Diwali has always been a festival of light. But somewhere between lighting the first diya, arranging the rangoli, and getting everyone together for a family photograph, it has also become a festival of photographs.

There is the obligatory family portrait, the close-up of a perfectly lit diya, pictures of festive outfits and, of course, the endless attempts to capture that one photograph where everyone is actually looking at the camera. Increasingly, the smartphone has become the camera we reach for to document it all.

But if you have an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, there is one camera feature worth experimenting with this festive season: variable aperture.

For the first time, Apple's 48MP Fusion Main camera lets users adjust the aperture, essentially controlling how much light enters the lens and how much of the scene stays in focus. And during a festival like Diwali, when you are constantly moving between dimly lit rooms, glowing diyas and brightly lit celebrations, knowing which setting to use can make a difference.

If you are photographing diyas, candles or a single subject against a backdrop of festive lights, try ƒ/1.48. The wider aperture lets in more light, making it particularly useful in darker settings while helping separate your subject from the background.

For festive portraits, especially when you want fairy lights to appear softly blurred in the background, ƒ/1.8 is a good setting to experiment with. It offers a balance between light and depth, without losing the atmosphere of the surroundings.

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