How to make the most of an iPhone photo editing app for better photos
There are many sophisticated photo editing apps that take your iPhone photos to the next level. But the Photos app on your phone has a pretty handy set of editing tools that can elevate your images. Here’s how to make the most of it.
1 Adjust the exposure
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your photos may not look very balanced in terms of lighting. For example, if the sunlight is too harsh, you can end up with overexposed photos that look washed out. On the other hand, if you are shooting in a low-light environment, your image may be underexposed with too many deep shadows.
The good news is that in both cases you can correct the lighting to some extent using the Exposure tool in the Photos app. Subtlety is the key here. So, just to be safe, I recommend making minor adjustments and not overdoing it.
Remember that overexposing can blur important details, while underexposing too much can make a photo look dull. Try to adjust the exposure so that it is more balanced in the highlights and darks.
To change the exposure, select the image you want to adjust and tap Edit button in the upper right corner of the screen. Check if you are on Edit tab and scroll until you see Exposure tool.
2 Crop and straighten the image
Ideally, you should crop as little as possible to preserve the quality of the photo. But of course, that’s not always an option. Whether you want to remove unwanted distractions or improve your composition, cropping can be a useful tool, but be sure to learn the best way to crop a photo so you don’t make it worse.
Straightening is another way to improve the overall look of your photo, especially if the alignment and angles seem a little off. To correct the photo’s alignment or crop unwanted details, tap Edit button and select Crop.
You can manually drag the borders around the photo to crop the image. Alternatively, you can tap on Crop a second time to display the preset aspect ratios. Click on Crop once also allows you to use Straighten angle correction tool.
Here, you want to focus on minimal and natural-looking adjustments to maintain the quality and appeal of the photo.
3 Adjust the contrast
While the Exposure tool can correct the overall brightness of a photo, using the Contrast tool is key to making the fine details in a photo really come to life. This tool essentially introduces a difference between dark and light areas to achieve this output.
Although the right amount of contrast can make a photo more vivid and attractive, you should be careful. Too much contrast can make an image look harsh, and too little can make details look flat and pale. Below you can see the difference between the image contrast.
To use this feature, tap Edit check if you are on Edit and scroll until you see Contrast tool. Move the slider right and left to decrease or increase the contrast.
4 Experiment with filters, but don’t overdo it
Whether you’re going for a cool black and white effect or a more vintage look, the right filter can help you achieve it. Like any other editing tool, while filters can add a dramatic edge to your photo, using the wrong filter or using it too heavily can make the image look overdone.
That said, there are plenty of iPhone camera filters worth experimenting with. You can also create your own photo filters if you can’t find any that work.
Open the image you want to apply the filter to, select Editand tap on Filters. You can then apply different filters and adjust the intensity.
5 Fix shadows
If you feel like your photo has too many dark areas that you’d like to lighten up without detracting from the more highlighted parts of the image, you can try adjusting the shadows. Personally, I prefer this to the Exposure tool, which lightens or darkens the entire photo.
Select an option to correct shadows and darker areas of the image Edit check if you are on Edit and go to tab Shadows tool. You can then move the slider forward or backward to see what works best for your photo.
Alternatively, you can also use this tool to introduce more depth by darkening the shadows. You can see how the image below looks different by changing the Shadows slider.
6 Adjust the sharpness or use noise reduction
If you feel that your image lacks resolution or has too much “noise” (which is more likely to happen with images taken in low light conditions), you can adjust the sharpness or reduce the noise.
Increasing the sharpness will make details stand out and give it a sharper and more defined look. On the other hand, if the image is too grainy, use the Noise Reduction tool to smooth out the details.
Within the tool you will find the Sharpness and Noise Reduction tools Edit tab after pressing Edit. Move the sliders until you are satisfied with the image balance.
This is another one of my preferred editing tools because of how easily it can add more focus to a subject. But I’ll admit it’s one of the most overused photo effects that can really make a photo look amateurish with a tunnel-like look that takes away from the natural atmosphere of the photo; so don’t worry too much about it.
If you want to draw the viewer’s attention more to the subject, counteract any distracting details at the edges of the image, or add a slightly vintage feel to the image, the vignette effect is a great option to try. To try it out, you’ll have to hit the ground running Edit and Edit and then scroll right to the bottom of the options until you see Vignette
While these adjustments can greatly improve the overall appeal of your photos, the easiest way to end up with good photos that require minimal touch-ups is to master your iPhone’s camera settings. Combining good photography techniques with the editing features present in the Photos app will help you get professional-quality images that still look natural.