Table Of Contents: VSCO Tutorial

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1. How To Use VSCO App: Overview
1.1 Navigate The VSCO App
1.2 Import Photos Into VSCO For Editing
1.3 Open The VSCO Photo Editor

2. VSCO Filters
2.1 Apply A VSCO Filter To Your Photo
2.2 Download More VSCO Filters

3. VSCO Photo Editing Tools
3.1 Exposure
3.2 Contrast
3.3 Adjust (Crop, Rotate, Straighten & Skew)
3.4 Sharpen
3.5 Clarity
3.6 Saturation
3.7 Tone
3.8 White Balance
3.9 Skin Tone
3.10 Vignette
3.11 Grain
3.12 Fade
3.13 Split Tone
3.14 Borders
3.15 HSL (Hue, Saturation & Lightness)
3.16 Change Or Delete Individual Edits

4. Save Your Edited Photo

5. How To Use VSCO Camera
5.1 Focus & Exposure
5.2 Manual Camera Controls
5.3 RAW Format
5.4 Grid & Tiltmeter
5.5 Flash
5.6 Exposure Compensation
5.7 White Balance
5.8 Manual Focus
5.9 Shutter Speed
5.10 ISO
5.11 Preview Your Photos
5.12 VSCO Camera Vs. iPhone Camera App

1. How To Use VSCO App: Overview

What is VSCO?

It’s a fantastic app that lets you shoot, edit and share your iPhone photos.

But if you’re new to the app, it can be difficult to find your way around. And some of the icons don’t have labels – which can make it even more confusing.

So, in this section, you’ll learn how to navigate around VSCO and import your photos for editing.

1.1 Navigate The VSCO App

When you open the VSCO app, you’ll see five icons at the bottom of the screen. From left to right, these are VSCO Feed, Discover, Studio, Profile, and  VSCO X.

The VSCO Feed (circle icon with three lines) displays photos from people you follow on VSCO.

The Discover icon (circle icon with four intersecting lines) lets you discover new photographers in the VSCO community.

The Studio (two stacked squares icon) is where you import your photos ready for editing.

To open the VSCO camera, tap the Camera icon at the top left of the studio screen. When you’ve finished taking photos, tap the arrow at the top right to exit the camera.

The Profile icon (smiley face icon) displays photos that you’ve shared with the VSCO community.

The VSCO X icon at the bottom right allows you to subscribe to VSCO X membership. For $19.99 a year, you’ll get access to the entire range of VSCO filters, as well as additional editing tools.

1.2 Import Photos Into VSCO For Editing

To edit a photo in VSCO, you first have to import the image from your iPhone’s photo library. Tap the [+] icon at the top right of the VSCO studio.

The Camera Roll screen will appear. This displays the images from your iPhone’s photo library.

Scroll down to view more images. Or select a different album from the row of albums at the top of the screen.

Tap on the photo or photos you want to import for editing. Then tap Import at the bottom of the screen.

The imported images will appear in your VSCO studio.

1.3 Open The VSCO Photo Editor

In the VSCO studio, select the photo you want to edit. A gold outline appears around the selected image.

Tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the screen to open the VSCO editor.

Note that if you’ve selected multiple photos, you won’t be able to access the editing tools. If you’ve selected more than one photo, tap the X at the bottom left to deselect all images. Then select the photo you want to edit.

There are two ways to edit a photo in the VSCO app. You can use one-tap VSCO filters to quickly change the look and mood of your image. Or you can make manual edits using a range of VSCO editing tools.

Of course, you can edit using both filters and manual adjustments to create the exact look you want.

To open the VSCO filters, tap the Filters icon (white square) at the bottom left. To access the VSCO editing tools, tap the Edit icon (two sliders).

Next, you’ll learn how to create beautiful edits using the VSCO editing tools and filters.

2. VSCO Filters

VSCO filters (also known as ‘presets’) offer a quick one-tap editing solution. Each filter creates a different look by applying preset color and exposure adjustments.

VSCO is one of the best photo filter apps for iPhone. Its presets are subtle and have a wonderful film-like quality.

Read on to learn how to create beautiful VSCO edits using filters.

2.1 Apply A VSCO Filter To Your Photo

To apply a filter, first select the photo in your VSCO studio. Then tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the screen. On the next screen, ensure the Filters icon (white square) is selected.

The VSCO filters appear beneath your photo. Swipe across to see more filters.

Tap on a filter to apply it to your photo. If you don’t like the effect, tap a different filter.

After applying a filter, you can reduce its intensity to tone down the effect.

Tap on the active filter, then use the slider to adjust the filter strength. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

When editing photos in VSCO, you can easily compare the before and after images. Tap and hold the image to see the original unedited version. Release your finger to return to the edited photo.

2.2 Download More VSCO Filters

The free VSCO app comes with a basic set of 10 filters to get you started. But there many more filters available.

To access to the entire collection of over 130 VSCO filters, you’ll need to subscribe to VSCO X.

It costs $19.99 a year, but it’s well worth it for the huge choice of filters that you’ll be able to use.

Edited with VSCO filter HB2

As a VSCO X member, you’ll also get access to some additional photo editing tools.

So, how do you subscribe to VSCO X?

Simply tap the VSCO X icon at the bottom right of the studio screen. Then tap Start Free Trial.

The 7-day free trial allows you to try out VSCO X (and all of the filters) before you commit to paying the annual subscription.

Edited with VSCO filter G1

Once you’ve signed up to VSCO X, you’ll have access to the full range of VSCO filters.

Now you can experiment with different filters to create just the look that you want.

3. VSCO Photo Editing Tools

VSCO has a wide range of photo editing tools for fine-tuning color, brightness, and sharpness. It also has adjustment tools for cropping, straightening, and correcting perspective problems.

To access the photo editing tools, select the photo you want to work on in your VSCO studio.

Then tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the screen. If you’ve already opened your photo to apply a VSCO filter, you can skip this step.

Tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the next screen. The VSCO photo editing tools appear beneath your image.

Swipe across the row of editing tools to see the full range of tools available.

Tap on a tool to access the options for that adjustment. Most tools have a single slider for making adjustments. But some tools have other options too.

Below you’ll discover how to create stunning VSCO edits using these photo editing tools.

3.1 Exposure

The Exposure tool lets you change the image brightness. Drag the slider left to make your photo darker, or right to make it brighter.

3.2 Contrast

The Contrast tool adjusts the amount of contrast between the bright and dark areas.

Increasing contrast makes the dark areas darker and the bright areas brighter. This creates a bold, dramatic image. Reducing contrast creates a softer image with less difference between dark and light.

3.3 Adjust (Crop, Rotate, Straighten & Skew)

The Adjust tool contains four image adjustment options: Crop, Rotate, Straighten and Skew.

To crop away the edges of your photo, ensure the Crop + Straighten option is selected. Then drag the corner handles to a new position. You can crop to a specific aspect ratio by tapping one of the options at the bottom of the screen, e.g. 1:1 (square), 4:5, 16:9, etc.

To straighten your photo, drag the slider left or right. This is perfect for leveling up slanted horizons in your landscape photos.

To rotate your image 90 degrees at a time, tap the Rotate icon (curved arrows) to the right of the slider.

The Skew option lets you correct problems with horizontal and vertical perspective.

If you’ve taken a photo looking up at a building, the top of the building will appear narrower than the bottom. Adjusting the vertical perspective can fix this problem, making the building appear straighter.

Tap Skew, then use the Y slider to adjust vertical perspective. Use the X slider to control horizontal perspective.

To return to the Crop, Straighten and Rotate tools, tap Crop + Straighten.

3.4 Sharpen

Use the Sharpen tool to makes the detail in your photo appear sharper and more defined.

Be careful not to over-sharpen though. Too much sharpness can degrade the quality of your photo, making it appear slightly grainy.

3.5 Clarity

The Clarity tool enhances detail in your photo and makes your image “pop.”

3.6 Saturation

The Saturation tool controls the vibrancy of colors in your photo. Increase saturation to make the colors more vibrant. Or decrease it to make colors more muted.

3.7 Tone

The Tone tool lets you control the brightness of highlights and shadows separately. Highlights are the bright tones in your image. Shadows are the dark tones.

Use the Highlights slider to darken areas of your image that are too bright. And use the Shadows slider to brighten areas that are too dark.

These tools bring out color and detail in the bright and dark parts of your photo. But if an area is so over-exposed that it appears pure white, you probably won’t be able to retrieve any detail.

Also, be careful not to over-apply these settings. Darkening highlights and brightening shadows can result in an image with not enough contrast.

3.8 White Balance

The White Balance tool lets you adjust the color tone of your photo with two sliders. You can use this tool to change the mood of your photo. It’s also useful for correcting color casts caused by different types of light.

The Temperature slider makes the colors cooler (more blue) or warmer (more orange).

Making the colors cooler can create a cold, lonely or melancholy mood. A warmer orange tone creates a happier, vibrant mood. Warming up the color temperature is perfect for enhancing your sunset photos.

The Tint slider adds a green or purple color tint to your image. Dragging the slider to the green end of the scale is great for boosting the green tones in your photos.

3.9 Skin Tone

The Skin Tone tool is great for enhancing the skin color in your portrait photos. Drag the slider left to add more pink tones. Or drag it right to make the skin tone appear yellower or more tanned.

3.10 Vignette

The Vignette tool subtly darkens the edges of your image. Vignettes can add drama to your photos. And you can use them to draw the viewer’s attention to the center of the scene.

3.11 Grain

Use the Grain tool to create the look of film grain in your photo. Grain isn’t usually a desirable feature in a photo, but in certain situations it can work.

Grain can add a gritty, vintage look to your images, especially when used with a black and white filter.

3.12 Fade

The Fade tool washes out the colors in your photo to create a faded, vintage look.

3.13 Split Tone

The Split Tone tool lets you add different colored tints to either the shadows or highlights.

To tint the dark areas of your photo, select Shadows Tint. Next, select a color at the bottom of the screen. Then use the slider to adjust the strength of the tint.

The example on the right has a blue tint applied to the dark areas of the image.

To tint the bright areas, select Highlights Tint. The example of the right below has an orange tint applied to the bright areas of the photo.

3.14 Borders

You can add a border around your image using the Borders tool. A border can add a finishing touch to your edited photos.

Drag the slider right to increase the width of the border. Then choose a border color from the circles beneath the slider.

Note that the Borders tool is locked with the free version of the app. You can use the tool, but you can’t save your border unless you subscribe to VSCO X.

With VSCO X, you pay $19.99 a year to get access to every VSCO photo editing tool and filter.

3.15 HSL (Hue, Saturation & Lightness)

HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. These tools let you control the hue, saturation, and lightness for each color in your image.

Start by selecting the color you want to change using the colored circles at the bottom of the screen. Then drag one of the sliders to adjust only that color in your photo.

Hue refers to the particular shade of a color. In the example below, only the yellow hues in the photo have been changed using the Hue slider.

Saturation describes a color’s intensity. In the examples below, the Saturation slider was used to adjust the vibrancy of only the blue colors.

In the left photo, saturation was reduced, making the blues appear more muted. In the right photo, saturation was increased, making the blues appear more vibrant.

The Lightness slider lets you change how dark or light a particular color is. In the examples below, the lightness of only the blues was adjusted.

In the left photo, the lightness of the blues was reduced. This makes the blue sky and water appear darker. In the right photo, the lightness of the blues was increased. The sky and water appear lighter, while the rest of the colors in the photo are unaffected.

As you can see from these examples, the HSL tool gives you ultimate control over every color in your photo.

It’s a powerful photo editing tool, but it’s locked in the free version of the app. You can use the tool, but you can’t save your edits unless you subscribe to VSCO X.

