Smartphones and digital cameras can produce some stunning photos. But, sometimes a picture is not quite right, you want to edit it and make it perfect. Below are 10 tips that will help you improve your photo editing skills.
Table of Contents
Use the right camera settings
The best cameras have a variety of settings that can be adjusted so you can take amazing pictures. There are two ways to go about this: either set the camera on auto or use manual mode. With auto mode, the camera does the work for you. This means it makes most of the decisions about your picture, but the picture will often be too bright, have too much contrast, or look too sharp or blurry. Manual mode gives you more control over the settings. Use this to increase the exposure to let in more light, reduce the contrast to make the image more neutral, or reduce the sharpness to make the picture less harsh.
Use the right camera app
Your smartphone can be used as a digital camera. This is called a ‘camera app’ and there are several to choose from. All apps have different features and benefits, but most have a feature where you can apply effects to your photo (e.g. blur, black and white, colour filters).
Select the best photo app
Choosing the best app can take time, as you will need to experiment and see which effects work best on your photos. You will also need to find one that is easy to use. If you are not sure which app to try, consider checking reviews on sites such as Google, Apple or Amazon.
Enhance your photos with an editing app
Editing apps are available for both Android and iOS phones. They are designed to do one thing well: enhance or correct your photos, so you can bring out more detail, lighten dark areas and remove blemishes and wrinkles. This is a good way to improve your pictures before sharing them online.
Learn how to share photos
To share your photos online, you can use a social media site or upload to a photo-sharing app.
Know your camera features
Your smartphone camera has a variety of features to help you take better photos. These include shutter speed, ISO sensitivity and flash.
Use a tripod
If you are taking a photo in low light, you will need to use a tripod to ensure the picture is steady and sharp.
Avoid using a flash
A flash will wash out the colours and may cause photos to be too bright. If you must use a flash, choose the lowest setting and make sure the room is well lit.
Get inspiration
Take a look at some of the best photographers and their work online. You can learn a lot from how they take pictures.
Don’t forget to have fun!
Your smartphone is a fun tool that allows you to capture life as it happens. So, use it to your advantage and try not to take photos with your phone on automatic. Go for some silly shots and use your imagination.
Lighting
The best lighting is natural sunlight. But don’t rely on natural light. You can get some nice results with indoor lighting, but you will need to use a flash. Try to have your subject’s face facing the window.
How to edit images you have taken with your smartphone.
It is easy to be distracted while taking photos and end up with photos with bad exposure or poor composition. With some simple editing software, it is possible to get the right image quickly and easily. The article gives a few examples to help you understand the concepts behind photo editing. You can use these tips on both mobile and desktop versions of most image editing programs. However, as the article uses Mac OS X terminology, refer to the user manual for your specific version of the program you use. Note that the tips are aimed at beginners who have little or no experience of image editing. If you are more experienced, you will find different ways of doing things and so might be able to come up with faster or better ways of doing things.
Change the image brightness.
Look at your photo. How bright is it? If it is too dark, the image may not be seen clearly and you may struggle to see details. Open your photo in your photo editor software. Make sure your photo is in its original size, and then select Image\>Adjustments\>Brightness/Contrast. You can play with the sliders to adjust the levels until you have the right brightness for the image. When you have a good idea of how bright you want your photo to be, change the exposure value (EV) to the point where the photo has the right amount of light. For example, if the background is too dark, reduce the EV so that the photo shows more of the background. You may need to make further adjustments to bring the brightness up or down.
Improve the colors.
If you look at the photo, do you notice it has a dull appearance? It may seem that it has the same color throughout and so appears flat. This is because the levels of all the colors in the photo are the same. You can use image editing software to improve the overall color in your photo. If the colors appear too flat, you can boost them. However, there are other ways to make the colors more lively. You can make the color of one or more areas of the image brighter or darker, or you can lighten the whole image by reducing the black level, as discussed earlier. For example, you can darken the background by reducing the black level and brighten the main subject by increasing the black level.
Correct the exposure.
The brightness in a photo is measured in EV. This is a number that describes how much light or darkness is in an image. When you take a photo, the camera may measure the EV incorrectly. This is because it takes a measurement of the overall brightness in the photo rather than the brightness of specific areas. To correct this, you need to change the levels in the photo so that it has the right amount of light.
Change the contrast.
If your image has too much contrast, it will be difficult to see details. This is because there are large differences in brightness between the different areas of the image.
Remove objects that don’t belong.
Look at your image. Do you notice any objects that are out of place? This is because the camera may not have measured the levels correctly when it took the photo. It may have taken a measurement of the whole image rather than of the areas where the object is located. To correct this, you need to change the levels in the photo so that the object doesn’t appear in the photo.
Conclusion
It’s easy to forget that smartphones aren’t just for taking selfies or video chatting. They can also be a powerful tool for improving your photos.
Here are some ways to edit and enhance your photos with your smartphone:
Use the built-in camera app to take your own pictures.
Capture images using the front or rear camera and then use the app to crop, rotate, add effects, and even remove unwanted objects.
Upload your photos to a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Want to learn how to edit and enhance your smartphone photos? Check out these articles!