Photographing Cars with my iPhone 15 Pro Max

Now primariy I’m a Portrait Photographer however this past few weeks, for the fun of it, I’ve been experimenting with my iPhone to see how it would fare when taking pictures of my car … both still and moving.

So a few weekends back I met up with friends in South Wales and headed to Crickhowell; an area I’ve photographed in before when working on this Harley image …

kit used

For these car photographs I was using my iPhone 15 Pro Max along with …

• Polar Pro iPhone Case

• 67mm Filter Adaptor + 67mm Circular Polarising Filter

• ReeFlex Pro Camera App

The circular polariser is the car photographers secret weapon because of how effective it is in reducing / removing reflections in the car windows and on the bodywork …

I used the ReeFlex Pro Camera App purely so that I could use shutter speed and ISO to lock in the exposure that I wanted.

Here’s the ‘out of camera’ result …

Here’s the final retouched image which was done using Lightroom Desktop.

I also added a long exposure effect to the clouds using a technique in Photoshop which works really well however now I want to do the shoot again and capture it all ‘in camera’ using a long exposure app like ReeXpose or EvenLonger 😃

I also tried some panning shots and did get some results, however the ratio of keepers to rejects was very low.

I was trying to do this using the ReeFlex App and a Neutral Density Filter on the front of the iPhone so that I could lock in an exposed photographed at 1/30 second. However, the ReeFlex app at the time I did this did NOT have burst mode. This meant I was having to try to capture a single frame as I panned with the car passing at no more than 30 mph.

Here’s an edited result of what I managed to capture …

Later having shared this image online I spoke with a friend of mine who is a Professional Car Photographer. It was great to hear that he was impressed with the results expecially considering they were from an iPhone but he also gave me some settings that he and other pro car photographers use to capture a moving car.

My friend told me that moving car shots often see the car travelling at no more than 20 mph and that they also use a shutter speed of around 1/15 sec or 1/20 sec … but ALWAYS shoot in burst mode.

So armed with these settings I set about finding a pro camera app that would allow me to manually dial in the shutter speed but that also had Burst Mode; and the app I turned to was MOMENT.

I’ve yet to use the app in a planned car shoot however when in Germany a couple of weeks back I was waiting for a friend to pick me up and whilst waiting near a fuel station forecourt I attached the Variable Neutral Density Filter to my iPhone using the Polar Pro Case and Adaptor, and set the shutter speed using the MOMENT app.

I then simply took a burst of panning shots of passing cars as they negotiated a roundabout and drove away, which from my position would have meant them travelling around 20 mph.

Here’s some of the results …

So, yeah I’ve been very impressed with how the iPhone has dealt with this and the results I’ve managed to get.

Lots more experimenting and fun to be had!

ShiftCam ProGrip: The Best iPhone Photography & Video Grip?

Is the ShiftCam ProGrip the ultimate accessory for iPhone photography and videography? In this video I give you hands-on honest look both positive and negative of this iPhone Traditional Camera Style Grip; its ergonomic design, wireless charging, and enhanced grip to see if it truly transforms your iPhone into a pro camera setup. Whether you're a content creator, mobile filmmaker, or just love taking photos, this grip might be a game-changer!

🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Video:
✔️ Hands-on review of the ShiftCam ProGrip
✔️ Key features & benefits for iPhone photography & videography
✔️ How it enhances stability, ergonomics, and battery life
✔️ Is it worth the price?

📌 Check out the ShiftCam ProGrip and other Mobile Accessories I use here: ( LINK )

Mobile versus Mirrorless: Decisions to be made in 2025

Watch the recording of this LIVE Broadcast as I chat with my friend and Photographer Brian Matiash (Adobe Lightroom Team) and discuss using Mobile devices for Photography.

Should I continue doing so in 2025? Lenses and Filters for Mobile, What I’ll be using my Sony Mirrorless for, What do I make of the OM1 MK2 and a whole lot more ...

links mentioned in the video:

• Brian Matiash Website: ( LINK )

• Brian Matiash YouTube Channel ( LINK )

• Glyn’s Lyme Sunset Picture + Edits in the Lightroom Community: ( LINK )

NOTE
If you’d like any of your images to be considered for one of my ‘LIVE RetouchingBradcasts’ simply create a Collection (Lightroom Classic) or an Album (Lightroom Desktop) and Share it with me at gadewis@mac.com making sure that you set permissions to Edit and not just View.

