Getting started with Snapseed photo editing

Snapseed is incredibly simple to use once you learn the basics. The first step, of course, is to download the Snapseed app and open it on your iPhone. From there, you simply upload your photos and start experimenting. Here’s how to upload your first photo to Snapseed:

1. Open Snapseed and give the app permission to access your photos.
2. Tap the + to open your photo library within Snapseed.
3. Scroll through your photos and choose one to edit. The photo will open on your screen with an editing menu below.

Can Snapseed edit RAW photos?

Yes! Once you import your RAW photo file into your iPhone photo library, Snapseed can use all of its editing tools and filters on your photo. When you export your edited RAW file, it will be saved on your phone as a JPEG image.

Does Snapseed reduce image quality?

The default setting in Snapseed saves your photo at 95% of the original quality. To save your photo at 100% quality, follow these instructions:

1. With a photo open in the Snapseed editor, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select Format and Quality.
4. Tap 100%.
5. Use the back arrows to return to your editing.

Adjusting colors and light with Snapseed

Now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s take a look at some of Snapseed’s most powerful editing tools.

Tune Image

The Tune Image feature on Snapseed is where you’ll find all the basic photo editing tools. Find these tools by tapping Tools at the bottom of the screen and then selecting Tune Image. Each tool is adjusted by sliding your finger across the corresponding slider. Here are the adjustments you can make within the Tune Image workspace:

• Brightness: This increases or decreases the exposure of your photo.
• Contrast: Upping the contrast makes the darks darker and the lights lighter in your photo.
• Saturation: This makes all of the colors in your photo more vibrant or saturated.
• Ambiance: Ambiance is a combination of Saturation and Brightness.
• Highlights: You can increase or decrease the brightest parts of the image to make your photo pop.
• Shadows: Adjusting the amount of Shadows in your photo (the darkest areas of the image) can drastically change the mood.
• Warmth: Increasing the Warmth in your photo will add warm tones to your color palette, while decreasing the Warmth will add cool tones to your colors.

White Balance

Because most light sources have certain color temperatures, the camera doesn’t always accurately capture what your eye sees when taking a photo. This is why a photo of a snowy scene will often have a blue hue, and indoor photos will sometimes appear yellowish. Fortunately, this problem can be easily addressed by using the White Balance tool. Here’s how to use it to correct the colors in your photo:

1. Open the photo you want to adjust and tap Tools.
2. Tap White Balance.
3. For a one-step correction, tap AW. Snapseed will automatically correct the white balance in your photo.
4. For more control over the adjustments, tap the slider icon, which will allow you to adjust the temperature and color tint in your photo.
5. Finally, use the eyedropper icon to adjust the white balance based on an area of your photo that you want to match your colors to. When you tap the eyedropper, a circle with a pointer will appear on the screen.
6. Drag the eyedropper across your screen to find the perfect white balance for your photo. Tap the checkmark when you are happy with the results.

Tonal Contrast

Tonal Contrast is one of those really powerful editing tools that let you pinpoint areas to increase or decrease fine contrasts for a more polished look that will bring out the details in your photo. Three separate sliders allow you to add contrast to the highlights, shadows, or middle tones in your photo. Two additional sliders allow you to protect the details in either the highlights or shadows while making adjustments. The best way to use the Tonal Contrast tool is to experiment with it until you have the results you’re looking for. Here’s how to access it:

1. Upload a photo that you want to work on, then tap Tools.
2. Select Tonal Contrasts.
3. Tap the slider at the bottom of your screen.
4. Use the first three sliders to adjust the level of contrast in the Highlights, Mid Tones, and Low Tones.
5. Use the second two sliders to protect the details from being lost when the other contrast sliders are increased.
6. Tap the checkmark to save your edits.

Brush

The Brush is a Snapseed photo editing tool that allows you to selectively adjust a photo’s saturation, exposure, light/dark areas, and temperature by using your finger as a brush. To selectively edit small sections of your photo, use your fingers to zoom in to the area you want to work on:

1. Open the photo you want to edit and tap Tools.
2. Tap Brush.
3. Choose the type of brush you want to use (Dodge & Burn, Exposure, Temperature, or Saturation).
4. Use the arrows at the bottom of the screen to choose how dramatic you want your adjustments to be.
5. Zoom in on your photo and use your finger to paint your adjustments where you want them.
6. If, at any point, you want to fix your adjustments, tap the eyeball icon to show your brushstrokes and adjust the arrows until it says Eraser. You can now erase your mistakes using your finger.
7. Tap the checkmark when you’re finished with the tool.

