- Lock the Focus: Tap the area you want to focus on, adjust the sliders for brightness, and lock the focus by tapping the lock icon on the side of the screen This allows you to move freely while taking photos, keeping the focus locked on your subject
- Use Top Shot: Turn on Top Shot to capture natural expressions without awkwardness. This feature is like taking a 6-second video but upholds the image quality of a photo. To use it, tap the edit button after capturing your pic, choose your favorite snap, and set it as the main photo
- Use the Camera Grid: Turn on the camera grid setting to position photos like a pro. Go to Camera > Upper Left Icon > “More Settings” > Grid Type to enable a grid and choose the type. This adds a 3×3 or 4×4 grid to your camera, helping you create aesthetically composed images.
- Adjust Portrait Mode’s Lighting: Adjust the background blur after taking a shot in Portrait mode. An average blur is around 25%, but you can increase it for night shots to add a unique mood.
- Change Photo Format to RAW: Turn on RAW for professional photos or post-production editing. Go to Camera > “More Settings” > “…Advanced” > RAW / JPEG control. Be aware that RAW images are around 25MB each, so disable the setting for day-to-day use to save storage.
- Experiment with Exposure and Shadow Sliders: If you’re using a Pixel 3a or older, you’ll see a slider with a sun on it when tapping to focus. Sliding it will either brighten the photo or darken it. If you’re using a Pixel 4 or newer, there’ll be another slider with a moon on it, controlling only the darker parts of the photos.
- Use Night Sight for Astrophotography: Enable astrophotography in the camera settings, switch to Night Sight, and keep the device perfectly still. The camera button should then switch to an icon showing stars, which you can press to begin the process. The Pixel will capture multiple images of the night sky and blend them together.
- Use Action Pan or Long Exposure with Motion Mode: Open the Camera app and swipe to the right to switch to the Motion mode. Select Action Pan to add a creative blur to the background or Long Exposure to add a creative blur to a moving subject.
- Make Every Photo a Motion Photo: Open the Camera app, tap the Settings icon in the upper-left corner, and next to Top Shot, tap the rightmost icon to turn the setting On.
- Experiment with Portrait Lighting: Portrait Lighting is a tool in the Google Photos editor to change the illumination of people’s faces. You can use it for a dramatic effect or to illuminate the face of someone who is mostly backlit
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