1. Shoot In Black & White

Did you know the iPhone camera lets you shoot in black and white?

Most people shoot in color and convert to black and white later. But for the best results, you should shoot in black and white.

(Don’t worry, you can always convert the photo back to color later!)

So why shoot your street photos in black and white?

Well, there are certain elements that make a black and white photo successful… light, shadows, patterns, shapes, lines, etc.

Removing the color allows you to see these elements more clearly.

Shapes, lines, and patterns will stand out. And you can instantly see whether a particular kind of light will work in black and white.

So how do you shoot in black and white on the iPhone?

It’s super easy!

Simply open the iPhone Camera app. Then swipe up on the screen (or tap the little arrow at the top of the screen).

Swipe across the icons above the shutter button and tap the Filters icon (three circles). Then swipe across the filter styles and select Noir.

Now you can shoot your photos in black and white!

Note that the iPhone camera filters are non-destructive. This means you can change them after taking a photo!

So if you decide you want your photo in color, just go to the Edit option in the Photos app and select a different filter.

2. Capture Minimalist Black & White Street Photos

The best photos are often the simplest ones!

The fewer elements you have in your photos, the more eye-catching they’ll be.

This is especially true for black and white street photography.

So if you want to capture striking black and white street photos, you should aim for minimalist compositions.

And the best way to do that?

Include lots of empty “negative” space in your photos.

But how do you find empty space in an urban environment?

Well, it might sound challenging. But it’s easier than you think!

The best way to create minimalist street photos is to find an open space in the city. Squares, parks, and cultural sites are great places for minimalist street photography.

If you’re not familiar with the city, you can easily find these kinds of spaces by exploring Google Maps.

Now, just wait for a single human subject to appear in the scene. Compose your shot so the person has a huge amount of empty space around them.

The negative space allows you to control the viewer’s attention. It guarantees the viewer’s eye will be drawn toward the subject.

When composing your photo, think about where you want the subject to appear in the frame.

I usually like to have my subject in the center of the photo as this often has the most impact. But you can experiment and take several photos with the subject in different positions.

Finally, make sure you avoid any unnecessary visual distractions. You might need to adjust your position or shoot from a different angle to avoid unwanted elements in your frame.

Shooting from a low angle is a great way to get more sky in the frame and eliminate a distracting foreground.

3. Use Leading Lines In Your iPhone Street Photography

The most important goal for us as photographers is to control the viewer’s attention…

And there’s no better way to do that than using leading lines!

Leading lines literally lead the viewer’s eye to the subject. And they add amazing depth to your images.

Cities are full of leading lines that you can use in your iPhone street photography.

Roads, paths, bridges, walls, fences, road markings, tunnels, underpasses, and other architectural elements can be used as leading lines.

Simply position yourself so the line leads from the foreground into the distance.

Ideally, you want your subject to be at the point where the lines converge in the distance.

For the most powerful visual impact, compose your shot with the lines starting from the corners of the frame.

This will add more structure and completeness to your photo. And it draws the eye right from the foreground of the scene.

But don’t worry if you don’t get the lines perfectly positioned. You can always crop the photo later to create the perfect composition.

Most leading lines in cities are straight. But don’t forget to look for curved leading lines, such as spiral staircases. These will create truly magical images!

For the perfect shot, climb to the top of the staircase and shoot downwards to capture the beautiful spiral line.

If possible, capture a person somewhere along the line or even right at the bottom of the staircase.

But spiral staircases look great by themselves, so always capture a few shots even if there’s no person in the scene.

4. Look For Patterns In The Urban Landscape

Patterns offer another way to make your black and white street photography more interesting.

I love patterns so much!

Repetitive patterns instantly catch the eye. And they hold the viewer’s attention while they spend time examining the details.

In cities, you’ll find all sorts of patterns in modern buildings and architecture.

Many modern buildings have facades with repeating shapes or lines. Even a row of windows, pillars, or arches can be used to create patterns in your photos.

If you’re not familiar with the city, use Google to search for images of modern buildings in the city. You can also use Instagram or Google Maps Street View to preview images from the area.

Once you start looking, you’ll find so many modern buildings with patterns you could photograph.

When you’ve found a scene with a repetitive pattern, decide which angle you want to shoot from.

I usually like to shoot straight toward the building, creating a symmetrical composition.

But shooting from a side-on angle can also work… as you’ll see in the photo below.

When you’ve composed your shot, just wait for a person to enter the scene.

The pattern will create an amazing backdrop. The person will add a strong focal point and give meaning to the image.

5. Frame Your Subject With Architectural Elements

Here’s a great technique to draw attention to your street photography subjects…

Frame your subject with architectural elements!

This technique works so well in black and white street photography. The strong shape of the frame stands out more clearly when you remove the color from the scene.

There are many opportunities to use framing in the city. Archways, tunnels, doorways, and windows make great frames for your photos.

Once you find a good “frame,” compose your shot and wait for a person to walk into the scene.

Use burst mode to capture multiple shots as the person walks through the frame. You can then choose the best photo with the subject in the perfect position and pose.

To activate burst mode, drag the shutter button to the left. Or hold down the volume-up button on the side of your iPhone.

I love to create symmetrical compositions with the subject in the center of the photo. But having the subject nearer the edge of the frame can also work.

If you’re shooting from inside looking out toward the light, you might need to adjust exposure (image brightness).

Often, you’ll need to reduce exposure to ensure the bright areas don’t lose their detail.

I usually start by reducing exposure to -1. But sometimes you’ll need to drop it further, e.g. to -2.

To adjust exposure in the iPhone Camera app, swipe up (or press the arrow at the top of the screen). Tap the +/- icon near the bottom of the screen. Then use the slider to adjust the exposure.

Once you’ve set the exposure value, you can keep taking photos and the exposure will remain at that setting. Just remember to set it back to zero after!

Note that older iPhones don’t have this exposure value setting. But you can also adjust exposure by tapping on the screen to set focus and then swiping up or down.

When you reduce exposure, keep in mind that the shadows will become darker – sometimes even pure black. And while you will lose some detail in the shadows, it can actually look really great.

You’ll see exactly what I mean in the next tip!

6. Shoot Striking Silhouette Street Photos

Have you ever tried capturing silhouettes in your photos?

Silhouettes are perfect for creative street photography. And they look amazing in black and white!

The dark outline of your subject will grab the viewer’s attention. And the lack of detail adds a sense of mystery and intrigue!

So how do you shoot silhouette photos with the iPhone?

First, you need to shoot toward the light… with your subject in front of the bright background.

The golden hours of sunrise and sunset are perfect for silhouette photography. When the sun is close to the horizon, it’s easy to get the bright light behind your subject.

But a bright sky at other times of the day can work. Or try using other light sources, such as street lights, illuminated shop windows, or even a brightly-lit wall.

If you’re shooting against the sky, try shooting from a lower angle to get more bright sky behind your subject.

When you’ve composed your shot, reduce exposure to make the image darker. Remember, the goal is to have the subject as a dark outline against the brighter background.

To reduce exposure, you can tap the screen where you want to set focus, then swipe down to make the image darker.

On newer iPhones, you can also swipe up on the screen (or press the arrow at the top of the screen) and tap the +/- icon. Then use the slider to adjust exposure.

7. Use Shadows For More Unique Street Photos

Do you want to shoot more unique black and white street photos?

Then try using shadows in your images!

This technique isn’t used by many people. So your photos will definitely stand out!

Shadows add mystery and drama to your image. And they really grab the viewer’s attention.

Now, you won’t get shadows on an overcast day. So you’ll need to shoot when there’s direct sunlight in the scene.

The best time of day to shoot shadows is during golden hour (just after sunrise or just before sunset). When the sun is low on the horizon, you’ll get amazing long shadows.

Just like silhouette photography, you’ll need to reduce exposure to make the shadows dark and dramatic.

Don’t worry about losing detail in the shadows. This can actually create a really powerful image!

When photographing shadows, remember the basic elements that make a great black and white street photo… leading lines, patterns, frames, etc.

The only difference is that you’re capturing the shadows of subjects instead of the subjects themselves.

And of course, this is a great opportunity to include yourself (well, your shadow) in the photo!

8. Clean Up Your Street Photos In Editing

Shooting with the iPhone Noir filter is a great start for your black and white street photos. But you can improve your photos even further in post-processing.

There are plenty of iPhone photo editing apps you can use.

I like to use Lightroom. But the built-in Photos app has a great set of editing tools which are perfect for beginners.

Simple adjustments to brightness, contrast, shadows, and highlights can make a big difference to the final image.

[Drag the slider to compare the original and edited images]

When it comes to black and white photography, increasing the contrast (or adjusting shadows and highlights) is a great place to start. A simple adjustment can add drama to your image and really make it stand out!

Cropping is another simple, yet powerful, way to improve your images.

Why? Because it can be hard to achieve perfect composition at the time of shooting.

Perhaps you shot too wide and want to crop in to make your subject stand out. Or maybe you didn’t notice distracting elements at the edges of the frame.

Perhaps the horizon appears slightly tilted. Or maybe you didn’t get your leading lines starting right in the corners of the frame.

All of these issues can be fixed with the Crop tool.

Remember, the most powerful photos are usually the simplest ones. For stunning minimalist street photos, you’ll need to remove distracting objects from images.

The cleaner the better!

Luckily, there are several apps that make it easy to remove objects (or people) from your photos. Adobe Lightroom and TouchRetouch both have tools for cleaning up your photos.

In the example above, I used the Healing tool in Lightroom to simply brush over the sign and make it disappear!

About The Author
Maksim Kyshtymov is the founder of a design studio specializing in designing websites. His photography journey started in 2009, and he has experience shooting with DSLR and mirrorless cameras. But three years ago, Maksim realized he prefers to shoot with the iPhone due to its portability. He loves the freedom of going for a long walk in a new location with just his iPhone to capture photos. Those are moments of true happiness for him.

The post 8 Tips For Striking Black & White Street Photography With iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Brave The Rain For Fascinating iPhone Street Photography

Does a rainy day put you off taking photos?