Curves

The Curves tool is a more powerful version of the Tune Image sliders, allowing you to make detailed adjustments to emphasize colors, tones, highlights, and shadows in an image. Unlike the Tune Image sliders, the Curves tool lets you make tonal adjustments to the light or dark areas of a photo without impacting the areas you want to remain unchanged. Here’s how to use it to make your photo pop:

1. Open the photo that you want to edit and tap Tools.
2. Tap Curves.
3. At the bottom of the screen, you will see an array of presets that make it easy to adjust your photo.
4. To make manual adjustments, drag points on the diagonal line. The upper-right point represents your brightest highlights, and your bottom-left point represents your darkest shadow. Dragging the line upward will make that portion of your photo brighter, while dragging the line downward will make that portion of your photo darker.
5. To see what your photo looks like without the diagonal line across it, simply tap the eye.
6. When you’re happy with your results, tap the checkmark.

How to use Snapseed to fix composition

The composition tools in Snapseed can be used to make adjustments to the fundamental layout of your shot. Cropping is the most common composition adjustment, but with Snapseed, you can also rotate your image, make subtle changes to the perspective, and even expand the view. Let’s take a look at some of these editing tools and how to use them.

Crop

You’ve likely used crop tools with other apps, and the Snapseed version works the same way. You can set a predetermined perimeter size for your photo or drag the perimeter edges to form a custom size. Here’s how to use Snapseed’s Crop feature:

1. Open the photo you want to edit and tap Crop.
2. At the bottom of the screen, you will see predetermined ratios to choose from. To create your own size, tap Free.
3. If you choose one of the preset photo ratios, you can drag the edges to make your crop smaller and move the cropped area around to find the perfect composition. (If you’re using the Free tool, you will be able to drag the edges to make them smaller until you’re happy with the results.)
4. Tap the checkmark when you’re finished cropping.

Rotate

The Rotate tool is useful for fixing skewed horizon lines or straightening your composition. Here’s how to use Rotate to fix your photos:

1. Upload and open the photo that you want to edit.
2. Tap Tools.
3. Choose Rotate.
4. If the photo is obviously skewed based on lines within the composition, the Rotate tool will make an automatic adjustment, which you can tweak.
5. Slide your finger across the photo to adjust the angle.
6. Tap the checkmark.

Perspective

Snapseed’s Perspective tool allows you to adjust perspective issues and further straighten elements that couldn’t be corrected with the Rotate tool. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open your photo in Snapseed and tap Tools.
2. Drag your finger across the photo in the direction you want to add your perspective distortion. (This takes some experimentation.)
3. Tap the dark square inside of a light square to change the edge healing. Tapping Smart will fill in the empty spaces with pixels from the surrounding photo. Tapping White or Black will leave the edges blank so they can be cropped out later.
4. Tap the checkmark when you are happy with the results.
5. If necessary, crop your image before saving.

Expand

The Expand feature allows you to expand the edges of your photo outward while filling in the frame with pixels from the surrounding scene. As you can imagine, this doesn’t work with every photo. The best candidates are photos with a strong pattern that won’t look odd after being expanded. Here’s how to use the Expand tool:

1. Open a photo and tap Tools.
2. Choose Expand.
3. Drag the edges that you want to expand outward. The area will be automatically filled in with the surrounding pixels.
4. Tap the checkmark.

Retouching your photo

In addition to the comprehensive editing tools we’ve already mentioned, Snapseed also provides powerful retouching tools that can remove imperfections, smooth skin, and even change the head pose of portraits.

Healing

The Healing tool allows you to easily remove unwanted elements from photos — whether it’s a fly on the wall, a facial blemish, or a rogue electrical cord. Because the Healing tool replaces your unwanted object with pixels from the surrounding scene, it works best when objects are located in uncluttered spaces. Here’s how to use the Healing tool in Snapseed:

1. Open the photo that you want to edit and tap Tools.
2. Tap Healing.
3. Use your fingers to zoom in on the area with the unwanted object.
4. Use your finger to tap on the object you want to remove.
5. If only part of the object disappears, tap again until the object is gone.
6. Use the back arrow if you are unhappy with the results and want to try again.
7. Zoom out and tap the checkmark.

