It changed my life! Haiku...4.11.2019

This post is exclusively geared toward illustrating the benefit of using Portrait Mode on iPhones 7+ and newer. I have seen phones other than iPhones do some photo magic, too, I just don't know a thing about them.

It all started in the Summer of 2017 at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Touring the daylily gardens with 400 other fanatics, I was setting up a shot of 'VT Purple Passion' using my iPhone.

"Psst," he whispered, "have you used Portrait Mode yet?"

"Not yet." I replied and took the shot. "What's up with it?"

He replied with a smile and some conviction worth noting - "Try it."

I slid left on my camera, and...

...this is the first wow I ever made using Portrait Mode.

Portrait mode uses the dual cameras to create a depth-of-field effect — letting you compose a photo that keeps your subject sharp with a blurred background and requires zero photography skills whatsoever aside from keen composure.

For those of you who have followed my shutterbug tendencies, you know I was a Sony evangelist and hard core CyberShot DSC-HX200+ camera lover. I had four models over the years- and recommended it to dozens of you, who in turn bought one and enjoyed it as much as I did. But no matter how wonderful the image I captured with it, the photos still needed editing to sharpen, brighten, or add depth of field enhancements to perfect the image. Two steps - not including extracting the images and organizing them on the computer prior to editing. THEN, I could share them by emailing, messaging or posting on Facebook and Instagram. #exhausted #photoGraveyard

The National Convention in 2017 was the first convention I shot iPhone only. I did not bring my trusty DSLR on the tours at all and at times felt naked and afraid I would miss capturing a moment. But, I didn't miss a thing. In fact, I think I captured more. I was able to skip the downloading, editing and organizing steps that I did using my Sony. I can edit, organize and share everywhere using my iPhone in the time it used to take me to find the cord to connect my beloved Sony camera to the computer.

It has changed my appreciation of daylily photography in so many ways. Capturing great photos is more enjoyable because:

I do not need a separate program for post-editing enhancements. Portrait Mode uses the picture I take and optimizes it using the same thought process I would to sharpen and focus a raw image.
I can share great photos to Facebook and Instagram immediately.
I enjoy the photos I shoot more, because I can take more of them with less editing effort.
iPhone photo organization solutions sync with my computer to store all the pictures I shoot.
There are photo printing apps for my iPhone that allow me to get hard copies of photos if I want easily. There is a cool app that allows you to send a postcard (postage included) using pictures you take. Imagine that!
It's one less piece of equipment I have to carry in the garden on tours.

The examples speak for themselves. The images on the left were shot in "Photo Mode" and the image on the right was taken in "Portrait Mode." Same shot, same minute, two different modes.