3.16 Change Or Delete Individual Edits

VSCO allows you to view, change or delete individual edits that you made to an image. This is a useful tool for seeing what edits you’ve made and tweaking them further. It’s also helpful if you want to delete an edit that you no longer want.

At the bottom of the VSCO editor screen, tap the circular arrow icon. A list of your VSCO edits appears beneath the image. Scroll down to see more edits.

When you tap an item in the list, two icons appear. Tap the trash icon to delete that edit from your image. Or tap the slider icon to open the adjustment slider for that particular edit.

To delete all edits that you made to the image, scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Clear All.

4. Save Your Edited Photo

When you’ve finished editing your photo, tap Save at the top of the screen. This saves your edited photo into your VSCO studio.

You now need to save the image to the Photos app on your iPhone. Select the image in your VSCO studio. Or select several images to save them all to your Photos app in one go. Then tap the Options icon (three dots) at the bottom of the screen.

In the pop-up menu, tap Save To Camera Roll. Then select Actual Size to save the image at the largest size and highest quality.

5. How To Use VSCO Camera

You can use the VSCO camera to take photos, instead of using the iPhone’s built-in Camera app. Tap the Camera icon at the top of the VSCO studio screen.

You can use the camera’s auto settings. Or take control with DSLR-like advanced manual camera controls.

These include exposure compensation, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and manual focus.

Below you’ll learn how to use the VSCO camera controls. But first, ensure the camera is set to Photo mode.

DSCO mode is for creating animated GIF videos. You don’t want to use this mode for shooting photos.

5.1 Focus & Exposure

It’s essential to set focus and exposure before taking a photo. Setting focus ensures the most important part of the scene appears crisp and sharp.

Exposure controls the brightness of the image. Setting exposure ensures the image doesn’t appear under-exposed (too dark) or over-exposed (too bright).

Tap the screen to set focus and exposure at a single point (indicated by two red circles).

To separate the focus and exposure points, tap the screen with two fingers. The focus and exposure points will appear as two separate circles.

You can drag these focus and exposure points to any position. Drag the focus point to the part of the scene you want in sharp focus. And drag the exposure point to the area you want correctly exposed.

Double-tapping the focus or exposure point will lock the current setting. Lock focus and exposure whenever you want to take several photos of the same scene. This will save you having to set focus and exposure for each new shot.

To unlock focus and exposure, drag the red circles to a different part of the screen. To exit the separate focus and exposure mode, double-tap the screen or drag one red circle onto the other.

5.2 Manual Camera Controls

The manual camera controls are at the bottom of the viewfinder. Below you’ll discover how to use the VSCO camera settings.

5.3 RAW Format

The RAW icon lets you shoot in RAW file format. RAW images aren’t compressed like a standard JPEG photo, so they’re much higher quality.

Shooting in RAW offers greater control when editing. For example, it allows you to bring out more detail in over-exposed and under-exposed areas.

Normally, if an image contains over-exposed areas that are pure white, you can’t bring back any detail. But if you shoot in RAW, there’s a better chance that you’ll be able to recover this lost detail.

If you want to create the highest quality edits in VSCO, switch on RAW when shooting. But be aware that RAW images have much larger file sizes than JPEGs. So you may run out of storage space on your iPhone if you shoot a lot of photos in RAW.

5.4 Grid & Tiltmeter

The Grid icon lets you switch on the gridlines or tiltmeter.

Use the gridlines to help you line up the elements in your shot. Or switch on the tiltmeter to ensure your iPhone is level. This is useful for making sure the horizon is straight in your landscape photos.

Keep tapping the Grid icon to toggle through the different grid display options. When the icon appears as a grid, you’ll see the gridlines in the viewfinder.

When the Grid icon appears with a single horizontal line, you’ll see the tiltmeter on your screen. This is an amazing tool for ensuring your camera is level before taking your shot.

As you rotate your iPhone left or right, watch the leveling line rotate at the center of the screen. When the central line turns green, your phone is level.

The two red lines tell you whether your phone is tilted forwards or backward. To ensure your phone isn’t tilted, line up the red lines with the two white lines on either side of the screen. They’ll turn green when your phone is perfectly straight.

5.5 Flash

The lighting bolt icon offers four different flash options. You can use the flash to light up a dark scene. But use it with caution as the bright light can create glare and harsh shadows.

Keep tapping the Flash icon to toggle through the different settings. When the Flash icon appears with an “X” next to it, the flash is off. The letter “A” means Auto Flash. If there isn’t enough light, the flash will automatically fire.

The lightning bolt icon without a letter next to it means the flash is On. The flash will fire every time you take a photo.

The letter “T” means Torch mode, which provides a continuous beam of light. This is useful in very dark scenes to illuminate the subject even before you press the shutter.

5.6 Exposure Compensation

Exposure Compensation lets you control the brightness of your image. Tap the Exposure Compensation icon (sun) at the bottom of the screen. Then drag the slider to adjust brightness.

Tap “A” to the right of the slider if you want to revert to Auto Exposure. Tap the arrow to the left of the slider to exit Exposure Compensation.

5.7 White Balance

White Balance allows you to make the colors in your photo cooler (more blue) or warmer (more orange). Tap the WB icon, then drag the slider to adjust the color.

Tap “A” to the right of the slider to return to Auto White Balance. Tap the arrow to the left of the slider to exit the White Balance setting.

5.8 Manual Focus

Manual Focus lets you control focus using a slider, rather than tapping on the screen. This is great for close-up photography when you want to ensure focus is set on the exact spot you want.

Tap the Manual Focus icon (+ symbol), then drag the slider left or right to adjust focus. Tap “A” to revert to Auto Focus. Tap the arrow to exit Manual Focus.

5.9 Shutter Speed

The Shutter Speed icon (circle made up of small lines) lets you adjust the camera’s shutter speed. Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the shutter is open when you take a photo.

Drag the slider left to make the shutter speed faster. Or drag it right for a slower shutter speed.

A slow shutter speed lets you create stunning long exposure photos. Any movement in the scene, such as flowing water or moving vehicles, will appear as motion blur.

By contrast, a fast shutter speed freezes movement. Use a fast shutter speed to capture sharp photos of moving subjects or to avoid camera shake in low light.

5.10 ISO

The ISO setting controls the camera’s sensitivity to light. Increasing the ISO makes the camera more sensitive to light. This means you can shoot with faster shutter speeds in low light, helping you avoid camera shake.

Tap the ISO icon, then drag the slider left or right. Drag left to make the camera less sensitive to light. Drag right to make the camera more sensitive to light.

Use a low ISO setting in bright conditions. If you use a high ISO in bright light, your photo may appear over-exposed as shown in the right-hand image above.

Use high ISO settings in low light, so that you can use a faster shutter speed. But keep in mind that high ISO settings can introduce noise (grain) into your photo.

5.11 Preview Your Photos

When you take a photo, you can view it by tapping the image thumbnail at the bottom left of the screen. Scroll through your recent photos by swiping across the screen.

When viewing a photo, you have several options. To edit the image, tap the Edit icon (two sliders) at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Options icon (three dots) to save, delete or share the photo.

To exit the image preview, tap the arrow at the top left. This takes you to your VSCO studio where all of your images are stored.

If you want to take more photos, tap the Camera icon at the top of the screen. To exit the camera and return to your VSCO studio, tap the arrow at the top right of the camera screen.

5.12 VSCO Camera Vs. iPhone Camera App

The VSCO camera has more manual controls than the iPhone’s built-in Camera app. If you want to control white balance, shutter speed, ISO and manual focus, VSCO is a great choice.

But the VSCO camera does lack certain features that you’ll find in the iPhone Camera app. VSCO doesn’t have burst mode, self-timer, HDR, Portrait Mode or Live Photos.

You can’t shoot wide panoramic photos with VSCO. And you can’t shoot video, time-lapse or slow-motion footage.

The post How To Use VSCO App To Shoot & Edit Beautiful iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. TouchRetouch

Best For: Lightning-fast object removal

• Includes four categories of retouching tools
• One-tap spot removal for quick edits
• Easy paint tool for object removal
• Innovative line-removal tool
• Realistic edits
• Price: $1.99

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to remove objects from your photos, look no further than TouchRetouch.

Because this simple app packs a big punch.

With TouchRetouch, you can instantly remove any unwanted objects from your photos. Just give a single tap to the offending object, and–voila!–it will disappear.

Look at how the rock disappears in the photo below:

This feature is fantastic for getting rid of distracting elements in your photos.

But TouchRetouch doesn’t stop there. It also offers additional retouching options!

For instance, TouchRetouch offers a fantastic line-removal tool. Do you have any pesky power lines in your photos? Simply paint over these lines and watch them disappear.

It’s worth noting that the app is extremely precise. With TouchRetouch, you’ll rarely make a mistake.

And if you do, there’s always the Undo option!

TouchRetouch is simple to use, cheap, and a powerful photo retouch app.

So if you’re looking for a quick retouching solution for your iPhone photos, get TouchRetouch. You won’t regret it.

TouchRetouch is available for $1.99 from the App Store.

Check out our in-depth guide to removing objects from your photos with TouchRetouch.

2. Photoshop Fix

Best For: All-around retouching, including object removal and portrait retouching

• Adjustable object removal tools
• Simple, one-touch object removal
• Additional portrait retouching tools
• Red-eye removal tool
• Price: FREE (with in-app purchases)

Photoshop Fix is a fantastic photo retouching option–especially if you’re looking to do all your retouching in a single app.

Photoshop Fix offers several retouching app tools. There’s the simple, one-tap object removal…but there’s also portrait retouching features, such as skin smoothening and more complex facial adjustments.

The one-tap object removal tool is easy to work with and gives good results. Simply paint over an object in your photo, then watch it disappear.

For the photo below, I used object removal on the distracting line on the window. Photoshop Fix got rid of it instantly!

And Photoshop Fix also gives you the ability to change the size of the removal brush. This allows for greater control over all of your object removal.

The portrait retouching tools, on the other hand, are a bit more complex. Yet they’re worth taking the time to learn–because they allow you to do some incredible things.

For instance, you can alter the proportions of a face. You can even change the placement of a person’s eyes!

Here’s the bottom line: With Photoshop Fix at your fingertips, you can retouch any photo to perfection.

Photoshop Fix is available for FREE from the App Store (with in-app purchases).

3. AirBrush

Best For: Serious portrait retouching

• Includes a suite of retouching tools
• Geared toward portrait retouching
• Perfect for removing blemishes and acne
• Simple teeth-whitening tool
• Tools to reshape features and adjust skin tone
• Price: FREE (with in-app purchases)

Do you want one of the most sophisticated portrait-retouching tools on the market? Then look no further than AirBrush.

AirBrush offers a whole suite of retouching tools–from skin smoothing and sculpting to face stretching and teeth whitening.

Some of the features are simple and easy to master. For instance, with a few taps, you can remove acne from a portrait. And with a swipe of your finger, you can remove dark circles from under your subject’s eyes.

Among the more complex tools are the facial reshaping options–which allow you to “reshape” your subject’s face.

In essence, AirBrush offers almost every portrait retouching tool you can imagine.

And here’s another benefit of AirBrush: it’s extremely precise. You can zoom in on your subject’s face–and then remove all their blemishes.

Using these tools will allow you to take your portrait editing to the next level.

AirBrush is available for FREE from the App Store (with in-app purchases).

4. FaceTune 2

Best For: Precise portrait retouching

• Designated portrait retouching app
• Blemish, acne, and wrinkle removing tools
• Skin smoothing and eye corrections
• Tools to modify smile, lips, noses, and more!
• Price: FREE (with in-app purchases)

FaceTune 2 is a full-featured portrait retouching app–with an emphasis on “full-featured.”

Because FaceTune 2 has it all.

First, it offers basic photo retouching app tools. You can smooth skin, whiten teeth, and remove spots–all with just a few simple taps.