Portrait

The Portrait tool is actually a whole suite of features you can use to retouch your selfies or portraits. When you open the Portrait tool, you will see several icons along the bottom of the screen. From right to left, they are Face Spotlight, Fine Tuning, and Portrait filters.

The Face Spotlight tool allows you to highlight your facial features using different tonal gradients. The Fine-Tuning tools consist of sliders that enable you to adjust the amount of Facial Spotlighting, Skin Smoothing, and Eye Clarity. Finally, use the filters to change the look of your portrait with the touch of a button.

Head Pose

Think of the Head Pose tool as the Perspective tool for portraits and selfies. It’s a great fix for making subtle adjustments to face shots. It works just like the Perspective tool, too. Simply tap Tools > Head Pose and then drag your finger across the face to change the direction your subject is facing.

The Fine-Tuning sliders can also be used within the Head Pose tool to adjust Pupil Size, Smile, and Focal Length.

Creative photo editing with Snapseed

Finally, let’s take a look at some of the more dramatic tools that will give your photos a bit of artistic flair.

Double Exposure

Double Exposure allows you to combine two shots into one. The controls within the Snapseed Double Exposure toolbox allow you to select a filter and adjust the opacity of that filter. To get the results you’re after, you may need to play around with combinations of different photos. Here’s how to use the Double Exposure tool:

1. Open the first photo that you want to use in your composition.
2. Tap the photo icon to add a second photo.
3. Now tap the filter icon, which gives you different blending combinations for your two photos. Experiment with the different effects until you are happy with the combination.
4. Select the water droplet icon to adjust the opacity until you like the results.
5. Tap the checkmark to complete your double exposure.

Lens Blur

One of the ways that portrait photographers draw attention to their subject is by using a shallow depth of field to blur the background. iPhone photographers can accomplish this with Portrait mode when taking a photo, but if you already have a photo that you’d like to blur, you can easily do it with Snapseed’s Lens Blur tool. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open a portrait in Snapseed and tap Tools.
2. Tap Lens Blur.
3. A circle will appear overtop of the face on your screen. (You can use your fingers to pinch the circle and make it bigger or smaller.)
4. The Fine-Tuning icon will pull up a menu where you can adjust the Blur Strength, Transition, and Vignette Strength.
5. Tap the checkmark.

Frames

Once you have finished all of the creative adjustments you want using Snapseed, the finishing touch is to add a frame to your photo.

1. Tap Tools, then select Frames.
2. Scroll through the frame menu at the bottom of the screen and choose one that fits your photo.
3. Use the slider to adjust the width of the frame.
4. Tap the checkmark when you are finished.

How to save an edited photo from Snapseed

After all of your experimenting, adjusting, and creating, it’s time to save your photos so you can share them with your friends and family. Here’s how to save all of your edited masterpieces to your phone:

1. When you’re finished editing your photo, tap Export. A pop-up screen will open with several menu options.
2. Tap Share to send a photo through text or email, or to share it directly onto a social media account.
3. Select Save to save the new photo to your iPhone. This will replace the original.
4. Select Save a Copy to save your edited photo alongside the original.

As you’ve probably learned through experimenting with the available editing tools in Snapseed, it is one of the most powerful, easiest to use editing apps available today. And the best part? Snapseed is 100% free to use. So take advantage of the Snapseed photo editing tools, and you’ll see how much they can do for your photos.

The post Snapseed photo editing tutorial: How to use the most powerful free editor appeared first on Backlight.

The best retouch apps for your iPhone

Looking for some new apps to add to your photo editing arsenal? The following retouch apps are indispensable for touching up your iPhone photos, whether they’re landscape shots, flat lays, or selfies. Many of these apps are free to use. Others can be purchased for a nominal fee. Here are our favorite photo retouch apps for iPhone, as well as instructions for using them to touch up your photos.