If so, you’re definitely not alone! But rain offers so many amazing opportunities for street photography.

And the best thing? You don’t even have to get wet!

When it rains in the city, I usually find a covered area to shoot from. There are plenty of awnings, bus stops, archways, and doorways to keep you dry.

One of the great things about rain is that people use umbrellas!

The bold shape and colors of umbrellas allow you to create a strong focal point in your image.

And they’re perfect for adding an interesting storytelling element to your iPhone street photos.

So the next time it rains, don’t stay at home. Head into the city for some spectacular rain photography!

2. Get Creative With Your iPhone Rain Photography

If you want to get really creative, try shooting photos through raindrops on a window.

You could sit in a cafe and capture photos as people walk past the window. Or shoot through the glass of a bus stop.

You could even hop on a bus and take photos through the windows as you pass by interesting scenes.

A great way to capture creative window shots is to get your camera lens quite close to the glass.

Compose your shot, then tap the camera screen to set focus on the raindrops in the foreground.

When you do this, the background will appear beautifully blurred. And the image will have a wonderful abstract quality that really draws the viewer in.

As you can see, taking street photos in bad weather adds a whole new level of creativity.

And once you start shooting in the rain, this might become your favorite kind of weather for iPhone street photography!

3. Capture Stunning Puddle Reflection Photos

When the rain stops, you’ll have another opportunity to capture some fascinating street photos.

All you need to do is walk around the city and look for reflections in puddles!

Try to find reflections that include buildings or architecture. These add interest to the reflection and help you create a stronger composition.

You’ll need to crouch down low to get more of the reflection in your frame.

You might get some funny looks, but don’t worry about that. You’re about to capture some really stunning photos!

Flip your iPhone upside down to get the lens really close to the water. Then adjust the camera angle until you’re happy with the composition.

When a person walks by, take multiple photos as they walk through the frame. You can use burst mode to help you capture the subject in the perfect position.

To activate burst mode, drag the shutter button towards the image thumbnail (bottom left if holding the phone vertically). Or if you’re using an older iPhone, just hold down the shutter button.

Your iPhone will take multiple photos until you release the shutter button. You can then choose the best shots from the burst and discard the rest.

4. Add A Creative Twist To Your iPhone Reflection Photos

After you’ve taken your puddle reflection shots, try this simple photo editing trick to make it even more interesting:

Flip your photo upside down so that the reflection appears at the top!

You can do this in any photo editing app, including the built-in Photos app on your iPhone.

Flipping your reflection photos creates a more intriguing image as the viewer tries to work out what’s going on.

It’s simple but very effective!

One last thing to think about is how much of the reflection you include in your photo.

You could compose the shot 50-50 so that half of the image is taken up with reflection. This is great for creating striking symmetrical compositions.

But don’t be afraid to fill most of the frame with the reflection. In the image below, I included just the legs of the man walking by, while the rest of the frame is filled with reflection.

Creating unusual compositions like this is a great way to capture more unique reflection photos.

5. Capture Snowy Scenes For Wonderful Storytelling

Snow is my favorite weather for street photography!

It completely transforms the city, turning familiar places into brand new environments to shoot.

And it’s perfect for capturing interesting stories of people as they fight the winter elements.

So wrap up warm and head into the city with your iPhone to capture some incredible winter photography!

Start by finding a good place to set up your shot.

Instead of always walking around searching for a scene, I like to go to my usual spots or ‘fishing holes.’ These are places that I’ve photographed many times, so composing my shot is easy.

I like to use the architecture of the city to frame my subject or create an interesting backdrop.

Buildings, bridges, and crosswalks make great backgrounds for your snowy street photography.

If you want to capture falling snowflakes in your photos, you’ll need a darker background so that the white snowflakes show up.

Once you’ve found a good location, compose your shot and wait for a person to enter the scene.

Ideally, you want someone who has something visually interesting about them… something that tells a story.

Perhaps they’re holding an umbrella, wearing a hat, or wrapped up in a colorful coat. Maybe they’re working out on the streets to sweep up the snow. Or perhaps their body language tells a story of fighting the elements on a cold winter’s day.

Take a few shots as the person walks past. Or use burst mode to capture a series of photos as they move through the frame.

6. Adjust Exposure For Perfect Snow Photography

When you’re doing snow photography, keep in mind that snow can affect the exposure (brightness) of your photos.

If most of the scene is white, it can trick your camera into under-exposing the shot. This can result in a photo where the snow looks grey instead of white.

But here’s the good news! You can easily adjust your iPhone camera’s exposure.

Simply tap on the camera screen to set focus on your subject, then swipe up to make the image brighter (or down to make it darker).

You can also use exposure to create different moods in your photos.

If you want a bright and airy image, swipe up to increase the exposure. For a dark and moody photo, swipe down to reduce it.

Of course, you can also use photo editing apps to adjust exposure after taking the photo. But it’s always better to get it right in-camera!

7. Shoot In Fog To Add A Sense Of Mystery

Fog offers another great way to capture street photos in bad weather. It’s perfect for moody street photography with an added sense of mystery!

I will literally drop everything I’m doing to capture some mysterious photos in the fog!

Fog adds a grey, murky feel to your images. That might sound unappealing, but the results can be dramatically beautiful.

Your photos will have a dream-like quality to them… which is quite unusual in street photography.

The key to great photography in fog is to have an interesting subject in the foreground.

A lone figure is perfect for fog photography. It adds to the eery atmosphere!

So be patient. And keep your eyes peeled for a person that stands out against the fog.

It also helps to have some kind of architectural element that gradually fades into the fog.

A bridge or road will create a strong leading line in your composition. And as it fades into the distance, you’ll get an amazing sense of depth in the scene.

Compose your shot so that the person in the foreground stands out against the brighter background. You might need to shoot from a low angle to achieve this.

Having a bright background also allows you to capture your subject as a dark silhouette. This is a great way to create dramatic and mysterious street photos.

To create a silhouette, ensure the subject’s outline is clearly defined against the brighter fog.

Tap to set focus on your subject, then swipe down to reduce exposure so the subject appears dark or completely black.

Don’t worry if the silhouette doesn’t look perfect when taking the shot. You can always edit the photo later to increase the contrast, making the silhouette darker and the foggy background brighter.

8. Convert Your Bad-Weather Street Photos To Black & White

There is one downside of doing street photography in rain, snow, and fog. The colors in your photos can end up dull and ‘muddy.’

But here’s an easy solution that will transform your moody-weather photos:

Convert your images to black and white!

A black and white edit accentuates the tones and textures in your image. And it creates wonderfully moody images that convey emotions and stories.

For successful black and white photography, you need a good amount of contrast in your scene. That means you need bright highlights as well as dark shadows.

As you become more familiar with black and white photography, you’ll begin to notice areas of contrast in a scene.

While I shoot in color, I see only the many shades of blacks, whites, and grays.

As you’re walking about the city, try to pick out areas of contrast that might look good in your black and white photos.

Notice bright areas such as the sky, natural sunlight, street lamps, and headlights from passing cars.

Then look for dark areas such as shadows cast on buildings, the darkness inside a tunnel or archway, etc.

You can then choose a location that has both bright and dark areas, knowing that the photo will look great when you convert it to black and white!

Capturing a lone figure against a well-lit background also works well.

Just make sure you adjust the exposure so the subject appears as a dark silhouette against the brighter background.

9. Experiment With Black & White Photo Editing Apps

There are many editing apps for converting your iPhone photos to black and white.

Some of my favorites are Lightroom, Snapseed, and Blackie. But you can also use filters in the built-in Photos app to quickly turn your photo black and white.

Each app brings something different to the final edit. So experiment with different apps and settings until you achieve a look that you like.

For example, you might prefer clean, crisp edits with high contrast levels.

Or perhaps you’ll go for a grainy, grungy look that emulates the look of old film.

There’s no right or wrong. It all comes down to personal preference and what kind of look will suit the photo you’re editing.

And of course, if you prefer to keep your moody-weather photos in color, that’s perfectly okay too!

About the Photographer
Andrew Gimblet is a fine art street photographer from Philadelphia, USA. He loves to venture out in ‘bad’ weather, using his iPhone to capture lone figures against the backdrop of the city. When he’s in the streets, he’s constantly people-watching and looking for ways to use light and shadow to create stunning black and white street photos. You can see more of Andrew’s compelling iPhone photos on Instagram.

The post 9 Tips For Amazing iPhone Street Photos In Bad Weather appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Use High-Contrast Light For Dramatic Portrait Photos

If you want to create more dramatic portrait photos, shoot in high-contrast light!

High-contrast light means you have both bright light and dark shadows in the scene.

So where can you find high-contrast light?

Well, a sunny day is the perfect time to look for this kind of light. Head outside and find a building or wall where the bright light meets a dark shadow.

Then position your subject partly in the shadow.

Tap on your iPhone screen to set focus on the subject’s face. Then swipe down to reduce exposure so the shadows appear dark and dramatic.

Photos taken in high-contrast light look great in black and white. To create this look, simply find the black and white options in your favorite photo editing app!

You can also capture contrasting light indoors. Look for a dimly-lit room that has soft light coming in through a window.

Place your subject near the window. Then position them so that half of their face is lit by the window while the other side is in shadow.

If necessary, reduce exposure to ensure the shadows look dark and dramatic.

The contrasting light and shadow will create a wonderfully moody portrait!

2. Get Creative With Light Patterns

Light patterns allow you to create really interesting portraits.

Indoors, you can find light patterns when the sunlight shines through window blinds or beveled glass.

Outdoors, you can find patterns when the light shines through leaves or a fence line.

You can also get creative by holding different kinds of objects in front of a light source. For example, you could use a strainer to create unique light patterns on your subject’s face.

In most cases, it’s best to position your subject so that the light pattern shines onto their face.

If the pattern is shining on a wall, have your subject stand against the wall for added visual interest.

If necessary, tap your iPhone screen to set focus on the subject’s face, then swipe down to reduce exposure.