But then it goes deeper.

For instance, if you’re interested in reshaping your subject’s face, FaceTune has an option for that.

And if you’re interested in giving your subject a smile, FaceTune has an option for that, too!

With FaceTune, you’ll be able to do some serious portrait retouching–because this app packs a lot of power.

FaceTune 2 is a one-stop shop for all your portrait editing needs.

If you want to do some high-level portrait retouching, then get this app.

FaceTune 2 is available for FREE from the App Store (with in-app purchases).

5. Pixelmator

Best For: Sophisticated retouching and object removal (as part of a full editing suite)

• Comprehensive photo editor with powerful retouching tools
• Has a repair tool for quick edits
• Realistic object removal
• Natural blemish corrections
• Price: $4.99

If you’re looking for a full-featured photo editing app that also happens to have incredible photo retouching tools, then you should check out Pixelmator.

This app comes with sophisticated editing tools for any occasion–including cropping, color adjustments, and filters.

But the app also has a fantastic set of retouching tools.

For instance, the Clone tool allows you to move objects from one part of your photo to another. And the Repair tool quickly removes unwanted objects from your photos.

I used the Repair tool for the photo below. I painted over a distracting piece of wood above and to the left of my subject–and then watched as it disappeared!

But that’s not all. Because with Pixelmator, you can also do portrait retouching.

The Soften tool allows you to smooth out the features on any face. You can also sharpen your subject’s eyes for a more dramatic look.

Pixelmator is a wonderful all-around editing app. It’s also great for photo retouching!

Pixelmator is available for $4.99 from the App Store.

6. Choosing The Best Photo Retouch App For You

With so many great photo retouch apps, how do you choose the best one for your needs? Do you go with the simplicity of TouchRetouch, the sophistication of FaceTune 2, or the broadness of Pixelmator?

If you’re looking for easy, accurate object removal, TouchRetouch is the app for you.

If you’re looking for customizable object removal and some quick portrait retouching, check out Photoshop Fix.

Would you like a complex photo retouching app? Then go with AirBrush.

If you want to create professional-quality portrait photos, stick with FaceTune 2.

And if you want retouching alongside an amazing editing suite, go with Pixelmator!

The post Discover The Best Photo Retouch App For Retouching iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac

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

Cable Or Wireless Transfer?

How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac Wirelessly
1. Download Images Using iCloud Photos
2. Transfer Photos Using AirDrop

How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac With A Cable
3. Import Images Into Photos App On Mac
4. Copy Photos To Folder On Mac Using Image Capture

Note: If you have a Windows PC rather than a Mac, click here to learn how to transfer photos from iPhone to PC.

Cable Or Wireless Transfer?

There are two main ways to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac:

• Download photos from iPhone to Mac using the iPhone’s charger cable
• Copy photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly (without a cable)

Once you’ve explored the different ways to transfer photos, you can decide which method works best for you.

How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac Wirelessly

Do you want to know how to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly?

There are many iPhone photo transfer apps available. Below, you’ll discover two ways to copy photos from iPhone to Mac without having to use any cables:

• Download photos from iPhone to Mac using iCloud Photos
• Transfer photos from iPhone to Mac using AirDrop

Method 1: Download Images Using iCloud Photos

Best For: Automatic wireless transfer of all photos from your iPhone

iCloud Photos offers a simple way to transfer your entire photo library from iPhone to Mac.

It doesn’t involve any cables. And once you’ve set it up, new photos that you take with your iPhone automatically download to your Mac.

You’ll never have to think about copying photos to your Mac again!

The photo transfer happens automatically – as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

1.1 What Is iCloud Photos?

iCloud Photos is Apple’s online photo storage service. When you activate iCloud Photos, all your iPhone photos get stored in iCloud.

Images in iCloud automatically download to your other iCloud devices – including Mac and iPad.

We call this process ‘syncing’. When you sync iCloud Photos on your iPhone and Mac, the same photos appear on both devices.

iCloud Photos is the most convenient long-term solution for transferring photos from iPhone to Mac.

Note that iCloud Photos is different to iCloud Photo Sharing. If you’d like to share your photos with other people, iCloud Photo Sharing is a great option.

1.2 Switch On iCloud Photos

How do you start using iCloud Photos?

It’s simple!

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Photos. Ensure iCloud Photos is on (green).

You also need to switch on iCloud Photos on your Mac. Click the Apple icon at the top left of the screen, then go to System Preferences > iCloud.

Select the Photos checkbox. Then click Options next to Photos.

A new dialog box will appear as shown below. Select the iCloud Photos checkbox. If you don’t have the latest macOS (Mojave), this checkbox is titled iCloud Photo Library.

Click Done. Then close the iCloud options window.

Note that you must be signed in with the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Mac. You can check this on your iPhone by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud.

iCloud Photos is now set up on your iPhone and Mac. Your entire iPhone photo library will begin copying to the Photos app on your computer. This may take some time if you have a lot of photos.

But once the initial transfer is complete, new photos you take with your iPhone automatically upload to iCloud (as long as you have Wi-Fi). These images then automatically download to the Photos app on your Mac.

Note that you’ll need enough iCloud storage to store all your images in iCloud Photos. You get 5GB of free iCloud storage. But you’ll need more if you take a lot of photos.

You can buy more iCloud storage by going to Settings on your iPhone. Tap [your name] at the top of Settings, then select iCloud.

Tap Manage Storage for the option to change or upgrade your storage plan.

iCloud storage plans start at $0.99 a month for 50GB.

1.3 Open Photos App On Your Mac

iPhone photos that are synced via iCloud appear in the Photos app on your Mac. Open the Photos app on your computer to see your images.

The images in the Photos app on your iPhone and Mac will be identical. If you’ve organized your photos into albums on your iPhone, these same albums appear in the Photos app on your Mac.

Since the Photos app on iPhone and Mac are synced via iCloud, changes you make on one device are reflected on the other device.

For instance, if you delete an image from the Photos app on your iPhone, it gets deleted from the Photos app on your Mac.

Have you spotted a problem?

What if you want to delete photos from your iPhone, but keep them on your Mac?

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution!

Read on to find out how to delete images from the Photos app, but keep them on your Mac.

1.4 Export Images From The Photos App

The Photos app on your Mac lets you download photos from iCloud to a folder on your computer or external hard drive. This creates a backup copy of the images that aren’t affected by changes you make in the Photos app.

So you can delete images from the Photos app on your iPhone or Mac, while the backed-up photos remain on your hard drive.

To export your images, open the Photos app on your Mac. Select the photos you want to export to your hard drive.

You’ll need to hold down the Command key to select several images. Or to select a group of photos, click the first image, hold down the Shift key, then select the last image. To select all photos, press Command + A on your keyboard.

The selected photos appear with a blue outline.

Click File > Export > Export Photos.

Set your export preferences, or leave the settings as shown below. Then tap Export.

In the left sidebar, select the location you want to export the photos to. For instance, you could copy them to the Pictures folder on your Mac’s hard drive. Or you could back them up to an external hard drive. Finally, click Export.

The selected photos will be copied from the Photos app to your Mac’s hard drive.

You’re now free to delete these photos from the Photos app. The images that you exported will remain on the hard drive.

It’s a good idea to regularly back up all your photos from iCloud onto your Mac or external hard drive. Use the Export option in the Photos app to do this.

1.5 What If Your Photos Are In HEIF Format?

Is your iPhone running iOS 11 or later? If so, you can choose to take photos in traditional JPEG format or the new HEIF format.

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. iPhone photos captured in HEIF format have a reduced file size. This means they take up less storage space on your iPhone or computer.

Are you unsure whether your iPhone camera is capturing photos in JPEG or HEIF format? On your iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats.

If High Efficiency is active, your camera is using HEIF format. If Most Compatible is active, your iPhone is capturing photos in JPEG format.

The problem with HEIFs is not all computers and software recognize this new image format.

Ensure your Mac is running the latest macOS (Mojave) so that the Photos app recognizes your HEIF files.

Do you want to export HEIF files from the Photos app on your Mac to a folder on your hard drive?

In the Photos app, you’ll need to click File > Export > Export Unmodified Original. This ensures your HEIF images don’t get converted to JPEGs on export.

Method 2: Transfer Photos Using AirDrop

Best For: Wireless transfer of selected photos directly to your Mac’s hard drive

Apple’s AirDrop feature lets you wirelessly transfer photos between nearby Apple devices.

AirDrop doesn’t automatically transfer images the way iCloud Photos does. Instead, you have to select which photos you want to copy.

The other difference is that the photos get transferred directly to the hard drive of your Mac. They don’t go into the Photos app on your computer.

AirDrop is a quick and easy way to transfer photos from your iPhone to a folder on your Mac. It’s perfect when you have only a few photos to copy.

2.1 Switch On Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

To use Airdrop, make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are activated on your iPhone. You can turn on both of these in Settings.

You can also access the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings using the following shortcut:

On iPhone X and the latest iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, swipe diagonally from the top corner of the screen. On older iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Ensure the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons are both on (blue) as shown below.

Your Mac also needs to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. You’ll find the icons for these at the top right of the screen on your Mac.

Lastly, make sure you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on both devices. You can check this on your iPhone by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud.

2.2 Import Photos To Mac With AirDrop

On your iPhone, open the Photos app and find the images you want to transfer.

Ensure you’re viewing the photos in thumbnail view as shown below. Tap Select in the top right corner.

Tap the photos you want to copy to your Mac (selected photos appear with a blue checkmark). Then tap the Share icon (a square with an up arrow).

In the AirDrop section, tap the name of your Mac computer. The selected photos will transfer to your Mac.

Photos that you AirDrop from your iPhone go into the Downloads folder on your Mac.

To find the Downloads folder, open Finder on your Mac, then click Downloads on the left.

You can now drag the photos from Downloads to a folder of your choice.

2.3 AirDrop & HEIF Format

If your iPhone is capturing images in HEIF format, ensure your Mac is running macOS Mojave. On older versions of macOS, your HEIF images get converted to JPEGs when you AirDrop them.

How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac With A Cable

In this section, you’ll learn how to import photos from iPhone to Mac using your iPhone’s charger cable.

Below you’ll discover two easy methods for wired transfer of images:

• Import images from iPhone to the Photos app on your Mac
• Download photos directly into a folder on your Mac using Image Capture

Method 3: Import Images Into Photos App On Mac

Best For: Transfer of images to Mac Photos app without using iCloud Photos

What if you don’t want to use iCloud Photos to automatically sync photos between iPhone and Mac? How can you get your iPhone photos into the Photos app on your computer?

You just need to use your iPhone’s charger cable to connect the phone to your Mac.

3.1 Import Images To Photos App On Mac

Connect your iPhone to your Mac with the phone’s charger cable. Then open the Photos app on your Mac.

In the left sidebar, click iPhone. If prompted, unlock your iPhone.

The photos from your iPhone will appear in the main part of the window.

Would you like to import all new iPhone photos into the Photos app on your Mac?

Click Import All New Photos at the top right. This imports all photos taken since your last import.

Would you rather choose certain photos to import?

Click the images you want to copy. Then click Import Selected at the top of the screen.

Once imported, the images appear in the Last Import album on the left sidebar. To see all photos that you’ve imported, open the Imports album.

3.2 Photos App & HEIF Format

Are you importing HEIF photos from your iPhone?

Ensure your Mac is running macOS Mojave. That way, you’ll be able to work on your HEIF images in the Photos app on your Mac.

3.3 Export Images From The Photos App

Would you like to back up your imported photos to a folder on your Mac or external hard drive?

Use the Export option as described in Section 1.4 above.

Method 4: Copy Photos To Folder On Mac Using Image Capture

Best For: Transfer of photos to a folder on your Mac or external hard drive

Do you want to bypass the Photos app on your Mac?

