taking photos with iPhone

By JimInTexas, 14 July, 2022

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

I need to take several photos using my iPhone and I have not done much picture taking. I'd appreciate any help for how to do this as a totally blind user. Is it best to hold the phone in portrait or landscape mode? Any pointers would be appreciated.
Jim

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Comments

By OldBear on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I frequently take photographs, and am totally blind, though had some experience with photography when I could see. First, I tend to use tripods and a bluetooth switch, so as to not be jostling the camera/phone.
Portrait or landscape will almost entirely be determined by the content of the photo; ie will it fit the frame. That's where you might need to take some measurements, and look up a bunch of stuff on photography web sites to figure out the distance and height to place the camera, so for example, the top of someone's head is near the top of the picture, instead of in the middle.
With an iPhone, everything else, like focus and flash can be automatic. I often turn off the flash and use my own lighting, and have a sort of studio with a backdrop set up in one of my rooms for pictures of large objects or people, as well as Facetime.
For smaller objects, I use a few different sized boxes with portholes for the camera, and my own lighting. Ideally, that situation would use two lights shining at a ninety degree angle from each other down on the subject to reduce any shadows, unless shadows are needed for depth or something like that. Having one light at an angle with white, reflective surfaces on the inside of a picture box can also do a pretty good job of this too. And one last thing, I have an 8/10 inch, 18% gray card to put small objects on, or use as a backdrop. This helps the digital camera adjust the color better.

By JimInTexas on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I have 3 or 4 things I want to sell and that's what I need to take pics of. Your info was helpful but probably more than I need. :)

By Siobhan on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

You can use Aira, it's a free five minute call. they can take all four pics, send yout he email, labeling them so thisis my jeans, or this is my couch I'm selling.

By JimInTexas on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I've done that in the past but it is so hard to get in there for a free 5 minute call these days. I think they've just gotten too big but I haven't forgotten about them. Thanks for the reminder.
Jim

By Siobhan on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

You can always hang out with a friend, or just outright ask them, hey I need to take pics of, whatever, will you help? Chances are, they'll do it in two seconds what may take you quite a bit longer, even on your own. You can also use seeing a.i. to take a photo yourself, then have it described, so you can know, ok it's on the left, I want it centered.

By Ekaj on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

Hello. I, too, would very much like to take photos and these responses help. I'm currently reading Judy Dixon's latest book from National Braille Press on the subject. Well actually not exactly, as I've only looked through the beginning of the book. But it seems like it'll be a good read. One thing I've been wondering about is the difference between the built-in iOS camera app and Seeing AI. I've used Seeing AI a little bit and like it, and I think once I upgrade to a newer iPhone I'm going to get Envision AI now that it is or will be free for all users. But this whole subject honestly seems rather daunting to me, since photography has by nature been a visual thing up until recently. The native photos app is of course good with VoiceOver, but rather confusing.

By JimInTexas on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I just looked at InVision AI in the App Store and it seems that there is a subscription for that. Is it going to be free eventually?

By Siobhan on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I just take pics and send them to trusted friends or boyfriend. He's forever, honey move it to the left, get your finger out of the shot. That boy loves my attempts and shockingly puts up with them. Not sure about envision, but the camera app will say if it's centered or if it's level. Pro tip: if it's off kilter it will vibrate just the slightest amount and make a noice when it's level. I still screw it up all the time.

By wiljames on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

The view finder will tell you what the camera sees. For example, I took a picture of my grill with a pork butt on it. I tapped once on the view finder and it told me this was a grill with a piece of meat on it. I shared the photo and a lot of people loved that sexy smoked pork butt!

By OldBear on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

The size of the items are going to make a difference in how you photograph them. If we had an idea of what you are selling, it might help.
Also, I usually aim my face/eyes at people or things I'm focusing on, like when I was sighted, some blind people do not. I have held the phone up to my eye, exactly as if it had a camera view finder to take certain pictures, like aiming at a sound, and I've also done the same when adjusting a tripod.
It's interesting, I actually don't know how common it is for all non-visual sound and tactile information to be translated into visual brain stuff, but that's how it works for me. Some of it is similar to synesthesia, from talking to people with that, and it was absolutely not that way for me when I could see.

By JLove on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

There is a setting on the camera part of the Settings.
You can use the volume buttons to take the picture.

By Siobhan on Monday, July 25, 2022 - 00:55

I'll have to try that view finder, I just never got it to work, or ever heard the focus locked it used too.. Also, sexy smoked pork butt, made me smile. Yummy. Jim, you might find you enjoy taking pics after you finish doing whatever you are. I mean, it all comes down to how "sighted" you want to be. Me? I love taking sunset pics, moon pics, new dress pics, etc. some blind people just don't want to be that visual whereas I am all to willing to do that. Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

By Justin Harris on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

I know this is an old post, but all these years later, I still struggle to get the right angle for a good selfie. I end up getting a lot of the arm held up with the phone, and less of what I'm actually trying to capture. Going to try this view finder though, never knew about that.

By Brooke on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

I've tried numerous times but can never get a selfie quite right. Any photo I take seems to always be a little off center, even when it feels right to me.

By Brian on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

Said this elsewhere, but will reiterate here. There is an issue with the selfie centering with VO. Where it used to be able to tell you if you were centered, to the left, bottom right, whatever. Now, however, it can say centered, when you are really bottom centered, top centered, or whatever.

Frustrating.

By Gokul on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

That there'd be an AI-powered solution for this wherein it can just give more detailed instructions to position the camera properly. It doesn't seem very difficult for it to be implemented within the native camera app; would be even better if someone with the time and motivation develop something dedicated. I for one will defenitely pay for something like that.

By OldBear on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

The sighted folk can pinch and twist pictures into only showing what they want with the Photos app. That's presuming they got what they want somewhere in the frame. They can even "lift" thesubject or object and put it somewhere else. I can get the AI apps to tell me there is a face in the lower center of the picture that is slightly askew, but I can't tell it to crop and slightly rotate it, then make a new image from it.
That might be a new feature for the various AI folk to work on. It would even be a nice feature for document scanning with the phones. Just tell the AI to make the document strait and right side up in a new image. It would save a lot of trouble of retaking pictures over and over,trying to get them right. I have not fooled around with the liftable objects in pictures, and I probably should.

By Gokul on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

You mean like there's an android app that can do it?

By Justin Harris on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 00:55

Not a particular app that can be downloaded on all androids, but the native pixel camera app has guided frame, where when talkback is on, it does give you more precise instructions. Wish Apple would implement something like this.

By Brian on Thursday, November 7, 2024 - 00:55

What he said. *points at Justin*