Your smartphone camera is more powerful than you think

By Vivienne Westwood

Most of us use about ten percent of what our phone camera can actually do.

We point, we tap, we get a photo, and it is fine. But the camera in your pocket — whether you have an iPhone, an Android, a Google Pixel, or anything made in the last three or four years — is quietly capable of things that would have seemed extraordinary a decade ago.

Here is what it can actually do.

PORTRAIT MODE

Most modern smartphones have a portrait mode that creates a beautifully blurred background behind your subject — the kind of effect professional photographers used to need expensive equipment to achieve. Look for Portrait in your camera options. It works best for people, pets, and close-up objects. The result is a photograph that looks considered rather than casual.

NIGHT MODE

Night mode has transformed low-light photography. Rather than producing a blurry, grainy image in dim conditions, night mode takes several exposures in quick succession and combines them into one bright, sharp photograph. It works best when you hold the phone as still as possible for the two or three seconds it needs. The results can be stunning — and Poundbury at dusk is a particularly good subject.

GOOGLE LENS — THE ONE MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER TRIED

This is the one that genuinely surprises people. Open your camera and look for the Google Lens icon — it looks like a small lens shape. You can also find the same icon in your google search bar, or download the specific Google Lens App. Then simply point it at anything: a plant, a building, a piece of furniture, a menu in a foreign language, a QR code, a piece of text you want to copy.

Google Lens identifies what it sees and gives you information about it instantly. Point it at a flower and it tells you what species it is. Point it at a Poundbury building and it tells you about the architectural style. Point it at text in French and it translates it in real time.

If you have not tried it, try it today. It takes thirty seconds and most people are immediately delighted.

YOUR PHOTO ARCHIVE

Every photo you take is automatically organised by date, location, and subject on most smartphones. Your phone can search your photos by what is in them — type beach or dog or birthday and it finds relevant images even if you never named or tagged them.

And one worth knowing: if you have ever worried about losing your photos, make sure iCloud, One Drive or Google Photos backup is switched on in your settings. Your photos then exist safely in the cloud even if your phone is lost or broken.

One final thought. The Love Poundbury photography competition runs again in 2027. You have a professional-grade camera in your pocket. Why not get snapping.

Got a question about your smartphone or a topic for a future Tech Tuesday? Email tech@lovepoundbury.org with Tech Tuesday in the subject line.

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