Liven up shots on smartphone

Lots of people with iPhones that have the Live photos function will see it mostly as a nuisance. You take that terrific picture, then notice the yellow Live note that shows it’s actually a three second video, and not a still shot. In Live mode, an iPhone records what happens 1.5 seconds before and after the picture is taken. The three seconds are captured with movement and sound. But Live can be used to good effect by stills enthusiasts — three seconds is a good, long exposure. For example, it is particularly effective at this time of year, in the good spring sunshine with running water. I shot the examples here at Cobbler Pool on the Avon River, near Toodyay last Saturday. A waterfall becomes a magical blur. HOW TO DO IT Take the picture as a Live image. Open the Live photo. Swipe up until you see effects. Choose long exposure, furthest to the right. Save as a long exposure. PS: TURN IT OFF To turn Live off, touch the Live photos at the top right of the iPhone screen. A slash through the Live photos button means the feature is off. But the camera app turns Live on again automatically. To keep it off permanently, open settings, tap camera then preserve settings. Turn off the switch next to Live photos.