10 iPhone Camera Hacks That Make Your Photos Look Professional

The iPhone camera is better than many people realize. With a few toggles, touches, and simple habits, you can capture images that look like they were shot on a mirrorless camera. Here are ten field-tested hacks you can apply today.

Table of Contents

1. Turn On Grid & Level for Perfect Composition
2. Use AE/AF Lock + Exposure Slider
3. Shoot ProRAW (or RAW) When Detail Matters
4. Use 48MP & 2× Lossless (Supported Models)
5. Leverage Smart HDR for Balanced Highlights
6. Master Night Mode with a Stable Base
7. Portrait Mode + Depth & Lighting Control
8. Live Photos → Long Exposure Trick
9. Burst Mode & Timer for Action & Groups
10. Use Physical/Remote Shutters to Kill Shake

1) Turn On Grid & Level for Perfect Composition

Composition is half the battle. Enable the grid and level to quickly align horizons and use the rule of thirds.

How: Settings → Camera → toggle Grid and Level.

Why it works: It prevents tilted horizons and helps place your subject where the eye expects it.

Pro Tip: Place eyes on the upper-third line for portraits; keep horizons on a third, not centered.

2) Use AE/AF Lock + Exposure Slider

Tap to focus, then press-and-hold until you see “AE/AF Lock.” Slide your finger up/down to adjust exposure.

• Lock focus on your subject to avoid focus hunting.
• Drag down to keep bright skies from blowing out.
• Recompose while the focus/exposure stay locked.

3) Shoot ProRAW (or RAW) When Detail Matters

RAW keeps more data for editing—amazing for landscapes, sunsets, and tricky light.

How (supported models): Settings → Camera → Formats → enable Apple ProRAW (choose 12/24/48MP).

When to use: High-contrast scenes, print work, or when you plan to edit in Photos/Lightroom/Darkroom.

Note: RAW files are larger. For quick shares, shoot HEIF/JPEG; for hero shots, switch to RAW.

4) Use 48MP & 2× Lossless (Supported Models)

On newer iPhones, tap the RAW or 24/48 MP option and try the 2× (sensor-crop) zoom for crisp detail without digital mush.

• Great for daylight portraits and textures.
• Gives you extra room to crop when editing.

5) Leverage Smart HDR for Balanced Highlights

Smart HDR blends multiple exposures so skies keep detail while shadows stay clean.

How: Leave Smart HDR on (defaults on modern iPhones). If you prefer more control, shoot RAW and edit highlights.

Tip: Point at the brightest area → drag exposure slightly down → shoot. You’ll get punchier clouds and richer color.

6) Master Night Mode with a Stable Base

Night mode automatically sets a multi-second exposure. Stability is everything.

How: When the moon icon appears, tap it to choose the exposure duration. Brace your phone or use a mini tripod.

Pro move: Set phone on a wall/bench → timer 3s/10s → longer Night mode → razor-sharp low-light shots.

7) Portrait Mode + Depth & Lighting Control

Portrait mode simulates lens bokeh and studio lights. After shooting, adjust the blur and lighting effect.

• Step back a little; keep good light on the face.
• Edit → Depth to soften or reduce background blur.
• Try Studio Light for clean skin tones; Contour for drama.

8) Live Photos → Long Exposure Trick

Live Photos capture a short video. Convert it to a long exposure for silky waterfalls or light trails.

How: Shoot with Live on → open photo → tap Live (top-left) → choose Long Exposure.

Works best: At dusk/night with moving water, traffic, or handheld sparklers.

9) Burst Mode & Timer for Action & Groups

Capture the perfect moment without missing it.

• Burst: Hold the shutter or drag it left (in Photo mode) to shoot a rapid series. Pick the sharpest later.
• Timer: Use 3s/10s to reduce camera shake and get everyone in the frame.

10) Use Physical/Remote Shutters to Kill Shake

Avoid blur by not tapping the screen at all.

How: Press the phone’s volume button to shoot. EarPods/Headphones volume buttons work as a remote, too.

Apple Watch: Use the Camera Remote app to see a preview and trigger the shutter from your wrist.