My First Photography and Print of 2025 : Stormy Sea on New Years Day 2025

There’s no better way to kick off the New Year than doing something you love, and for me, that means grabbing my camera, which in this case was my iPhone, and heading out to take some photographs; and this January 1st did not disappoint with a stormy high tide.. How could I resist?

My wife Anne, who’s as much of a storm lover as I am, joined me to not only keep me company, but she also helped capture some behind-the-scenes footage, which added to the fun of the morning.

We headed down to The Cobb ( Lyme Regis) and straight away it was a WOW moment!

The waves were crashing hard against The Cobb sending water shooting high into the air like fireworks. The sound was thunderous, the kind of deep, powerful roar that makes you feel alive just being near it.

I knew where I wanted to head to … the only issue was getting there; the lower part of The Cobb to the side of the Aquarium. The problem here was that water was crashing and pouring over The Cobb wall into the Harbour like a giant Ice Bucket Challenge ( remember that??? ) , however I’ve learned my lesson and now travel with full wet weather kit in a bag in the boot of my car.

Still, even though I was weather-proofed it meant timing the run to perfection to avoid the weight of the water crashing down on me … which I’m rather proud to say I managed to avoid.

Weather like this always fills me with excitement BUT that said you do still need to have your wits about you. No photogbraph is worth putting yourself and others at risk. I never want to be THAT guy!

Once at the side of the aquarium I was able to photograph the small beach area behind it and still be safe, protected by a wall and railing. I managed to get the composition I wanted, grab some shots but then the wind seemed to pick up a bit more. So, I decided enough was enough and timed a run back to Anne ( who was near the RNLI Station ) without getting hit by any waves breaching The Cobb Walls.

Actually on this, I’d heard some time ago that waves come in 7s and it did see to be the case. Running there and back I initially counted 7 clear waves breaches and then ran and managed to avoid getting soaked so, clearly there’s some truth in it; if not and it was pure fluke, I’m getting an extra Lottery ticket this week 😃

As for my iPhone, I used the native 0.5 ( 14mm ) lens and the native Apple Camera App set to Apple ProRaw. The image was edited using Lightroom Mobile on my iPad Pro.

So now I’m up and running; first photograph and print of 2025 is ‘in the bag’ 😃

After walking around a bit more, grabbing some extra shots and some video footage, it was time for breakfast at our favourite spot … Town Mill Bakery.

So here we are in 2025. I’m now really looking foward to the coming months as I plan to be visiting some other coastal locations across Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Wales ( West and North ) … and my thoughts are that I’ll be doing this with my iPhone to push it that bit more and see what I can get with such minimal kit.

I’ll keep you posted.

Happy New Year!

Photographing Storms in the UK with my iPhone and Friends

There’s something special about heading out with your camera (or iPhone as it was for me) when a storm is brewing. It’s that mix of excitement, unpredictability, and the chance to capture nature at its wildest and recently, I had the chance to photograph two big storms—Storm Bert and Storm Darragh.

Storm Bert at Lyme Regis

First up was Storm Bert on the seafront at Lyme Regis with my good mate Steve Healy.

Lyme’s one of those places that looks stunning in any weather, but during a storm it really is next level.

The wind and rain was relentless, whipping around us as we walked along the seafront. The waves were smashing into the harbor wall, sending spray high into the air. At one point, I got completely drenched from the knees down (see photo below) by a rogue wave, but hey it’s all part of the fun, right?

I used my iPhone 15 Pro Max with the Lightroom Camera app, and honestly, it was spot on. The light was constantly changing, but using the phone to capture it was a breeze (no pun intended).

We took some time out for a bit of shelter and grabbed a coffee in the seafront Café, SWIM and it just so happened that on ther next table were a couple of people who had a dog, and well …

I couldn’t resist grabbing a photograph with my iPhone

I edited the portrait quickly in Lightroom on my iPhone and then showed the owners, who loved it and asked if I’d send it to them.