Reducing exposure ensures that the subject’s skin isn’t overly bright. And the deep, dark shadows will add a sense of drama to your photo!

Move your subject around in the light and try different poses. For example, you could capture the pattern on just the side of their face. Or use the light to illuminate a certain feature such as their eye.

3. Experiment With Different Poses

The way you pose your subject can make or break your photos. If you want to avoid dull and lifeless poses, you need to get a little creative!

Here are three simple poses that will add interest and drama to your portraits…

The first posing technique is a really easy one to try. Simply use your subject’s hands to frame their face.

Place one hand higher on one side of their face. Then place the other hand lower near their jawline, lightly touching their face.

This type of pose creates a natural frame, drawing attention to your subject’s face. It also gives them something to do with their hands, making them feel more relaxed during the shoot.

The next posing technique creates a bit more mood and drama. Ask your subject to tilt their head back and place their hand lightly on their neck.

This pose creates a wonderfully sensual vibe. And it’s a great one to use to make your subject feel confident and beautiful.

Now, if you want to create more unique portrait photos, try shooting from a low angle. Get your iPhone low to the ground and shoot upward towards your subject.

Use the wide-angle lens on your iPhone and get close to your subject’s feet. Have them kick toward your lens for an exciting portrait photo with a unique perspective.

This technique shows your subject from an angle that people don’t normally see. So it’s bound to grab attention!

4. Evoke A Dreamy Mood In Your Portraits

We’ve talked about adding drama to your photos. But how do you evoke a dreamy mood in your portrait photos?

Well, it’s easier than you think!

There are three main things to think about:

Movement. Relaxed dreamy expressions. Elegant arm and hand placements.

A great way to include movement in your photo is to have your subject wear loose fabric or a long dress.

Once they’re in position, get your camera ready and asked them to throw the dress or fabric up. Then capture some photos as the fabric is falling down.

To maximize your chances of getting the perfect shot, you can use the iPhone camera’s burst mode.

To activate burst mode, simply drag the shutter button towards the image thumbnail (bottom left if holding the phone vertically). Or if you’re using an older iPhone, just hold down the shutter button.

Your iPhone will keep taking photos until you release the shutter button. Then you can choose the best shots from the burst and discard the rest.

This technique allows you to capture the unique way the fabric falls. And it’s perfect for creating a dreamy vibe in your iPhone portrait photos.

Next, think about the subject’s facial expression. An easy way to create a peaceful, dreamy vibe is to ask your subject to relax their face and close their eyes.

You can then take your dreamy pose to the next level by adding some elegant arm placements. Have your subject raise their hands above their head with their elbows bent slightly.

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Direct your subject by asking them to slowly move their hands and arms around to see what works best.

5. Create Interesting Portraits With Two People

Posing two people for a portrait can be challenging… whether it’s a couple, siblings, or friends.

But once you know a few tricks, you’ll be able to create interesting portraits with two people in the frame!

Let’s start with a really simple technique. Ask both subjects to stand next to each other with their faces on the same level.

Then get up close so that only half of each person’s face is in the frame. This is a great way to get a close-up detail shot of siblings.

If your subjects are of different heights, you can create an interesting portrait by having them stand at different distances from the camera.

Have the taller person stand closer to your camera facing one direction. And have the shorter subject stand a few steps back facing the opposite direction.

This creates a more interesting perspective than having them stand side by side. It also allows you to play around with blurring the background or foreground.

For example, if the nearest subject is quite close to the camera, they’ll appear slightly out of focus. You can also shoot in iPhone Portrait mode to create a shallow depth of field effect.

If you’re doing a couples photoshoot, here are some simple posing techniques to try…

Instead of having your subjects look at the camera, ask them to look into the distance while hugging. This creates a thoughtful, dreamy vibe in your photo.

Another option is to have them close their eyes while giving each other a hug. This type of posing creates a strong emotional connection in your portraits.

Once you get started, there really is no limit to the way you can pose two people. So don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative!

6. Use Props To Convey A Story Or Feeling

The most interesting way to be creative with your portrait photography is to tell a story.

And props are the easiest way to add a storytelling element to your photos!

The options are endless when it comes to using props in your photos. Just make sure you choose a prop that helps create the story you want to tell.

For example, you could use flowers as a prop to help tell a story of love or a broken heart.

You could have your subject hold the flowers. Or place the flowers creatively in the frame.

If you want to tell a story of a vintage time period, look for vintage props such as an old car or clothing from that era.

Props such as books or coffee cups can evoke feelings of coziness.

If you want a creative way of conveying inner emotions, have your subject wear a blindfold. In the photo below, I even incorporated flowers into the blindfold for additional creative flair.

As you can see, props add a whole new element to your photos. And once you start using them, you’ll be able to create so many interesting portraits with your iPhone!

7. Style Your Subject’s Outfit To Emphasize A Theme

Your subject’s clothing is more important than you might think.

Their outfit can tell a story or emphasize a theme. And it has a big impact on the overall aesthetics of the image.

So when you’re planning your portrait photography shoot, think carefully about what you’d like your subject to wear.

Try to match their wardrobe to the theme or location (or vice versa).

For example, if you’re shooting in a natural setting, you might want to use floral patterns or neutral-tone clothing.

If you’re in a city setting, trendy or grungy outfits are the way to go.

For a cozy vibe, think about using soft fabrics, woolen jumpers, shawls, blankets, etc.

To add a touch of glamour, you can’t go wrong with sparkly or sequinned outfits!

Also, consider how the color of the outfit interacts with the environment.

Matching the clothing color to the surroundings will create a harmonious image that’s pleasing to the eye.

With that said, don’t be afraid to use a clothing color that contrasts with the background. That pop of color can be a real head-turner!

Of course, the clothing should also reflect the subject’s personality. So get them involved with choosing the outfits too.

And remember, styling your subject doesn’t have to be difficult. Sometimes a simple hat or a piece of flowing fabric is all you need!

About The Author
Aeriel Orndorff has been passionate about photography since 2013… And during the last few years, the iPhone is her camera of choice. Why? Because she enjoys the creative freedom that iPhone photography brings! Aeriel is also a fan of rainy weather, reading books, and cute coffee shops! You can see more of her compelling portrait photos on Instagram.

The post 7 Ways To Shoot Interesting Portrait Photos On iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: How To Blur Background On iPhone

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the tutorial:

1. Capture Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds Using Portrait Mode
2. Get Closer To Your Subject For Amazing Background Blur
3. Blur The Background Of A Picture In Editing
4. Frame Your Subject With A Dreamy Blurred Vignette

1. Capture Beautifully Blurred Backgrounds Using Portrait Mode

Do you want to shoot stunning iPhone portrait photos with gorgeous blurred backgrounds?

If you thought you could only achieve professional results with a DSLR camera… think again!

The built-in iPhone Camera app has an incredible tool for blurring the background in your photos.

What is this tool?

It’s called Portrait mode.

Portrait mode uses depth-effect software to blur the background of a picture as you shoot it.

The subject will remain in sharp focus… which is perfect for portrait photography.

It’s also great for scenes with distracting backgrounds. Your subject will stand out much better if the background is blurred.

Portrait mode is available on all of the latest iPhones: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max.

You’ll also find it on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 7 Plus.

If your iPhone doesn’t have Portrait mode, don’t worry! Just skip to Section 2 below to discover how to blur photos on iPhone without using Portrait mode.

1.1 How To Blur Background On iPhone Using Portrait Mode

So, how do you use Portrait mode to blur the background in your iPhone photos?

First, open the Camera app. Then select Portrait at the bottom of the screen.

Ensure your subject is between two and eight feet from the camera. There also needs to be enough light in the scene. (Portrait mode doesn’t always work in low light.)

When you’ve composed your photo, you’ll see a yellow focus box around the subject’s face. The face will be in focus and the background will appear blurred.

When you see the words Natural Light (or Depth Effect on iPhone 7 Plus) in yellow, your iPhone is ready to shoot.

Now, simply press the shutter button to take a picture!

1.2 How To Change Background Blur In Portrait Photos

Did you know you can make changes to the background blur… after you’ve taken a photo?

If you have one of the iPhones listed below, you can easily adjust the strength of the background blur:

iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, and XR.

Open your portrait photo in the Photos app. Then tap Edit at the top right.

Tap the f/number icon at the top left.

Now use the Depth slider beneath your photo to adjust the blur strength.

A low f/number results in strong blur. And a high f/number results in less blur with more background detail.

The Depth slider isn’t available on older iPhones. However, if you’re not happy with the background blur, you can revert to the original image without any blur.

To remove the blur, tap the yellow Portrait option at the top of the screen. The depth effect will be switched off and the blur will be removed. You can switch the blur back on at any time by tapping Portrait again.

While we’re looking at the Portrait mode editing options, let’s take a look at Portrait Lighting (not available on iPhone 7 Plus).

Portrait Lighting lets you add different studio lighting effects to your portrait photos.

At the top left of the editing screen, tap the Portrait Lighting (hexagon) icon. The Portrait Lighting icons will appear beneath your photo.

Swipe across the Portrait Lighting icons (cube icons) at the bottom of the photo.

Natural Light doesn’t modify the lighting in any way. Studio Light brightens your subject’s face. Contour Light adds shadows for more defined facial features.

Stage Light turns the background black. Stage Light Mono is the same as Stage Light, but with a black and white effect. High-Key Light Mono creates a black and white photo with a white background.

When you’ve chosen a Portrait Lighting effect, use the slider to adjust the strength of the light.

When you’ve finished editing your portrait photo, tap Done to save the changes.

2. Get Closer To Your Subject For Amazing Background Blur

Do you want to know how to take pictures with blurred background on iPhone… even if you don’t have Portrait mode?

Here’s a simple trick for getting incredible background blur:

Get closer to your subject.

It’s that simple!

Shooting with the camera close to the subject creates a shallow depth of field.

A shallow depth of field means only a small portion of the image is in focus. The rest of the image will be blurred out.

