6. View, Organize, Edit, and Share Pictures Using the Photos App

Both the Camera and Photos apps come preinstalled with iOS 7. Although the Camera app is used to control the cameras built in to your iPhone or iPad, the purpose of the Photos app is to help you organize, edit, enhance, print, and share the images that are stored in your iOS mobile device.

If you’re new to using the Photos app, you’ll discover it’s designed to help you manage your digital images when they’re stored on your iPhone or iPad. Thus, you can use this app to manage images you take using the cameras built in to your iOS mobile device, or work with images that you transfer into or sync with your iPhone or iPad (but that were taken using other photography equipment).

When it comes to sharing and syncing your photos, the nice thing about the Photos app is that it fully integrates with the AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr functionality that’s built in to iOS 7. In addition, it’s fully compatible with Apple’s online-based iCloud service, so you can access and manage images stored in the My Photo Stream or Shared Photo Streams that are part of your personal iCloud account. (You learn more about using iCloud to back up, sync, and share photos in Chapter 13, “Discover iCloud’s My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Stream.”)

You’ll then notice that the Photos app automatically sorts your images using the dates and times they were taken. (If no relevant metadata is included with the images, the date and time the images were transferred into the iPhone or iPad is used.)

While accessing the Years view, tap on any image thumbnail to switch to the Collections view. However, if you tap on the Year heading or the location names where the images were taken, a Map view is displayed. It shows on a map where photos were shot (see Figure 6-3). As you look at the Map view, the number displayed in the blue circle indicates how many images were shot at that geographic location.

Tap on any of the thumbnails that are displayed on the map to switch to a view that displays slightly larger thumbnails of all images shot at that location, in that year (see Figure 6-4). At this point, tap on any image thumbnail to view a larger version of the image and then be able to work with it using the various tools offered by the Photos app.

From this viewing mode, tap on the heading for any group of photos to switch to the Map view. However, it’s also possible to tap on any image thumbnail and switch from the Collections view to the Moments view, which provides slightly larger individual image thumbnails, with images sorted by the specific day they were shot, not by date ranges.

As you’re viewing the thumbnails displayed as part of the Moments view, you have several options for switching views, including the following:

Tap on the Collections option that’s displayed at the top-left corner of the screen to switch to the Collections view.

Tap on the Location part of the heading to switch to the Map view.

Tap on the Date part of the heading to access a Share menu, shown in Figure 6-7, that enables you to either Share This Moment (meaning all images grouped within that Moment) or Share Some Photos (enabling you to pick which images you want to share from a Moments collection).

Tap on an individual image thumbnail to view a larger version of that single image and be able to work with it using the Photos app’s various editing, enhancing, sharing, and printing tools.

Tap on one of the other two command icons displayed along the bottom of the Photos app screen—Shared or Albums—to switch viewing options altogether.

From the Albums screen, you see listings for each separate album that’s stored on your iPhone or iPad. Each listing is composed of one thumbnail, the album’s name, and a number that indicates how many images are stored within that album.

To switch from the Albums screen (which lists the individual albums) to a screen that displays all the thumbnails for images stored within a particular album, tap on one album listing.

When one or more images are selected, tap on the Add To option that can be found in the bottom-right corner of the screen (see Figure 6-10). Then, from the Add To Album screen, choose which album you want to move the selected images to. Keep in mind that you can only move images into albums created on the iOS mobile device you’re using, not into albums that have been imported, transferred, or synced into your iPhone or iPad. Instead of choosing an existing album, tap on the New Album option to create a new album from scratch and move the selected photos into it.

To reorder the album listing displayed on the Albums screen, tap on the Edit option, and then place your finger on a Move icon that’s displayed to the right of an album listing. Drag that listing either upward or downward, to the desired location. Press the Done option (that’s displayed in the top-right corner of the screen) to save your changes.

From the Shared Streams screen (see Figure 6-11), you can access all photo streams that are stored or accessible via your iCloud account. You can also create new shared photo streams and manage existing shared photo streams.

As you’re looking at the image you selected (not its thumbnail) on your iPhone or iPad’s screen, tap on the Edit option to begin using the tools built in to the Photos app to edit and enhance the image. When you tap the Edit option, the Edit Photo screen is displayed (see Figure 6-13 for the iPad version).

Displayed from left to right at the bottom of the Edit Photo screen (refer to Figure 6-13), the tools available include Rotate, Enhance, Filters, Red-Eye, and Crop. As soon as you tap one of these icons, that tool will be used on the selected image.

