Once you get to know your iPhone camera a bit better and learn how to use the various settings, you will be able to take much better photos.

Plenty of new features are rumored to be coming to the iPhone with iOS 18 this fall, and chances are, this will include some updates within the Camera app. While it’s already a great tool with tons of customizability options and pro camera modes, some might argue that the iPhone camera still isn’t quite up to the same standards as some of the best Android smartphone cameras.

Nonetheless, there’s no denying that you can take awesome photos with an iPhone if you take the time to frame them nicely and choose the proper settings. There are a few things you can do to further improve the experience. These tips include ones that can make your photos better, some that allow for more customization, and a few that are just plain fun to check out.

1. Take Live Photos

Live Photos are a great iPhone feature that captures 1.5 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after you hit the shutter to snap a photo. You can then scrub back and forth on the image to find the perfect still. Yes, Live Photos take up more storage space on the phone, but if you have an iPhone with ample on-board storage along with an iCloud subscription, keeping the Live Photos feature on all the time, or at least during special events, will pay off in spades.

In a group photo situation, you would be able to find a still where nobody’s eyes are closed or the perfect moment without motion blur in an action shot. If someone walked by right when you snapped a photo, you can also scrub past them and get the version of the photo without them.

2. Use Markup to cover faces

You might already be familiar with how to use the Markup feature on iPhone, which is great for adding your own little drawings, text, sketches, and more to photos. You can also use Markup to fill out digital forms, even sign them with your digital signature. But did you know you can use Markup to cover someone’s face in a photo?

It might not be something you thought about before, but besides covering up that ex you want out of your life, it’s considered inconsiderate to post images of other peoples’ children on social media unless you have express permission from their parents. There are also people who prefer not to have their likeness appear online. But how do you share that adorable photo from your child’s talent show or the group photo that includes the person who doesn’t want their visage publicly visible? Easy. Use Markup to cover faces with super-cute Emojis while yours shines through. iOS 17 added new features like Live Stickers as well.

3. Use Portrait mode

Portrait mode on iPhone adds a stunning depth-of-field to photos, but so many people don’t even bother using it. And it’s easy! Hold the camera up to the subject with a lovely background (think the ocean at the beach or trees in the local park), and switch to Portrait mode. It might tell you to move closer or farther away, or you might be advised that you need more light for the shot to work. But then you’ll get an astounding shot where the subjects will appear as though they’re popping against the background.

You can also adjust the settings as you take the picture. Play around with lighting via settings that pop up once you select Portrait mode, including Natural (no filters or editing), Studio (brightens facial features), Contour (adds beautiful and dramatic directional lighting), Stage (you remain in color while the background turns black), Stage Light Mono (black and white with a dark black background), and High-Key Light Mono (grayscale subject with a bright, white background) to yield the desired effect. Portrait Mode only works with human faces for now, and once you select this mode, the Live photo option is automatically turned off until you go back to standard Photo mode. Did you know you can also take a selfie in Portrait mode? That knowledge might be a game-changer for some.

4. Verify lighting

Check lighting to ensure that it isn’t casting shadows or isn’t too harsh or dark. You can do this inside the app by adjusting the exposure (see below) or you can make changes in your environment. If it’s a bright day, for example, you might want to wait until the sun has gone down or when it’s not facing you to ensure you get the perfect shot. If you’re taking a photo of an item that casts glare, place it at a slight angle to help eliminate that.

You generally want a soft light that is positioned in front of the subject and behind you, so you can move around to block out the light, such as with a building or a tree. If you’re indoors, you might need a good source of artificial light. You can do this through a third-party accessory like a ring light or have someone hold a light diffuser to improve the lighting.

5. Shoot from a low angle

This is one of those photography tricks that can make the difference between a good photo and a great one. Instead of holding the phone in front of your face to take a photo (on the left here), or even at your chest level, hold it further down (as with the second photo). This adds a new perspective and can make the subject of the photo shine. Doing so can also present more detail in the foreground of the photo while eliminating distracting detail in the background. If you find holding the phone this way awkward, you can squat or kneel down.

