Use Night Mode – because sometimes life happens in the dark… and somehow our iPhones are out here performing witchcraft.
Starting with the iPhone 11 and later models, Apple gave us Night mode — which basically means your phone can suddenly see things your tired eyeballs cannot. Honestly, rude but helpful.
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How Night Mode Works
Night mode automatically turns on when your camera detects low light. You’ll know it’s active when the little moon icon at the top of the screen turns yellow.
And before you start aggressively tapping buttons…..
HOLD. YOUR. PHONE. STILL.
Seriously. If you move too much while it’s taking the photo, your picture can get completely jacked up looking. Blurry ghosts. Weird smears. Chaos. The usual.
A tripod can help, especially if you’re trying to photograph random “this feels cinematic” moments during solo travel (or if you can’t keep your phone in your hand long enough for the photo to be good 😏).
Adjusting the Capture Time
When Night mode turns on, you’ll see a number next to the moon icon. That number tells you how long the photo is taking to capture.
Which means… YES. You actually need patience for approximately 3 seconds. I know. Tragic. I use the standard, but if you want even longer Night mode photos follow the below instructions:
- Tap the little arrow above the viewfinder
- Tap the Night mode button
- Use the slider above the shutter button
- Choose Max
This extends the capture time and lets your iPhone collect even more light. Which is great unless your hands shake like you drank six coffees and made bad life decisions.
A Few Things You Can’t Use On Night Mode
Live Photos and flash do NOT work in Night mode. Honestly, the flash usually makes photos look like a crime scene investigation anyway, so I rarely miss it.
My Favorite Things to Photograph in Night Mode
This is where I become completely unhinged with excitement. My absolute favorite thing to photograph is the moon and other sky stuff. (Look at tip 11 for more moon pics) There is just something magical about standing outside looking like a Chupacabra (what a Mexican coworker called me years ago – if you don’t know what it is look it up 😅) while your phone captures stars better than your eyeballs can.
But I also use Night mode for: cityscapes, dark indoor areas. sunsets, beach sunrises, amusement parks, solo travel adventures and random backyard moments that suddenly feel deep and artistic.
Some of my favorite Night mode photos are below. And honestly? That’s the fun part of photography. You don’t need perfect equipment. You just need to notice things – even if it’s in the dark.
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I am a spirited Country/Hillbilly/Ghetto/City girl blogger from Chelsea, MI who thrives on adventure, creativity and exploring the world through the lens of my camera (even if it’s my phone). When I’m not chasing sunsets and amazing views, I spend time with my heart dog Maizie. If travel, creativity and a dash of blunt honesty (with the occasional F-bomb) sparks your curiosity, you are in the right place. ~ Stressie Flavis