To immediately undo the edits or enhancements you make on an image, tap on the Cancel option that’s displayed at the top-left corner of the screen. To save your edits and enhancements, tap on the Save option displayed at the top-right corner of the screen. In some cases, an Undo option also becomes available that enables you to remove the last edit you made to the image.

Keep in mind, while many of the editing and enhancement tools in the Photos app can either be turned on or off, you can mix and match these tools as needed to create a highly personalized image. For example, you can turn on the Enhance tool, crop the image, and also add one special effect filter—all within seconds while viewing an image from the Edit Photo screen.

After rotating the image, tap on the Save option (displayed at the top-right corner of the screen) to save the changes you’ve made and then return to the Edit Photo screen.

To select and add a filter, from the Edit Photo screen, tap on the Filters icon. Then, if you’re using an iPhone, with your finger, swipe horizontally along the filter icons to scroll through your options. Select the one you want to add by tapping on it. On the iPad, all the filters are displayed along the bottom of the screen (see Figure 6-15).

Your Filter options include None, Mono, Tonal, Noir, Fade, Chrome, Process, Transfer, and Instant. If you tap on the None option, no filter is used. However, if you want to transform your full-color image into a black-and-white image, use either the Mono, Tonal, or Noir filters. Each takes a different approach to removing the colors from your image.

The Fade option subdues the vivid colors displayed in your image, while the Chrome, Process, and Transfer special effect filters alter the colors in an image to create entirely different visual effects. The Instant filter transforms your modern-day digital image into one that looks like it was shot using a Polaroid Instant Camera.

Once you select a filter you want to use by tapping on it, your image is transformed immediately. To save the image, tap on the Apply option that’s displayed in the top-right corner of the screen. To remove the filter, either tap on the None or Cancel option. Keep in mind that only one filter can be added to an image using the Photos app; however, if you want access to a broader selection of special effect filters, as well as the option to apply multiple filters to a single image, consider using another photography app when editing your photos.

Figure 6-16 shows the same image as what’s seen in Figure 6-15, but with the Tonal special effect filter selected.

As you’re taking photos, to reduce or eliminate red-eye, consider moving farther away from your subject and then using the zoom. You also can turn on HDR mode and turn off the iPhone’s flash altogether (to utilize the existing and ambient light). If you can somehow increase the natural light where you’re taking the photo, this too can help reduce red-eye when the flash is used.

However, if you wind up with the unwanted red-eye effect in your photos, which makes the person’s eyes look bright red, this can also be fixed after the fact using the Red-Eye tool that’s built in to the Photos app. To use this tool, load the photo that showcases the unwanted red-eye, and then tap on the Edit option. Next, tap on the Red-Eye tool. Using your finger or a stylus, tap on the subject’s eyes, one at a time, directly over the unwanted red dots. The Red-Eye tool digitally fixes the image.

Unfortunately, the Red-Eye tool does not compensate for a person’s natural eye color. It simply removes the unwanted bright red dots and gives your subject’s eyes a darker, more natural looking appearance.

From the Edit Photo screen, tap on the Crop tool to access it. Upon doing this, a crop grid is superimposed over your image (see Figure 6-17). Notice that the corners of the grid have darker corners. Using your finger, drag any one of these corners inward at a diagonal (toward the center of the image), or drag it upward, downward, or to the side (depending on its current position) to adjust the size and shape of the crop grid.

Whatever portion of your image that appears within the crop grid is what will be saved when you tap on the Crop option (that’s found in the top-right corner of the screen).

Move around one or more of the crop grid’s corners to reframe and resize your image as you see fit. It’s then possible to place your finger near the center of the grid and drag it around to reposition the image itself within the grid.

When the Crop tool is activated, the Aspect option is displayed at the bottom center of the screen. Tap on this to manually resize the image or adjust its aspect ratio accordingly, based on how you plan to use the digital image once it’s been edited.

Tap on the Original option from the Aspect menu (see Figure 6-20) to retain the image’s original, rectangular aspect ratio. However, if you want to change the rectangular image and crop it into a square shape (for use on Instagram, for example), tap on the Square option.

If you ultimately plan to create a print of the image in a specific size, such as 4" × 6", 5" × 7", or 8" × 10", select that aspect ratio from the menu. If you change the aspect ratio for a specific print size, but then attempt to make a different size print from that edited digital image, the image showcased in the print is typically distorted or does not fit properly within the selected print size.