Would you rather transfer images directly to a folder on your Mac’s hard drive or external drive?

The Image Capture app offers an easy way to do this.

It’s useful if you like to keep your photos organized in folders on your Mac. And it’s great for creating a backup of your iPhone photos on an external hard drive.

4.1 Import Photos With Image Capture

Start by connecting your iPhone to your Mac using the phone’s charger cable.

Open the Image Capture app on your Mac. If prompted, unlock your iPhone.

In the left sidebar, select iPhone. Your iPhone photos will appear in the main part of the window.

Now you need to select the photos you want to import. To select individual photos, hold down the Command key as you click the images. Selected photos are highlighted blue.

Or to select a group of photos, click the first photo, then hold down the Shift key and click the last photo.

Once you’ve selected your photos, click into the Import To box at the bottom of the window.

Select the folder you want to copy the photos to. For example, you could copy them to the Pictures folder on your Mac. To view more folders or create a new one, click Other in the pop-up menu.

When you’ve selected your destination folder, click Import.

Would you rather import all images from your iPhone? Click Import All instead of selecting individual photos.

4.2 Image Capture & HEIF Format

Are you using Image Capture to copy HEIF files from your iPhone to Mac? If so, you need to be careful that Image Capture doesn’t convert them to JPEGs.

To prevent the images transferring as JPEGs, check the following setting on your iPhone:

Go to Settings > Photos. Scroll down to the Transfer To Mac Or PC section, and ensure Keep Originals is active.

When you copy HEIFs from iPhone to Mac using Image Capture, the photos will remain as HEIFs when transferred.

The post How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To Mac: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

1. FaceTune 2

Best For: Quickly blurring the background in photos of people

• A portrait editing app with a simple background blur tool
• Blurs background with the tap of a button
• Option to manually select or deselect your subject
• Blur slider for changing blur strength
• Price: FREE (with an in-app subscription)

Do you want to quickly blur the background of your portrait photos? If so, then you should check out FaceTune 2.

FaceTune is a general purpose portrait editing app. And it includes amazingly powerful tools—including the Defocus tool for blurring backgrounds.

With a single tap, the Defocus tool will blur the background of your photo. But your portrait subject will remain tack sharp.

If you’re not happy with the background blur, that’s okay. You can always use the app’s more precise blur tool to erase parts of the blur. Or you can use your finger to add blur directly to the photo.

This is great for photos with complex edges—like the hair in the portrait below.

Do you want to know one last great feature of the FaceTune app? You can change the strength of the blur. That way, you create the most natural looking blur possible.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to blur the background of your portrait photos, then get FaceTune 2.

FaceTune 2 is available for FREE (with an in-app subscription option) from the App Store.

2. FabFocus

Best For: Blurring the background in headshot portrait photos

• Dedicated blurring app for portraits
• Facial recognition technology accurately detects faces and blurs backgrounds
• Manual selection tool lets you fine-tune blur
• In-app camera for taking headshot photos before blurring
• Price: $3.99

FabFocus is a dedicated background blur app. It’s designed to create a beautiful background blur on headshots, and it does exactly that.

As soon as you upload a headshot, FabFocus will recognize the subject—and spit out a quality photo. Notice the subtle background blur in the photo below.

The FabFocus app also provides a set of tools for fine-tuning the blur effect. For instance, you can use the blur tool to carefully blur around your subject. And you can use the eraser tool to remove any unwanted blur.

You can also adjust the intensity of the blur. Feel free to play around with this. FabFocus allows you to undo your last adjustment if you make a mistake.

FabFocus is a great app for creating professional-looking headshots.

You can get FabFocus from the App Store for $3.99.

3. AfterFocus

Best For: Blurring the background behind subjects with complex edges

• Precise photo blur app
• Includes both smart and manual selection tools for custom blurring
• Creates a gradual, realistic blur with foreground, midground, and background selection
• Modify strength of the blur
• Multiple effects for creative blurring
• Price: $0.99

So far, we’ve discussed apps that blur simple portrait subjects. But what if you want to blur other subjects? And what if they have more complex edges?

There’s no need to worry. Because AfterFocus is a dedicated blur app—and it allows you to blur any type of subject.

The app offers powerful tools with impressive effects. You can easily create a realistic background blur in your photos.

For an example, look at the beautiful blur in the photo below.

How does AfterFocus do this?

AfterFocus allows you to select a foreground, midground, and background. It then takes these features into account when blurring behind your subject.

Why is this useful?

When you select a foreground, midground, and background, AfterFocus is able to apply a more gradual blur. That is, AfterFocus creates a blur that increases as you go farther behind the subject. This makes for a more natural effect.

In fact, AfterFocus creates the type of blur you’d get from a high-end camera.

Do you want to blur subjects with complex edges? Do you want a high-quality effect? Then get AfterFocus.

AfterFocus is available from the App Store for just $0.99.

4. Tadaa SLR

Best For: Creating precise, DSLR-like background blur

• Selective, customizable blurring
• Edge-detection technology for improved blur accuracy
• Customizable blur effects
• Tools for creating artistic tilt-shift effects
• Price: $3.99

You want to create beautiful background blur. Why should you choose Tadaa SLR?

Tadaa’s background blur is artistic, realistic, and high-quality. This little app packs a lot of punch.

Tadaa offers background blur for any subject. Blurring is done by painting on the subject with your finger. You can later modify the strength and quality of the blur.

For example, I’ve begun to paint the subject in the photo below. Everything outside the paint will be blurred.

Additionally, Tadaa’s edge detection technology works very well. It successfully deals with difficult edges.

And you can zoom in for extremely precise blurring.

Tadaa also offers several creative blur options. For instance, you can use the linear blur effect to create stunning tilt-shift photos. This creates a single line of focus that runs through the photo.

I’ve applied a linear blur to the photo below.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to Tadaa.

The app is complex.

The interface isn’t intuitive and the tools aren’t easy to use. It takes a bit of patient fiddling before you start to see results.

For those looking for a quick edit, look elsewhere. But for those looking for a precise blur effect, Tadaa may be the answer.

Tadaa SLR is available from the App Store for $3.99.

5. Snapseed

Best For: Applying a creative background blur to any type of photo

• Full-fledged photo editing app with fantastic Lens Blur tool
• Radial and linear blurring for all photos
• Adjust blur size
• Add creative tilt-shift effects
• Price: FREE

You’ve probably heard of Snapseed. It’s a popular, general-purpose photo editing app.

But did you know that Snapseed offers an amazing background blur tool?

It’s called Lens Blur. It can be accessed via the Tools menu. And as soon as you start to use it, you’ll know you’ve found something special.

First of all, the Lens Blur tool is extremely intuitive. You can change the blur shape and size by pinching your fingers. You can change the blur placement by dragging along the screen.

And unlike most other apps on the list, Snapseed offers more than a basic blur. You can get creative with the Lens Blur tool. For instance, you can create stunning tilt-shift effects.

You can also create a blurred vignette. A blurred vignette is a circular blur around the subject. It ensures that the main part of the scene is sharp, and the edges of your photo are blurred.

Do you want to know the one drawback to the Snapseed Lens Blur tool?

It’s not selective. You can’t carefully blur the background of an image.

Notice how the hair in the photo below is slightly blurred.

While it’s possible to create a selective blur with Masking effects, this requires a more intensive editing process.

On the other hand, you can use Snapseed’s Lens Blur for some powerful creative edits.

If you’re looking for a blur tool that combines simplicity and creativity, look no further than Snapseed.

Snapseed can be downloaded for FREE from the App Store.

6. iPhone Camera Portrait Mode

Best For: Blurring backgrounds at the time of shooting

• Conveniently blurs the background when a photo is taken
• Powerful, consistent background blur
• Newer iPhones allow you to change blur strength
• A mode in the native Camera app
• No apps or purchases required
• Works on iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
• Price: FREE

Do you want to blur the background of your iPhone photos…without ever having to purchase a dedicated background blur app?

Portrait mode will let you do exactly that.

You can use Portrait mode to blur your iPhone photos—when you take a picture!

Then, when you view the image in your photo library, you’ll see the final, high-quality product. Portrait mode works best on people portraits.

Notice how precisely the background is blurred in the photo below.

It’s important to note that Portrait mode only works on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. If you don’t have one of these iPhones, then you’ll need to use a blur background app.

However, if you do have one of these iPhones, you’re in for a treat.

Why is this?

Portrait mode is accurate.

Portrait mode is powerful.

And Portrait mode doesn’t stop with high-quality background blur.

Do you have the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max? If so, you have access to Apple’s new Depth Control feature. This allows you to change the amount of background blur applied to your photo.

With Depth Control, you can take stunning, jaw-dropping photos—photos that pop off the screen.

To sum up: Portrait mode is great for getting quick, professional-looking background blur. It’s all done at the time of shooting. No editing is required!

Portrait mode is available for FREE on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.

7. How To Choose The Best Blur Background App For You

You’ve discovered the six best background blur apps. All provide powerful blurring effects.

But which should you choose?

If you’re looking to blur portrait backgrounds while shooting, and you have the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, or newer, use Portrait mode. The blur is high-quality. And you don’t ever have to leave the Camera app.

What if you want to blur a portrait you’ve already taken? Download FaceTune 2 and get the beautiful background blur you’re looking for.

On the other hand, FabFocus is another solid app to blur background. It’s a good choice for quickly adding background blur to portrait headshots.

Do you have a more complex photo? Do you have a photo where you must control the fore, middle, and background?

AfterFocus will give you the control you’re looking for.

Do you need extremely precise background blur? Tadaa SLR has a wonderful blur tool for careful blurring.

Finally, are you looking to apply a more creative blur? Use Snapseed’s tools to add an artistic look to your photo.

The post Discover The Best Blur Background App For Blurring Your iPhone Photos appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: How To Use Adobe Photoshop Express App

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

1. Open An Image In Photoshop Express

2. Auto-Enhance Tool

3. Filters
3.1 Apply A Filter To Your Photo
3.2 Be Careful Not To Over-Edit With Filters

4. Crop, Rotate & Transform
4.1 Crop Your Image
4.2 Rotate & Straighten Your Photo
4.3 Transform Your Image To Correct Perspective

5. Adjustment Tools
5.1 Make Light Adjustments
5.2 Enhance Colors In Your Photo
5.3 Improve Your Image With Effects
5.4 Sharpen Detail & Eliminate Grain
5.5 Add Blur Effects To Your Photo

6. Spot Removal Tool

7. Eye Tool

8. Text, Stickers & Borders
8.1 Add Text To Your Photo
8.2 Add Stickers To Your Image
8.3 Add A Border Around Your Picture

9. Save Your Edited Photo

10. Collage Tool
10.1 Create A Single Image Collage
10.2 Create A Multi-Photo Collage

You can download Adobe Photoshop Express from the App Store for free. There are no in-app purchase fees with Photoshop for iPhone. But you’ll need to sign up for a free Adobe account to use some of its more advanced features.

1. Open An Image In Photoshop Express

When you open Adobe Photoshop Express, you’ll see the images from your photo library. There are two options at the top of the screen: Edit Images and Make Collage.

Ensure Edit Images is selected, then select the photo you want to work on.

You can also open an image from a different photo album. Tap the arrow at the top of the photo library screen, then select Albums.

When you open an image, the PS Express photo editor appears as shown below. You’ll see a row of icons in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. These give you access to the different categories of editing tools.

Swipe across the icons in the bottom toolbar to see more options. Tap on an icon to access the editing tools for that category.

If you want to return to your photo library to select a different image, tap the arrow at the top left of the screen.

2. Auto-Enhance Tool

At the top of the screen, you’ll see a blue Auto-Enhance tool (wand icon). This tool applies automatic light and color adjustments in an attempt to improve your photo.

