With the burst mode you can quickly take a series of photos in succession, ideal for sports, action photos and fast movements such as with children. This tip explains how the iPhone camera burst mode works.
Taking action photos with burst mode
With the burst mode it is possible to take several photos in succession. As a result, you won't miss a moment of an action with a lot of movement, for example in a rollercoaster. The newer your iPhone, the more photos you can take per second in burst mode. In this tip we explain how burst mode works on different devices and how to select the best photos.
- Burst mode on recent iPhones
- Burst Mode on Earlier iPhones
- View Burst Photos
- Disable Burst Mode
- When to Burst Mode?
Burst mode on recent iPhones
If you have an iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later, you can activate burst mode by swiping the shutter button of the camera to the left. Hold your finger on the screen and the camera takes several photos at high speed. You can see this on the basis of the counter, which appears at the bottom of the screen. The counter indicates how many photos have been taken. Lift your finger to stop.
You have to swipe the shutter button quickly, or QuickTake will be activated. This is a function to quickly create videos.
You have now taken a series of photos, which you do not want to keep. Tap Select at the bottom of the screen to check the photos you want to keep. A blue checkmark will appear at the bottom right. Tap Done when you're done.
To delete the entire burst, tap the thumbnail and then tap the trash can icon.
Instead of a series of photos in burst mode, you could also take a Live Photo. This works in much the same way: a series of photos are taken from which you can choose the best. The great thing is that you can also make a video of it. You can do that with burst photos too, but then you need an app to make gifs.
Assign burst mode to volume button
To take burst photos To make it easier, you can also assign this function to the volume button. This is available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XR and later.
To assign burst mode to the volume button:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.< /li>
- Tap Camera.
- Turn on the switch at Use ‘Volume Up’ for burst.
When opening the Camera app, you can now immediately capture the action by pressing and holding the volume up button.
Burst mode on earlier models
It is even simpler on the iPhone X and earlier models. To take a burst photo, hold your finger on the shutter button. Here too, a counter indicates how many photos you have taken. Release the shutter button when you feel you've taken enough photos.
You can also tap the thumbnail to select which photos you want to keep. Choose Select and put a blue check mark on the photos that should be kept. You can also discard the entire burst.
View burst photos
The photos you take with burst mode are stored grouped in the Photos app. This prevents your entire camera roll from being filled with the same photos. After taking the burst photo, you can also review the sequence of photos afterwards and delete the rest.
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to the tab Photos or to the All Photos album.
- Open the desired photo. Burst photos can be recognized by the stack icon.
- Tap Select.
Apple has already done the preliminary work by selecting the best photo from the series. This involves looking at things like sharpness, exposure, brightness and the like. By swiping left and right you can scroll through all the burst photos and select the best one by tapping it. A blue check mark will appear on the photo to indicate that you have selected it as a favourite.
If you press Done, you can delete all other photos in the series, but you can also keep them if you wish. To avoid filling up your iPhone storage, keep only the favorites and delete the rest.
Disable burst function
It is not possible to disable burst mode. That is not surprising, because you decide whether you use burst mode by swiping the camera button to the side or holding it down for a bit longer. If you have trouble with your motor skills, so you often accidentally activate the burst mode, you can choose to use a different method to take photos. In our article 15 tips for better photos, we discuss several ways to activate the shutter button of the iPhone camera, for example via your Apple Watch or the buttons of your earbuds.
Conversely, the burst mode can also be useful if you don't have such a steady hand and don't want to miss that one unique moment. By taking a lot of photos in succession, you can be sure that there is always a good one.
When do you use burst mode?
Burst mode is especially useful when people are jumping, skateboarding or swimming underwater. In the latter case, you will need a waterproof case for your iPhone to be able to shoot properly. The secret is that you start shooting before the person starts moving or moves through the frame. So you've captured the entire moment, from the beginning to the end. You could possibly convert them to an animated gif.
When taking photos in burst mode, you can pay attention to a number of points. Emphasize how high someone jumps on a skateboard or dirt bike by shooting from a low point. The right angle can make the difference between an ordinary photo and one where the action really splashes off the screen. Sometimes you will have to lie on the floor for this.
Sufficient lighting is also important to take a nice photo and that can be difficult with an action photo. After all, you depend on the circumstances and often cannot install an extra lamp. Fortunately, the iPhone is getting better at handling poor lighting conditions and does so by lowering the shutter speed so that more light hits the sensor. That's bad news if you want to take action photos, because the slower shutter speed then causes too much blur (although that can also be nice in some situations). In cloudy and drizzly weather, the photos unfortunately look a bit less beautiful. You can possibly edit the photos later with an app such as Snapseed, with which you can reduce the noise.
It is therefore preferable to take photos in burst mode on a sunny day. In good weather and sufficient light, the iPhone can use a higher shutter speed so that the person really seems to be standing still in the sky. With vignette and brightening color filters you can ensure that the person is highlighted a little more.
Also try to get a little closer so that the background is less distracting. For example, you can see more clearly how tense the person looks while performing a stunt. But be careful not to get hit by a skateboard and don't get in the way. If the stunt fails and someone has to make an emergency landing, you don't want someone landing on top of you.
You can also stand a little further away so you can see the action in context. For example, it can be nice to photograph a skateboarder in a special location, in front of a monument or important building. In a parking garage you can emphasize the emptiness by choosing a floor where there are no cars. And in an ugly industrial environment you could pay more attention to colored accents, such as a brightly colored waste bin. By shooting from a different angle, you get those striking elements in the picture or not, just what you like.
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