Photography

When taking photos with the iPhone, there are actually several ways to release the iPhone camera shutter. The tweak TapToSnap adds yet another option to the list for those with jailbroken devices.

Once installed, TapToSnap makes fumbling for the iPhone shutter release button a thing of the past. Tapping anywhere on the live camera preview screen will capture a photo immediately. Of course, this means that refocusing on a specific location in the viewfinder will always snap a photo.

The popular messaging app Snapchat has added a new location-based feature to enhance users' photography. Known as Geofilters, these custom borders, graphics and text packages can only be added to photos taken in specific locations. Snapchat explains that Geofilters have been developed for neighborhoods in New York and Los Angeles so far.

Snapchat does not store users' locations, but in order for the Geofilters to be available, Location Services must be enabled for the Snapchat app. The early focus on Los Angeles is not surprising, considering that Snapchat headquarters is located in the area. Various businesses and places such as Disneyland and the Venice neighborhood are showcased in the video below.

Big changes are coming to the iOS camera and Photos app when iOS 8 launches this fall. One of the highlights will be stock time lapse video capabilities, to complement slow motion and burst mode. These last two features are officially limited to the iPhone 5s.

Older devices can get slow motion and burst mode functionality through jailbreak tweaks or third-party apps. Apple has not revealed if time lapse will be limited to the iPhone 6, however there are several ways to record time lapse videos right now on existing iOS devices. Here are six ways to get time lapse video on the iOS 7 camera.

Switching between the front and rear iPhone camera is already simple. The jailbreak tweak FlipCam seeks to make this process even easier and faster than normal. For those who have trouble tapping the small icon in the corner, FlipCam provides an alternative way to change cameras.

Once installed, FlipCam does only one thing and has no settings or options to configure. To switch cameras just press and hold within the camera viewfinder. Anywhere on the live preview works, in addition to the usual small icon in the corner.

The iOS Camera app provides many easily-accessible features on its default interface. While the design might be slick and functional, in some situations the words and buttons can distract from previewing the scene in front of the lens. The jailbreak tweak MinimalCamera seeks to declutter the Camera app interface, temporarily hiding everything except the live preview.

MinimalCamera can not only be enabled or disabled under Settings, but the tweak can be switched on or off at any time from within the Camera app. First off, after installation the tweak provides only a toggle switch (enabled by default) and an option for iPhone 5 and 5s users (4-inch screens). Enabling Keep Ratio on larger iPhones will make sure the photo preview matches what is stored to the camera roll.