The closer you get to the subject, the shallower the depth of field will be.

So for really blurry backgrounds, you’ll need to get really close.

However, if you get too close, the camera won’t be able to focus at all. And your subject will appear blurred.

So always check that your subject is in sharp focus. If it isn’t, move a bit further away and try taking the photo again.

For extreme close-up photos, you’ll need an add-on macro lens, such as the Moment Macro Lens.

A macro lens allows the camera to focus at very close distances.

You can take amazing close-up photos of flowers, insects, and nature with a macro lens.

When shooting up close, it’s important to ensure the correct part of the scene is in focus.

You want your foreground subject to be sharp and the background to be blurred.

Luckily, it’s easy to set the iPhone camera focus.

In the Camera app, simply tap the screen where you want the focus to be set. A yellow box will indicate the focus point.

If the background doesn’t look blurred, move a bit closer, then tap to set focus again.

Remember, the closer you get, the blurrier the background will be!

3. Blur The Background Of A Picture In Editing

As you’ve discovered, taking photos with a blurred background is easy.

But what if you don’t capture a blurry background… and then decide the photo would look better if it was blurred?

This isn’t a problem!

Because you can use an editing app to blur the background after taking a picture.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to blur the background of a picture using the AfterFocus app.

3.1 Select Your Foreground Subject & Background

Open AfterFocus, then tap Select Photo at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the photo you want to edit.

Some helpful tips may appear on the screen after opening your image. Swipe across to read the tips, then tap the X at the top left to exit.

The first step is to use the Smart Selection tools to select the subject and the background.

Tap the Focus icon at the bottom of the screen. Now, use your finger to draw a line inside the area you want to keep in focus.

You don’t have to be too precise. Just roughly mark out the foreground subject that you want in focus.

Next, tap the Background icon. Draw a line over the background that you want to blur. When you release your finger, the foreground will be highlighted with a red mask.

The red area with white lines is the part of the image that will remain in focus. The black line indicates the area that will be blurred in the next step.

However, before you blur the background, you need to check whether the app has selected your subject accurately.

Is part of your foreground subject not highlighted in red? Or does part of the background appear red? If so, you’ll need to fix this so that only the background gets blurred.

In the example above, you can see that the top of the cycle helmet hasn’t been selected.

You can try drawing more lines to mark the foreground and background areas. But this doesn’t always produce perfect results.

If you can’t achieve an accurate selection with the Smart Selection tools, you’ll need to switch to Manual Selection mode. To do this, tap the Pencil icon at the top of the screen.

Zoom in by pinching with two fingers. Then check the edges of your selection carefully. Use two fingers to drag the image while zoomed in.

Tap the Brush Size icon, then select a suitable brush size for the area you want to select. Now, select either the Focus or Background icon, then brush over the subject or background that you want to select.

Remember, you need to be precise when using the Manual Selection tools. Any area that you brush over will be selected.

If you make a mistake, tap Undo (curved arrow) at the top of the screen. Or switch between the Focus and Background icons to repaint an area you selected by mistake.

When you’ve finished, the red mask should only be on the foreground subject that you want in sharp focus. The neater you make your selection, the more realistic it will look when you apply the blur effect.

When you’ve made a neat selection, tap the arrow at the top right. The background of your photo will now appear blurred!

If you notice a mistake with your selection, tap the single left arrow at the top of the screen. You can then adjust your selection by brushing with the Focus and Background tools. When you’ve finished, tap the right arrow to return to the blur effects screen.

3.2 Customize The Blur Effect

The icons at the bottom of the AfterFocus app let you customize the blur in your photo.

Tap the Blur icon, and ensure Lens Blur is selected. Drag the slider to adjust the strength of the blur.

Below is the edited photo with a beautifully blurred background.

For comparison, below is the original image where the background is in focus. Notice how the blurred background helps to draw attention to the boy.

If you want to add a sense of movement to the scene, you can use the Motion Blur option (instead of Lens Blur).

This is perfect for moving subjects as it exaggerates the feeling of motion in your image.

Below is the image with motion blur applied to the background.

The original photo was taken while the boy was stationary. But the motion blur makes it look like he was moving quickly through the scene!

When you’ve finished editing your photo, don’t forget to save it. Tap the down arrow at the top of the screen, then tap Yes.

4. Frame Your Subject With A Dreamy Blurred Vignette

This next editing technique offers something slightly different.

Rather than blurring the entire background, you’re going to create a blurred vignette around the edges of the scene.

The blurred edges help draw attention to the central focused area. The blur acts as a frame, drawing the viewer’s eye toward the subject.

A blurred vignette also adds a dreamy quality to your photo.

Here’s how to blur photos on iPhone using the free Snapseed app:

Open Snapseed, then tap the screen to open your photo library. Select Open From Device, then tap on the photo you want to open.

Tap Tools at the bottom of the screen. Then scroll down and select the Lens Blur tool.

Two white circles will appear on your image.

Anything inside the inner circle will be in sharp focus. Anything outside the outer circle will be blurred. The area between the two circles is where the image transitions from sharp to blurred.

You can drag the circle to a different area if you wish. Or resize it by pinching with two fingers.

To adjust the blur strength, swipe up or down and select Blur Strength. Then swipe left or right to adjust the strength of the blur.

You can also adjust the Transition and Vignette Strength in the same way.

Transition adjusts how gradually the focused area transitions to blur. And Vignette Strength controls how dark the edges of your photo appear.

When you’re happy with the blur effect, tap the checkmark at the bottom right.

Save your image by tapping Export, then Save A Copy.

Below is the edited image with a dreamy blurred vignette around the edges.

For comparison, below is the original image without any blur applied. Notice how the subtle blurring in the photo above draws the eye toward the center of the frame.

Note that a blurred vignette doesn’t work well on every photo. It tends to work best went the subject is positioned centrally in the frame. And you need to have enough space around your subject to blur the edges.

But on the right photo, a blurred vignette can be very effective!

The post 4 Easy Ways To Blur The Background In Your iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: Advanced iPhone Camera Controls

Click any title link below to go straight to that section of the article:

1. Depth Of Field: How To Blur The Background In Your Photos
1.1 Use Portrait Mode To Blur The Background In Your Photos
1.2 Get Close To Your Subject To Create A Shallow Depth Of Field

2. Focus: How To Set Focus For Pin-Sharp Images
2.1 Tap To Set The Focus Point
2.2 Lock The Focus With AE/AF Lock
2.3 Use Manual Focus For More Precise Focusing

3. Exposure: How To Get Perfect Brightness Levels In Your Pictures
3.1 Adjust Exposure Manually
3.2 Use Exposure To Change The Mood Of A Photo
3.3 Switch On HDR For Better Exposure In High Contrast Scenes

4. Shutter Speed: How To Change Shutter Speed On iPhone
4.1 What Is Shutter Speed?
4.2 How To Change Shutter Speed On iPhone
4.3 Use A Slow Shutter Speed For Stunning Long Exposure Photos

5. ISO: How To Use ISO To Capture Grain-Free Shots In Low Light
5.1 What Is ISO?
5.2 How To Change The ISO iPhone Camera Setting
5.3 Balance Shutter Speed & ISO

6. White Balance: How To Capture Perfect Colors In Your Photos
6.1 What Is White Balance?
6.2 How To Change White Balance On iPhone
6.3 Use White Balance For Creative Effect

1. Depth Of Field: How To Blur The Background In Your Photos

Do you want to shoot professional-looking iPhone photos with beautiful out-of-focus backgrounds?

Creating a shallow depth of field (where only part of the scene is in focus) is a great way to make your subject stand out. And it’s perfect for blurring out a distracting background.

Shallow depth of field photos are typically associated with DSLR cameras. But did you know it’s easy to blur the background in your iPhone photos?

On a DSLR camera, you control the depth of field by adjusting the aperture (the size of the opening in the lens). However, the iPhone aperture can’t be changed.

So how do you blur the background in your iPhone photos?

Read on, and discover two easy ways to shoot stunning images with beautifully blurred backgrounds.

1.1 Use Portrait Mode To Blur The Background In Your Photos

Does your iPhone camera have Portrait mode? If so, you can use it to shoot stunning photos with dreamy, blurred backgrounds.

You’ll find Portrait mode in the built-in Camera app on the following iPhones: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Portrait mode uses clever depth-effect software to blur the background. All you have to do is point the camera at your subject, and the iPhone will do the rest!

Portrait mode is perfect for shooting professional-looking portrait photos.

But you can also use it to blur the background behind other subjects.

Here’s how to capture beautifully blurred backgrounds with Portrait mode:

Open the built-in iPhone Camera app, then select Portrait mode at the bottom of the screen.

Ensure the subject is between two and eight feet from the camera. If you’re too close or too far away, you’ll see a message telling you to change your distance.

When the camera has focused on the subject and blurred the background, you’ll see the words Natural Light in yellow. (On iPhone 7 Plus, you’ll see Depth Effect instead.)

Now, tap the shutter button to take a beautiful photo with a soft, blurred background. It really is that easy!

If you have one of the newer iPhones (all iPhone 12 models, all iPhone 11 models, iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR), you can do even more with Portrait mode.

These iPhones allow you to adjust the strength of the background blur after taking your photo.

This offers a huge amount of creative control.

To adjust the blur strength, open your portrait photo in the Photos app, then tap Edit.

Tap the f/number icon at the top left of the screen.

You’ll now see the Depth slider beneath your photo. Drag the slider left or right to adjust the strength of the background blur.

Tap Done to save the changes.

As you can see, Portrait mode offers an easy way to create a shallow depth of field in your photos.

But what if you don’t have Portrait mode on your iPhone?

Well, there’s another simple way to blur the background in your photos. And this technique works on any iPhone model!

Here’s what you need to do:

1.2 Get Close To Your Subject To Create A Shallow Depth Of Field

Do you want to know a great trick for blurring the background in your iPhone photos?

Get closer to your subject.

The closer the lens is to the subject, the blurrier the background will appear.

It’s that simple!

