When you think of portrait mode, you might immediately think of the standard portrait function on recent iPhones. But more is possible: Instagram, Google and Facebook also offer the possibility to take photos with depth, even on older iPhones.
Portrait photos with Instagram, Google and Facebook
Apple has been getting a lot of attention for portrait mode since the iPhone 7 Plus came out. Algorithms are used to get the people in focus, while the background is artificially blurred. Developers can build portrait mode into their own apps. Instagram, Google and Facebook have all done that and that in turn opens up new possibilities. We'll discuss what you can do with Portraits and Depths on all three platforms:
- Instagram Focus
- Facebook 3D
Instagram Focus
Instagram Focus gives an artificial depth effect to photos. It only works with faces, blurring the background. It even works from the iPhone 6s, so you also get a pretty nice effect with slightly older iPhone models. The trick is not so much due to the camera lens, but to facial recognition algorithms. The app then knows which part of the photo should remain sharp and distinguishes between foreground and background.
Read our tip about Instagram Focus if you want to know more about taking portrait photos with Instagram.
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Taking portrait photos with Instagram Focus
Instagram Focus is a special effect in Instagram that allows you to take portrait photos. The biggest plus is that it also works on older iPhones that don't have a dual camera. In this tip we explain how Instagram Focus works.
Google’s depth feature
Google also has a depth function in the Google Photos app, which can only be used for photos that have already been taken with the portrait function. So you need at least an iPhone 7 Plus. When editing a portrait photo in Google Photos, you will see an option Adjust > Depth. Move it left or right to adjust the amount of blur.
You can change the focus point a bit by moving the white ring at the top of the photo. This way you determine which part of the photo is in focus. You will have to find out for yourself which photos were taken in portrait mode, because Google Photos itself does not indicate this. You can read more about editing portrait photos in Google Photos in our tip.
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Edit Portraits in Google Photos: Here's how it works
Google Photos lets you edit Portraits: you can change the depth of field, the background – or blur the foreground and emphasize the color even more. That is how it works.
Facebook 3D Photos
Facebook is not the most obvious place to edit your photos, but with the Facebook 3D Photos function you can still achieve a nice effect. You can't adjust blur with this feature, you just get a subtle parallax effect by using a photo's depth information. This is comparable to the parallax wallpapers on the iPhone.
If you tilt the iPhone while viewing the photo, the object appears to shift slightly in relation to the background. On the desktop you have to move the mouse to see the effect. This will be visible to any Facebook user, even if your phone doesn't have portrait or depth features. You do need the right browser, for example Safari or Chrome.
You can read how to make a Facebook 3D photo in the article below.
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Facebook now lets you create 3D photos from portrait photos
With Facebook you can now convert your portrait photos with depth into a 3D photo. This makes the foreground appear separate from the back. It works with portrait photos you took with iPhone.To do this, create a new Facebook post in the iOS app. Then choose the 3D photo effect. After viewing the preview and entering a description, share your photo. This does not always produce a good result, so you sometimes have to experiment until you get it right. It works best with photos with contrasting colors, multiple depth layers and clearly visible textures.
You can also work with portrait functions in other apps, for example in the originally Dutch app Halide. It can even perform many more tricks on iPhones that have a single camera, such as the iPhone XR, thus circumventing the restrictions a bit.
We also have tips on how to get the depth effect on photos from older iPhones, regardless of how many camera lenses they have.
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