Quick Editing Recipe (in Photos)

1. Straighten & Crop: Fix horizon; apply rule of thirds.
2. Brilliance: +10 to +30 for pop without overdoing contrast.
3. Highlights/Shadows: Pull highlights down, lift shadows slightly.
4. Warmth & Tint: Small tweaks to correct color cast.
5. Sharpness: +5 to +15; avoid halos.
6. Vignette: Subtle, to draw focus.

Export tip: For social, HEIF/JPEG at native resolution looks great. For prints, export RAW edits at full size.

One-Minute Pre-Shoot Checklist

• Lens clean? (Shirt corner or microfiber!)
• Grid & Level on?
• Subject lit better than background?
• AE/AF Lock set & exposure nudged down?
• RAW on for hero shots? (Optional)
• Timer or remote ready to avoid shake?

How to Make Your iPhone Battery Last Long

Stop “battery anxiety” with easy settings, smart charging habits, and a few myth-busting facts. Bookmark this guide and revisit the monthly checklist at the end.

Table of Contents

1. Quick Wins (5 minutes)
2. Settings to Tweak
3. Travel & Low-Signal Tips
4. Diagnose Fast Drain
5. Myths vs Facts
6. Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Quick Wins (5 minutes)

1) Enable Low Power Mode

Swipe down ➝ Control Center ➝ tap the battery icon. Or go: Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode. Cuts background activity and visual effects.

2) Dim & Auto-Lock

Settings → Display & Brightness: lower brightness, set Auto-Lock to 30 seconds–1 minute, disable Always-On (on supported devices) to save hours daily.

3) Tame Location & Background Refresh

Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services: switch rarely used apps to While Using. Then Settings → General → Background App Refresh: disable for non-essential apps.

4) Silence Non-Critical Pings

Settings → Notifications: turn off unneeded notifications & Live Activities. Every wake costs energy.

Settings to Tweak (and why they work)

Setting	Path	What to Choose	Why It Helps
Battery Insights	Settings → Battery	Check Battery Usage by App	Find energy-hungry apps; adjust their permissions or usage.
Mail Fetch	Settings → Mail → Accounts → Fetch New Data	Use Push for main account, Manual/Hourly for others	Reduces constant network wake-ups.
Location	Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services	Prefer While Using, disable Precise where not needed	GPS & radios are battery-intensive; precision costs more.
Background App Refresh	Settings → General → Background App Refresh	Off for games/social/shopping you don’t need updated	Stops silent network/CPU work when you’re not using the app.
Display	Settings → Display & Brightness	Lower brightness; disable Always-On (if available); shorter Auto-Lock	Screen is the #1 daily drain; less on-time = more battery.
Haptics & System Sounds	Settings → Sounds & Haptics	Reduce haptics for keyboard/system	Vibration motor uses more power than a simple “click”.
Widgets & Live Activities	Home/Lock Screen customization	Keep only essential, remove live-updating tiles	Frequent refreshes wake CPU and network.
Siri & Search	Settings → Siri & Search	Disable “Hey Siri” if you rarely use it	Always-listening voice detection costs idle power.
App Permissions	Settings → [App]	Block background cellular data for non-essentials	Prevents stealthy syncs when on mobile data.

Pro Tip

Keep iOS and apps up-to-date. Updates often fix runaway background tasks and improve power management.

Travel & Low-Signal Tips

• Weak signal = hungry radios. If coverage is poor and you just need offline access, turn on Airplane Mode and enable Wi-Fi as needed.
• Use Low Data Mode in Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options to reduce background syncing on trips.
• Download maps/music for offline use before you go.

Diagnose Fast Drain (Step-by-Step)

1. Open Battery (Settings → Battery) and view the last 24 hours. Identify top draining apps.
2. Adjust offenders:
   • Set Location to While Using, disable Precise if not needed.
   • Disable Background App Refresh for that app.
   • Reduce notifications or turn off Live Activities.
3. Check storage: Settings → General → iPhone Storage. Low free space can cause extra background work.
4. Restart the device; stuck processes clear and radios reset.
5. Reset settings (last resort): Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset All Settings. This doesn’t delete data but resets preferences.

Myths vs Facts

Myth: “You must always go 0% → 100%.”

Fact: Frequent partial charges are healthier for lithium-ion than deep cycles.

