iPhone Photography: Shooting Raw for Creative Control

Many iPhone users are unaware that shooting raw can significantly improve their mobile photography by providing greater creative control. Expert smartphone photographer and influencer Zach Leon explains the benefits and process of capturing raw images on Apple's devices.

The Case for Raw Shooting

Shooting raw captures the original image data from the iPhone's sensor with minimal processing, unlike the heavily processed JPEGs the phone typically produces. This puts the photographer back in control of creative decisions. Leon notes that while JPEGs and built-in computational photography features are fine for casual shots like family photos or selfies, shooting raw is essential for taking mobile photography to the next level or when a dedicated camera is not available. He argues it guarantees the photographer can express their individual taste, rather than relying on the phone's automated guesses.

Techniques for the Best Shot

Leon emphasizes that composition and focus are the two most critical elements to get right in-camera, as they cannot be altered later. For composition, his advice is to get physically closer to the subject, as smartphone lenses are often wider than a traditional 35mm perspective. For focus, he recommends tapping the screen to set the focus point or using manual focus for important shots to override the phone's automatic system. Finally, he stresses setting the desired exposure during capture. Attempting to fix poor exposure in post-processing can degrade image quality.

How to Set Up and Shoot Raw

Raw shooting has been available on iPhones since 2016. To activate it, users must go to Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and turn on Apple ProRAW or ProRAW & Resolution Control, depending on the iPhone model. Leon personally uses an iPhone 13 and prefers the Lightroom Mobile app for both shooting and editing. He adds the Lightroom widget to his home screen for quick access. Within the app, he can adjust exposure, white balance, and shutter speed before taking the photo.

The Essential Editing Workflow

Editing is a necessity when shooting raw, as the initial files can appear flat. Leon's process starts by applying a custom mobile preset in Lightroom Mobile for consistency, which includes adjustments to tone curves, shadows, highlights, and colour. He then makes final, image-specific adjustments to exposure and white balance. He describes this editing stage as where a photographer's personal taste truly emerges, transforming the image into something wholly their own rather than a product of the phone maker's algorithms.

Leon's seamless setup, using Lightroom Mobile from capture to edit, encourages him to shoot raw on his phone consistently to meet his mobile photography goals.