Photos shot on iPhone 12 Pro around Lake Tahoe

A day around the lake using the three lenses on Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro, and the software updates.

James Martin

James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.

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James Martin

Oct. 25, 2020 5:00 a.m. PT

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We're taking the new iPhone 12 Pro out to Lake Tahoe to play with the camera. Using the three lenses and the software upgrades, let's see what this camera can do!

Emerald Bay State Park shot on the iPhone 12 Pro with a 30-second Night Mode exposure using the wide lens at 7:13, one hour after the sun had set.

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Sand Point in Nevada along Lake Tahoe's east shore, shot on the iPhone 12 Pro with a 30 second Night Mode exposure using the ultrawide lens at 6:57, about 45 minutes after the sun had set. Basic edits were made in the Apple Photos mobile app.

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Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens before sunrise.

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Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens before sunrise. Even without the Night Mode ability on the telephoto lens, Apple's Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion do a great job rendering a wide range of tones, and reducing noise in the darkest parts of the image.

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Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens at sunset.

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A photographer shoots Fannette Island in Emerald Bay at sunrise, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens in Portrait Mode.

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A postsunset twilight image shot on the iPhone 12 Pro with a 30 second Night Mode exposure.

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Kayaking in the crystal clear emerald waters of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's wide lens. Notice the incredible detail in the rocks and the wide range of tones, from the sunlit rocks to the shadows five feet underwater.

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Stand-up paddle boarding in the crystal clear emerald waters of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's wide lens.

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Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens using the Long Exposure feature inside the Apple Photos app to apply a motion blur to the moving waters, creating a silky smooth image.

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Beautiful fall colors at Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens.

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An underwater view of a stand-up paddle board in the emerald waters of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens.

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Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens.

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An above-and-below underwater shot of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens.

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Pets love the lake too! Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens.

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Beautiful emerald waters at Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens. Incredibly, the bright sun sparkles on the water while the shadows of the underwater rocks are well exposed.

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Kayakers paddle out to Bonsai Rock on Lake Tahoe's eastern shore in Nevada, shot on the iPhone 12 Pro with the new f/1.6 wide (26 mm) lens.

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Kayaking in the crystal clear emerald waters of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens.

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Stand-up paddle boarding in the clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto lens.

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A couple enjoys sunset at Sand Harbor Beach in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, photographed with the iPhone 12 Pro telephoto lens in Portrait Mode.

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Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens.

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Beautiful emerald waters and blue skies at Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens. Notice the excellent detail in the shadowed tree and rocks in the foreground.

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Along the east shore of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, shot with the iPhone 12 Pro's ultrawide lens. Notice the well-exposed wide tonal range and detail, from the shadows of the foreground rocks to the bright skies and distant mountaintops.