Myth: “Force-quitting apps saves battery.”

Fact: iOS suspends apps efficiently; relaunching repeatedly can use more power.

Myth: “Only dark mode matters.”

Fact: Brightness and screen on-time dominate. Dark mode helps, but less than simply dimming.

Myth: “Wireless charging is always bad.”

Fact: Heat is the issue. Cool, quality wireless chargers are fine; avoid hot surfaces.

Monthly Maintenance Checklist

• Review Battery → Usage by App; tame any new power hogs.
• Purge or offload apps you don’t use.
• Update iOS and apps.
• Scan notifications and disable noisy ones.
• Clean charging ports and cables; replace frayed cables.
• Skim Privacy → Location Services for apps that don’t need Always-on.

Tip: Add this checklist as a monthly reminder.

The Littke Known Settings on Your iPhone (That Actually Make Life Easier)

Unlock power features you already own: faster actions, calmer notifications, stronger privacy, and “why didn’t I know this?” automations.

Python 3 Unit Testing

Python 3 · Testing

Learn how to write fast, reliable tests using the built-in unittest and the popular pytest framework—plus fixtures, mocking, parameterization, coverage, and CI.

Contents

1. Why Unit Testing?
2. Project Structure
3. unittest Basics
4. pytest Basics
5. Fixtures
6. Mocking with unittest.mock
7. Parameterization
8. Measuring Coverage
9. TDD Workflow
10. Continuous Integration
11. Assertions & Cheatsheet
12. FAQ

1) Why Unit Testing?

Unit tests check small, isolated pieces of code (functions/classes) to catch bugs early. They also document behavior and enable safe refactoring. With a fast test suite, you’ll ship changes with confidence.

2) A Clean Project Structure

Recommended layout

myapp/
├─ src/
│  └─ myapp/
│     ├─ __init__.py
│     ├─ mathy.py
│     └─ io_helpers.py
├─ tests/
│  ├─ test_mathy.py
│  └─ test_io_helpers.py
├─ pyproject.toml
└─ README.md

Tip: Put application code in src/myapp and tests in tests/. Tools like pytest discover tests named test_*.py.

Example code (to be tested)

# src/myapp/mathy.py
def add(a: float, b: float) -> float:
    return a + b

def divide(a: float, b: float) -> float:
    if b == 0:
        raise ZeroDivisionError("b must not be zero")
    return a / b

3) The Built-in unittest (Batteries Included)

unittest ships with Python 3—no install needed.

# tests/test_mathy_unittest.py
import unittest
from myapp.mathy import add, divide

class TestMathy(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_add(self):
        self.assertEqual(add(2, 3), 5)
        self.assertAlmostEqual(add(0.1, 0.2), 0.3, places=7)

    def test_divide_ok(self):
        self.assertEqual(divide(10, 2), 5.0)

    def test_divide_by_zero(self):
        with self.assertRaises(ZeroDivisionError) as cm:
            divide(1, 0)
        self.assertIn("must not be zero", str(cm.exception))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    unittest.main()

Run: python -m unittest or python -m unittest tests/test_mathy_unittest.py

4) pytest (Fast, Friendly, Powerful)

Install with pip install pytest then run pytest. It offers concise tests, rich output, and powerful plugins.

# tests/test_mathy_pytest.py
from myapp.mathy import add, divide
import pytest

def test_add():
    assert add(2, 3) == 5

def test_divide_ok():
    assert divide(9, 3) == 3.0

def test_divide_by_zero():
    with pytest.raises(ZeroDivisionError):
        divide(1, 0)

Run: pytest -q

5) Fixtures: Reusable Setup/Teardown

Fixtures provide test data or resources and clean up automatically.

# tests/conftest.py
import tempfile, shutil, pathlib, pytest

@pytest.fixture
def temp_dir():
    d = tempfile.mkdtemp()
    try:
        yield pathlib.Path(d)
    finally:
        shutil.rmtree(d)

# tests/test_io_helpers.py
def test_write_and_read(temp_dir):
    p = temp_dir / "hello.txt"
    p.write_text("hi")
    assert p.read_text() == "hi"

Tip: Place shared fixtures in tests/conftest.py for auto-discovery.