6. Be mindful of composition

Some of us get excited and want to include tons of elements in a photo, but sometimes it’s best to keep things simple with a single subject and a clean background. Empty space in a photo, typically known as negative space, can actually be a good thing. It helps your subject, whether it’s a person or even a delicious dish, pop from the photo.

You might have to wait until you can frame a photo perfectly, like if people are walking by. Be sure to eliminate distracting elements, like your purse or a water bottle, in photos with people. It requires some patience, but the extra few minutes you take to set up the photo will be worth it in the end.

7. Play around with exposure

Most people simply open the camera app and press the shutter to take a photo without thinking twice. But there are adjustment settings worth exploring, including exposure. Exposure controls the brightness of the photo, and it takes some practice to avoid under- or over-exposed images. You’ll see the exposure option when you tap the little arrow at the top once you have opened the Camera app. Tap the +/- circle and you’ll see a slider. Sliding your finger to the right will darken the exposure and to the left will lighten it. You can use this to compensate for lighting, like if there are darker areas in the photo you want to brighten. You can even take long exposure photos to showcase subjects like a moving car or train with a cool, artsy effect.

8. Use an add-on macro lens

Did you know there are add-on lenses for the iPhone? One such lens is a macro lens, available from brands like Hitcase. Pop one of these on the phone, and you can take stunning close-up shots of your new baby, pet, flowers, and more. The level of detail will be stunning and have your friends and social followers believing you took the photo with a DSLR camera.

9. Use square mode for social posts

Have you ever tried to post a photo on Instagram only to frustratingly realize that people or elements are cut off because the image is too wide? Sometimes, even pinching to crop it doesn’t work. Thankfully, the iPhone Camera app has a square mode that is perfect for taking Instagram-friendly photos. In the arrow drop-down menu at the top, select the 4:3 option and then select Square. This will adjust the frame to a square that’s perfectly fitted for Instagram. Now you know everything in the frame will show in all its glory in your next Instagram story or post. This is also great if you’re using instant printers that make tiny, square prints directly from your phone.

10. Use filters

Just like with photo apps, you can apply a filter to any photo directly in the Camera app. You might have an image, for example, that you absolutely love, but it’s over-exposed. Instead of trashing it, losing that moment forever, tap Edit and the three-dot menu at the bottom and scroll through the various filters. The Vivid filter works wonderfully with colorful images of food, for example, making the colors pop. Using one of these might be able to save an otherwise undesirable photo. It will look like you did this on purpose to create an artistic effect; nobody needs to know the truth! A good solution sometimes to save otherwise terrible photos is to use the Mono filter and make it black and white, which can hide imperfections or focus issues.

Explore the camera

The camera on all the best iPhones can do a lot more than just snap the odd candid photo. If you really take the time to get to know all the settings, you can take fabulous photos without having to do a ton of editing or losing out on precious moments. You’ll find that with a bit of practice and know-how, your photos will look crisper, clearer, more engaging, and evoke more emotion.

Even if you’re just snapping shots to share via social media, the difference between a decent photo and a beautifully composed one can be night and day. Take the time to get to know your iPhone camera a little better. You’ll be thankful you did.

1. Secret hacks to book cheap flight tickets!

Planning a trip, but worried about flight tickets… Well, searching and booking cheap flight tickets can be a tiring thing. However, you can actually save big on flight tickets if you try some hacks. If we have your curiosity piqued, read on to know all the tips that will help you get the cheapest flight tickets.

2. Go for incognito mode

You might have noticed by now that flight ticket prices change after you are done searching for a few times in your web browser. Do note that it is because of the cookies in your browser; it’s because when you search, flight prices change and increase when a particular route gets repeatedly searched so as to trick you into booking the flight tickets quickly.

To avoid falling into traps, always search for flights in incognito mode to see the lowest prices.