1. TouchRetouch: Best app for removing objects from a photo

Got a photo that would be amazing — if not for that background photo bomber, rogue seagull, or unsightly power line? There are numerous photo apps that can remove unwanted objects from an image, but the easiest to use is TouchRetouch. The TouchRetouch app has received more than 18,000 positive reviews on the App Store and is currently available for $1.99.

How to use TouchRetouch to remove objects from a photo

1. Download TouchRetouch and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap Albums to access your iPhone photo library and choose the photo you want to retouch.
3. Choose Object Removal from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
4. Select the Brush or Lasso tool to remove your unwanted object. (The most effective tool will depend on the object you want to remove. Experiment with both.)
5. If you are removing something small, use your fingers to pinch outward and zoom in on the object.
6. To use the Lasso tool, draw a line around the object you want to remove with your finger. When you remove your finger, the object will be highlighted in green.
7. To use the Brush tool, paint over the unwanted object with your finger. This will also be highlighted in green. You can make the brush smaller or larger by tapping Settings.
8. Tap Go to watch the object magically disappear. The highlighted area will be filled in with pixels duplicated from the surrounding area.
9. To save your photo, tap the share icon at the top of the screen and then choose Gallery.

2. Snapseed: Best app for changing a head pose

Snapseed is a popular editing app created by Google. It’s easy to use, even for beginners, and one of its coolest features is the ability to change the perspective of faces in portrait shots or selfies. It’s a subtle fix, but one that can really make your portraits stand out. Remember those shots that would be perfect if you were only looking a little to the left? Snapseed can fix them! Snapseed is available for free on the App Store.

Using Snapseed to change the head pose on a selfie or portrait

1. Download Snapseed and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap Open and choose a photo to edit.
3. Tap Tools and then scroll down and tap Head Pose. A smiling emoji surrounded by four arrows will appear on the screen.
4. Use your finger to slide the face in whatever direction you want it to point.
5. Tap the checkmark when you are done.
6. Tap Export to save your photo to your library.

3. AirBrush: Fun app for changing the shape of your body

AirBrush is a full-feature photo retouching app that includes many of the same features found in other apps along with some unique features you won’t find anywhere else. One such unique feature is the ability to use the reshaper to make your body slimmer, taller, and firmer in photos. AirBrush also has various filters, a skin smoother, and even digital makeup filters. The app is free to download, but premium features require in-app purchases.

How to create a slimmer shape using AirBrush

1. Download AirBrush and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose a full-body portrait that you’d like to reshape.
3. Choose the Reshape tool.
4. Tap Light.
5. Zoom in on the area you want to reshape.
6. Use the circular tool with your finger to make fine adjustments to your shape.
7. Zoom out and tap the orange rectangle icon to see the before and after versions.
8. Use the back arrow if you need to redo any areas.
9. Tap the checkmark, followed by the share icon to save your retouched photo to your library.

4. Facetune2: Best app for smoothing your skin

Do you love taking selfies but aren’t always happy with the results? Facetune2 excels at retouching portraits and selfies and includes a skin smoothing tool, a teeth whitening tool, and even a face reshaper. You can up your selfie game with Facetune2 for just $5.99 a month.

How to use Facetune2 to retouch your next selfie

1. Download Facetune2 from the App Store and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose a photo to edit from your library.
3. Tap Retouch.
4. For an overall smoother look, simply tap Auto.
5. If you want to do more retouching, choose an item from the bottom menu, then use the slider to adjust the intensity.
6. Tap the checkmark when you have finished editing.
7. Tap the share icon to save your edited photo to your library.

5. Photoshop Fix: Best app for healing imperfections in your photos

Photoshop Fix allows you to repair and refine imperfections in your image, change the shape of objects, and adjust shadows and highlights to certain parts of your image. Photoshop Fix is free to download and works seamlessly with other Adobe apps like Lightroom and Photoshop Express.

How to heal imperfections with Photoshop Fix

1. Download Photoshop Fix and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap the plus sign at the top of the screen to import a photo.
3. Tap Healing to open the workstation.
4. A pop-up menu will appear where you can adjust the size of your brush and the “hardness” of the effect. The last icon will allow you to see the areas you’ve already touched up by toggling it on or off.
5. Once you’ve chosen your brush size and hardness, zoom in on the area you want to work on by swiping out with your thumb and forefinger across the screen.
6. Use your finger to paint over the imperfection.
7. You can tap the back arrow at the top of the screen to go back to the previous edit.
8. When you are happy with the results, tap the upload icon to save your photo to your library.