When you open a photo to edit, Auto-Enhance is switched on by default. So before you even start editing, PS Express attempts to automatically fix your photo.

This can be useful in some cases. But the app doesn’t always create the edit you want. It’s often better to make your own adjustments using the filters and adjustment tools.

To turn off automatic enhancement, tap the Auto-Enhance icon (blue wand) so that it turns white. Your photo will revert to the original unedited version.

3. Filters

Are you looking for a quick way to change the look and mood of your photos? The one-tap filters in Photoshop Express offer an easy solution.

Filters apply a particular set of pre-defined edits to your photo. These include changes to color, exposure (brightness), and sharpness.

With filters, you can quickly turn a photo black and white or add a certain color tone. You can warm up or cool down colors to change the mood in your photo. Or you can make the colors more vibrant or muted.

3.1 Apply A Filter To Your Photo

Filters are called “Looks” in the Photoshop Express app. To access the filters, tap the Looks icon (three overlapping circles) at the bottom left of the screen.

The list of filter categories appear beneath your photo. The categories are: Basic, Charm, B&W, Portrait, Nature, Pop Color, Duo Tone, and Premium.

Tap on a filter category, then scroll across to view the individual filters. Tap a filter to apply it to your photo.

Use the slider beneath your photo to adjust the intensity of the filter. Drag right to increase the filter strength, or left to decrease it.

In most cases you’ll want to reduce the filter strength. This will avoid your photo looking over-edited.

3.2 Be Careful Not To Over-Edit With Filters

It’s worth noting that the filters in Adobe Photoshop Express are quite harsh. Many of the filters add garish colors and dark vignettes. These can make your photo look over-processed. Some filters add excessive amounts of grain.

Below is an example of the Superpunch filter which ruins the image. On the left is the original photo for comparison.

This filter adds an excessive amount of contrast. The result is an overly bright sky, and very dark rocks. Detail has been lost from both the highlights (bright areas) and shadows (dark areas). The greens are too vibrant, and don’t look natural.

In the example below, I used the Autumn filter which looks much better. I used the slider to reduce the filter strength, creating a more subtle edit.

PS Express includes some filters that make your photos intentionally abstract. For example, the Duo Tone filters completely change the colors in your photos.

You wouldn’t use these filters for everyday photo editing. But they can work with certain images to create modern, abstract edits.

Photoshop Express isn’t considered the best filter app for iPhone. But if you use the more subtle filters, and reduce filter strength, you can definitely achieve great results.

4. Crop, Rotate & Transform

The second icon in the bottom toolbar gives you access to the Crop, Rotate and Transform tools.

With these tools, you can crop away the edges of your photo. You can rotate, flip and straighten your image. And you can skew your photo to correct perspective problems.

4.1 Crop Your Image

The Aspect Ratio option lets you crop your photo. Cropping is great for removing unwanted distractions from the edges of the frame. You can also use it to improve the composition of your image.

Choose an aspect ratio from the bottom of the screen. These let you crop to a predefined shape and size, e.g. Original, Square, 4:3, 7:5, etc.

You can even crop to specific aspect ratios for Facebook profile and cover photos. Select Unconstrained to crop without being restricted to a particular aspect ratio.

Once you’ve selected an aspect ratio, drag the corner handles to crop the image.

4.2 Rotate & Straighten Your Photo

The Rotate option includes four tools for changing the orientation of your photo. These tools are: Straighten, Rotate, Flip Horizontal, and Flip Vertical.

The Straighten tool is perfect for leveling the horizon in landscape photos. You can also use it to ensure lines are straight in your architecture photos.

Tap Auto to the left of the slider. Photoshop Express will analyze your photo and attempt to straighten it. If the app doesn’t get it right, drag the slider to tilt your photo. Use the grid to help you get the lines straight.

The Rotate tool lets your rotate your photo 90 degrees at a time. Use this to change the orientation of a photo from vertical to horizontal, or vice versa.

The Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical tools flip your photo horizontally or vertically. This creates a mirror image of your original photo.

Flipping an image horizontally can sometimes improve the composition of your photo. For example, a composition can flow better if the most prominent subject is on the left. We read from left to right, so our eyes naturally want to look from left to right in a photo.

4.3 Transform Your Image To Correct Perspective

Have you ever taken a photo of a tall building, and noticed that it gets narrower towards the top? This perspective problem is caused by you tilting your iPhone up when taking the photo.

You can correct perspective problems using the Transform tools in Adobe Photoshop Express.

To straighten the building (or any other subject with perspective distortion) tap the Vertical Skew tool. Drag the slider to skew the photo. Or tap Auto to the left of the slider to let Photoshop Express do the work for you.

Use the Horizontal Skew tool to make it appear that you took the photo from straight on, rather than slightly to one side.

You can also use the Full Auto and Balanced Auto tools to automatically skew and straighten your image. Try both options to see which one works best for your particular photo.

Full Auto can sometimes result in distorted and stretched images. So be careful with this tool, and always check your image looks good after using it.

5. Adjustment Tools

The third icon (three sliders) at the bottom of Photoshop Express opens the Adjustment Tools.

These tools adjust settings such as light, color and sharpness. The tools are very easy to use. A single slider lets you control the intensity of each effect. Use the sliders to bring out detail and make your photos “pop.”

The Adjustment tools are organized into the following categories: Light, Color, Effects, Details, and Blur. Scroll across to view the tools in each category.

As with the PS Express filters, be careful that the adjustment tools don’t ruin your photo. They can easily make your image look grainy and over-processed if used at full strength.

Use the sliders with caution, and only make small changes to your photo. Applying subtle adjustments will help you create beautiful iPhone photo edits.

5.1 Make Light Adjustments

The sliders in the Light category let you adjust the brightness of your photo in different ways. The Light sliders allow you to control the following:

• Exposure: Brighten or darken the entire image.
• Contrast: Change the difference between the brightness of light and dark areas.
• Highlights: Adjust the brightness of the highlights (bright areas).
• Shadows: Adjust the brightness of the shadows (dark areas).
• Whites: Adjust the brightness of the brightest areas.
• Blacks: Adjust the brightness of the darkest areas.

5.2 Enhance Colors In Your Photo

The sliders in the Color category give you control of the following color settings:

• Temperature: Make the colors warmer (more orange) or cooler (more blue).
• Tint: Add a green or purple tint to your photo.
• Vibrance: Adjust the lower-saturated colors without affecting the higher-saturated colors too much. This boosts colors in your photo without making it look harsh.
• Saturation: Adjust the intensity of all colors in your photo.

5.3 Improve Your Image With Effects

The sliders in the Effects category let you adjust the following:

• Clarity: Bring out details and textures.
• Dehaze: Adjust the amount of atmospheric haze in your photo. Drag the slider to remove or enhance fog in your photo.
• Fade: Fade the colors in your photo.
• Grain: Add grain to create an old-fashioned film or vintage look.
• Vignette: Add a black or white vignette around the edges of your image.

5.4 Sharpen Detail & Eliminate Grain

The sliders in the Details category control sharpness in your image. You can adjust the following settings:

• Sharpen: Sharpen the fine detail in your photo.
• Reduce Luminance Noise: Fix noisy (grainy) photos where the bright pixels are affected. Drag the slider to smooth out the grain.
• Reduce Color Noise: Fix noise (grain) problems where multi-colored pixels appear, especially in the darker areas of your image.

5.5 Add Blur Effects To Your Photo

The Blur category allows you to blur all or part of your image. It’s unlikely that you’ll want to blur your entire photo! But the Radial blur option can be useful in certain situations.

Radial blur lets you blur certain parts of your image. This can help focus the viewer’s attention on the most important part of the scene.

When you select the Radial tool, two circles appear over your photo. Drag the slider right to increase the amount of blur.

Anything inside the inner circle will remain in sharp focus. Anything outside of 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 circles to a different part of the image. And you can pinch in or out with two fingers to change the size of the blurred area.

You can also change the size of the gap between the two circles. Drag an arrow on the inner circle to control how much of the image appears sharp. Drag an arrow on the outer circle to control how much of the image is blurred.

The wider the gap between the two circles, the softer the transition will be from sharp to blurred. A large gap results in a very gradual transition between the sharp and blurred areas. A narrow gap results in a harsh transition.

6. Spot Removal Tool

The Photoshop Express app has a handy Spot Removal tool for erasing small objects. With a single tap, you can remove spots, blemishes, dirt, and other small distractions from your photos.

Tap the Spot Removal tool (bandaid icon) at the bottom of the screen.

When removing small details, zoom in on the spot you want to remove. To zoom in, place two fingers close together on the screen, then drag them apart.

Use the slider to set the size of the Spot Removal tool. For best results, it should be slightly bigger than the blemish you want to remove.

Now tap on a small object to remove it. The area you tap will be replaced by pixels from its surroundings. You may need to tap a few times to remove it completely.

7. Eye Tool

Have you ever taken a portrait photo where the subject appears with red eyes? Or maybe you’ve taken a photo of your pet, and their eyes appear too bright or shiny. You can fix these problems using the Eye tool in Adobe Photoshop Express.

Tap the Eye icon at the bottom of the screen, then select either Red Eye or Pet Eye. Tap the eyes that you want to correct. The Red Eye tool also includes the option to automatically detect and correct red eyes.

8. Text, Stickers & Borders

The Text, Stickers and Borders tools let you add some final touches to your image.

Add a text caption or personal message. Jazz up your photo with an artistic or cartoon-style sticker. Or apply a frame around the edge of your picture.

You probably won’t want to use these elements on every photo. But they can definitely add a unique touch to an image. Use them to tell a story or craft a personal message through your photos.

8.1 Add Text To Your Photo

To add text to your image, tap the Text icon (T) in the bottom toolbar. You many need to scroll across the icons to find it.

There are four categories within the Text tool: Styles, Font, Color, and Alignment.

Browse through the Styles, and tap on a style of text that you like. You can keep the default text, or delete it and type your own. If you don’t know what to write, these preset styles may give you an idea.

To add your own text, tap the Pencil icon at the top left corner of the text box. A screen will open where you can type your text. Tap Done to add the text to your photo.

Use your fingers to resize, rotate, or drag your text to a different position if necessary.

You can customize your text using the options beneath your photo. Tap Font to choose a different font style. Select Color to change the color of your text. Or tap Alignment to align your text to the left, center, or right.

8.2 Add Stickers To Your Image

The Stickers tool lets you add decorative or fun graphics to your photos. Tap the Stickers icon (circle with a heart) at the bottom of the screen.

Stickers are grouped by mood and content. Swipe across to view the stickers, or tap any category beneath your photo.

Tap a sticker to add it to your image. Use your fingers to move, resize, or rotate the sticker.

8.3 Add A Border Around Your Picture

Borders are a great way to add a finishing touch to your edit. Tap the Borders icon (stacked rectangles) in the bottom toolbar.

Beneath your photo you’ll see three categories: Basic, Edges, and Frames. Tap on a category, or swipe across to view the range of borders available.

You can change the color of some of the borders using the colored dots at the bottom of your photo.

9. Save Your Edited Photo

When you’ve finished editing your photo, you’ll need to save it. Tap the Share icon (square with up arrow) at the top of the screen. On the next screen, tap Camera Roll.

Your edited photo will be saved to the built-in Photos app on your iPhone.

10. Collage Tool

One of the most powerful features of Photoshop Express is the Collage tool. This is where learning how to Photoshop on iPhone gets really creative!

You can create multi-photo collages using a range of different layouts. Or try applying a collage effect to a single image. This can can result in wonderful unique abstracts.

10.1 Create A Single Image Collage

Ensure you have a photo open in the Photoshop Express app. Tap the Collage icon (square with three sections) in the bottom toolbar.