3. Clear your cookies

As mentioned above, ticket prices of flights fluctuate based on the cookies in your browser. Cookies store the recent information of your search history, which is used by travel search engines or airline websites to determine the price to be shown to you. Next time, be careful to delete the cookies and browse flight tickets in incognito mode to check out the lowest prices.

4. Go for non-refundable tickets

By norm, non-refundable tickets are actually cheaper than refundable ones. As such, if you are very sure of your travel dates, go for non-refundable ones and save some extra bucks for your trip. Also, booking a round trip ticket is also a great way to save money.

5. Check the frequent flyer program

As they say, loyalty can go a long way, you can enrol in a frequent flyer program to get great discounts. A loyalty program works in such a manner that every time when a traveller picks a particular airline, points are added to your account. Then, by accumulating those points, they can redeem them to book flight tickets at discounted prices. Look out for credit cards that are tied up with certain airlines that will help you to build up such points more quickly.

6. Mark the cheapest days to fly

As per research and user opinions, flights leaving anytime between Monday and Thursday morning will likely have lower airfare than other flights. This time is known as ‘off-peak travel’, so if you are flexible with your travel dates and can fly on these days, you will definitely be able to save big on your bookings.

7. Follow airlines on social platforms

Social media platforms have changed the lives of so many people. So, you can also make some small changes as a consumer and reap some benefits. For this, follow the airlines on social media and keep an eye on promotional deals that the airlines offer to book even last minute tickets at surprising low prices. You can even subscribe to the airlines, to get notification of flash sales and special air discounts. If you are lucky, you can save as big as 50% on ticket fares.

8. Book a connecting flight

If you’re travelling to a distant place and aren’t in a rush, try booking a connecting flight that will go easy on your pocket. Here, the search engines will facilitate your search by letting you filter flight itineraries by the number of stops. And, if you have different carriers, you might further be able to save some cash as well.

9. Use flight search engines

If only you are patient, you can get a great deal following this tip. Before booking a flight ticket, it’s also an ideal idea to search multiple search engines, which will allow you to compare prices offered by different sites for different flights and dates; plus, you will also get price drop notifications. No search engine remains consistently, so try a combination of search engines to get the best deal for yourself.

As someone who’s on the road at least once a month, has TSA Precheck, and has perfected the art of packing a carry-on suitcase, I thought I had flying down to a science. But then I had a kid, and somehow flying became daunting.

Now, having survived my first domestic flight with my son, Bobby, I can vouch for the fact that many of my travel rules and organizational tactics remained the same, kid or no kid. Pack light. Get to the airport on time (but not too early). Upgrade to economy plus, if it’s in your budget.

All that said flying with a baby is an entirely different animal. And if you’re doing it solo, like I did, you need to be extra prepared. I would never call the experience fun, like, lying on a beach in St. Barts with a glass of rosé in my hand fun. No, it’s definitely not that. But surprisingly, it wasn’t a root canal, either. Getting to and navigating the airport was routine — in some ways. Here, for first time parents and parents-to-be, are tips and tricks based on my experience. For more on my actual flights to and from Charleston, which had some real high moments, and some really low moments, stay tuned for my next column.

1. Start small and domestic

No one needs to be a hero here. If the prospect of flying with a baby freaks you out, pick a destination that’s easy to get to — under two hours. I went with Charleston since it’s a manageable hour and 45-minute flight from New York City. The rationale: no matter how bad things got up in the air, sweet, glorious land wasn’t too far away. Why domestic? Well, if you’re traveling with a baby under two (an infant-in-arms) they get to fly for free if they sit in your lap. All you have to do is note when booking your ticket online or over the phone that you are traveling with an infant in arms, and give their name and date of birth. Ask any parent who has kids over two and they will confess that making the switch from flying with a kid for free to paying full fare for their tickets is a major kick in the gut.