6. Photoshop Express: Great fine-tuning app for photos

If you’re doing basic retouches on your photos — such as changing exposure, highlights, and saturation — or you need to sharpen details, your best bet is to use Photoshop Express. This is an all-in-one photo editor that is easy to learn and to master. Photoshop Express is free to download and use, but there are some premium features that require a monthly subscription fee of $4.99 per month.

How to use Photoshop Express to retouch your photo

1. Download Photoshop Express and open it on your iPhone.
2. Give the app permission to access your photos and choose the one you want to retouch.
3. Tap Adjustments from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
4. From here, you can choose from another menu that lets you fine-tune light, color, effects, and details.
5. Choose a menu item and use the slider to add more or less intensity to your photo.
6. When you’re finished retouching your photo, tap the share icon at the top of the screen and choose Camera Roll to save your photo.

Retouching your photos is an extra step, but it is arguably a necessary one for making the leap from good to amazing. These apps help you get there without much effort or expense. Worth it? Absolutely.

The post 6 photo retouch apps and how to use them for perfect photos appeared first on Backlight.

Making the subject stand out in a portrait is the most common reason to blur out parts of a photo. But blurring an image is also useful for making license plates unreadable or making faces unrecognizable. No matter what you want to use it for, blurring photos on your iPhone is a useful skill to keep in your back pocket.

How to blur the background of your photos on iPhone

When blurring parts of a photo on iPhone, you will most often be blurring the background while keeping the main subject in focus. Many iPhones make this easy to do through the use of Portrait mode, but even if you don’t have Portrait mode on your phone, there are other ways to create a gorgeously blurred background so your subject can really shine. Here are a few different ways to blur a photo background on iPhone.

Use iPhone Portrait mode

As previously mentioned, the easiest way to blur the background of your photo is by using iPhone’s Portrait mode, which is available on iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. If you have an iPhone XR or a 2020 iPhone SE, you can only use Portrait mode to blur the background when photographing people. Capturing pets and inanimate objects won’t work in Portrait mode.

Here’s how to blur the background of your photo using Portrait mode on iPhone:

1. Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Portrait.
3. The default setting for portraits is Natural Light, but you can scroll through the different lighting options and tap on one before framing your shot.
4. Ensure that your subject is between two and eight feet from the camera lens.
5. Check your screen before pressing the shutter button. Your subject should be sharp and the background blurred.
6. Tap the shutter button to take a photo.

Shoot close to your subject

What if you have an iPhone model without Portrait mode? Can you still blur the background with your iPhone? Yes! Another option you can try is to simply move closer to your subject. Before pressing the shutter, hold your finger on your subject to switch on Auto Focus. The closer you are to your subject, the blurrier your background will be.

Blur the background using iPhone apps

If you now find yourself wishing that you’d used one of our first two suggestions to blur the background of your photo at the time you captured it, don’t worry. There are plenty of useful apps for editing photos after you’ve taken them. Here’s how to add blur to a photo after taking it using two tried-and-tested apps: Snapseed and Photoshop Express.

How to blur the background using Snapseed

1. Download Snapseed and open it on your iPhone.
2. Give permission for Snapseed to access your photos and tap anywhere to add a photo.
3. Tap Tools.
4. Scroll down and tap Lens Blur.
5. A circle will appear over your photo. Drag the circle across your photo to pinpoint the area you want to be blurry.
6. Pinch or widen your fingers across the screen to make the circle smaller or bigger, or to elongate it.
7. When you’re happy with the results, tap the checkmark in the lower corner.
8. Tap Export and choose Save to add the photo to your photo library.

How to blur a background with Photoshop Express

1. Download Photoshop Express and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose a photo to edit.
3. Tap Adjustments and then scroll through the menu and tap Blur.
4. A circle will appear on the screen, which you can then drag over the top of your main subject.
5. Use the slider to increase or decrease the amount of blur, and use your fingers to make the circle smaller or bigger.
6. When you’re finished, tap the upload icon at the top of the screen to add the photo to your library.