Beneath your photo are four categories: Reflection, Pinboard, Shapes, and Freeforms. Tap on a category, or swipe across to view the range of collage effects. Tap a collage layout to apply it to your photo.

Below are some examples of collage layouts from each category. Each layout has been applied to a single photo.

After applying a collage effect, the icons in the bottom toolbar give you access to a range of editing tools. You can enhance your image with filters. Or customize your collage with text, stickers, borders, and backgrounds.

You can easily change the color and width of the borders in your collage. Tap the Borders icon (nested squares) in the bottom toolbar. Use the Color and Radius options to customize your collage borders.

The Background tool (dotted square) lets you add a Pattern, Color, or Gradient to the background of your collage. Rather than having a plain white background, add some texture or beautiful color to finish your edit.

10.2 Create A Multi-Photo Collage

To add more photos to your collage, tap the Pencil icon in the bottom toolbar. Tap Add, then select the image you want to use. Repeat this process to add more photos.

When you’ve finished adding photos, tap the Collage icon at the bottom of the screen. You can now choose a layout for your multi-photo collage. There are three categories to choose from: Grid, Freeform, and Shape.

When you’ve chosen a layout, tap the layout icon with double arrows to shuffle the images into different positions. You can also drag photos within a frame to reposition them if necessary.

Some layouts allow you to tap on the borders, and then drag them to resize the individual sections. Other layouts let you drag the images to a completely different position on the background.

Experiment with different combinations of collage design, border styles, and backgrounds. There are so many combinations to make your photos stand out!

You can also create a multi-photo collage from the main photo library screen of the PS Express app. If you’re currently editing a photo, you can get to this screen by tapping the arrow at the top left.

Tap Make Collage at the top of the photo library screen. Select the images you want to use, then tap Next. You can now customize your collage using the tools at the bottom of the screen.

The post How To Use Photoshop Express To Create Stunning iPhone Photo Edits appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: Afterlight App Photo Editing

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

1. Open A Photo To Edit
1.1 Open An Image
1.2 Take A Photo With The Afterlight Camera

2. Afterlight Editing Tools

3. Crop & Transform
3.1 Crop Tool
3.2 Rotate Tool
3.3 Flip Tools
3.4 Straighten Tool
3.5 Skew Tools

4. Adjustment Tools
4.1 Adjustment Tool Icons
4.2 Selective Adjustment Tools
4.3 Color Overlay Tool
4.4 Gradient Tool
4.5 Curves Tool

5. Afterlight Filters
5.1 Apply A Filter
5.2 Customize A Filter
5.3 Download Extra Filters
5.4 Create A Custom “Fusion” Filter
5.5 Choose A Filter To Enhance Mood

6. Creative Effects
6.1 Dusty Textures
6.2 Light Effects
6.3 Color Shift
6.4 Chroma
6.5 Double Exposure

7. Text & Artwork
7.1 Add Text
7.2 Add Artwork

8. Frames

9. Save Your Edited Photo

You can download Afterlight 2 for $2.99 from the App Store. This price includes every tool the app has to offer. There are no in-app purchases or hidden subscription fees.

1. Open A Photo To Edit

When you open the Afterlight 2 app, you’ll see the following screen. By default, Afterlight opens your Camera Roll so that you can select a photo for editing.

1.1. Open An Image

If you’d like to open a photo from a different album on your iPhone, tap Camera Roll at the bottom of the screen. You can then select the album you want to open.

When you’ve found the photo you want to edit, tap on it, then tap Use. Your image will open up in the Afterlight photo editor. If you want to go back to the app’s home screen to open a different image, tap Back.

1.2 Take A Photo With The Afterlight Camera

Afterlight 2 also has a built-in camera app. If you want to take a picture, tap the Camera icon at the bottom left of the app’s home screen.

The camera has manual settings like white balance, ISO and shutter speed. It also has a self-timer, and a grid for getting your horizons straight.

Once you’ve opened or taken a photo, you can start using the Afterlight photo editing tools. Keep reading to learn how to use the Afterlight app to perform basic, advanced and creative edits.

2. Afterlight Editing Tools

The Afterlight photo editor has five icons at the bottom of the screen. These give you access to a range of basic and advanced editing tools.

From left to right these icons are: Crop & Transform, Adjustment Tools, Filters, Creative Effects, and Text & Artwork.

Crop & Transform: These tools let you crop, rotate, straighten, flip, or skew a photo.

Adjustment Tools: Use these tools to tweak exposure, color and sharpness. Some of these tools allow you to apply selective edits to certain parts of your image.

Filters: Change the look and feel of your photo with Afterlight filters. You can customize filters, and even create your own unique filters.

Creative Effects: Get creative by adding dust and light leak overlays, or various color effects. You can even blend two images into a unique double exposure.

Text & Artwork: Add text, graphics, or beautiful botanical artwork to your photos.

In the rest of this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use these tools to edit and enhance your iPhone photos.

3. Crop & Transform

This category of tools lets you crop, rotate, flip, straighten and skew your image. Let’s explore these options to see how they can improve your iPhone photos.

Tap the Crop & Transform icon at the bottom left of the screen. The tools appear in a row beneath your photo. Swipe across the screen to see more icons.

3.1 Crop Tool

The Crop tool lets you cut away the edges of your photo. Use this tool to remove distractions from the edge of the frame. You can also crop to improve composition or change the aspect ratio of an image.

Tap the Crop tool. Select the aspect ratio you want to use, e.g. Original, Square, 4:3, 7:5, etc. Select Free to crop the image without any particular aspect ratio.

To crop your image, drag the corner handles to a new position. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

3.2 Rotate Tool

The Rotate tool rotates your photo by 90 degrees each time you tap it. Use this tool to change the orientation of a photo from horizontal to vertical, and vice versa.

3.3 Flip Tools

The Flip H and Flip V tools let you flip your photo horizontally or vertically. This creates a mirror image of your picture. Below is an example of using the Flip H tool to flip the photo horizontally.

And here’s an example of using the Flip V tool to flip the image vertically.

3.4 Straighten Tool

The Straighten tool is perfect for leveling the horizon in your landscape photos. You can also use it to ensure lines are straight in architecture photos. Drag the slider left or right to tilt the photo. Use the grid to help you get the lines straight.

3.5 Skew Tools

The Skew H and Skew V tools apply a horizontal or vertical slant to your photo. The Skew V tool is useful for correcting perspective problems in photos of buildings.

4. Adjustment Tools

The adjustment tools in Afterlight 2 let you fine-tune exposure, color and sharpness. Use these tools to enhance your photos and make them stand out. You can make subtle changes or major edits with these settings.

Tap the Adjustment Tools icon at the bottom of the screen. The tools appear in a row beneath your photo. Swipe across the screen to see more icons.

4.1 Adjustment Tool Icons

From left to right, the adjustment tool icons are:

• Curves: Control color, brightness and contrast all with a single tool.
• Brightness: Brighten your image without washing out the shadows. Or darken it without making highlights appear dull.
• Contrast: Increase or decrease the contrast between light and dark areas.
• Vibrance: Make the colors more or less vibrant.
• Clarify: Bring out detail in your image.
• Glow: Add a soft glow to your photo.
• Grain: Add grain to create an old fashioned film or vintage look.
• Color Overlay: Add a subtle color filter to change the photo’s color tone.
• Gradient: Blend a gradient of two or more colors over your image.
• Selective Saturation: Control the intensity of specific colors in your photo.
• Selective Hue: Change the shade of specific colors in your image.
• Selective Lightness: Adjust the brightness of specific colors in your photo.
• Hue: Change the colors in your image to different color hues.
• Fade: Fade the colors in your photo.
• Vignette: Add a soft white or black vignette around the edges of your image.
• Exposure: Brighten or darken the entire image.
• Saturation: Increase or decrease the intensity of colors throughout the image.
• Temperature: Make the colors warmer (more orange) or cooler (more blue).
• Tint: Add a green or purple color tint to your photo.
• Sharpening: Sharpen the fine detail in your image.
• Highlights: Adjust the brightness of the highlights (light areas).
• Shadows: Adjust the brightness of the shadows (dark areas).
• Highlight Tone: Add a red, green or blue color tint to the highlights in your photo.
• Mid Tone: Add a red, green or blue color tint to the mid-tones (tones of medium brightness).
• Shadow Tone: Add a red, green or blue color tint to the shadows.

You control most of the adjustment tools with a slider. Drag the slider right to increase the setting, or left to decrease it. Tap the checkmark when you’re happy with your edit. Or tap the X to cancel.

4.2 Selective Adjustment Tools

Some of the Afterlight photo editing tools contain several sliders. The Selective Saturation, Selective Hue and Selective Lightness tools have eight color sliders.

These tools give you ultimate control over the individual colors in your photos.

In the photo below, I used the Selective Saturation tool to adjust certain colors in the image.

I increased the saturation of the pinks, purples and greens, making the flowers more vibrant. I decreased the saturation of the orange tones, which toned down the color of the table.

4.3 Color Overlay Tool

The Color Overlay tool is perfect for adding warm or cool color tones to your photo. It also has a range of green and purple overlays.

Different colors will create very different moods in your photo. So be sure to experiment and find one that works with your image.

The example above shows how you can warm up or cool down the colors with different colored overlays. When you’ve chosen a color, use the slider at the bottom to control its intensity.

You can also experiment with different blending modes. Tap the options beneath the photo, e.g. Soft Light, Hard Light, Overlay, etc. Blending mode controls how the color blends with the original colors in your image.

4.4 Gradient Tool

The Gradient tool is similar to the Color Overlay tool. But instead of a single color, a gradient has two or more colors that gradually blend into each other.

The photo below has a blue and orange gradient applied. You can tap the arrow on your chosen gradient icon to rotate the colors of the gradient.

In this example, the blue was at the top to make the sky appear more blue. And the orange was at the bottom to give the sand a warmer color tone.

You can adjust the strength of the gradient using the the slider. And you can use blending modes to change how the gradient blends with your image. In the examples above, the Soft Light and Hard Light blending modes produce different results.

4.5 Curves Tool

The Curves tool is the most complex editing tool in Afterlight 2. At first, it can be confusing and intimidating. But once you master it, you’ll have full control over the brightness, contrast and colors in your image.

When you open the Curves tool, you’ll see a diagonal line. There are four options on the left: RGB, Red, Green and Blue.

To control the intensity of a particular color in your image, select that color on the left. In the screenshot below, I selected Blue so that I could make the blue tones stronger.

You can then drag different points on the diagonal line. This lets you control the color intensity in the shadows, mid-tones and highlights. To adjust the color of the dark tones, drag the left-hand area of the diagonal line. To adjust the color of the bright tones, drag the right-hand area of the line. To adjust the color of the medium tones, drag somewhere around the middle.

The diagonal line will end up as a curve when you’ve made adjustments. The more curved the line, the more intense your edits will be. In general, it’s best to make subtle adjustments with the curves tool.

To adjust overall brightness and contrast with the Curves tool, select the RGB option.

Drag the left part of the line down to make shadows darker, or up to make them brighter. To adjust the brightness of the highlights, drag the right part of the line up or down. To adjust mid-tones, drag the middle of the line.

5. Afterlight Filters

Afterlight 2 is one of the best photo filter apps available. Filters allow you to change the look and feel of your photo by applying a preset overlay. Each filter applies a different set of photo adjustments. These include brightness, contrast, color, and clarity.

You apply a filter with a single tap. So they’re perfect for quick edits. You can use them on their own, or in conjunction with the manual adjustment tools.

The filter packs in Afterlight 2 are created by well-known mobile photographers. Each pack contains a set of filters designed to evoke a specific mood. All filters are included in the initial download price of the app. There are no extra in-app purchases, and the app is regularly updated with new free filters.