This technique works on any iPhone (or indeed any camera)… even if you don’t have Portrait mode.

When shooting close-ups, it’s important that the subject (not the background) is in sharp focus. You’ll learn how to set focus in section 2 below.

Just be careful not to get too close to the subject. If you’re too close, the camera won’t be able to focus at all.

If you want to shoot extreme close-up photos with a very shallow depth of field, you’ll need an add-on macro lens. One of the best macro lenses is the Moment Macro Lens.

With a macro lens, you can capture fascinating close-up photos of nature, flowers, and insects.

2. Focus: How To Set Focus For Pin-Sharp Images

Getting your subject in sharp focus is essential for creating high-quality photos with superb detail.

This is especially important when shooting close-up photos.

Why?

Because the depth of field will be very shallow, with only a small portion of the image in focus. If the focus isn’t set correctly, your subject may end up blurred.

Luckily, the iPhone makes it easy to set the focus accurately on your subject. Here’s how to do it:

2.1 Tap To Set The Focus Point

In the built-in Camera app, simply tap the screen where you want to set focus. A yellow square indicates your focus point.

When you take the photo, the area you tapped on will be in sharp focus.

In the photo below, focus was set on the flower on the left. Notice how this flower is perfectly sharp, but the others are out of focus.

2.2 Lock The Focus With AE/AF Lock

Another useful feature is AE/AF Lock. This iPhone camera setting lets you lock the focus point on a certain area.

To activate AE/AF Lock, tap and hold the screen for a couple of seconds until you see AE/AF LOCK in yellow.

The focus point will now remain locked, even after taking a photo.

This is perfect for situations where you want to take several pictures of the same scene. You can take as many photos as you want without having to set the focus point for each new shot.

It’s also great for scenes where there’s movement, such as people walking past. If you don’t lock the focus, the camera’s autofocus might readjust the focus point onto the moving subject.

In the example above, I locked focus on the stone arch. If I hadn’t done this, the camera might have focused on the people in the background when they walked into the scene.

2.3 Use Manual Focus For More Precise Focusing

In certain situations, the tap-to-focus method might not give you enough control over your focus point.

Imagine you’re taking a close-up photo of a flower with water droplets. The depth of field will be very shallow, so only a small area of the scene will be in sharp focus.

Tapping on a single tiny water droplet to ensure it’s in focus may prove tricky.

So, how can you set the focus point more accurately?

You’ll need to use a third-party camera app that has a manual focus control.

Camera+ 2 ($7.99) is a DSLR camera app for iPhone. It has advanced iPhone camera controls, including manual focus.

When you open Camera+ 2, make sure you’re in Camera mode. If you’re not in Camera mode, just tap the Camera icon at the bottom of the screen and the viewfinder will appear.

Next, ensure you’re shooting in Manual mode. The current shooting mode is shown in yellow at the top of the screen. Tap the yellow icon and select Manual.

In Manual mode, you’ll see a row of icons above the shutter button. These are the advanced iPhone camera controls.

Tap the Focus icon (second icon from the left). The Manual Focus slider will appear above the shutter button.

Drag the Manual Focus slider left or right to adjust the focus. As you drag the slider, the focus point will gradually change from foreground to background.

When you’re happy with the focus, tap the shutter button to take your photo.

Remember, in most cases, tapping to set the focus point results in great photos.

But sometimes it’s more difficult to set the focus accurately, especially when shooting close-up macro photos. That’s when you should use the Manual Focus slider in Camera+ 2 to fine-tune the focus more precisely.

3. Exposure: How To Get Perfect Brightness Levels In Your Pictures

After you set focus, it’s important to get the exposure right.

Exposure refers to the brightness of an image.

A photo that’s too bright is over-exposed. And a photo that’s too dark is under-exposed.

Getting the correct exposure will result in beautiful photos that are neither too bright nor too dark.

So, how do you adjust exposure on the iPhone?

It’s actually very easy. Here’s how to do it:

3.1 Adjust Exposure Manually

In the built-in Camera app, start by tapping to set focus. Then simply swipe up or down to adjust exposure (brightness).

Swipe up to make the image brighter, or down to make it darker.

When the brightness levels look good, tap the shutter button to take a photo.

Now, if you have an iPhone 11 or later (running iOS 14 or later), there’s a second way to adjust exposure in the Camera app. This involves using the Exposure Compensation slider in the hidden camera menu.

To access the hidden menu, tap the arrow at the top of the screen (or swipe up on your viewfinder). Next, tap the Exposure icon (circle with a plus and minus symbol).

Then drag the exposure slider left or right to adjust the brightness.

Your chosen exposure setting will be used for any photos that you take from now on. This is very useful when you want to set a precise exposure for a series of upcoming shots.

However, when you’ve finished shooting, it’s a good idea to adjust the exposure back to zero. If you don’t, the exposure might not look right when you start shooting a different subject in different light.

If you’re using the Camera+ 2 app, it has a very similar Exposure Compensation slider. Just ensure Auto mode is selected at the top of the screen, then drag the EV slider left or right to adjust exposure.

Keep in mind that there’s no exact science to setting exposure. You just have to decide what looks best for the particular photo you’re taking.

In most cases, you should aim for an exposure where there’s sufficient detail in all parts of the scene.

If that isn’t possible (because of awkward lighting), ensure the most important part of the scene is correctly exposed.

In the photo below, I chose to expose for the landscape, rather than for the dark interior of the church. Even though there’s no detail in the shadows, the result is quite dramatic!

When shooting at night, the camera often brightens the exposure. It does this in an attempt to capture more detail. But the results aren’t always good. The brighter areas can end up over-exposed, while the darker areas can look grainy.

To capture stunning photos at night, reduce the exposure to make the image darker. The blacks will appear black, and the highlights will have more detail.

3.2 Use Exposure To Change The Mood Of A Photo

Getting creative with exposure allows you to enhance or change the mood of a photo.

For example, if you want a dark and moody image, try deliberately under-exposing. The dark tones will add a wonderful sense of drama or mystery.

You’ll also need to under-expose to create a silhouette photo. The silhouetted subject should be completely black, with no color or detail.

Likewise, you’ll need to under-expose to capture dark shadows. The lack of detail in the shadows will create a sense of mystery and intrigue.

On the other hand, slightly over-exposing will create a bright and airy image with a happy or carefree mood.

Over-exposing works especially well when a large portion of the scene is white. This helps to create a bright, fresh image that really catches the eye.

3.3 Switch On HDR For Better Exposure In High Contrast Scenes

Photographing high contrast scenes (with both bright and dark areas) can be a big problem when it comes to exposure.

This is because the camera isn’t capable of capturing detail in both the dark and bright areas at the same time.

In the photo above, the dark foreground has been exposed correctly. But the bright areas of sky are over-exposed with no color or detail at all.

The examples below show how difficult it is to capture detail in both the bright and dark areas at the same time.

If you expose to capture detail in the highlights (bright areas), the shadows (dark areas) will be under-exposed. And if you expose to capture detail in the shadows, the highlights will be over-exposed.

However, the built-in iPhone Camera app offers a great solution!

It’s called HDR.

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. When you use HDR, the camera captures several images at different exposures (from dark to bright).

These images are automatically combined into a single well-exposed photo. It will have detail in both the shadows and the highlights.

HDR is perfect for landscape photography where you have a bright sky and darker foreground.

Using HDR will ensure you get good exposure in both the foreground and the sky.

So how do you use HDR in the iPhone Camera app?

First, you need to check your HDR settings. Open the Settings app from the Home screen, then select Camera. Scroll down, and ensure the Smart HDR option is switched on (green).

If you switch on Smart HDR, you’ll never need to think about whether to use HDR or not. The camera will always decide for you.

Smart HDR does an amazing job of capturing detail in both the shadows and the highlights. And I’d recommend that you keep it switched on in most situations.

However, if you’d prefer to manually control HDR in the Camera app, you’ll need to switch the Smart HDR setting off.

With Smart HDR switched off, you’ll see an HDR icon at the top of the Camera app. You can tap the icon to turn HDR on or off. (HDR is off when a line appears through the icon).

If you’re controlling HDR manually, you’ll need to remember to switch it on when shooting high-contrast scenes, such as landscapes. Otherwise, you may end up with over-exposed highlights as shown above.

One reason you might want to switch off HDR is if you want to capture dark shadows. HDR tries to capture detail in the shadows, but switching it off allows you to capture darker, more dramatic shadows.

4. Shutter Speed: How To Change Shutter Speed On iPhone

The ability to control shutter speed is typically associated with DSLR cameras.

But did you know you can change the iPhone shutter speed?

Once you master shutter speed, you’ll be able to control how movement appears in your photos. And this will take your creativity to a whole new level!

4.1 What Is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the camera’s shutter is open for when taking a photo.

Shutter speed is measured in seconds (or fractions of seconds), e.g. 8s, 2s, 1/30s, 1/250s, 1/500s, etc.

A fast shutter speed means the shutter is open for a very short amount of time (a fraction of a second).

Fast shutter speeds freeze any movement in the scene. A fast shutter speed allows you to capture sharp photos of moving subjects. It also ensures you won’t get blurry photos from camera shake.

A slow shutter speed means the shutter is open for a longer amount of time (several seconds).

If anything in the scene moves during this long exposure time, that movement will be captured as a blur or streak. This kind of blur is called motion blur.

Slow shutter speeds are a great way to convey a sense of movement in a photo. The motion blur clearly shows that the subject was moving through the frame.

A slow shutter speed allows you to create beautiful long exposure photos of waterfalls and rivers. The long exposure time results in the moving water appearing silky smooth.

4.2 How To Change Shutter Speed On iPhone

The built-in iPhone Camera app doesn’t have a shutter speed option. So you’ll need a third-party app with iPhone manual camera controls.

There are several excellent iPhone camera apps that let you control shutter speed.

Camera+ 2 ($7.99) is a great option as it has a wide range of shutter speeds – from very fast to very slow. It even has a dedicated Slow Shutter shooting mode for capturing long exposure photos.