This again showed to me how powerful a mobile workflow is; being able to take a photograph and immediately edit it and sent it, I find so bloomin’ exciting!

Storm Darragh at West Bay

A few days later, Storm Darragh rolled in, and this time, it was off to West Bay with my friend Brian Dukes.

If you know West Bay, you’ll know those golden cliffs are absolutely stunning, but throw in a storm and it’s a whole different scene.

Brian and I spent most of the time trying to keep our footing while scouting for the best angles but oddly the sea wasn’t as rough as we’d expected it to be and we actually spent more time on the other side of the harbor.

Why I Love Storm Photography

Here’s the thing about photographing storms: it’s not just about the pictures. It’s the whole experience—being out in the elements, feeling the wind batter you, hearing the roar of the waves, and just soaking it all in (sometimes literally!).

For me, it’s also about the people you share it with. Steve and Brian are brilliant company, and there’s something about laughing at each other while dodging waves that makes the day even better.

If you’re thinking of heading out to photograph a storm, do it. Just make sure you’re prepared (waterproofs are a must … as I have well and truly learned), keep an eye on the tides, and embrace the chaos. The photos are a bonus!

I’m really happy with the keepers from both Storm Bert and Storm Darragh but honestly, the best bit was just being there watching the storm do its thing.

Can’t wait for the next one. Bring it on!

Taking Photos with my iPhone and taking TIme Out

This past couple of weeks have been quite eventful to say the least and with all that’s happened I’ve found myself even more grateful than ever that I live near the coast.

For me, being able to take some ‘time out’ and slow down whilst looking at and listening to the waves crashing against the shore is medicine … pure and simple, and this past week it was much needed.

Here’s some pictures that I took this past week when I took some ‘time out’ just down the road at Lyme Regis using my iPhone and edited in Lightroom on my iPad.

Each of these pictures I’ve also added to my Lightroom Community Profile Page wheere you can see all of the retoching steps and also download them as a Preset to use on your own images ( LINK )

Handheld 1 second Long. Exposure using the ReeHeld App

From Movie Magic to Photographic Mastery | Lisa Carney

Thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Hollywood Movie Poster / Art Work Retoucher Lisa Carney and uncovering the HOW, WHAT and WHY of her personal work, her photography, process, retouching, personal projects and travel.

At the beginning of this recording check out the slideshow of her images and then learn how she captures and edits them because I guarantee, like me, you’ll be blown away!

Links mentioned in the video

Website: lisacarney.com (Portfolios, Photoshop Tutorials, Courses and more … )

Grief ( Art as Therapy - Personal Project ) LINK

Instagram: @lisacarney

The Lightroom Virtual Summit 2024: bit.ly/lvs-2024

Glyn’s Adobe Lightroom Community Page: LINK

Unsurprisingly, Lisa was a HUGE hit judging by some of the comments posted already from folks watching the recording …

Editing my Photographs in Lightroom on my iPad Pro

Now that I’ve been able to calibrate the screen on my iPad Pro, I’m really enjoying it when from time to time I retouch some of my pictures on it; reason being that the results on my calibrated iPad Pro are extremely close to how they look on my calibrated BenQ SW 272U Display.

I always struggled taking it seriously before now because it wasn’t calibrated and thought …

“What’s the point when I’d then have to go and make corrections
in Lightroom on my desktop afterwards?”

— Me (Before)

But now this is definitely not the case …

I actually had the technical folks at Calibrite reach out to me after having seen the iPad Pro calibration video I shared on my YouTube channel, asking if I’d be able to do a 2nd calibration to check whether the one I did was indeed accurate; and it most definitely was …

• Target Luminance = 100cd/m2

• Achieved Luminance = 99.355cd/m2

• Target X = 0.3127

• Achieved X = 0.313

• Target Y = 0.3290

• Achieved Y = 0.331
  

So yeah … the calibration of the iPad Pro screen worked a treat!