After tapping on the Photos, Shared, or Albums icon (displayed at the bottom of the Photos screen), depending on how you’re viewing your images, either a Share option or the Share Menu icon is often available to you, as shown in Figure 6-21, Figure 6-22, and Figure 6-23.

Below the image thumbnails (on compatible iPhone and iPad models) is the AirDrop option. If this feature is available and turned on, images can be sent wirelessly to other iOS mobile devices in your immediate vicinity. How to use this feature is explained shortly; see the upcoming “Use AirDrop to Wirelessly Share Images” section.

Beneath the AirDrop section of the Share menu is a row of icons representing the available ways you can share the selected image(s) from your iPhone or iPad. Your options may include the following:

Messages—The Photos app automatically integrates with the Messages app that comes preinstalled on your iOS mobile device. Use this option to send selected images to one or more recipients via text message or Apple’s iMessage instant messaging service. Tap on the Messages option and fill in the To field, as prompted (see Figure 6-24). Tap the Send option to send the message with your selected photos embedded.

Mail—Preselect and then email one or more recipients up to five separate images that can automatically be embedded into an outgoing email message from within the Photos app. After tapping on the Mail icon, fill in the To and Subject fields, and if you want, add some text to the body of the outgoing email message. The selected images are automatically embedded in the outgoing email (see Figure 6-25). Tap on the Send option to send the email.

iCloud—Select this option to add the preselected images to an existing shared photo stream (which is accessible from your iCloud account) or to create a new shared photo stream using the preselected images. How to do this is explained in Chapter 13.

Twitter—With only one image selected, you can publish it online as a tweet, so it becomes part of your Twitter feed if you have a Twitter account. To do this, select one image and tap on the Twitter icon. Next, when the Twitter window appears (see Figure 6-26), add a text-based caption to your image. The character counter in the lower-left corner of the text window tells you how many characters your outgoing tweet already contains. You can use up to 140 characters per tweet. If necessary, select which Twitter account you want to send the tweet from by tapping on the Account field. Tap on the Location field to enter a location and to publicly post the location where the photo was taken along with the photo. Tap on the Post option to publish your image on Twitter.

Facebook—Using the Facebook integration built in to the Photos app, it’s possible to upload one or more images from your iPhone or iPad directly to your Facebook wall. However, if you want to create albums on Facebook, you must use the official Facebook app. From the Photos app, after tapping on the Facebook icon, fill in the fields displayed as part of the Facebook pop-up window (see Figure 6-27). Tap the Post option to publish the preselected photos online. From the Facebook window, you can add a caption to the photo(s), select in which online album they’ll be stored, add a location where the photos were shot, and/or choose who can view the photos on Facebook.

Flickr—If you use Flickr as an online service to store and showcase your photos, you can upload one or more preselected images from your iPhone or iPad directly to your Flickr account. This can be done from within the Photos app. Tap on the Flickr icon in the Share menu, and fill in the onscreen prompts. Once again, be sure to configure your Flickr account in Settings before attempting to use this feature.

Near the bottom of the Share Menu screen are additional command icons that enable you to utilize the selected images in a variety of ways (see Figure 6-28). Depending on how your iOS mobile device is set up, the command icons available from here may include the following:

Copy—Use this command to copy the selected image into iOS 7’s virtual clipboard. Then, when using another app, use the Paste command to insert the image into the app you’re now using. This is one way to incorporate a photo into a Pages document, Numbers spreadsheet, or Keynote digital slide presentation, for example.

Slideshow—Display selected images as an animated slideshow on your iOS mobile device’s screen, or on an external HD television set if you use an optional cable. You can also use AirPlay (with an Apple TV) to showcase an animated slideshow on a television set. When you choose the Slideshow option, tap on the Transitions option to choose which animated slide transition you want to use as part of your slideshow. You can also add background music. (The music you choose must be stored on your iOS mobile device, in the Music app.)

AirPlay—Turn on and use this feature to wirelessly display individual images or animated slideshows on an HD television set via an Apple TV device.

Save To Camera Roll—This option enables you to save the image in the Camera Roll folder, which is accessible using the Photos and iPhoto app, as well as many other apps that enable you to access and utilize your images. By default, the Camera Roll folder is where images you take using the Camera app are stored.