How to blur parts of a picture on iPhone

Now let’s talk about other situations where you may need to blur part of a photo. Whether you’re blurring text, faces, or other elements of a snapshot, here’s how to do it using third-party apps.

Blur out part of a photo using Photo Un.blur

1. Download Photo Un.Blur and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose a photo to work with and tap Blur.
3. Use your finger to paint the area of the photo that you want to blur.
4. You can also choose Filter to choose a blur effect with different intensities and patterns. After you choose the filter, tap Blur to paint on the new effect.
5. When you are finished, tap Share to save it to your photo library.

Blur out faces in iPhone photos with Blur Photo Effect Background

1. Download Blur Photo Effect Background and open it on your iPhone.
2. Under Editing Tools, tap Blur.
3. Choose the photo you want to edit from your photo library.
4. Crop if desired and tap Done.
5. Tap Effect to choose the type of blur you want to add. The free version lets you choose either a blur or motion effect. You can also use the slider to adjust the brightness and strength.
6. For a more detailed blur, use your pinched fingers to zoom in on your scene.
7. Use your finger to draw blurred lines to cover the part of the photo that you want to be blurred.
8. Tap Next to add a filter if desired.
9. Tap the upload icon to add your blurred photo to your photo library.

Knowing how to blur photos on your iPhone is a useful skill to have. Whether you use Portrait mode or a third-party app, the opportunities for creative experimentation are endless.

The post How to blur the background or parts of your photo on iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

Add music to iMovie on iPhone

Music helps set the tone for any video. Thankfully, there are a couple of different ways you can add music in iMovie. You can choose from one of the app’s built-in themes, or you can add a song that you already have on your iPhone.

How to put music on iMovie with Themes

When you’re working on a project in iMovie, you can use one of the app’s built-in Themes to quickly add transitions and music to your videos. This is one of the easiest ways to put together a professional-looking video. Each theme is designed to help give your video an exciting look and feel, so you may want to experiment with different ones to determine which will work the best for your project.

To add one of these preconfigured Themes to your video:

1. Start a new project or open one you’re currently working on. 
2. Tap the gear icon at the bottom.
3. Choose one of the Themes.
4. Toggle the Theme Soundtrack on.
5. Tap Done.

If you only want to add the music from a specific theme and don’t want any of the visuals, such as text overlays or transitions, you can now do that with the latest version of iMovie:

1. With your project open, tap +.
2. Tap Audio > Soundtracks.
3. Tap on any of the songs to preview them.
4. When you find one you like, tap + to add it to your project.

How to add a song from your iPhone to iMovie

Fortunately, your soundtrack isn’t limited to the stock music that iMovie offers. You can also add a song that you already have on your iPhone. 

To access songs in your Music app, follow these steps to add them to your iMovie video:

1. Open your project in iMovie and tap +.
2. Tap Audio > My Music.
3. Find the song and tap +.

If you’ve added a song that you purchased from the iTunes Store but it isn’t playing, that probably means it is DRM-protected. In other words, you cannot add it to your video due to copyright reasons.

Maybe the song you want to use is in your iCloud Drive but isn’t in the Music app. If that’s the case, you’ll want to follow these steps to add it to your video:

1. From your iMovie project, tap +.
2. Tap Files > Browse.
3. Tap Browse in the top-left corner and choose iCloud Drive.
4. Find and select the song you want to add.

Music tracks are automatically adjusted to match the length of your video. But if you tap on the green line in your video’s timeline, you can make adjustments to the track.

Where do I get music for iMovie?

If nothing in your current music library is feeling right for your video, you might want to check out the following websites, which offer royalty-free music for free (or cheap) to use in your iMovie videos:

• YouTube Audio Library
• Audio Jungle
• Incompetech
• DigCCMixter

Add more audio to iMovie

Once you start editing your video, you might find that you want to add some other types of sounds that aren’t music. Fortunately, you can record a voiceover directly in iMovie or add sound effects from the app’s library.

How to add a voiceover

Maybe a bit of narration is just what your video needs. And with iMovie, you can record your voice without using another app to do it.

To record voiceovers in iMovie:

1. Open your project.
2. Scroll through your timeline so that the playhead (the vertical white line) is where you want your voiceover to start.
3. Tap + > Voiceover. Recording controls will appear above your timeline.
4. Press Record to start.
5. When you’re finished, tap Stop.
6. Choose and tap Review, Accept, or Retake.

