How to Take a Picture on a Mac

What to Know

  • Photo Booth is a great way to take pictures on the Mac. 
  • Since Macs don't have a back camera, it can be difficult to use a Mac to take a photo.
  • You can screenshot a Mac by pressing the Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously.

While the Mac isn't known for being a photo-taking device, anyone who remembers the early 2000s will know how to take pictures on a Macbook. The Mac's webcam is pretty decent, and while you might want to use your iPhone for more serious photography, taking a picture on a Mac is easy! Here's how to take pictures on a Mac.

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How to Take a Picture on a Mac

The way to take a photo on a Mac or Macbook is to use the Photo Booth app. This is a fun app that goes back to the early days of the MacBook. Photo Booth allows you to take photos on a timer, multiple photos in a burst, use filters, and record videos. The files will be saved in your Photo Booth Library folder, so be sure to remember where you saved that folder to! Here's how to use Photo Booth to take a picture on Mac.

  1. On your Mac, open Photo Booth.

    how to take a picture on a mac
  2. Click the Shudder button to take a photo. There will be a 3 second count down and then your screen will flash.

    how to take a picture on mac
  3. You can find the photo in the Photo Booth Library, located in the Pictures tab in Finder.

    how to take pictures on a mac

How to Take a Pic with Filters on a Mac

If you want to play around, you can add silly filters to your photo, or take pictures in a burst. Here's some fun ways to take a picture on your Mac.

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  1. In Photo Booth, tap the 4 squares button to take four pictures back to back.

    how to take picture on mac
  2. Tap the picture button to take one picture.

    how to take a picture on macbook
  3. Tap the movie camera button to take a video.

    how do i take a picture on a mac
  4. Tap Effects to view various filters and effects.

    how to take a pic in mac
  5. Tap the arrows to search through the filter options.

    how do i screenshot on mac

If you take four photos at once, you can click on each image to see it larger. If you like learning how to use your Apple devices, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day!

How to Take a Photo on a Mac and Share It

Once you've taken a picture on your Mac, you may want to share it to your iPhone or with friends. The Photo Booth app makes it simple to share your photography. 

  1. Choose from the photos you've taken in the bottom reel.

    how to take pics on a mac
  2. Click the Share button.

    how do you take pictures on a macbook
  3. Click Add to Photos to save it to your camera roll. Or select another option for sharing.

    how do you take pictures on a mac

Try holding up the same hand gestures you use with FaceTime if you want to produce fun effects like balloons, confetti, lasers, and hearts!

FAQ

  • Does MacBook Air have a camera? Yes, the MacBook Air has a camera. There is a single built-in FaceTime camera located at the center-top of the laptop screen.
  • Where is the Photo Booth on Mac? The Photo Booth app can be found in the Applications folder in Finder, or you may be able to locate it in the Launch Pad.
  • Where is Photo Booth photos? Photo Booth photos are saved to a folder called Photo Booth Library. When you initially set up Photo Booth, you will create this folder. Typically, you can find it saved in your Pictures tab in Finder.

And that's how you take a picture with a Mac! 

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Author Details

Rachel Needell's picture

Author Details

Rachel Needell

Rachel Needell is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and a poet and author. With 10-plus years of experience working with Apple devices, she specializes in all-things iPad and is a Notes App expert, having worked on both the 2023 iPad Guide and the Notes App Guide. You can usually find her writing in the Daily Tip newsletter as one of our senior Tip writers. Rachel received her Master’s degree in English Literature in 2021 and her most recent work appears in the Winter ’21 edition of New Note Poetry. When she’s not obsessing about Apple products, you can find her voraciously reading fantasy books with her cat in Asheville, North Carolina.