6) Mocking with unittest.mock

Mock external calls (network, file system, time) so tests are fast and deterministic.

# src/myapp/io_helpers.py
import requests

def fetch_title(url: str) -> str:
    r = requests.get(url, timeout=5)
    r.raise_for_status()
    return r.text.split("<title>")[1].split("</title>")[0]

# tests/test_io_helpers_mock.py
from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
from myapp.io_helpers import fetch_title

@patch("myapp.io_helpers.requests.get")
def test_fetch_title_mocks_requests(mock_get):
    fake = MagicMock()
    fake.text = "<html><title>Hello</title></html>"
    fake.raise_for_status = lambda: None
    mock_get.return_value = fake

    assert fetch_title("https://example.com") == "Hello"
    mock_get.assert_called_once()

Rule of thumb: Patch where the object is used, not where it’s defined.

7) Parameterization (More Cases, Less Boilerplate)

# tests/test_mathy_param.py
import pytest
from myapp.mathy import add

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "a,b,expected",
    [
        (0, 0, 0),
        (2, 3, 5),
        (-1, 5, 4),
        (0.1, 0.2, 0.3),
    ],
)
def test_add_param(a, b, expected):
    assert add(a, b) == pytest.approx(expected)

Why it rocks: Easier to read, great failure messages, and one test turns into many.

8) Coverage: Know What You Tested

Install pip install coverage, then:

# with pytest
coverage run -m pytest
coverage report -m
coverage html  # open htmlcov/index.html

Aim for meaningful coverage (e.g., 80%+), without gaming the metric.

9) A Tiny TDD Loop

1. Write a small failing test (red).
2. Implement the simplest code to pass (green).
3. Refactor for clarity/perf while keeping tests green.

# 1) failing test first
def test_is_even():  # tests/test_even.py
    from myapp.mathy import is_even
    assert is_even(2) is True
    assert is_even(3) is False

# 2) minimal implementation
# src/myapp/mathy.py
def is_even(n: int) -> bool:
    return (n % 2) == 0

10) Run Tests on Every Push (CI)

Here’s a minimal GitHub Actions workflow to run tests on Python 3.10–3.12 and generate coverage.

# .github/workflows/tests.yml
name: tests

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    strategy:
      matrix:
        python-version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
        with: { python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }} }
      - run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip
      - run: pip install -e . pytest coverage
      - run: coverage run -m pytest -q
      - run: coverage report -m

Pro tip: Fail the build if coverage drops using coverage report --fail-under=80.

11) Assertions & Cheatsheet

unittest assertions

Assertion	Use
assertEqual(a, b)	Exact equality
assertAlmostEqual(a, b, places=7)	Floats
assertTrue(x) / assertFalse(x)	Truthiness
assertIn(x, seq)	Membership
assertIsNone(x)	None checks
assertRaises(E)	Exceptions

pytest power-ups

Feature	Example
Simple asserts	assert func(x) == y
Parameterize	@pytest.mark.parametrize(...)
Fixtures	@pytest.fixture + autouse
Marks	@pytest.mark.slow, -m "not slow"
Skip/xfail	pytest.skip(), @pytest.mark.xfail

12) FAQ

Do I need both unittest and pytest?

No. Many teams use just pytest for new projects. You can still run legacy unittest tests under pytest.

How many tests should I write?

Focus on critical paths and tricky logic. Aim for high coverage with meaningful scenarios—not just lines executed.

How do I test time, random, or network calls?

Use unittest.mock to patch functions like time.time, random.random, or HTTP clients. Inject dependencies where possible.

Copy-Paste Quickstart

# 1) install
pip install pytest coverage

# 2) create files
mkdir -p src/myapp tests
# add src/myapp/mathy.py and tests/test_mathy_pytest.py (from above)

# 3) run tests + coverage
pytest -q
coverage run -m pytest
coverage report -m

Python 2.7 vs Python 3

What changed, why it matters, and how to migrate safely.