How to add sound effects in iMovie

Adding sound effects to a video can really take your movie to the next level by spicing things up for your viewers. Here’s how you can add sound effects in iMovie:

1. Open your project in iMovie.
2. Scroll through the timeline and position the playhead at the point where you want to add a sound effect.
3. Tap + > Audio > Sound Effects.
4. Tap on a sound effect to preview it. 
5. Tap + to add it to your movie. 

The sound effect will appear in your video’s timeline as a light blue line underneath your video. If the sound effect isn’t precisely where you want it, you can press and hold on it in the timeline and drag it to the perfect spot.

Even though you’re creating a video, it’s the audio that can really elevate your project’s quality. iMovie makes it easy to add and experiment with music, voiceovers, and sound effects. So don’t be afraid to get in there and try something fun or crazy with your videos. You never know what you might create — perhaps by accident!

The post How to add music, voiceover, and sound effects to iMovie on iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

So how do you get in on the action and make your own awesome GIFs? With an app, of course! There are dozens of GIF-maker apps that you can use to turn your videos into clever GIFs. Most are free with in-app purchases, while some include subscription fees. In this article, we’ll share a rundown of some of our favorites.

What are the best GIF-maker apps for iPhone?

The best GIF apps are easy to use and inexpensive, allowing you to create unique GIFs that you can share with your followers. Here are the GIF-making apps that we’d recommend:

1. GIF Maker
2. Giphy World
3. GIF Maker by Momento
4. ImgPlay
5. My Talking Pet
6. GIFO
7. GifYou

1. GIF Maker: For editing GIFs you already love

GIF Maker is a classic app for creating fun GIFs from photos, videos, and time-lapses, but the most-used feature is probably the ability to edit existing GIFs. GIF Maker works in conjunction with GIPHY to show you a whole database of GIFs that you can crop, reorder, filter, and add text overlays to. It’s the perfect app for creating unique GIFs without having to start from scratch.

GIF Maker is free to download with a limited selection of editing tools. GIF Maker Pro offers a 3-day free trial. After that, it’s $9.99 per month.

GIF Maker on the App Store

2. Giphy World: Create an AR experience to share with your friends

Welcome to the world of augmented reality! Giphy World is an addictive app that lets you turn your camera into a strange new world while creating fun GIFs with AR stickers.

With Giphy World, you can open your camera and add GIFs all around you by tapping them in the search results. You can drag GIFs in space by holding them with your finger and moving your device. Finally, you can record a video featuring your AR scene. Giphy World takes GIFs to a whole new level and is completely free to use.

Giphy World on the App Store

3. GIF Maker by Momento: A GIF-to-video app

The cool thing about Momento’s GIF maker is that when you open the app, it automatically animates your photos and videos so you can see, with a quick scroll, which ones would make awesome GIFs. From there, you have access to some pretty advanced editing tools that will allow you to customize your GIF with stickers and filters, trim and crop, or adjust the lighting.

Momento’s free editing tools are pretty awesome, but if you want to add music, frames, and certain special effects, you’ll have to shell out for the premium version, which is currently $9.99 a month.

GIF Maker by Momento on the App Store

4. ImgPlay: Make GIFs from Live Photos

ImgPlay can turn all your photos into GIFs, including Live Photos, bursts, and slideshows. You can also use the ImgPlay camera to take hands-free, stop-motion, and Boomerang videos that you can convert to GIFs before sharing on social media.

Editing tools on ImgPlay include captions and text, stickers and other overlays, and special effects and filters. ImgPlay is free to download and includes a nice selection of editing tools. To remove the watermark and ads, you will have to upgrade to ImgPlay Pro.

ImgPlay on the App Store

5. My Talking Pet: A GIF-maker for animal lovers

If your favorite GIFs to share are those that feature your favorite animals, then you’ll love My Talking Pet. The app uses AR technology to make your dog or cat’s mouth and eyes move to the sound of different voices and sayings. Choose from prerecorded sayings like, “Baby, you could charm the dew right off the honeysuckle,” or create your own with the voice recording software.

My Talking Pet is free to download, and the results can be hilarious. If you can’t get enough of it, you can upgrade to the pro version for $2 per month.

