Apple’s iPhones have always packed high quality cameras. But even a great camera can’t overcome basic limitations --like hand shake, selfies that are limited to face shots or group photos where someone is out of the frame. However, if you own an Apple Watch, you can use it to seriously up your photo game.

You’ve probably noticed there was a Camera app on your Apple Watch. Most people tend to assume that’s basically a remote to trigger a photo being taken on their iPhone. That’s true, but it’s actually much more useful than that. The Camera app turns your Apple Watch into a live, remote viewfinder for the iPhone camera as well. Why is this important?

Better Selfies

You use the selfie camera on your iPhone instead of its primary camera for one reason: you can see yourself on the display. The main camera is vastly superior in quality, but it’s pointing the wrong direction for a selfie --unless you feel like guessing whether you’re actually in the frame or not.

By using the Apple Watch Camera app, you can make full use of the superior, primary camera. One person can hold the iPhone while the other composes the photo using the Apple Watch display, then triggers the selfie. Even better, you can prop up the iPhone and fire away, without having to hold onto it at all. That means selfies that are more than just a headshot. And they are much higher resolution photos.

Better Holiday Shots

Everyone wants to take family or group photos at holiday get togethers. Using the iPhone alone, you have limited options. Trying to squeeze everyone in using the selfie camera is one option. You could also prop the iPhone up to use the primary camera, try to get everyone in the frame, tell them to hold still, set the timer then scurry over to get in the shot yourself. If everything goes perfectly, you get a good holiday group photo. More likely than not, you’ll end up repeating this exercise multiple times until you get a shot that’s good enough, or everyone loses interest and wanders away.

Source: forbes