Quick Summary Table

Topic	Python 2.7	Python 3.x	Notes
Lifecycle	End-of-life (EOL) Jan 1, 2020	Actively maintained	Security and new features only in Python 3.
Print	print "hi"	print("hi") (function)	Use parentheses in Py3; enables redirection like any function.
Integer Division	5/2 == 2	5/2 == 2.5	Use // for floor division consistently.
Text vs Bytes	str = bytes; unicode = text	str = text (Unicode); bytes = binary	Explicit encodes/decodes in Py3 when crossing boundaries.
Input	raw_input() (text), input() evals	input() returns text	Safer and simpler in Py3.
Range & Iterators	xrange() (lazy), range() (list)	range() is lazy	No xrange in Py3.
Exceptions	except ValueError, e:	except ValueError as e:	New syntax only in Py3.
Libraries	Many packages dropped support	Full ecosystem support	Modern libs target Py3.8+.
Strings Literals	"abc" is bytes; u"abc" unicode	"abc" is Unicode; b"abc" bytes	Prefer Unicode text, bytes for I/O.
F-Strings	Not available	f"Hello {name}"	Fast, readable formatting (Py3.6+).
Type Hints	3rd-party stubs only	Built-in typing	Better tooling & readability.
Dict Views	.keys()/.items() return lists	Return dynamic views (iterable)	Wrap with list(...) if you need a list.
Unicode I/O	Implicit conversions common	Explicit, consistent	Open files with encoding="utf-8".
Metaclass Syntax	__metaclass__ = M	class C(metaclass=M):	Cleaner and explicit in Py3.
Standard Library	Old module names/locations	Reorganized (e.g., urllib)	Use modern imports or compatibility layers.

Why Python 3 Happened

Python 3 fixed long-standing design issues—especially the confusing split between text and bytes, integer division, and a few syntax inconsistencies. The result is a cleaner language that’s easier to teach, localize, and maintain.

Common Code Differences

Print & Division

# Python 2.7
print "Hello"
print 5/2        # 2
from __future__ import division
print 5/2        # 2.5 with future import

# Python 3.x
print("Hello")
print(5/2)       # 2.5
print(5//2)      # 2  (floor division)

Unicode vs Bytes

# Python 2.7
u_text = u"café"
b_data = "café"              # bytes
print(type(u_text)), print(type(b_data))

# Python 3.x
text = "café"                # str (Unicode)
data = "café".encode("utf-8")# bytes
with open("out.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
    f.write(text)

Ranges & Iteration

# Python 2.7
for i in xrange(3):
    pass

# Python 3.x
for i in range(3):  # lazy like xrange
    pass

Exceptions & Input

# Python 2.7
try:
    1/0
except ZeroDivisionError, e:
    print e
name = raw_input("Name: ")

# Python 3.x
try:
    1/0
except ZeroDivisionError as e:
    print(e)
name = input("Name: ")

Standard Library Reorg Highlights

URLs

# Python 2.7
import urllib2
data = urllib2.urlopen("https://example.com").read()

# Python 3.x
from urllib.request import urlopen
data = urlopen("https://example.com").read()

Itertools / Dicts

# Python 2.7
d = {"a":1}
d.keys()    # list

# Python 3.x
d = {"a":1}
list(d.keys())   # materialize if needed

Migration Tips (2.7 → 3)

• Target a modern Python 3 (3.10+ recommended) for long-term support and features (pattern matching, better typing, speedups).
• Run python3 -m venv .venv and port code inside an isolated environment.
• Use 2to3 or python-modernize/futurize for a first pass; then hand-tune text/bytes boundaries.
• Adopt from __future__ import print_function and unicode_literals in 2.7 to reduce diffs before switching.
• Replace xrange → range, iteritems() → items(), raw_input → input.
• Open files explicitly with encodings: open(..., encoding="utf-8").
• Pin and upgrade dependencies that still assume Py2; most modern versions are Py3-only.
• Add tests (e.g., pytest), run type checks (mypy), and format (black) once on Py3.

Rule of thumb: Treat all in-memory text as Unicode (str) and only encode/decode at I/O boundaries (files, sockets, HTTP).

Which Should You Use in 2025?

Use Python 3 for everything new. Python 2.7 is unmaintained and unsupported by the modern ecosystem. If you maintain legacy 2.7 code, prioritize a staged migration to Python 3 with automated tests and incremental refactors.