Every year with the launch of its new phones Apple improves the iPhone camera making it more versatile and easy-to-use thanks to the software algorithms that tweak and adjust your photographs to make sure they are in focus and offer the best exposure possible. One feature that sets iPhones apart from others is Apple’s Live Photo capture system that allows you to create small animated images made up of multiple frames.
If you always find one of your friends or family members is blinking when you try to take group photo at get togethers, celebrations or seasonal festivities. You will be pleased to know that the fantastic Apple Live photo feature has been specifically created to help you capture the perfect photograph without you having to do a thing.
Apple Live photos
The Apple Live photo technology automatically works in the background when you are taking an iPhone photo and records what’s happening for 1.5 seconds both before and after you press the button on your screen to capture a photo. The Live Photo mode is enabled by default on iPhones and allows you to enhance a traditional photo with both movement and sound. As well as edit the image and view individual frames from the animation which is triggered by holding your finger down on your iPhone screen. Enabling you to select that one frame where everyone is looking in the right direction, smiling and not blinking.
Once you have captured a Live Photo, you can easily edit it, to select a new image which is displayed while the animation is still, add effects or simply select individual frames to create new photos. To view the animation of a Live Photo in your photo stream, simply hold your finger down on your iPhone screen and the Live animation will start playing.
Live Photos can easily be shared across your iOS devices and with friends who are using either Apple devices or Android. As well as viewed in the alternative Google Photo iOS app depending on your preference, thanks to Live support added by Google. This quick guide will show you how to take and edit Live Photos on your iPhone but also disable the mode from your camera if you would perfect to take still images with no animations or enhancements.
When you take a Live Photo on your iPhone, Apple stores it in the Live album in your official Photos app, making them easy to find, edit and share. Simply open the Apple Photos app on your iPhone and then go to the Albums tab and scroll down to Media Types and select the album for Live Photos. Presented in time order, your Live photographs are easy to view and simply selecting one will allow you to edit it.
To make sure you have Live Photos enabled, simply open the camera app on your iPhone and in the top right-hand corner there will be a circular icon. With two solid rings in the center and a dotted ring on the outer edge. If there is a line striking through the center of the icon, this means that the Live Photos camera mode is off and you are taking standard still photographs.
To enable Live Photos on your iPhone, simply tap the icon in the top right-hand corner and you will see an animation removing the diagonal line and a yellow box will appear in the middle/top of your iPhone screen with the word LIVE. The Live Photo mode is now on and will record animated photographs automatically every time you take a photo.
Apple automatically re-enables Live Photo mode by default
It is worth remembering that turning off Live mode is a temporary measure and your iPhone will automatically turn on Live Photos on again. Unless you have specifically asked your iPhone not to. To turn off the Live photo mode permanently, you will need to go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings. At the bottom of this page you will see a slider allowing you to enable Live Photo. Once green, this will preserve the setting you choose rather than automatically resetting to the default which is on. This gives you full control over when Live Photos will be captured.
How to edit iPhone Live photos
If you would like to change the key photo associated with an animated photograph, Apple lets you do this easily.
1. Open the Live photograph you would like to edit from your album in the Photos app
2. Select the Edit option in the top right-hand corner of your iPhone screen
2. Tap the Live Photo icon in the bottom menu
3. Scroll back and forward through the animation until you select the key frame you would like to use.
4. Press the Make Key Photo option bubble that appears to confirm your selection
5. Done to exit the editing process and return to your album.
While you are editing an animated photo, you can also toggle the Live Photo mode on and off by pressing the yellow LIVE button in the top center of your iPhone screen. If the animation is disabled, it will be black with a line striking through the circular icon.
Adding special effects
If you would like to add special effects to your iPhone, Live Photos simply open the photograph, you would like to edit from the official Photos app on your iPhone. and then :
1. Open the photograph of choice
2. Tap the LIVE drop-down menu in the top left-hand corner of your iPhone screen just underneath the blue back arrow.
3. Select the effect you would like to add to your photo from : Live, Loop, Bounce or Long Exposure.
– Selecting Loop will convert your photograph into a video loop
– Selecting Bounce makes your Live Photo move back and forth, playing the animation forwards and then in reverse
– Selecting Long Exposure allows you to capture a photograph of time and movement normally only associated with DSLR cameras. For instance, transforming a waterfall into a blur of water or capturing the stars as they move through the sky at night.
Sharing iPhone Live photos
If you would like to share your Live Photos with others, this is easily done as you would do with other photographs in your albums. Simply go to the photo you would like to share and select the share button. If you would like to share a still photograph and not the animated version, simply tap Live in the top left-hand corner of the photo to disable the animated version. It is also worth noting that if you try to share a Live Photo via the Apple Mail application, it will automatically be sent as a still image.
When the recipient receives your animated photograph on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch via Messages, all they need do is simply tap the photograph to open it and firmly press and hold the screen to see it the animation in all its glory. If you are using Messages on your Mac, simply double-click the photograph to see the Live animation play out.
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