Guides
Practical writing about light, faces and phone cameras. No gear list, no affiliate links.
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Turn your iPhone into a ring light with Halora
The short answers on one page: dark rooms, the front flash, video calls, a makeup mirror, Android and what Halora costs.
Before you downloadRing light app purchases: what to check before you download
How to tell on the App Store page whether an app sells a subscription, and the questions worth checking before you install one.
Video callsHow to light your face for a video call without buying anything
Most bad video-call lighting comes from one mistake: the brightest thing in the room is behind you. Here is how to fix it with what you already own.
CameraWhy your selfies look grainy at night, and what actually helps
Grain is not a lens problem. It is a light problem, and the front camera is the first to suffer. What is actually happening, and what actually helps.
Honest limitsUsing your phone screen as a ring light: what it can and cannot do
A screen is a real light source with real limits. Where it genuinely replaces a lamp, and where it does not.