If you didn’t see the video I put together showing how to calibrate the iPad Pro and whaich also makes sense of what all this Luminance, X and Y stuff is all about, here it is …

So now, knowing that my iPad Pro screen calibration is good, I’m definitely making more use of it; not for every edit but just for those times when I just fancy sitting with my feet up in front of the TV and tinkering and when out and about on a phot shoot and then grabbing a coffee.

Also on those occasions if I haven’t finished the editing, when I get back home in front of my main computer I can just pick up in Lghtroom on my desktop from where I got to in Lightroom on my iPad Pro; such is the way that Lightroom syncs across all devices.

Clever stuff!

Actually on the subject of getting home and diving back on to my main computer, I’ve some new kit coming that is going to improve my workflow, set up and backing up, so I’ll make sure to share about that here and in a video 👍🏻

Calibrating my iPad Pro for Photography

One thing I always do when taking portraits is shoot tethered and that always used to be with my camera connected to my MacBook Pro or laptop BUT that has now changed to being my iPad because its way more portable and convenient.

I use the CaptureOne app for the tethering which works so incredibly well .. literally just open the app, plug in your camera (you can also use it wirelessly) and you’re up and running. You can even use it to tether to your iPhone … if you have one.

The only problem i find is that the screen on the iPad out of the box is too contrasty … its set up so that it gives the richest colours and the deepest blacks for when using apps, watching movies, playing games, looking at pictures which is great but not ideal for when using it when tethering.

However I have the 6th generation 12.9” iPad Pro running iOS 17.3.1 and this has Reference mode and this we can use to kind of calibrate the screen to something more suitable for photography.

NOTE:
Reference mode is actually available on 12” iPad Pro 5th generation or later and requires iOS 16 or later.

iPhone Photography using Neutral Density Filters ... Why ???

With the rise in popularity of mobile photography, a new industry has developed producing add-ons such as grips to make using your iPhone more like using a regular camera along with bluetooth shutter buttons, lenses, filters and more.

I’ll cover lenses in future posts and videos but for now I just wanted to concentrate on filters … in particular ND (Neutral Density) filters.

I’m writing this on Day 1 of the KelbyOne iPhone Photography Conference for which I’m presenting 2 classes, namely … …

• Capturing Pro Quality Portraits

• Essential Gear for the Modern iPhone Photographer

It was in the preapration for both of these sessions that I did A LOT of testing and research and in the process learned a lot more, or rather uncovered a lot more about the iPhone.

UnderStanding Neutral Density Filters

First, let's grasp the concept of neutral density filters. These accessories are essentially pieces of glass that reduce the amount of light entering the camera lens without affecting the color or hue of the image. They are commonly used in photography to achieve effects such as blurring motion in bright conditions or using wide apertures in daylight.

I’ve used them in the past many times with my main camera, my Sony A7RIV when venturing out taking seascape images such as this one here at Trevose Head in Cornwall.

Using Neutral Density Filters made it possible for me to correctly expose the image with a 2 second exposure to give motion and blur to the waves as they crash against the rocks …

I’ve also used them with my Sony to capture this 30 second exposure of Teignmouth Pier in Devon …

long exposure seascapes with my iphone

Over the past year or so I’ve been capturing seascapes more and more with my iPhone thanks to apps like ReeXpose that make all of this possible by instead of the need for Neutral Density Filter, computatiopnally blending a series of images together to create the long exposure effect … and doing so incredibly quickly.

The app works incredibly well and allows the user to capture exposures from ½ second all the way to Bulb Mode, and using it I’ve taken what I consider my best seascape images to date …

Lyme Regis

Blend of ½ Second and 1 Minute Exposures in Photoshop taken with ReeXpose Long Exposure App

Lyme Regis

1 Minute Long Exposure using the ReeXpose Long Exposure App

Prince of Wales / Severn Bridge over the Bristol Channel

1 Minute Long Exposure using the ReeXpose Long Exposure App

The ReeXpose app produces Raw files, but like every other long exposure app available at the moment, those are limited to 12MP Bayer Raw files, which despite not sounding much by todays standards, are very acceptable and workable. Digitalab even printed one of my iPhone long exposure 12MP Bayer Raw File images at 72” on the longest edge, and it came out looking great …

However, despite being 12MP and me being VERY happy with the results I wish there was a way to produce 48MP long exposure files from my iPhone using these kind of apps but that’s just not possible at the moment.