5.1 Apply A Filter

To access the Afterlight filters, tap the Filters icon (colored triangle) at the bottom of the screen. The filters will appear beneath your photo.

The Afterlight filters are organized into different categories: Original, Legacy and Collection. Tap on these categories to access different sets of filters.

Tap any filter icon to apply it to your photo. The Afterlight filters are quite subtle, so they’re unlikely to overpower your photo. But if the filter effect is too strong, you can reduce its intensity using the slider at the bottom of the screen. Tap the checkmark when you’re happy with the result.

The Afterlight app lets you apply multiple filters to your image. This is perfect for creating your own unique style. Once you’ve applied a filter and tapped the checkmark, you can repeat the process to apply another filter. Do this until you’re happy with the final look.

5.2 Customize A Filter

Filters in the Original category can be customized using a range of editing tools. After applying a filter, you’ll notice two small sliders on the filter icon that you used. Tap the filter icon with sliders to access the editing tools. Adjust the sliders for each setting to see how you can change the filter.

5.3 Download Extra Filters

To download more filters, open the Collection category, then tap the [+] icon. Scroll down through the available filter packs.

Tap a filter pack to view a sample of the filters available. Tap Get Pack to download the filters to your app.

5.4 Create A Custom “Fusion” Filter

Have you noticed the Fusion option to the right of the filter categories? This lets you create your own unique filters based on your edits. To create your own filter, tap Fusion, then tap the [+] icon.

Afterlight will now start recording the editing actions that you make. At the bottom of the screen are two icons. The sliders icon lets you access the adjustment tools. The triangle icon takes you to the filters. Edit your photo using any combination of adjustments and filters.

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see how many edits you’ve applied. When you’ve finished editing, tap Save at the bottom right.

Next, you need to save your unique fusion. This allows you to use it again on other photos. Type a name for your filter, then tap Save.

Whenever you want to apply that same combination of edits to an image, tap the Filters icon and select Fusion. Tap on your fusion filter to apply it to your photo.

5.5 Choose A Filter To Enhance Mood

When using filters, keep in mind how different kinds of filters will affect the mood of your image.

Warm filters with orange tones tend to make images seem more welcoming. Filters with blue tones can make an image seem cold, with a sense of loneliness or even sadness.

Yellow-toned and faded filters can add a vintage look to your photos. Black and white filters are great for creating a classic, timeless feel.

6. Creative Effects

Afterlight 2 has a range of creative effects that you can apply to your photos. These include dusty textures, light leaks, abstract color shifts, chroma blur effects, and double exposure.

You won’t want to apply these effects to every photo you edit. But when used in the right way, they can add extra visual interest or change the mood of your image.

To access the Afterlight Effects, tap the Effects icon (overlapping circles) at the bottom of the screen.

The five categories of effects are: Dust, Light, Color Shift, Chroma and Double Exposure.

6.1 Dusty Textures

The dusty film textures add an aged, vintage look to your photos.

Tap the Dust icon to access the range of dust overlays. Select a dust effect to apply it to your photo. Drag the slider right for white dust, or left for black dust. The further you drag the slider, the stronger the effect will be.

You can rotate the dust overlay 90 degrees at a time by tapping the arrow on your chosen dust icon.

6.2 Light Effects

The Light option lets you add light leaks. These can make it look like you shot your photo with a film camera. There are also rainbow prism effects and other light overlays.

Tap Light, then swipe across to view the range of light effects. Select a light effect to apply it to your photo. Drag the slider left to reduce the intensity of the light.

You can rotate the light leaks by tapping the arrow on your chosen leak effect. You can also resize and move the light overlays by pinching or dragging across the screen.

6.3 Color Shift

The Color Shift option separates and offsets the red, green, and blue color channels. This creates a glitchy abstract effect.

Tap Color Shift, then choose one of the color options. Use the slider to control the amount of color shift and separation.

6.4 Chroma

The Chroma effect distorts and blurs the edges of your photo. Tap Chroma, then drag the slider to the right to increase the effect.

6.5 Double Exposure

The Afterlight app has a Double Exposure tool for blending two photos together. Creating double exposures is a fun and interesting way to produce unique images.

Start by opening your first photo, then tap the Double Exposure tool. Now select your second image. Tap Use, then move, rotate and resize the image if necessary. Tap Apply to create the double exposure.

You’ll see a range of blending modes, e.g. Screen, Lighten, Darken, etc. beneath your photo. There’s also a slider at the bottom of the screen.

Experiment with blending modes to see how they blend the images in different ways. Use the slider to adjust the intensity of the blend. When you’re happy with the result, tap the checkmark to complete the process.

These creative tools are a great way to add fun or unique elements to your images. You can use a single effect, or add a combination of effects to see how they look together.

7. Text & Artwork

Afterlight 2 lets you customize your images by adding text and graphics. You can add your own text, or use the preset quotes and stickers. Graphics include animals, shapes and beautiful botanical artwork.

To access the Text and Artwork tools, tap the Pen icon at the bottom right of the screen.

7.1 Add Text

To add your own text, tap Text. Type your text, then tap Enter. You can now format the text using the icons at the bottom of the screen. From left to right, these icons are: Font, Text Alignment, Color, Shadow and Eraser.

When you’re done formatting your text, tap the checkmark at the top of the screen.

7.2 Add Artwork

To add one of Afterlight’s graphics, tap Artwork. Here you can choose between Quotes, Stickers and Botanicals.

Quotes are preset, stylized phrases and words. Stickers include text and graphics that you can add to your image. Botanicals has a range of beautiful floral and foliage overlays.

Select the artwork you want to use, then tap the checkmark at the bottom of the screen. You can now format the artwork using the Color and Shadow tools at the bottom of the screen. Use your fingers to move, resize or rotate the graphic.

If you’ve added several pieces of text or artwork to your image, you can tap the Layers icon to view each element. Here you can drag the layers to change the stacking order. Or swipe left to delete a layer.

8. Frames

At this point, you’ve finished editing your image. When you’re happy with your edit, tap Next at the top right of the screen.

Here you have the option to add a frame or border around your photo. Frames can finish off a picture, and allow you to present it in a unique way.

If you want to add a frame, tap Frame Options.

Tap the different frame options beneath your image to see what they look like. Some frames allow you to change the size using the slider. You can also change the frame color at the bottom of the screen.

The Mountain icon lets you use one of your own photos as the background of the frame. When you’ve selected a photo, use the slider to adjust the frame size.

9. Save Your Edited Photo

When you’ve finished editing your photo, make sure you save it to your photo library. If you’ve just added a frame, you’ll already be on the right screen for saving. If you’re currently in the main Afterlight editing screen, tap Next at the top right.

First, ensure the size of your photo is set to Max. This ensures you save the highest quality picture. Tap Save at the bottom right to save your edited image. It will save to your iPhone’s built-in Photos app.

When you’ve saved your photo, tap New at the bottom left of the screen to begin editing another photo!

The post How To Use Afterlight 2 App For Powerful Photo Editing On iPhone appeared first on iPhone Photography School.

Table Of Contents: iPhone 8 Camera Features

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

1. Quick Ways To Open The iPhone 8 Camera
2. Use The Camera Grid To Improve Composition
3. Select The Right Shooting Mode
4. Choose A Filter To Enhance Colors
5. Set Your Focus Point For Sharper Photos
6. Adjust Exposure To Control Image Brightness
7. Switch On HDR For Perfectly Exposed Photos
8. Use The Timer For Hands-Free Photography
9. Use Burst Mode For Incredible Action Shots
10. Bring Life To Your Images With Live Photos
11. iPhone 8 vs iPhone XR & iPhone XS Camera

1. Quick Ways To Open The iPhone 8 Camera

Do you often find that you can’t open the native iPhone Camera app in time to capture a fleeting moment in front of you? If you’re fed up of missing out on great shots, this section is for you!

With these shortcuts, you can open the camera on iPhone 8 in less than a second! You don’t even have to enter your passcode to unlock your phone.

When your iPhone is locked, the easiest way to open the camera is to press the Home or power button, then swipe left. The Camera app will open and you’re ready to shoot.

Another way to open the camera from the lock screen is to swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. This opens the Control Center where you can tap the Camera app icon (shown below).

You can also use this method when your iPhone is unlocked. You don’t have to be at the Home screen to access the Control Center. So it’s a great way to quickly open the camera without having to close the app that you’re currently using.

Of course, if you’re at the Home screen, you can tap the Camera app icon there. It’s a good idea to move the Camera icon into the dock at the bottom of the screen so that it’s always easy to find. Tap and hold the icon until it starts to jiggle, then drag it to the dock. Press the Home button when you’re done.

Knowing how to open the camera as quickly as possible is the first step to taking stunning iPhone photos. With these shortcuts you can capture amazing fleeting moments that you’d otherwise miss.

2. Use The Camera Grid To Improve Composition

The iPhone 8 Camera app includes a built-in grid that helps you compose your photos. You can use the gridlines to ensure your pictures are level. And it’s perfect for helping you compose your shot using the rule of thirds.

To switch on the camera grid, go to the Settings app. Scroll down and select Camera, then turn the Grid option on (green).

When you open the Camera app, you’ll see the rule of thirds grid in the viewfinder.

The Rule of Thirds is a classic composition technique. It states that placing your subject off-center creates a more visually pleasing image.

So rather than having your subject in the middle of the frame, place it on one of the intersections where the gridlines meet.

If you’re shooting landscapes, position the horizon on the top or bottom gridline. This usually looks better than having the horizon across the middle of the frame.

You should also use the gridlines to ensure your camera is level before pressing the shutter. This is particularly important in landscape photography. When composing your shot, line a horizontal gridline up with the horizon line. The result will be a perfectly level photo!

Good composition is the key to creating eye-catching photos. So turn on the iPhone 8 camera grid, and use it to help you compose the perfect shot!

3. Select The Right Shooting Mode

The iPhone 8 Camera app has six shooting modes to choose from. These help you take the best photos or videos possible for the situation you’re in.

To select a shooting mode, swipe left or right until the mode you want appears in yellow at the bottom of the screen. The available shooting modes are Time-Lapse, Slo-Mo, Video, Photo, Square, and Pano.

In this section you’ll discover what each shooting mode is for, so you’re equipped for every photo opportunity.

Photo mode is the default iPhone 8 camera mode. It captures photos in standard rectangular format. This results in wide horizontal photos and tall vertical photos.

Square mode takes your photo in square format. Some people prefer the look of square photos. And sometimes a subject fits better into a square frame than a rectangular one. This shooting mode is also great if you like to post square images on Instagram.

If you’re unsure whether you want a rectangular or square photo, shoot in Photo mode. You can then crop to square format using a photo editing app.

Pano mode lets you take ultra-wide panoramic photos. This is great for capturing wide landscapes and cityscapes.

To shoot a panorama, hold your iPhone in vertical orientation. Tap the shutter button, then move your camera slowly across the field of view. Follow the direction of the arrow, and keep your phone steady while panning across the scene. To pan in the opposite direction, tap once on the arrow to turn it the other way.

Video mode allows you to shoot home movies with your iPhone. Tap the red Record button to start recording video footage, and tap it again to end.

Slo-Mo mode lets you record videos in slow motion. This is perfect for capturing high-speed subjects and action shots. Try creating a Slo-Mo of a person jumping in the air. Or how about capturing waves as they crash onto rocks at the beach?

Time-Lapse mode allows you to create a sped-up clip of video. This mode is great for showing how a scene changes over a period of time. Try shooting a time-lapse of the sun setting over the ocean as the tide comes in, or clouds as they move across the sky.

Choosing the best shooting mode for your scene means you’ll capture the most engaging photos and videos possible.

4. Choose A Filter To Enhance Colors

The iPhone 8 Camera app comes with nine pre-loaded filters. These iPhone filters add color saturation, contrast, clarity, and drama to your photos.

