Let people see the shot on iPhone Duo

Why show people the frame

A photographer sees the frame; the people in it usually do not. They guess whether the edge of the picture cuts them off, whether someone is hidden behind someone else, and whether their pose looks as odd as it feels. A live preview takes most of that guessing away.

On an iPhone Duo, AnyFront's live mirror does exactly that. While the phone is open and the camera is running, the cover screen faces the people you are photographing, and the mirror shows them the shot, so they can see themselves in the frame. You stay on the inner screen with your viewfinder and manual controls.

This page is about the outer screen camera preview as a tool for photographing other people. If you are the one in front of the camera, see iPhone Duo selfies with the rear cameras.

Turn the preview on

1. Open the phone and start AnyFront's camera.
2. On the inner screen, open the Cover Screen sheet and switch on Show on cover screen.
3. Pick the Mirror tab.
4. Tell your subjects where the screen is and what it shows.

From the same sheet you can switch to Photo, Video or Grabbers whenever the mirror gets in the way, without leaving the camera.

iOS decides when the cover screen is available. It is used only while the phone is unfolded, the app is open in front of you and the camera is running. Folded, the iPhone Duo works like a regular phone and AnyFront runs on the outer display as a normal camera.

To be plain about cost: the manual camera is free on every compatible iPhone, and the cover-screen features, the live mirror included, are a one-time purchase on iPhone Duo, with no subscription. AnyFront Camera is coming to the App Store on 23 October. The cover-screen camera page has the full picture.

A routine for group photos and couples

1. Say what the screen is. Tell everyone the outer screen shows the picture.
2. Use the screen to check the frame. If you can see yourself on the screen, you are in the picture. Anyone who cannot see themselves steps in, or you widen the frame.
3. Check the edges. People look at the middle of a frame and forget the sides. Ask anyone near an edge to check their own corner.
4. Take a test frame and zoom in on the faces before the real round.
5. Shoot several frames. Blinks happen in groups of any size, so keep going and pick the keeper afterwards.

In a small room, try the 0.5x lens on the models that have one, and keep the people you most want to look natural away from the edges, where a wide lens stretches things. With a couple, the preview lets them fix a stray arm or a half-hidden face themselves, which leaves you free to talk to them about something that makes them laugh. For a whole family with kids and maybe a dog, see how to take family photos with an iPhone.

Portraits: glance at the screen, then look at the lens

Seeing themselves can make some people stiff. Show the preview while you set up, so they can check the framing and settle into a pose. Then ask them to glance at the screen when you say, and look at the lens when you shoot. Eyes read as looking at the camera when they look at the lens, not at the screen.

If the mirror makes someone self-conscious, take it away. From the inner screen, switch the cover screen to a favorite photo, a video or one of the eight animations, or switch Show on cover screen off. Photographing a child, who may want something to watch rather than themselves? See iPhone Duo for kids.

Settings that keep the shot right

These work on every compatible iPhone, not only a Duo.

• Focus and exposure. Tap to focus and expose on a face, then use AE/AF lock so the camera does not hunt when people shift.
• Bright windows. If people stand in front of a window, raise EV (exposure compensation) until faces look right, and watch the zebras, which mark the brightest areas, so the window does not wash out completely.
• Straight lines. Turn on grid and level so the horizon and doorframes stay straight.
• Timer. Prop the phone, set the timer and join the group.

Quick checklist

• iPhone Duo open, camera running, Show on cover screen switched on, Mirror tab selected.
• Everyone told where the screen is and what it shows.
• Anyone who cannot see themselves on the screen steps in.
• Edges checked, one test frame zoomed in on the faces.
• Tap to focus on a face, then AE/AF lock; EV up if a window is behind them.
• Preview for setup, then eyes on the lens for the shot.
• Mirror swapped for a photo, video or animation if someone gets stiff.
• Several frames, then pick the keeper.

The short version

Let people see the frame while you set up, then ask them to look at the lens. Use the mirror to check who is in the picture, and switch it for something else if it makes anyone stiff. The FAQ answers the practical questions.