So when I got hold of the new range of Neutral Density Filters from ReeFlex for use with my iPhone it got me thinking …

Would it be possible to use the Neutral Density Filters with one of the Pro Camera Apps that are available so that I could use them to shoot at 48MP in Apple ProRaw AND slow the shutter down … basically capture a long exposure the traditional way? I mean why else would there be Neutral Density filters available for the iPhone?

close but no cigar

So can it be done?

Well, the short answer is NO.

You see first of all when using the iPhone along with one of the Pro Camera Apps available like ReeFlex, Moment, CameraPixels and so on, if you set them to shoot at 48MP in Apple ProRaw and then adjust the exposure using the Shutter Speed or ISO, the file instantly drops to 12MP.

The only adjustment you can make and keep in 48MP is using the EV (Exposure Vlaue) slider which is basically the equivalent of dragging your finger on the screen to brighten or darken image as you would in the native Apple iPhone camera app, so no good for long exposure.

If you leave the settings alone though and then just add on the Neutral Density filters, sure enough you can slow the shutter down … but don’t get too excited, because no matter how many Neutral Density filters you stack on top of each other, the shutter speed will NOT go slower than 1/15 sec

Even with all the ND Filters I have stacked on front of my iPhone … 1/15 sec is all that’s possbile in ProRaw at 48MP.

Oh and by the way that’s 29 Stops of Neutral Density right there 😳

ReeFlex Pro Camera App
48MP ProRaw in AUTO

If you make ANY changes to the Shutter Speed or ISO then the file drops to 12MP …

ReeFlex Pro Camera App
12MP ProRaw

So looking at this, with the way the current iOS works, what is the point of Neutral Density FIlters for Photography with the iPhone?

If you want the scene darker or brighter then you could just use the EV slider and that would remain in Apple ProRaw at 48MP, but you can’t take the shutter speed slower than 1/15sec and remain in 48MP. Period!

are all 12mp files the same?

Now if we just accept the whole 48MP and 12MP thing how about this …

Raw Long Exposure Apps for the iPhone do so by computationally blending a series of shots to create the final long exposure image as a 12MP Bayer Raw File.

You can see this really clearly when you set a ½ second exposure time.

Look at the image below and notice the overlapping of files. You don’t notice this at longer exposure times but with fewer images taken at a faster long exposure (if that makes sense) it makes it harder to blend together … because there’s less files to overlap.

You do need to really look to see it but once you do, you can’t un-see it as shown in the zoomed in image below …

So here then is my thinking, which I hasten to add I am popping out tomorrow morning to test …

Accepting that if I use manual controls the file will drop to 12MP, what if I use the Neutral Density Filters to get a correct exposure with a shutter speed of ½ second or the maximum of 1 second?

Thinking of this in really basic terms … as that’s not being used to blend images together, it should in theory produce a single shot long exposure right? When I’m sat in my office with the phone in those manual settings and move it around the image is blurry so that should work for moving objects like the sea right?

I’ll keep you posted with the testing once I’ve been out tomorrow.

Just to add though … the slowest shutter speed you can set is 1/1 sec so for anything longer than that it calls for one of the long exposure apps that does the computational blending thing.

Apple Proraw isn’t really raw

Whatever the technical reason / limitations there are for this I really do hope in the near future this is overcome, otherwise Apple continually calling the camera system “Pro” could start to get a little bit "Boy who cried Wolf” if you know what I mean.

That said though, because of how Apple ProRaw works, there may well be times you wouldn’t want to use it anyway because of the processing it applies to the files i.e. Noise Reduction and Smart HDR.

I’m going to be covering that very soon in another article and video.

ND FILTERS WITH iPHONE FOR VIDEO ???

This is a definite YES though and I’ll be covering that in a post and video VERY soon.

Right, I’ll go charge my filming kit for tomorrow and keep you posted once I’m done with the testing 👍🏻