2. Your baby may need ID, and you may need a paper boarding pass

I read on several websites that I would possibly need to present Bobby’s birth certificate as proof of age at the airport to an airline agent. Rob and I had gotten Bobby’s passport a few months back, so I came prepared and brought it with me as his form of ID. Surprisingly, no one asked to see it or a birth certificate. What did happen: I made my way through a relatively short security line to the TSA agent, only to have him (politely) say that my mobile boarding pass wouldn’t suffice — it did not show that I was carrying an infant in arms. He advised me that I would need a paper one. So, I had to turn around with the stroller, go back to a Delta agent, and get a paper boarding pass. The Delta agents were also surprised that I had to do this (and a Delta rep has since confirmed that sometimes they’ve seen the infant in arms designation drop off when using the wallet app). But once I had my paper boarding pass we were in business.

I did some digging on the ID issue, and here’s what I came up with: the rules aren’t hard and fast, and may differ from airline to airline. As far as the TSA is concerned, a baby does not need an ID to fly, and they will likely not ask you for an ID on a domestic flight. (I say likely, because, having talked to different co-workers, some have said the TSA has asked to see ID at times.) When it comes to the airlines, things get a little hazy. On their sites, the policies can be couched with language like you “may” be required to present proof of age (as it appears on American Airlines). Or, the language can be more definitive, as it is on Southwest Airlines, which states you need a boarding verification document, i.e. a birth certificate. I reached out to Delta, and a representative confirmed to me that they do not require an ID for minors under 18 traveling domestically. But for a child 12 months or older, they recommend bringing a birth certificate to help clarify the child’s age for ticketing eligibility purposes.

Bottom line: bring a copy of your baby’s birth certificate since it’s better to be safe than sorry. What they’re checking for here is to see if you may or may not be trying to take advantage of the kids under two fly-free policy, after your child is older than two.

3. Give yourself an extra fifteen minutes to get to the airport.

Our flight to Charleston was at 8:05 a.m. If I was flying without a kid, I would have set a 6:00 am car pick up and whizzed through security with TSA Pre. This trip, not so much. I had a stroller, car seat, and diaper bag to contend with, but I also didn’t want to get to the airport super early — every little minute of extra sleep counted for me, and frankly, Bobby.

So I budgeted myself 15 extra minutes, figuring that’s about what it would take to get in and out of the car and go through security with all this extra stuff. I made sure my clothes were laid out the night before, my bags were all packed, and I had slip-on flats ready to go. (Because when you’re carrying a baby, nothing says nightmare like taking off and then retying your shoes in the security line). Truly, fifteen extra minutes was all I needed. And as I get used to flying with a baby, I may not need it at all.

4. Pack light, check smart

I was lucky in that I was meeting my husband in Charleston. I made him carry pajamas and shirts for me, along with diapers, bibs, and outfits for Bobby. All I had to carry was a diaper bag, which I stocked with 10 diapers, wipes, my Skip Hop pronto changing station, bibs, two spare outfits, and plenty of formula, along with my wallet, ID, and toiletries. Here’s what I would have done, had I had a suitcase: CURBSIDE CHECK-IN. I repeat, CURBSIDE CHECK-IN. When you’re juggling a kid and luggage solo, it just makes sense to ditch those bags as soon as you can and skip waiting in line inside. And that’s what curbside is there for.

5. Stroller + Car Seat + Gate-Check = Heaven

When I first started shopping around for strollers, I was shocked by the prices and the sheer choice. It was like shopping for a car. We bought the Britax B-Agile 3/B-Safe 35 Travel System, both for the moderate price and the fact that it is lightweight and specifically designed for travel. It comes with a B Safe infant car seat that easily snaps in and out. As your kid grows out of the car seat and can sit up, you remove it, and use the regular stroller.

The big debate with a stroller is if you should check it like a regular piece of luggage and carry your baby through the airport in a Baby Bjorn or similar carrier. Or, do you deal with the hassle of taking the whole gizmo through security and gate check it instead? With the latter, you clearly have the benefit of not wearing your baby at all times. (I should note that with both methods, the stroller and car seat may be checked for free.)

