How I enhance photos on my smartphone by adjusting shadows and highlights

If you only learn to edit two aspects of your photography, it should be shadows and highlights. Knowing how to adjust these areas will make it much easier to create images that stand out. Here’s how to tweak shadows and highlights in multiple scenarios using my smartphone’s native editing app.

What effect does highlight adjustment have on a photo?

When you adjust the highlights of an image, the lightest areas in the photo will either lighten or darken. Adjusting the lights is especially important if the sky is clear in the photo; your edits will have a big impact on what details the user sees.

So if you want the clouds to be more prominent, you’ll need to lower the lights. On the other hand, moving the slider in the opposite direction will lighten those areas and possibly blow out the details.

Knowing when to turn the highlight up or down is a key step in taking smartphone photography more seriously.

How will adjusting shadows affect a photo?

I would say that adjusting the shadows of the image will have more of an impact than anything else. Shadows are the darkest part of an image, and knowing how to adjust them gives you an incredible amount of control. For example, darkening the shadows of a sunset photo can help you create a dramatic silhouette.

Sometimes moving the shadow slider down can also help increase the overall contrast of the image. On the other hand, increasing the amount of light in the shadows can bring out details in objects and people, making the image look more flattering.

You can also develop your shadows if you want your image to look more matte. While I recommend using the Tone Curve tool (which is one of my top mobile Lightroom tricks), you can still use your smartphone’s native camera app to generate a similar effect.

How I adjust shadows and highlights in my photos

Knowing the effect of adjusting shadows and highlights on your image is not enough. Every photographic situation requires a different approach, so I don’t use one universal rule. Here’s how to know when and how to adjust shadows and highlights.

Cloudy sky

I live in a city where gray skies are the norm for about ten months of the year, and I also grew up in London (another city that seems to be permanently cloudy). Unsurprisingly, I’ve gotten better at adjusting the shadows and highlights in my photos for these kinds of lighting conditions.

I used to pull out the lights on cloudy days to make the sky whiter. While I still do this for snow shots, I now prefer to move the lights down in other situations. The main reason is that I like to bring out the details in the clouds; I also think it helps me achieve a dark and moody style.

Whether I’m editing overcast photos of snowy or rainy days, I like to reduce shadows. When I do this, it helps to add a bit of contrast while also helping me evoke the emotion I’m trying to evoke in the viewer when looking at my image.

Night photos

Although initially resistant, I’ve come to really enjoy the process of taking pictures with my smartphone in low light conditions. It’s a completely different skill compared to shooting during the day, and understanding how shadows and lights work in these scenarios was an exciting challenge to master.

How I adjust the highlights will depend on what else is in the image. If there’s a lot of artificial lighting and I want to highlight it, I’ll highlight some light. On the other hand, it is better to reduce the lights if you want to focus on one specific area in the photo.

I find it very difficult not to add noise when you intensify the shadows in night photos. So in most cases I either leave the shadows as they are or reduce them. On the rare occasion that I increase the shadows, I don’t make massive changes.

Sunny days

Sunny days are my favorite for photography. However, I don’t think it’s wise to sit inside and act like a hermit – and to be honest, I believe you can find great photo opportunities in all weather and lighting conditions.

I like to lighten the sky on blue sky days, and for that reason I usually increase the lights. The only real exception is when I’m trying to fix an overexposed shot, in which case I’ll normally do the opposite. Since I like a more chromatic look on sunny days, using a filter also helps achieve this aesthetic.

While I like a decent amount of contrast in my photos on a sunny day, shadow highlights tend to look better. The amount will depend on the lighting in my photo and whether I was facing the sun. In this case, I will raise the shadows even more.

Food photos

I have found my smartphone to be very good at taking food photos and as such I often use it more than a mirrorless for food photography. How shadows and highlights are adjusted will depend on several factors, such as whether I’m indoors or outdoors. The season can also affect the lighting, which changes my editing style.

I often like the best in my food photos; the more the details “jump”. Texture is especially important when photographing food, and highlight reduction is excellent for bringing out textures.

Most of the time I also pull down the shadows – especially if the image already has some silhouettes. However, if the photo is indoors, I’ll highlight the shadows and add some contrast later. It depends not only on the lighting, but also on the food.

Knowing how to adjust shadows and highlights in multiple scenarios will make it much easier for your images to pop. The two tools work differently depending on multiple factors such as the time of day and what you’re shooting. Since smartphone photos look flatter than DSLR photos, you have the ability to push these sliders further to add depth and drama that will bring your images to life.