Here’s how you change shutter speed on iPhone using Camera+ 2:

Open the Camera+ 2 app. Set the shooting mode (yellow icon) at the top of the screen to Manual.

Next, tap the Shutter Speed icon just above the shutter button (circled in red below).

The Shutter Speed slider will appear at the bottom of the viewfinder. Drag the slider left or right to adjust the shutter speed.

The further left you go, the faster the shutter speed will be. Fast shutter speeds freeze the motion of moving subjects and help eliminate camera shake.

The further right you go, the slower the shutter speed becomes. Slow shutter speeds blur the motion of moving subjects.

Note that the slowest shutter speed in Manual shooting mode is 1 second. If you want to shoot long exposure photos with Camera+ 2, you’ll probably need slower shutter speeds than this.

Read on to learn how to shoot beautiful long exposure photos with your iPhone.

4.3 Use A Slow Shutter Speed For Stunning Long Exposure Photos

In this section, you’ll learn how to capture incredible long exposure photos using two different apps: Camera+ 2 ($7.99) and Slow Shutter Cam ($1.99).

Both apps produce great results, but they offer slightly different functionality.

Before you begin, make sure you have an iPhone tripod. A tripod keeps your camera perfectly still during the long exposure time.

If you hand-hold your iPhone, you won’t be able to keep it still enough. And the result will be a shaky photo that’s entirely blurred.

4.3.1 How To Shoot Long Exposure Photos Using Camera+ 2

The Camera+ 2 app has a dedicated Slow Shutter mode for shooting long exposure photos.

Set the shooting mode (yellow icon) at the top of the screen to Slow Shutter.

At the bottom of the viewfinder, you’ll see two sliders. The left slider controls shutter speed.

Drag the Shutter Speed slider to set the shutter speed value, e.g. 2 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, etc. The longer the shutter speed, the more blurred any motion will appear.

If you want to adjust exposure (brightness), use the right-hand slider with the Sun icon.

When you tap the shutter button to take your shot, ensure the camera remains perfectly still while the photo is being taken.

4.3.2 How To Shoot Long Exposure Photos Using Slow Shutter Cam

The Slow Shutter Cam app is designed specifically for shooting long exposure photos.

It makes it easy to capture long exposures of water, light trails, and low light scenes.

Open the Slow Shutter Cam app. Tap the Settings icon at the bottom left to open the capture mode options.

The app has three slow shutter capture modes: Motion Blur, Light Trail, and Low Light.

Motion Blur mode is perfect for creating long exposure water photos. But you can also use it to blur the motion of other moving subjects.

Light Trail mode lets you capture beautiful long exposure photos of moving lights. It’s great for photographing fireworks and car light trails.

Low Light mode is useful for capturing brighter exposures when shooting at night.

Each capture mode has a Shutter Speed slider. Drag the slider left for a faster shutter speed or right for a slower speed.

Dragging the Shutter Speed slider all the way to the right activates Bulb mode. This allows you to shoot with any shutter speed you want. Simply tap the shutter button to start the exposure, and tap again to finish taking the photo.

You can also experiment with the other sliders to fine-tune the image. For example, the Blur Strength slider lets you control how blurred the movement appears.

After taking a photo, you can edit it by tapping Edit at the bottom of the screen. Use the icons at the bottom of the screen to edit your image, then tap Done.

Tap Save to save your image. Or tap Clear to discard it.

Using a slow iPhone shutter speed allows you to push the limits of your mobile photography.

With a little imagination, you can take your creativity to a whole new level!

5. ISO: How To Use ISO To Capture Grain-Free Shots In Low Light

Another useful iPhone manual camera setting is ISO.

In this section, you’ll discover how to use ISO to capture sharp, grain-free iPhone photos in low light.

Note that if you have iPhone 11 or newer, you can use the new Night mode feature to capture stunning night photos.

5.1 What Is ISO?

ISO controls how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the sensor is to light.

This means that ISO affects exposure (brightness). Essentially, the camera can record more light at high ISO settings.

This can come in handy when shooting in low light. However, there’s a big downside to using a high ISO.

Unfortunately, high ISO settings introduce unwanted grain into your photos (as shown below). The grain is especially visible in the darker areas of the image.

Grain reduces the quality of your photo. So you’ll want to avoid high ISO settings if possible. The photo below was shot with a much lower ISO, and the resulting image is free of grain.

5.2 How To Change The ISO iPhone Camera Setting

The built-in Camera app doesn’t let you change ISO. Instead, it automatically selects an appropriate ISO setting, depending on how much light is in the scene.

In low light, the camera will likely use a high ISO in order to capture more light. That’s why you often end up with grainy photos when shooting in dark conditions.

But there is a way to take control of the ISO iPhone settings yourself. And if you do this, you can choose a lower ISO to avoid getting grainy shots.

So how do you change ISO on iPhone? You use the Camera+ 2 app!

Open Camera+ 2, and select Manual shooting mode at the top of the screen. Then tap the Shutter Speed icon above the shutter button.

You can see the current shutter speed and ISO values on the left beneath the slider. In the example below, the shutter speed is 1/15s and the ISO is 6400.

ISO 6400 is the highest ISO value in Camera+ 2. The camera has chosen this high ISO because there was very little light in the scene.

But the high ISO results in an image with a lot of digital noise (grain)… which doesn’t look good.

To change the ISO, tap the + (plus) icon to the right of the shutter speed slider.

You’ll now see two sliders: Shutter Speed on the left, and ISO on the right. Drag the ISO slider to adjust the setting.

The higher the ISO value, the more light the camera will capture – but the grainier the photo will be. The lower the ISO, the darker the image will appear – but it will have less grain.

So your aim is to choose the lowest ISO setting that still gives you a decent exposure.

But there’s a bit more to it than this…

5.3 Balance Shutter Speed & ISO

If you reduce the ISO to a low value, your image might appear too dark.

However, you can get the camera to capture more light by telling it to use a slower shutter speed. Simply use the Shutter Speed slider on the left.

A slower shutter speed (which captures more light) balances the low ISO (which captures less light).

This allows you to use a low ISO (which results in less grain) while still getting a good exposure with enough light.

Of course, if you’re using a slow shutter speed, you might end up with blurred photos caused by camera shake. And if there’s any movement in the scene, it will appear as motion blur.

However, if you can mount your iPhone on a tripod, and your subjects are stationary, it’s fine to use a slow shutter speed. And then you can use a low ISO to avoid grain.

If your only option is to hand-hold the camera, or you have moving subjects that you want to appear sharp, you’ll need a faster shutter speed. And as a result, you’ll have to use a higher ISO setting to get a decent exposure.

Just remember, the higher the ISO, the grainier the image will be.

As with all iPhone manual camera controls, you often have to take a few shots using slightly different settings before you get a good result.

But this all adds to the fun! And you’ll learn a lot in the process.

6. White Balance: How To Capture Perfect Colors In Your Photos

In general, the iPhone does a great job of capturing colors accurately. But in certain situations, the colors might not look quite right.

And that’s when you need to adjust the white balance.

6.1 What Is White Balance?

White balance allows you to capture colors more accurately in your photos.

It ensures the white parts of the photo appear white. And in turn, the other colors in your picture will be captured correctly.

So, when are you likely to end up with strange colors in your pictures?

One situation is when you shoot indoors with the lights on. You might notice a yellow or orange color cast in your photo. This is caused by the warm-colored light emitted from light bulbs.

Color casts are especially noticeable in the white areas of a scene, such as the white jug, wall, and flowers in the photo above.

You can also get unnatural colors when you shoot outdoors in the shade or under cloud cover. In these situations, your photos can end up with a cool blue color cast. This is especially apparent when photographing snow.

So, how can you eliminate these color casts at the time of shooting?

You simply adjust the camera’s white balance!

White balance works by cooling down or warming up the colors in your photo. This neutralizes the color casts from certain types of light, resulting in more accurate colors.

Selecting the appropriate white balance setting will ensure your whites appear white!

6.2 How To Change White Balance On iPhone

The built-in Camera app doesn’t let you change the white balance. Instead, it automatically adjusts white balance in an attempt to remove any warm or cool color casts.

Most of the time, the iPhone camera’s auto white balance does a great job, especially outdoors in natural light.

But if you’re taking pictures in very warm or cool light, you might need to take manual control of the white balance.

So, how do you change the white balance on iPhone?

You guessed it! You use the Camera+ 2 app.

In Camera+ 2, set the shooting mode (yellow icon) at the top of the screen to Manual. Then tap the WB (White Balance) icon near the bottom of the screen.

When you tap the WB icon, a row of white balance presets appears at the bottom of the viewfinder. The presets are called Shade, Cloudy, Daylight, etc. Swipe across to see more white balance presets.

To eliminate a color cast, select the white balance preset that matches the type of light you’re shooting in.

So, if you’re shooting under warm-colored light bulbs, choose Incandescent. This setting cools down the colors, neutralizing the warm color cast from the light bulbs.

The resulting photo should have more natural colors where the whites look white.

In the example below, the Shade white balance preset was selected. This setting warms up the colors, eliminating the blue color cast and making the snow appear more white.

If you prefer to let the camera decide which white balance setting to use, select the Auto white balance option.

6.3 Use White Balance For Creative Effect

In most cases, you’ll want the colors in your photos to appear as accurate as possible. You’ll want the whites to appear white.

But sometimes a photo can be enhanced by deliberately warming up or cooling down the colors.

For instance, you can emphasize the coldness and bleakness of a winter landscape by cooling down the colors.

Or you can intensify the colors of a sunset by adding warm orange tones to your image.

Using white balance creatively can help you capture very different moods in your photos. So don’t be afraid to experiment with the white balance settings.

And if you don’t get the white balance quite right at the time of shooting, you can always tweak the colors when editing your photo!