Assign to Contact—Insert one selected image to be the profile photo used in a specific Contacts entry. Tap on the Assign to Contact option, from the All Contacts menu, choose which contact entry you want to associate the photo with, adjust the photo from the Move and Scale screen, and then tap on the Choose option to insert that image into the Contacts app and associate it with a specific contact.

Use as Wallpaper—Use the selected image as the wallpaper image on your iPhone or iPad’s Lock screen and/or Home screen. Tap on the Use as Wallpaper option, move and scale the image as needed, and then tap on the Set button. Next, select the Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen, or Set Both option. Your new Lock screen and/or Home screen wallpaper will now be displayed.

Print—If you have an AirPrint-compatible home photo printer linked to your iPhone or iPad, use this command to create prints from your digital images that are stored in your iOS mobile device. Be sure to see Chapter 11, “Create Prints from Your iPhone/iPad Photos,” for complete directions on how to do this.

To then embed a photo within that outgoing message, press and hold your finger in the body text area of the New Message window, where you want to insert one or more images. When the menu bar appears just above where you held down your finger, tap on the right-pointing arrow icon, and then tap on the Insert Photo or Video tab (see Figure 6-30). From the Photos menu, locate the image you want to embed within the outgoing email. Upon selecting and tapping on its thumbnail, the image appears in the New Message window.

You can repeat this process up to five times to embed five separate images into a single outgoing email message. When you’re ready to send the message, tap on the Send option. A pop-up menu appears, asking you to choose a file size for the outgoing images. Your options include Small, Medium, Large, or Actual Size. Not only does this determine the file size of the images being sent, it also impacts what the recipient can do with the image files once received because the resolution of the photos is impacted.

For the maximum flexibility and to retain the highest resolution, leave the images at their Actual Size. This results in larger image files and takes a bit longer for you to upload and for the recipient to download.

To turn on AirDrop, access the Control Center. To do this, place your finger near the bottom of the iPhone or iPad’s screen and flick upward. Next, tap on the AirDrop button. A Control Center menu appears, shown in Figure 6-31, that enables you to turn on this feature, plus decide who you’ll be able to use it with. Your options include Contacts Only (meaning people with entries in your Contacts database) or Everyone (meaning any iPhone/iPad user in your proximity).

When AirDrop is turned on, when you access the Share menu in the Photos app, tap on the AirDrop option. Thumbnails representing iPhone or iPad users who are nearby and who have AirDrop on their device turned on are displayed in the Share Menu screen (shown in Figure 6-32).

Preselect the images you want to send in the Photos app, and then tap on the person’s thumbnail image. A wireless connection between the two devices is established. On the recipient’s screen, an AirDrop pop-up window appears, asking whether he or she wants to accept or decline your images (see Figure 6-33). If the recipient taps the Accept button, the images are sent from your iOS mobile device to the recipient’s device. This AirDrop pop-up window appears in the center of the screen, regardless of what the other person is currently using the device for.

When the images are transferred, the word Sent appears on your iPhone or iPad, immediately below the other person’s thumbnail. If the images are declined by the other person, the word Declined appears below that person’s thumbnail.

To import a collection of images directly from the memory card of your point-and-shoot or digital SLR camera, you need the optional Lightning to USB Camera Adapter ($29.00), Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader ($29.99), or the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit ($29.99). These adapters are available from Apple Stores, Apple.com, and authorized Apple dealers.

Attach the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter to your iPhone or iPad (if it has a Lightning port on the bottom), and then plug in the USB cable that came with your digital camera. Plug in the opposite end of the camera’s USB cable to the camera itself. Turn on your digital camera and set it to Image Transfer mode. When the connection between your iPhone/iPad and your digital camera is established, follow the onscreen prompts offered by the Photos app, which includes an Import All option.

If your iPhone/iPad has a Lightning port on the bottom and your digital camera supports SD memory cards, connect the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader to your iOS mobile device, and then insert your camera’s SD memory card into the card reader. When the connection between your iPhone/iPad and your digital camera is established, follow the onscreen prompts offered by the Photos app, which includes an Import All option.

The Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit is designed for older iPhone and iPad models that have a 32-pin Dock Connector port (as opposed to a Lightning port). This kit comes with two separate adapters: one for connecting your digital camera directly to the iPhone/iPad via the USB cable that came with your digital camera, and the other for plugging in the camera’s SD memory card directly to the card reader adapter that plugs into the 32-pin Dock Connector port of your iOS mobile device.