Apple has debuted a new television ad on U.S. broadcast and cable networks, “Portraits of Her,” which shows off iPhone 8 Plus’ Portrait Lighting feature.
The new ad stars singer Shannon Wise oftheband The Shacks as she walks along on a sunny sidewalk. As she walks, the lighting changes to match the different lighting effects capable within Portrait Mode on iPhone 8 Plus: Natural Light, Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, and Stage Light Mono.
The spot ends with a still being taken of Wise and the effects being applied live as the user scrolls through the effect menu.
The song featured in the ad is “This Strange Effect” by, appropriately enough, The Shacks.
Direct link to video here.
MacDailyNews Take: While we’re not sure the average Joe or Jane will grasp what’s going on here; they may think these are merely snapchat filters or something. Those that do understand that there’s some rather sophisticated AI happening here may actually be a bit confused as the commercial seems to indicate that Portrait Lighting works on video (it doesn’t) and that snapping five shots is required by the user, whereas the feature (beta) actually will apply any of the five Portrait Lighting modes to a single shot.
This article reminds me, there is a photography class / lesson in my local Apple store in Regent street, where they go out into the city and apple experts teach photo graphy to Iphone users. I need to sign up to that class, its over an hours of walk around taking photo graphy and learning how to use the phone camera better
I read MDN’s take before I watched the advert, and feel their take is a little too heavy handed. I could tell the difference between the ad’s “imagination” and “reality” pretty easily (you see the guy playing with the mode on the phone).
You could tell the difference, but could “the average Joe or Jane” who think Samsung is innovative ?
So the man in the commercial has his girlfriend take a photo of him at the end right?
I wish portrait mode worked with video
Probably doable but, my God! The resources it would take, no?
If any company could do it, I think Apple will.
Real time processing of video would be a very impressive ability, but of course would be one hell of a technical challenge.
However twenty five years ago, the concept of making a small video camera boiled down to working out just how small you could built a tape transport mechanism and cassette. In those days you would have been laughed at for suggesting that cinematic quality video could be shot on a device as small as an iPhone now is.
I’m pretty certain that real time video processing is already being worked on and will be with us sooner rather than later.
My mum says that the music is like the Doors band.