Good light matters more than settings. Windows, shade, overcast days, and golden hour always look better.
That’s It
Better iPhone photos come from simple habits:
Clean the lens.
Use the right settings.
Look for good light.
Stay on the main lens.
Edit lightly.
iPhone Creator Kit
If you found this helpful, the iPhone Creator Kit builds on all of this with more detailed guides, presets designed for iPhone, and tools that make editing faster and easier.