We probably all have seen people using their iPad as a camera. With it’s huge screen (compared to a normal camera) it can make it easier to see what you would like to take a photo of.
There a different ways to take photos with an iPad (or other iOs devices). For example, you tap the red button on the screen, or you use the volume up or the volume down button (which acts as a shutter switch when the camera app is open). This last option is quite helpful if you want to press the shutter without touching the iPad to avoid blurred images when you iPad is on a tripod and you have long exposure times: Just use a headset with volume control as a cabled shutter switch. You can even buy cable shutter switches on eBay, etc.
I just discovered a new way: Using Assistive Touch, one of the many accessibility options that come with iOS. Now usually Assistive Touch opens a window in the centre of the screen with the accessibility options (see older post on screen shots with one hand). This wouldn’t help much in making it easier to use this option as an accessible shutter.
But when you change the Assistive Touch options to only one action (increase volume), the assistive touch button that you can place anywhere on the screen, does this action without popping up a window in the middle of the screen. And voila, you have a shutter button you can place on the screen wherever you like.
Step by step instructions:
Open the Settings app and go to General/Accessibility/AssistiveTouch
Tap “Customise Top Level Menu…)
Tap the (-) button until only one icon remains.
Tap the icon to change its action and choose Volume down (or up).
Go back to the AssistiveTouch settings and switch it on. Voila, your shutter is ready to go. The button will just the volume as set and only work as a shutter when you have opened the Camera app. Place it anywhere on the screen where you can reach it best.
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