You can apply a filter after you’ve taken the photo using the native Photos app. But did you know you can also apply filters at the time of shooting?

If you shoot with a filter applied to your photo, you may not need to do any editing after taking the picture. And the great thing about this feature is that the filters are non-destructive. This means you can change the filter, or remove it completely, at any time. You do this using the Edit option in the native Photos app.

To access the filters in the Camera app, tap the Filters icon (three overlapping circles) at the top right corner.

Swipe through the filters at the bottom of the screen until you find one you like. If you decide you don’t want to use a filter, select Original.

There are three categories of filters: Vivid, Dramatic, and Black & White. The Warm filters add yellow/orange hues to your photo, and the Cool filters add blue tones.

These different filters can dramatically change the mood of your photo. So ensure you choose a filter that suits the scene and creates the mood you want to convey.

The black and white filters (Mono, Silvertone and Noir) are perfect for creating a timeless feel. They can emphasize contrast in a scene, and add drama to your image. You can also use them to remove distracting colors from the final image.

Not every photo looks good with a filter. But masterful use of filters in the appropriate situations can yield stunning photos.

So get out there and experiment with different color and black and white filters. And remember, you can always remove or change the filter after taking the photo.

5. Set Your Focus Point For Sharper Photos

Do your photos sometimes turn out blurry and unclear? It definitely doesn’t have to be this way! The iPhone 8 camera quality is amazing. It’s capable of capturing pin-sharp images. You just need to know how to set the focus correctly.

When you’ve composed your shot, tap the screen to set the focus point. Normally you’d want your main subject to appear in sharp focus. The yellow focus box will appear over the area that you tap.

Setting the focus ensures the camera focuses on the area that’s most important. The focal point will be clear and sharp, while anything in front of or behind it may appear blurred or slightly out of focus.

If you don’t set the focus point, the camera will decide which area of the scene should be in focus. While it might do a good job most of the time, it won’t always get it right. You’ll get better and more predictable results by setting the focus point yourself.

When photographing close-up subjects, setting the focus is extremely important. The closer you are to your subject, the shallower the depth of field will be. A shallow depth of field means that only a small part of the image will be in sharp focus. Anything behind or in front of it appears blurred.

The two photos below show how you can set focus on different parts of the scene. Tapping the area you want in focus lets you control which parts appear sharp and which appear blurred.

In the first photo the focus was set on the face of the watch. That part of the scene appears crisp and clear, while the background objects are out of focus.

The second image shows what happens when focus is set on the deck of cards in the background. Now that area of the scene is in focus, while the watch in the foreground is blurred.

The iPhone Camera app also has a Focus Lock feature (AE/AF Lock). Locking focus means you can take many shots of a scene without having to set the focus point each time. It also means the iPhone won’t automatically reset the focus point if a new subject enters the scene.

To lock focus, tap and hold until you see AE/AF Lock at the top of the screen. When you take a photo, the focus remains locked at that point for the next shot. So you can take more photos of the same scene without having to set focus each time. When you no longer want the focus locked on that area, tap anywhere on the screen to exit AE/AF Lock.

Setting the focal point every time you take a photo ensures your subject is always crisp, clear and sharp. Using this technique will definitely improve your iPhone 8 photography.

6. Adjust Exposure To Control Image Brightness

The exposure setting in the iPhone Camera app lets you control how bright or dark your photo is. This helps you avoid taking under-exposed (too dark) or over-exposed (too bright) images.

It also gives you creative control over the tone or mood of your photo. You can brighten the exposure to communicate a happy or carefree mood. Or reduce the exposure to create a dark and moody vibe.

So where is the exposure setting in the iPhone 8 Camera app? This is one of those hidden iPhone camera features that most people don’t even realize is there!

When you tap the screen to set the focal point, you’ll see a sun icon next to the yellow focus box. The sun indicates that you can adjust the exposure level. Swipe up to brighten the exposure, or down to darken it.

While it’s easy to adjust exposure in this way, it’s useful to understand how the exposure is set when you tap to focus. It’s actually very simple. When you tap to set focus, the camera sets exposure for that part of the scene.

So the area that’s in focus will be correctly exposed, with plenty of color and detail. The examples below show how exposure is affected when you set focus on different parts of the scene.

In the left photo, focus was set on the sky. Since the sky is bright, the exposure is automatically adjusted down to ensure this part of the scene has good color and detail. But as a result, the darker areas of the scene are under-exposed.

In the right photo, the focus was set on the foreground. Since this area is dark to begin with, the exposure is automatically increased to bring out the color and detail in this area. But this causes the sky to be over-exposed. All color and detail is lost, and the sky appears completely white.

Of course, you can swipe up or down to adjust the exposure levels after you’ve set focus. But with high contrast scenes, you won’t always be able to get both the highlights and shadows exposed correctly… unless you use the HDR setting which you’ll discover in tip 7 below!

7. Switch On HDR For Perfectly Exposed Photos

When you shoot a high contrast scene, with dark and bright areas, it can be tricky to get the exposure right.

A good example would be a landscape scene where you have a dark foreground and bright sky. In this situation, you can expose for the bright sky, but the foreground would end up under-exposed. Or you can expose for the dark foreground, but the sky would be over-exposed.

Luckily the iPhone camera has a great solution! The HDR setting in the Camera app helps you create perfectly exposed photos with color and detail throughout the entire scene.

What is the HDR meaning?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It works by taking three photos whenever you press the shutter button. One is captured at normal exposure, one is slightly under-exposed, and one slightly over-exposed.

The camera then blends the best parts of these images to create one correctly exposed photo. The resulting image will be well lit, with color and detail in both the shadows and highlights.

If you don’t see the HDR option in your iPhone 8 Camera app, you’ll need to adjust the HDR option in the Settings app. Go to Settings > Camera, then turn off the Auto HDR option.

If the Auto HDR option is switched on, the camera will automatically decide when to use HDR. That means you won’t be able to control the setting yourself.

Another important setting shown above is Keep Normal Photo. Switch this option on so the camera saves a normally exposed photo in addition to the HDR version. If you don’t like the HDR photo, you always have the non-HDR image as a backup.

Close Settings, and return to the Camera app. To turn on HDR, tap HDR at the top of the screen, then select On. When HDR is on, you’ll see HDR in yellow at the top of the screen.

With HDR switched on, the camera will capture more detail in both the dark and bright areas of the scene.

Use HDR whenever you’re struggling to get a balanced exposure in a high contrast scene. But when you don’t need to use it, you can switch the setting off by tapping HDR > Off.

8. Use The Timer For Hands-Free Photography

The timer in the iPhone 8 Camera app lets you to set a delay between pressing the shutter and the photo being taken. This opens up some great new photo opportunities where you can shoot hands-free.

You can appear in the photo yourself as you no longer have to be behind the camera to press the shutter. This is perfect for group shots and self-portraits. If you’re shooting a deserted landscape or urban location, try standing in the scene to add an interesting focal point.

Use an iPhone tripod and iPhone tripod mount, or position your phone on a steady surface. Then tap the Timer icon at the top of the screen. Set a delay of either 3 or 10 seconds.

Compose your shot, then tap the shutter button. The timer will start counting down. Move into position ready for your photo to be taken.

It’s also a good idea to use the timer if you’re trying to avoid camera shake when shooting hands-free. Even with the camera on a tripod, sometimes you can introduce camera shake when you press the shutter button. Using the timer will solve this problem.

9. Use Burst Mode For Incredible Action Shots

Do you struggle to take great action shots with your iPhone 8? When photographing moving subjects, it’s difficult to press the shutter at precisely the right time. Often you’re a second too early or late, and the subject doesn’t appear where you want them.

To maximize the chances of capturing the perfect action shot, you should use burst mode. This is a little-known feature of the iPhone camera. But once you discover burst mode, you’ll have far more chance of taking incredible action photos with your iPhone.

To activate burst mode, all you have to do is hold down the shutter button while taking your photos. The camera will capture a sequence of shots in quick succession. You can then keep the best photos, and discard the rest.

Your burst photos get saved in a stack in the Photos app. To see each photo captured during the burst, open the image in the Photos app, then tap Select at the bottom of the screen. Select the images you want to keep, then tap Done.

Burst mode is a powerful tool for taking stunning action photos that no one will guess you’ve taken on an iPhone 8!

10. Bring Life To Your Images With Live Photos

Live Photos is an innovative feature on the iPhone 8 that lets you capture moving images with sound. It’s perfect for situations where a still photo isn’t enough to capture all of the sensory aspects of the scene.

If you find yourself in a setting where you want to remember the movements and sounds of your surroundings, try taking a Live Photo.

Tap the Live Photo icon (concentric circles) at the top of the camera screen. The icon turns yellow when Live Photos is active.

When you tap the shutter button, your camera records a video of the 1.5 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after the shutter is pressed. The result is a 3-second Live Photo, complete with movement and sound.

To view a Live Photo that you’ve taken, open it in the Photos App, then press hard and hold on the screen. The iPhone 8 screen is pressure sensitive. It recognizes that you’re pressing harder than normal, and will play your Live Photo.

Once you’ve taken a Live Photo, you can polish it with some post-processing. In the Photos app, select the Live Photo, then swipe up. You’ll see options to add a Bounce, Loop, or Long Exposure effect.

Loop turns your Live Photo into a beautiful, continuous video loop.

Bounce plays your Live Photo forward, and then in reverse, creating a “bouncy” feel to your footage.

Long Exposure creates a still photo with a slow shutter effect. Any movement will appear smooth and blurred out, creating a peaceful, soothing picture. This is perfect for creating long exposure photos of waterfalls, rivers and waves.

11. iPhone 8 vs iPhone XR & iPhone XS Camera

Are you wondering how your iPhone 8 camera features compare to the newer iPhone XS camera? How about the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR?

The iPhone XS and XS Max have a dual lens system. In addition to the standard wide angle lens that you have on your iPhone 8, the iPhone XS and XS Max also have a 2x telephoto lens.

A telephoto lens allows for the capture of high-quality zoomed-in images. On your iPhone 8, you don’t have the additional telephoto lens. You can use digital zoom by pinching outwards on the camera screen, but this isn’t recommended as it degrades the quality of your photo.

So with your iPhone 8 camera, it’s always better to move physically closer to your subject, rather than using the zoom feature.

Another benefit of a telephoto lens is that you don’t get any wide angle distortion. This makes it perfect for portrait photography as it avoids unflattering photos where the subject’s nose appears larger than it really is.

So how do you avoid this problem of wide angle distortion on your iPhone 8? The trick is to not get too close to your subject. The closer you are, the more exaggerated the distortion will be. So take a step back, and check that the subject’s facial features don’t look distorted. You can always crop in a bit closer in post-processing.

Another difference between your iPhone 8 camera and the new XS, XS Max and XR is Portrait mode. This shooting mode lets you create a shallow depth of field to blur the background in your iPhone photos. And the Portrait Lighting feature allows you to add different lighting effects to your images.

Unfortunately, your iPhone 8 camera doesn’t have Portrait mode. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create stunning images with blurry backgrounds on your iPhone 8.

All you need to do is move closer to your subject to create a shallow depth of field. And you can always use the AfterFocus app to blur the background in post-processing.

One more camera setting to mention is Smart HDR. This is a new feature on the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max that lets you shoot stunning HDR photos of moving subjects.

The standard HDR feature on your iPhone 8 is great for capturing perfectly exposed photos in tricky light conditions. But it doesn’t always produce good results if the subject is moving. So it’s best to photograph stationary subjects when using HDR on your iPhone 8.

Click here to find out more about the incredible camera features of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

Do you want to compare the iPhone 8 camera with the iPhone 8 Plus camera and iPhone X camera? Then check out our discussion of the iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X camera.

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