How can I use smartphone filters to fix bad lighting in my photos?

While smartphone cameras are usually good at judging how light or dark a photo should be, they are not perfect. You can use the brightness and exposure sliders, but they can be quite time consuming. So sometimes adding a filter is the best option.

1 My smartphone’s native filters

I always recommend starting with native filters before downloading any third-party app. Here you’ll find some amazing camera filters for iPhone, and in addition to changing how your photo’s lighting looks, they’ll also adjust the rest of the image at once.

Filter selection depends largely on whether the image is underexposed or overexposed, as well as weather conditions. For example, Dramatic is a great option if you want to edit a photo you took on a rainy day but was underexposed. This adds more contrast to the image and also desaturates it slightly, resulting in a moody look.

On the other hand, I love Live if I want to edit pictures of a sunny day. This filter usually adds some saturation to the image. Living heat it’s also nice if I want to add some contrast and make the tones warmer.

2 Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express has several filters that can help you quickly fix bad lighting in your images Appearance. There are many options, including filters that adjust the white balance.

I quite like it Magic range, which is great if you’re looking for a vintage photo look. The Light The range of filters is my go-to for adjusting the lighting of my images, with many options for overexposed and underexposed images.

You can – just like your native smartphone filters – adjust the intensity. Depending on how much you need to change, this slider will probably be very useful. For example, in one of my images below, the initial contrast was too high. So I toned it down a bit.

Download: Photoshop Express for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

3 Picsart

Picsart offers you a lot of interesting filters to correct the lighting of your photos. Rather than just fixing an overexposed or underexposed image, I recommend Picsart if you also want to add some styles to your image.

Some of my favorite filters in Picsart are BRL2 and Template 1but April 2nd and BRN2 are also great options. Similar to PS Express and your native smartphone filters, you can change the intensity, but it’s labeled as Fade in Picsart.

Another advantage is that many of Picsart’s filters are free. You can upgrade to the full set, but I don’t think most people need them. Apart from offering great filters, Picsart is also one of the best AI photo enhancements if you just want to enhance your images.

Download: Picsart for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

4 Canva

There are a lot of cool things you can create in Canva, but the app also has tons of filters that you can take advantage of even if you don’t have a Canva Pro subscription. Like Photoshop Express, you can choose from many themes when browsing through the filters.

If I want to add some warm tones to the image, I often choose Capri. Fadein Vintage section, it’s also nice if I want an overexposed effect, but I don’t like how the original shot looked in my camera. I like it Fresco filter for images on a sunny day; in addition to scattering light, it also adds a certain color to the image.

Canva also has a bunch of softer filters, of which Whims is my favorite It’s a great choice whether the shot is underexposed or overexposed, and will give your photo a hazy look. Use the slider to adjust the intensity of each filter.

Download: Canva for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

5 Google Photos

Google Photos is best known for its storage options, but it also lets you add filters to your images. Some filters are monochrome, while others allow you to adjust the colors in your images.

I like it Modena to increase the brightness of an underexposed image and also gives a matte look which I quite like. Ollie it’s good for adding some personality to an overexposed image. However, if you want to reduce exposure, consider Clay.

If you have an Android phone, you can further improve your photos by making the most of Google Photo Editor for Android.

Download: Google Photos for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

6 VSCO

Even though many of its filters are paid, VSCO is still one of my favorite mobile editing apps. You can easily control the intensity of each filter, making your images look more unique. The filter you choose depends less on whether your photo is overexposed or underexposed and more on your overall style. For example, I use A4 filter for overexposed and underexposed images.

M3 is another excellent filter to try in VSCO. It is better for overexposed images as it will increase the contrast and also lower the overall exposure. Still, I think you can use it creatively on some underexposed shots. G3, HB2and M5 add some of my favorite effects too.

Download: VSCO for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

7 Snapseed

One of the easiest ways to fix bad lighting in smartphone photos is with the Snapseed app; many find Snapseed better than Lightroom for on-the-go editing.

While Portrait one is for people and animal shots, I think it works really well in landscape shots where the lighting could be improved. If your image is underexposed, Clear filter is a good choice. It adds a warm tone, so it’s ideal if your image has a lot of yellows, browns and reds. Pop is another good filter if you need to add some exposure to your photo.

Download: Snapseed for iOS | Android (free, in-app purchases available)

If you need to quickly fix bad lighting in your photos, there are plenty of filters that will do just that. Many are available for free, and you can often adjust the intensity using sliders. Not only do the filters work well on their own, but they also complement any other adjustments you make nicely.