The One iPhone Trick That Makes Your Photos Instantly Better
There’s a small feature buried in your iPhone’s camera that most people ignore — but it’s one of the most powerful tools for intentional photography.
It’s called AE/AF Lock.
(Auto Exposure / Auto Focus Lock.)
Here’s how it works:
Open your Camera app.
Tap and hold on your subject until you see “AE/AF LOCK” appear at the top of the screen.
Now, you can reframe your shot — without the exposure or focus jumping around.
Swipe up or down to adjust brightness manually.
Shoot with intention.
Why it matters:
The iPhone is built to guess what’s important. It constantly adjusts exposure and focus based on what it thinks you’re trying to shoot. That’s great for casual snaps — but it kills mood.
By locking exposure and focus, you decide what matters in the frame.
You can expose for shadows to add drama. Or focus on the background and let the foreground blur naturally. It’s a subtle shift — but it’s how you go from snapshots to storytelling.
So next time you’re out shooting, slow down. Lock in your frame. And shoot.