Introduction to Camera and Photos

Sue, here! Welcome to the Camera and Photos lesson. I am so happy you are here, and I am excited to take you through how to use your iPad to capture all the wonderful, memorable moments in your life. Before you begin the lesson, read through this quick introduction and be sure to check out our previous lessons on Introduction to iPad and Preloaded Apps if you haven’t already!

All iPads come with cameras that helps you to capture and view your photos. You can take your iPad and use it to take photos of beautiful flowers, grandchildren or memories with friends or simply to view photos that have been shared with you. The larger screen also allows for easy viewing and you can also use the camera for FaceTime video chatting when you want to virtually catch up with your friends and family. There is so much you can do with the iPad camera and the photos you have taken or downloaded. So how can we get started?

The Camera app on an iPad is an app that you can use to take photos and videos with your device just like you would with a regular camera. The biggest difference? Without having to get photos printed, all the photos taken with the camera app are automatically stored on your iPad’s Photos app so you can access them any time. Additionally, with the Camera and Photos app, you can easily and conveniently share your photos and videos with your friends and family.

Throughout this lesson we will cover the basics of the Camera app and introduce you to the Photos app so that you can use your iPad to capture your special moments and easily access them on your iPad when you want to.

Ready to get started? We are just about ready to move on to the first topic, but first let’s go over some key technology terms that are used throughout this lesson and when discussing the Camera and Photos apps.

Key Technology Terms

• Zoom: feature that allows you to zoom into the subject without affecting the resolution of the photo. The zoom feature works on not only photos but on websites as well. If you need to freshen up on how to zoom on your iPad, review the Touch Screen Gestures lesson.
• Panorama Mode: when taking a photo, this mode allows you to capture more of a scene to the left and right to create a panoramic image.
• Filters: software that is generally preinstalled on your iPad to tweak the appearance of an image such as brightness and exposure.
• Landscape Mode: function of the camera that is used to take photos horizontally to capture the entire scene, instead of a closeup of just one subject.
• Selfies: a slang for self-portrait photo, taken by the device user with a handheld device like a mobile phone or tablet.