It’s Hard to Believe the Photos From Mood.Camera’s New Portrait Mode Were Shot on iPhone

Aug 20, 2024

A close-up of hands holding a smartphone capturing a dimly-lit scene with bokeh lights in the background. On the right, a black and white dog is pictured outdoors, with green hills and a blue sky in the background.

In April, developer Alex Fox released Mood.Camera, an iPhone camera app that promises authentic filmic character for smartphone photos. A new update has added Portrait Mode, and it looks fantastic.

“I’ve always loved the idea of portrait mode on the iPhone but often found it looked artificial, and as a result rarely used it,” Fox tells PetaPixel. “My main issue was that objects often looked cut out, and not very natural, partly because the style of iPhone photos are often very clean and clinical.”

A big focus for Mood.Camera — often stylized mood.camera — since its launch earlier this year is on reducing the “artificial” look of iPhone photos. With standard, built-in processing, smartphone photos can look too digital for some people’s tastes.

A red classic sports car is parked inside a spacious, well-lit garage. The car has the license plate "XJB 904L" and features a distinctive rear spoiler. Various tools, equipment, and car parts are visible throughout the garage. A person stands in the background.

A close-up shot of a bush with numerous white flowers in bloom, featuring green leaves with a few brownish spots. The background is filled with similar blooms, creating a lush and vibrant natural scene.

A close-up of a calico cat lying on a carpeted floor. The cat has a mix of black, orange, and white fur, with striking green eyes looking directly at the camera. Its head is resting on the floor with a relaxed expression.

A serene scene of a pond with lily pads and a single blooming water lily in soft white. The lily is surrounded by lush green leaves and slight ripples are visible on the water's surface, adding a tranquil ambiance.

Mood.Camera uses a custom ProRAW image processing pipeline to faithfully recreate the look of analog photos, including filmic colors and grain.

“The beauty of mobile photography is you have this really capable camera in your pocket, but despite the tech getting better every year, there’s been a trend towards over-processed and flat looking images. I wanted to feel inspired again,” Fox explained when he launched Mood.Camera.

A black and white dog with medium-length fur stands outdoors against a backdrop of green, hilly terrain. The dog has its mouth slightly open and appears to be looking to the side, with its tongue partially visible. The sky is clear with a few clouds.

A seagull stands on a stone pillar while a black bird sits on a railing in the foreground. The background features a coastal scene with calm water and rocky cliffs under a clear blue sky.

A close-up of a fire pit with burning logs and bright orange flames. Above the fire is a circular metal grill, and to the right, there is a pair of tongs resting on the edge. The background shows a grassy area and a wooden fence.

A single sheep grazes on a lush green hillside under a partly cloudy sky. The background features rolling hills covered in grass. The overall scene is serene and pastoral.

The developer didn’t originally intend to include a portrait mode in his app, but after the app launched, a few users suggested it. Fearing that the results would look bad, Fox gave it a dry.

“To my surprise, the results were great,” he explains over email. “Even though the effect users a similar depth processing pipeline to the default camera app, the film grain and analog artifacts do a great job of disguising the harsh cutouts and give much more convincing results.”

Like the native camera app, there are some limitations with Mood.Camera’s portrait mode, including handling fine detail in a foreground subject. Fox hopes that Apple implements advanced machine learning to improve the depth mapping in future iPhone releases.

Another notable difference between the native portrait mode and the one in Mood.Camera is that the third-party app doesn’t support changing the aperture or focus point after the image has been captured.

A black and white photo of a chessboard with scattered chess pieces. A six-sided die showing the number 32 is placed prominently in the center of the board. The blurred background emphasizes the die and pieces in the foreground.

A freshly made pizza topped with tomatoes, olives, and basil sits on a black plate on a glass table. There is an empty wine glass, a bottle of white wine, and another bottle next to it. Bright pink flowers and greenery are blurred in the background.

A green cast iron teapot with a detailed floral design is placed on a metallic countertop. The teapot has a short spout, a round lid with a small handle, and a large, curved black handle wrapped with light-colored rattan at the top.

A crowd of people stands outside, with one person wearing a red hat and jacket standing out. The sky is partly cloudy, displaying shades of pink and blue, and there are tall buildings in the background. Trees frame the scene, suggesting an outdoor event or gathering.

“This is partly because I wanted to stay true to the ‘point-and-shoot’ philosophy of Mood.Camera, but also because the filmic effects need to be applied on top of the blurred image for the best effect,” Fox explains.

“Overall this was a huge undertaking for me with many challenges to implement the live bokeh preview and final rendering — it wasn’t just a case of flipping a switch in the camera configuration!” Fox tells PetaPixel. “I’ve been working on it at weekends and evenings for the past few months and I’m really happy with the results. I’m excited to give my users a new tool to enhance the Mood.Camera experience.”

A small cat with a mix of grey and white fur is sitting on a white concrete ledge outdoors. The background is slightly blurred, showing a light beige wall, some green and blue elements, and potted plants. The cat is looking directly at the camera with alert ears.

A crowd at a concert is shown from behind, with one person holding a phone to record the stage. Green lights and beams illuminate the stage, highlighting the performer. The atmosphere is vibrant and energetic, with fog effects adding to the visual impact.

A digital clock displaying the time 23:07:36 hangs from the ceiling of a subway platform. The platform is empty except for a lone figure in the distance, and a stationary train is visible on the left side of the image.

A small, scruffy dog with a gray and black coat looks up with curiosity. The background is a cozy, blurred-out patio featuring warm wooden tones and an orange chair. The atmosphere is calm and inviting.

After an initial beta test, Mood.Camera’s new Portrait Mode is now available. The app has been upgraded to version 1.2.1 and is available as a free download from the Apple App Store. However, the app itself is only free to use for an initial seven-day trial period. Once the trial period is up, users can purchase a lifetime membership for $14.99 or subscribe monthly for $1.99.

Image credits: Mood.Camera

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