The post 6 Advanced iPhone Camera Controls For Jaw-Dropping Photography appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Prisma

Best For: Sketch and paint effects based on the styles of famous artists

• Wide range of artistic effects based on the styles of famous artists
• New art filter released every day
• Adjustable filter strength
• Photo editing tools for fine-tuning effects
• Price: Free (in-app fee for premium features)

The Prisma app lets you transform your photos into works of art using a huge range of artistic styles. These include sketch and drawing styles, as well as effects that make a photo look like a painting.

Many of Prisma’s art filters are based on the styles of famous artists. Browse through the app and you’ll recognize well-known works of art, including Picasso, Munch, and Salvador Dali.

You get a good range of artistic styles for free. But you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to unlock the full range of over 300 styles.

Subscription also allows you to save your images in full HD resolution. This is essential if you want high-quality prints.

The Prisma app is very easy to use. The one-tap iPhone filters let you turn a photo into a piece of art in just a few seconds.

Once you’ve chosen a style for your photo, you can fine-tune the effect in a number of ways.

For example, you can swipe left across your photo to reduce the filter strength. This allows you to create a more subtle artistic effect.

You can also use the editing tools to adjust color, exposure, sharpness, and vignette. With these tools, you can create a truly unique look for your photos.

A nice feature of the Prisma app is that a new art filter is released each day. So there’s always a new style that you can try out on your photos.

Prisma is FREE to download from the App Store. The free version includes a good range of filters that turn pictures into drawings and paintings.

If you want access to the full range of over 300 filters, as well as the option to save at full HD resolution, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version.

2. Clip2Comic

Best For: Cartoon-style drawing effects

• Create cartoon-style drawings and caricatures
• Easy to use interface
• Works with photos and videos
• Editing tools for cropping, color, and exposure
• Live preview cartoon camera option
• Integrated printing service
• Price: Free (in-app fee for premium features)

Clip2Comic lets you turn your iPhone photos into cartoon-style drawings. You can turn your photo into an incredible cartoon sketch that looks like it’s straight from a comic book.

The app has a very simple user interface which makes it a joy to use. When you open a photo, it will transform into a cartoon drawing.

The app has 14 different sketch styles under the Stylize tab. Simply swipe across and tap on the style you want to use.

Below you can see the original iPhone photo on the left. The middle image has the Realistic Sepia effect applied. And the right image has the Cartoon style effect.

The Clip2Comic app also has a set of photo editing tools under the Edit tab. Some of the tools are free, but others are only unlocked when you pay for the premium version.

With the free version of the app, your images won’t save at full resolution. If you want to print your photos, it’s best to upgrade to the premium version of the app.

The premium version allows you to save at the highest quality (HD). And the “Clip2Comic” watermark will be removed.

The premium version of Clip2Comic includes lots of other great features. These include additional filters, tools for fine-tuning color and exposure, and a retouch tool. You’ll also get the deform tool which lets you create fun cartoon caricatures.

If you want to print your creations, you have the option to buy prints right within the app.

The Clip2Comic app also lets you shoot photos or videos with a cartoon filter applied. You can see the cartoon effect in the viewfinder as you’re shooting.

If you want an easy-to-use app to turn your photos into cartoon drawings, Clip2Comic is a great option.

Clip2Comic is FREE to download from the App Store. It comes with 14 drawing filters and some basic image editing tools.

But if you want the full range of tools and the option to save at high resolution without a watermark, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version of the app.

3. Photoleap

Best For: Applying artistic effects to certain parts of an image

• Multi-functional creative editing app
• Good range of artistic tools
• Customizable sketch and paint effects
• Apply effects to certain parts of an image
• Use layers to create double-exposure images
• Photo editing tools for adjusting color and exposure
• Price: Free (in-app fee for premium features)

Photoleap packs a whole range of creative editing tools into this sophisticated app. With this app, you can really unleash the artist within you!

The Sketch tool has a selection of filters for turning your photo into a pencil drawing or sketch.

If you want something more vibrant, the Urban tool has a wide range of paint and artistic effects.

Once you’ve applied an effect, you can customize it by changing the paper type, pencil color, background, etc.

If you don’t want the effect applied to your entire photo, that’s not a problem! Simply use the Eraser tool to remove the effect from certain parts of the image.

Once you’ve turned your photo into a sketch or painting, you can take it to the next level with some of the other creative tools.

Or use the Layers tool to blend two or more images into a stunning double-exposure.

The app also has a good selection of photo editing tools. So you can edit your photos and turn them into artistic creations… all within a single app.

Photoleap is FREE to download from the App Store. It includes a wide range of creative tools, and you can purchase more for an additional fee if you wish.

4. Painnt

Best For: Accessing a huge range of artistic filters, including sketch effects

• 2000+ artistic filters
• 145 sketch filters to create a hand-drawn finish
• Editing tools for customizing filter effects
• Price: Free (in-app fee for premium features)

Painnt has over 2000 filters for turning your photos into artistic masterpieces.

The effects range from classical art to cartoon drawings. And there are 145 sketch filters that give your photo a hand-drawn finish.

Simply choose a style and apply it to your photo. You can then customize the effect using the sliders beneath the image.

Painnt is FREE to download from the App Store. The free version has a great selection of art filters that turn pictures into drawings and paintings.

Upgrading to the premium version of the app gives you access to the full collection of over 2000 effects. It also allows you to save at full resolution without a watermark – which is great if you plan to print your images.

5. Photo Lab

Best For: Creating realistic pencil, ink, charcoal, and crayon drawings

• Classic sketch filters including pencil, pen, charcoal, pastel, and crayon
• Turns your photos into realistic drawings
• Many other artistic effects and overlays
• Collage layouts, scrapbook pages, and frames
• Price: Free (in-app fee for premium features)

Photo Lab has some of the most realistic photo to drawing app filters available. It includes classic sketch effects such as pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel, and crayon.

There are also many other artistic effects to choose from. And you can even create photo collages and scrapbook pages.

Once you’ve chosen a style, you simply select your photo and wait a few seconds for the effect to be applied.

Clicking the plus (+) icon gives you access to more options. These allow you to customize your artwork by applying additional effects or text.

This app doesn’t have as many customizable options as some other apps. But there are a lot of effects to choose from, so it’s easy to create unique artwork.

Photo Lab is FREE to download from the App Store. You’ll need to pay a subscription fee to remove adverts and watermarks, and get full access to all artistic effects.

Pro Tips For Using Apps That Turn Photos Into Drawings

Knowing how to turn a picture into a drawing involves more than applying a sketch filter. Anyone can open a photo and tap a filter icon. But it takes more skill and vision to create a high-quality work of art.

If you’re going to use apps that turn photos into drawings, it’s important to know how to create stunning images.

Here are five pro tips for getting the best out of your favorite picture to drawing app:

1. Use A Photo With Simple Composition

Sketch and drawing filters tend to work best on photos that are quite simple in composition. If there’s too much detail in the photo, your subject might become lost when you apply a drawing effect.

You’ll get the best results with photos that have good contrast between light and dark areas.

2. Choose A Filter To Suit The Subject

Always choose a sketch filter that suits the subject and enhances the mood of the photo.

A lone tree in a barren landscape probably won’t look good with a colorful cartoon filter. A moody black and white pencil or charcoal sketch is more likely to suit this kind of subject. By contrast, a photo of happy child is likely to suit a more vibrant drawing style.

3. Customize The Drawing Filter

Rather than just tapping a sketch filter and saving your photo, play around with the custom settings. This allows you to fine-tune the drawing effect, creating a more unique piece of art.

Most apps have the option to change the filter strength. This lets you reduce the intensity of the drawing effect. A sketch effect should always enhance the original image, not overpower it.

Most drawing apps have general editing tools for adjusting color and brightness. Other settings might include paper type and color, thickness of pencil/brush strokes, shadows, and other details. Some apps even let you erase the sketch effect from part of your image.

4. Save At The Highest Resolution

When saving your creation in a photo sketch app, be aware that some free versions save at a lower resolution. This means the final saved image will be smaller than the original photo. Low resolution images are often fine for sharing online, but they won’t look good printed.

If you want to print your images, it’s worth paying the in-app fee so that you can save at the highest resolution.

5. Remove Watermarks

Some free versions of drawing apps add a watermark when you save the image. Watermarks detract from the beauty of your picture, and they ruin a printed image.

You might not mind a watermark if you’re just experimenting with the app. But if you want to print or share your artwork, pay the in-app fee to remove the watermark.

The post 5 Best iPhone Apps That Turn Photos Into Drawings & Sketches appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. Snapseed

Best For: Everyday photo editing

• Huge range of editing tools, yet very easy to use
• Exposure, color, and sharpening adjustments
• Crop, rotate, straighten, and perspective correction
• Selective adjustments and healing tool
• Black & white, vintage, and texture filters
• Portrait enhancement, lens blur, and vignette
• Double exposure, frames, and text
• Price: FREE

Snapseed is one of the most popular iPhone photo editing apps.

Why?

Because it’s easy to use, even though it offers a powerful collection of editing tools. It’s also completely free to download and use!

This photo editor app is suitable for both beginners and experienced iPhone photographers.

With Snapseed, you can easily improve exposure, color, and sharpness. And you can crop, rotate and straighten images.

Selective tools and brushes allow you to edit just certain parts of your image. And the healing tool is great for removing objects from your photos.

The Portrait tool is perfect for creating flawless portrait photos with smooth skin and sparkling eyes.

Snapseed also has preset filters for creating different moods in your photos.

Filters make it easy to convert your photos to black and white or create a vintage look with textures.

If you’re new to iPhone photography, Snapseed should be the first photo editor app you download. With this app, you’ll be able to create stunning edits that will dramatically improve your images.

Snapseed is available for FREE from the App Store. Unlike many other photo editing apps, there are no extra in-app purchases to pay for.

Learn how to use this amazing app in our Snapseed photo editing tutorial.

2. VSCO

Best For: Creating beautiful edits with elegant filters

• Elegant one-tap presets and effects that create the look of classic film
• Adjustable filter strength
• 200+ filters to create different looks in your photos
• Editing tools for tweaking exposure, color, and sharpness
• Filters and editing tools can be used to edit videos
• Price: FREE (subscription fee for the full collection of filters and editing tools)

VSCO (pronounced visco) is another fantastic photo editing app. In fact, it’s one of the best photo filter apps for iPhone.

