{"id":158688,"date":"2021-01-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-computational-photography\/"},"modified":"2021-01-19T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T08:00:00","slug":"what-is-computational-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-computational-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is Computational Photography?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcce8f3d3e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcce8f3d3e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-computational-photography\/#The_Magic_of_Computational_Photography\" >The Magic of Computational Photography<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-computational-photography\/#Why_Does_Computational_Photography_Matter\" >Why Does Computational Photography Matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-computational-photography\/#Computational_Photography_Techniques\" >Computational Photography Techniques<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-computational-photography\/#Computational_Photography_in_Action\" >Computational Photography in Action<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Is Computational Photography?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<!-- UNCACHED CONTENT --><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707551\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-707551 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Google-Pixel-Live-HDR.jpg\" alt=\"Google Pixel HDR Camera\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Computational photography is responsible for most of the amazing strides our smartphone cameras have taken in the last decade. Here\u2019s how it works, and how it makes our photos so much better.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Magic_of_Computational_Photography\"><\/span>The Magic of Computational Photography<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Computational photography uses digital software to enhance the photos taken by a camera. It\u2019s most prominently used in smartphones. In fact, computational photography does the heavy lifting to create the great-looking images you see in your smartphone photo gallery.<\/p>\n<p>The rapid improvement in smartphone cameras over the last few years can largely be attributed to improving software, rather than changes to the physical camera sensor. Some smartphone manufacturers, like <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>le and Google, continuously improve the photo-taking capabilities of their devices year after year without ever drastically changing the physical camera sensors.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Computational_Photography_Matter\"><\/span>Why Does Computational Photography Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707552\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-707552 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Google-Pixel-Photography.jpg\" alt=\"Woman Taking Picture Google\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>How a camera digitally captures a photo can be roughly divided into two parts: the physical component and image processing. The physical component\u00a0is the actual process of the lens capturing the photograph. This is where things like the size of the sensor, lens speed, and focal length come into play. It\u2019s in this process that a traditional camera (like a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifesavvy.com\/5516\/5-things-to-know-before-buying-a-dslr-camera\/\">DSLR<\/a>) really shines.<\/p>\n<p>The second part is image processing. This is when the software uses computational techniques to enhance a photo. These techniques vary from phone to phone and manufacturer to manufacturer. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>ly, though, these processes work together to create an impressive photograph.<\/p>\n<p>Even the most top-end phones tend to have tiny sensors and a slow lens due to their size. This is why they have to rely on image processing methods to create impressive photos. Computational photography isn\u2019t necessarily less or more important than physical optics; it\u2019s just different.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are some things a traditional camera can do that a smartphone camera cannot. This is mostly because they\u2019re much larger than smartphones, and they have gigantic sensors and swappable lenses.<\/p>\n<p>But there are also some things a digital smartphone camera can do that a traditional camera cannot, and that\u2019s all thanks to computational photography.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How Photography Works: Cameras, Lenses, and More Explained<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Computational_Photography_Techniques\"><\/span>Computational Photography Techniques<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707549\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-707549 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Computational-Photography-Apple-Presentation.jpg\" alt=\"Stacking Images iPhone Apple\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Apple\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There are a few computational photography techniques smartphones use to create fantastic images. The most important of these is\u00a0stacking<strong>. <\/strong>It\u2019s a process in which multiple photos are taken by a camera at different times, and different exposure or focal lengths.\u00a0They\u2019re then combined by software to retain the best details from each image.<\/p>\n<p>Stacking is responsible for most of the huge strides that have occurred in mobile photography software over the last few years, and it\u2019s used in most modern smartphones. It\u2019s also the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> on which high-dynamic-range (HDR) photography is based.<\/p>\n<p>Because the dynamic range of a photograph is limited by the exposure of that specific shot, HDR takes an image at varying exposure levels. It then combines the blackest shadows and brightest highlights to create one photo with a larger range of colors.<\/p>\n<p>HDR is a staple feature of any top-end smartphone camera.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707554\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-707554 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Apple-Deep-Fusion.jpg\" alt=\"Deep Fusion Camera iPhone\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Apple\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pixel binning is another process utilized by smartphone cameras with high-megapixel sensors. Rather than stacking different photos on top of one another, it combines adjacent pixels in a very high-resolution image. The final output is downsized to a more detailed, but less noisy, low-resolution image.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s great smartphone cameras are often trained on a neural network<strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>which is a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of algorithms that process data. It\u2019s intended to simulate what the human brain can do. These neural networks can recognize what constitutes a good photo, so the software can then create an image that\u2019s pleasing to the human eye.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is HDR Photography, and How Can I Use It?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Computational_Photography_in_Action\"><\/span>Computational Photography in Action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Virtually every photograph we take with our smartphone uses computational photography to enhance the image. However, phones have gained the following notable features that highlight the software processing power of their cameras over the last few years:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Night mode (or night sight):\u00a0<\/strong>This process uses HDR processing techniques to combine photos taken across a different range of exposure lengths to expand the dynamic range of an image shot in low light. The final photo will contain more details and appear more properly lit than one taken with a single exposure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Astrophotography: <\/strong>A variation on night mode, this feature is available in Google Pixel phones. It allows the camera to take detailed images of the night sky, featuring stars and heavenly bodies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Portrait mode:\u00a0<\/strong>The name of this mode varies. Generally, though, it creates a depth-of-field effect that blurs the background behind the subject (usually a person). It uses software to analyze an object\u2019s depth relative to other objects in the image, and then blurs those that seem farther away.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Panorama:\u00a0<\/strong>A shooting mode available on most modern smartphones. It allows you to composite images next to each other, and it then combines them into one large, high-resolution image.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deep Fusion:\u00a0<\/strong>Introduced on last year\u2019s iPhone 11, this process uses neural network technology to significantly reduce noise and improve the detail in shots. It\u2019s particularly good for capturing images in medium- to low-light conditions indoors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Color toning:\u00a0<\/strong>The process phone software uses to automatically optimize the tone of any photo you take. This is done even before you edit it yourself with filters or in an editing app.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_707550\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-707550 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Google-Night-Sight-Astrophotography.jpg\" alt=\"Astrophotography Night Sky Google\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The quality of the features above vary by manufacturer. The color toning, in particular, tends to be noticeably different. Google devices take a more naturalistic approach, while Samsung phones typically take high-contrast, highly saturated images.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to buy a new smartphone and photography is important to you, be sure to check out some sample photos online. This will help you choose the phone that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is the Deep Fusion Camera on the iPhone 11?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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Here\u2019s how it works, and how it makes our photos so much better. The Magic of Computational Photography Computational photography uses digital software to enhance the photos taken by a camera&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Google-Pixel-Live-HDR.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}