Here's how people are using the iPhone 7 Plus's Portrait mode in real life

By Serenity Caldwell
last updated

Apple's Portrait mode for the iPhone 7 Plus isn't perfect — but that doesn't mean it's not already helping people take great photographs. Out of curiosity, I asked on Twitter for people to share their favorite Portrait mode snaps — and was very quickly blown away by some of the submissions. This camera mode may not be a substitute for a real DSLR (especially in low-light conditions), but it's already produced some truly spectacular and moving images taken by a wide variety of folks around the web.

But you don't have to take my word for it: Check out some of the Twitter submissions we got below.

If you can't see the embed below, go to the Twitter Moment directly.

Taken any great Portrait mode photos lately? Share them with us @imore on Twitter, or @imoregram on Instagram!

Serenity Caldwell
Serenity Caldwell

Serenity was formerly the Managing Editor at iMore, and now works for Apple. She's been talking, writing about, and tinkering with Apple products since she was old enough to double-click. In her spare time, she sketches, sings, and in her secret superhero life, plays roller derby. Follow her on Twitter @settern.

13 Comments
  • Not much different than I can do with my stock camera on s7e but does make for some nice shots. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Yeah I'm not really seeing the benefit besides some additional bokeh. They're nice shots, don't get me wrong, but other phones (7 included) are doing this well with software already.
  • any samples?
  • I'll leave this live for a few minutes:
    *link removed* Edit: new link/album with two samples of how the regular 7 does well with this... is it as good as the 7+? Probably not quite as strong of an effect... but still pretty darn good if you ask me.
  • Nice pic but blurred background and bokeh are not the same thing. Edit: Really cute kid. And my option is your are correct good enough not to spend an extra $100 for the plus just to get that mode. Love the 7.
  • Proof?
  • Those are some pretty nice pics. I think I may just go all out next year.
  • The detail around the headstone looks like someone used Photoshop to do a blur of the background. Very weird looking.
  • Yeah. Much better from when it first came out in beta, but it still looks very artificial. Before there was some weird border you'd see, now there's just something off about them.
  • Looks good to me. Guess I'll jump when the Christmas specials start happening. Too high a cost to upgrade right now.
  • Wow nice pictures. I think the boy between the rocks is so well done. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Nearly every one of these looks like a bad photoshop. Just look at where the edges of the subject meet with the background. There are all kinds of weird blurs, artifacts, strange glows, and other aberrations. Not to mention that it's merely a background blur, not a true depth of field effect. Foregrounds are not being blurred as they should be, which contributes to the odd, photoshopy feeling.
  • I see what you are saying, but it's not bad for something you just stuck in your pocket. Plus most people will just use it to upload to instagram. Sent from the iMore App