I went with the latter, and it was 100 percent the right choice. Here was the surprise of my life: security was not so bad. In fact, it restored my faith in humanity, because fellow fliers and the TSA were eager, willing, and able to help me. I put Bobby in the Bjorn — you must wear or hold your baby through security — decided to not stress, because kids feed on stress, and totally did not care what anyone else around me thought.

The funny thing is other passengers and security guards were so helpful I was through in no time, and I don’t really remember how it all went down, step by step. I know my diaper bag went on the conveyor belt, as did the car seat, courtesy of a TSA agent. For some reason, my shoes set off the alarm, but a random stranger actually picked up my flats and put them on the belt. The TSA agent, I think (and I say think because I was so focused on Bobby, I didn’t see everything) wheeled the stroller through the metal detector. Another agent scanned the formula that I had. And then I was done, and able to wheel him around the airport with ease and yes, even grab myself a cup of coffee.

My main takeaway for you is that no one is reinventing the wheel, here, and just because you’re flying with a kid doesn’t mean that the experience has to be a nightmare. People, especially other parents, are willing to help you out. And even if your kid has a meltdown, just remember — you’ll never see these people again.

Enjoy the view from Burj Khalifa, ride a camel on a sand dune and meet a penguin in the Mall of Emirates, all on the same day

It’s hard to believe that you can squeeze in a trip to the Middle East over the weekend, but it’s totally doable. From pictures of Dubai, the city’s skyline might remind you of home, but once you’re there, you’ll feel a world away from the 852.

Before you fly off on your Arabian adventure, make sure you book a desert tour, such as the half-day outing offered by Royal Desert Tourism. Then you can use the other half of your time in Dubai to explore the city.

Morning

Start your day on a literal high note at the world’s tallest building. Though Dubai boasts many impressive modern high-rises, Burj Khalifa stands out at 828 metres. The structure is a sight to behold from the ground, but the view is even more spectacular from the observation deck above. Travel up its many storeys – on the world’s fastest escalator, no less – until you reach the 125th floor, where you can take in a 360-degree view of Dubai’s expansive and ever-growing skyline.

Once you have come back down to Earth, you can add a bit of extra flavour to your morning by wandering through the aromatic Spice Souk, a traditional market. As you make your way past the fragrant stalls stacked with colourful bags of herbs, spices and nuts, you can pick up some dates for breakfast and souvenirs for your friends.

Afternoon

Don’t worry if you didn’t get your fill at the spice market because the next stop is Al Ustad Special Kebab near Al Fahidi Metro Station. It has gained a good reputation not only for its mouth-watering plates of chargrilled meats, but also the friendly waitstaff. As you can see from the walls covered in photos, the Iranian restaurant has attracted a number of big-name customers, ranging from celebrities to royalty, in the 40-plus years it’s been open.

It’s also apparent from the pictures that the restaurant’s current owner, Majeed Al Ustad, has become something of a celebrity, too. You’re likely to see him in person at the restaurant, and he’d be more than happy to pose for a selfie with you on your way out.

Make sure you get back to your hotel by 3pm, when the shuttle service will pick you up for your next activity. We hope you didn’t go overboard at lunch because you’re in for a bumpy ride on the dunes of the Arabian Desert. There will also be an opportunity for you to ride a board down the sandy slopes.

Evening

Your four-wheel adventure will end at a sort of campsite where giant tents are set up. To one side, there are camels that you can ride, and in the centre of it all, is a big stage surrounded by chairs and tables. After the sun sets, belly dancers, tanoura dancers (tanoura is a kind of Egyptian folk dance), and fire spinners take to the stage while you enjoy your buffet dinner.

If it’s too hot during your visit, you always have the option of swapping the sand dunes for snowy hills. Bet you never imagined you’d be able to ski in a city surrounded by desert! But you can do exactly that at the Mall of Emirates, which boasts a 22,500-square-metre indoor ski resort. You can even get up close and personal with some adorable penguins while you’re there.