The vast collection of presets and effects allow you to create the look of classic film in your iPhone photos. They’re perfect for adding a vintage feel to your images.

Unlike other apps where the filters can be overpowering, VSCO filters are subtle. Many of them have a soft, faded look for beautifully understated edits.

You can adjust the strength of the filters to suit your taste. And you can fine-tune color and exposure using the editing tools.

You can also use the same filters and editing tools to edit videos on your iPhone.

VSCO is FREE to download from the App Store. It comes with 10 free filters and a set of photo editing tools.

You can access the full range of over 200 filters, as well as additional editing tools, by paying for the VSCO X membership.

Learn how to use VSCO with our in-depth tutorials:
VSCO App Tutorial: How To Shoot & Edit Beautiful iPhone Photos
How To Use VSCO Filters To Create Beautiful iPhone Photos

3. TouchRetouch

Best For: Removing unwanted objects from your photos

• Quickly remove unwanted objects for a cleaner composition
• Remove dust spots, wires, people, and other objects
• Remove blemishes and smooth out wrinkles in portrait photos
• Duplicate objects using the clone tool
• Price: $3.99

Many photoshop apps have tools for removing objects from a photo. But this is the sole purpose of TouchRetouch. And it’s still one of the easiest and most effective apps for removing unwanted elements from your photos.

Simply use your finger to highlight the object you want to remove… then watch the object disappear! The app automatically replaces the selected object with pixels from the surrounding area.

The Blemish Remover tool is perfect for creating flawless portrait photos.

And the Line Removal tool makes it easy to remove electricity cables from your image.

It might take a few attempts to remove complex elements. But TouchRetouch makes it easy to start over if you’re not happy with the results.

TouchRetouch is available for $3.99 on the App Store.

Click here for the ultimate guide to removing objects from your photos with TouchRetouch.

Or click here to discover more of the best photo retouch apps!

4. Carbon

Best For: Creating stunning black & white photos

• 58 one-tap black & white filters
• Adjustable filter strength
• Textures for creating vintage-style photos
• Light leaks and bokeh effects
• Subtle and artistic color effects
• Editing tools for adjusting light and color
• Price: FREE (in-app purchases for additional filters and tools)

Do you want to create beautiful black and white iPhone photos? Then Carbon is the perfect app for you.

With a single tap, you can turn a color photo into a stunning black and white image.

Carbon has 58 preset filters with different black and white effects. So you can always find a style to suit your photo.

The app has filters for creating unique vintage effects, such as grungy textures, grain, light leaks, and bokeh. You can also add different colors to your image – from subtle sepia tones to vibrant color effects.

In addition to the one-tap presets, Carbon has a set of editing tools for fine-tuning color and exposure. You can even create a painterly effect with the “Kuwahara” tool.

If you want to create gorgeous black and white photos, you can’t go wrong with Carbon. The tools are easy to use, and the results always look great.

Carbon is FREE to download from the App Store. But you’ll need to pay to access the full range of filters and effects.

5. Adobe Lightroom

Best For: Precise fine-tuning of color and exposure

• Powerful set of editing tools within a simple user interface
• One-tap presets for quick edits
• Selective adjustment tools for advanced editing
• Healing tool for removing unwanted objects
• Price: FREE (subscription fee for premium features)

Adobe Lightroom gives you a powerful, yet simple solution for editing your photos. It’s suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

The one-tap filter presets offer a quick and easy way to enhance your images. And the simple adjustment sliders let you tweak exposure, color, and detail.

But Lightroom offers much more than this. The advanced editing tools, including selective adjustments, give you ultimate control over your edits.

If you’re familiar with editing your photos on a computer using Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, you’ll feel right at home with this app.

Adobe Lightroom is FREE to download from the App Store. But you’ll need to pay to access the premium features, such as selective adjustments, perspective correction, and the healing tool.

6. Afterlight

Best For: All-purpose photo editing with additional creative options

• Exposure, color, and sharpening adjustments
• Advanced tools such as curves, selective color, gradients, and blend modes
• Dust and light leak overlays
• Preset filters by well-known mobile photographers
• Double-exposure tool for blending images
• Layers tool for adding text and artwork
• Price: FREE (subscription fee for premium features)

Afterlight is easy to use despite its comprehensive set of editing tools.

The app offers typical editing tools such as color, exposure, sharpness, and crop tools.

But it also has advanced tools, such as curves and selective color. These allow you to fine-tune the colors and tones in your photos to get the very best out of your images.

The filters and overlays in Afterlight are great for enhancing or changing the mood in your photos. The app has over 130 filters created by well-known mobile photographers.

The customizable text and artwork offer a fun way to add graphics to your images. And the double-exposure tool lets you create unique combinations of blended images.

If you want to get more creative with photo editing, Afterlight is an excellent place to start.

Afterlight is FREE to download from the App Store. But you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to access the full range of editing tools and filters.

Click here to learn how to create unique iPhone photo edits with Afterlight.

7. Mextures

Best For: Adding vintage textures and light leaks to photos

• Grit, grain, grunge, and vintage film textures
• Analog light leaks and beautiful gradients
• Stack and blend effects using layers
• Fine-tune images with editing tools and filters
• Use and create preset “formulas”
• Price: $1.99 (in-app purchases for additional effects)

Mextures is a fantastic app for applying textures to your iPhone photos. It also has a range of other effects including grain, light leaks, and gradients.

You can add wonderful mood and visual interest to your iPhone photos in Mextures. It’s easy to create unique edits by combining and blending different effects.

The app also has filters and editing tools for fine-tuning your image.

If you’re new to Mextures, you can start by using the wide range of preset “formulas” created by other photographers. You can even create and share your own formulas.

Mextures is available for $1.99 on the App Store. It comes with a wide range of effects, but you can purchase even more for a small fee.

Learn how to use Mextures to add wonderful textures to your iPhone photos.

8. Lens Distortions

Best For: Adding sunlight, lens flares, rain, snow, and fog effects

• Add beauty and drama to your shots with natural sunlight and lens flares
• Create atmosphere and drama with rain, snow, or fog
• Frame your subject or blur the edges with elegant glass textures
• Layer several different overlays for unique effects
• Adjust opacity, brightness, and color of each overlay
• Price: FREE (in-app purchases for additional effects)

There are many apps that add light and weather effects to your photos. But Lens Distortions is one of the best.

Its high-quality overlays include sunlight, lens flares, rain, snow, and fog. There are also shimmer effects and glass elements to add sparkle or blur to your image.

For a unique look, you can layer up different effects on your image.

Sliders let you adjust the opacity, brightness, contrast, and color of each overlay. You can make the elements stand out for a bold look, or tone them down so they blend in.

Lens Distortions is available for FREE from the App Store. The app comes with a basic collection of overlays. More effects are available as in-app purchases… and they’re definitely worth it!

9. Superimpose X

Best For: Creating unique digital art by combining and blending images

• Combine two or more photos to create a composite image
• Replace the background of a photo
• Create stunning double-exposure and fantasy-style images
• Blend textures onto an image for an arty look
• Add filters, blur, shadows, and other creative effects
• Variety of masking tools for selecting parts of an image
• Price: $4.99

Superimpose X is the perfect app for combining several photos into a single composite image.

It has a good choice of masking tools for selecting different kinds of subject. You just use your finger to select the area you want to remove.

You can adjust the blend mode and opacity of each layer to control how the images blend together.

Superimpose X has a wide range of tools for editing each layer. You can use filters, shadows, gradients, light effects, and more.

With Superimpose X, the creative possibilities are endless. Your imagination is the only limit!

Superimpose X is available for $4.99 on the App Store.

Click here to discover how to use Superimpose X to blend multiple iPhone photos.

10. Instagram

Best For: Enhancing your images right before you share them

• Good selection of color and black & white filters
• Exposure, color, and sharpening adjustments
• Crop, rotate, straighten, and perspective correction
• Vignette and tilt-shift effects
• Give your photos a final polish before sharing them on Instagram
• Price: FREE

Do you share your photos on Instagram? If so, you definitely shouldn’t overlook the editing tools in this app.

Instagram doesn’t have the same range of editing tools as apps like Snapseed. But if you only want to make basic adjustments, it may be all you need.

It has a good range of color and black and white filters for changing the look and feel of your image.

There’s also a handy set of editing tools. You can adjust exposure, color, and sharpness. There are options to crop, rotate, straighten, and correct perspective. And you can add a vignette or tilt-shift effect.

If you prefer to edit your photos in a different app, you can still apply an Instagram filter just before sharing.

Instagram is available for FREE from the App Store.

Check out our in-depth tutorial on Instagram Photo Editing.

Best Photo Editing Apps: How To Choose The Right Apps For You

You’ve discovered the 10 best photo editing apps… but how do you choose the right apps for you?

Read on and let us help you decide…

If you’re new to photo editing, the best photo editor app is Snapseed. That said, it has a wide range of editing tools, so it’s suitable for more advanced users too.

If you like the idea of using one-tap filters to create classic, understated edits, VSCO is a great choice.

And Carbon is perfect for creating beautiful black and white photos.

For more advanced editing tools, such as selective color and exposure adjustments, try Adobe Lightroom or Afterlight.

TouchRetouch is a great app to have in your collection. Use it whenever you want to remove unwanted objects from your iPhone photos.

Lens Distortions is fantastic for adding realistic sunlight, lens flares, rain, snow, and fog. These effects are great for adding beauty and drama to your landscape photos.

Do you enjoy getting creative with your edits? If so, Afterlight has a good selection of creative tools.

And Mextures is the best photo editing app for adding textures and light leaks.

If you want to create truly unique artwork, including fantasy-style images and double-exposures, try Superimpose X.

Do you share your photos on Instagram? Then why not use its filters and editing tools to give your images a final polish before sharing.

The post The 10 Best Photo Editing Apps For iPhone (2022 Edition) appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

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