My Talking Pet on the App Store

6. GIFO: Create GIF collages

What’s better than creating your own GIF? Creating four at once! With GIFO, you make and share animated GIF collages with the custom GIFO camera and editing tools. You can create slo-mo GIFs, apply filters, frames, and text, and share your creation on social media.

GIFO lets you use both the rear and front-facing camera to film your video. The app is free to download with in-app purchases.

GIFO on the App Store

7. GifYou: Turn your selfie into a GIF

While GifYou’s applications are limited, it is aptly named — its most noteworthy feature can turn you into your next GIF! GifYou lets you take selfies or use the faces of your friends to create GIFs that will have everyone in stitches. Use the Giphy-powered library to choose the perfect GIF, then use the face application to superimpose your face onto the body of someone else.

This is another fun app that produces some amusing results. GifYou’s basic features are free. GifYou Premium is $8.99 per month.

GifYou on the App Store

Whether you’re hoping to create the next viral GIF or just want to kill a little time, these addictive GIF-creator apps will provide you with a fun creative outlet — with some unexpected results.

The post 7 GIF-maker apps to make GIFs from photos and videos appeared first on Backlight.

Can you edit videos on YouTube?

When you think of the YouTube app, watching videos is probably what comes to mind. But you can actually do a lot more within the app, including editing and uploading movies. YouTube’s iPhone also app lets you:

• Trim videos: This allows you to clean up your videos if there’s any extra footage at the beginning or end.
• Add filters: YouTube has preset filters, each of which can give your videos a different look or aesthetic.

YouTube video editor walkthrough

Even if you’ve never edited videos on your iPhone before, you’ll find the YouTube editor easy-to-use and relatively straightforward. And if you’ve used other video-editing apps before, then great — you’ll feel right at home cleaning up your videos before you publish them online for the world to see.

How to trim your YouTube video

The first thing you’ll want to do is download the YouTube app from the App Store. Once you’re logged into your account:

1. Tap the Camera icon at the top.
2. Choose a video from your Photo Library.
3. Tap the Scissors icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. Drag the blue box from the left or right side of your video to trim the beginning or end.
5. Tap Next.
6. Give your video a title, then select your privacy and location settings.
7. Tap Upload.

And that’s all it takes to trim and upload a video using the YouTube app on your iPhone.

How to add a filter to a YouTube video on iPhone

Now, maybe you want the colors in your videos to really pop or to make your video feel like a dream. That’s where filters come in.

YouTube has a collection of filters to add to your videos, similar to those found within the Photos app or on Instagram. To add a filter to your videos:

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Tap the Camera icon at the top.
3. Select the video you want to upload.
4. Tap the Wand icon at the bottom.
5. Scroll through all of the available filters. Tapping on a filter will allow you to preview it on your video before you select it.
6. Tap Next.
7. Add a title to your video and set your privacy and location settings.
8. Tap Upload.

Can you edit a YouTube video that’s already been posted?

You can edit a video that’s already on YouTube, but it has to be a video that you personally uploaded; you can’t edit someone else’s video. The other caveat is that you can’t edit a video using the YouTube app on your iPhone. Instead, you’ll have to log in to YouTube through a web browser on your computer.

That said, you can still easily edit the title, the description, and any of the privacy settings for your video through the YouTube app. Just follow these steps to make those edits:

1. Tap your profile photo in the top right.
2. Tap Your channel > Your videos.
3. Tap the three dots next to the video you want to edit.
4. Tap Edit.
5. Make your changes and then tap Save to finish.

How to edit your YouTube videos before uploading

Even if all those features sound nice, perhaps you need to make some more substantial edits to your videos, like cropping them or adding music to the background. Thankfully, you can do all that on your iPhone before you upload your videos to YouTube.

How to crop a YouTube video

When you’re watching your videos back, you might realize that there’s an unwanted object in the corner of the frame that you didn’t notice. But don’t worry — you can fix this by cropping your video, a process that’s quite similar to cropping a photo. 

Here’s how you can crop your videos on iPhone:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Select the video you want to crop.
3. Tap Edit, in the top-right.
4. Tap the Crop icon (it’s the fourth button at the bottom).
5. Drag any of the corners to adjust your frame.
6. Tap Done.

How to add music to a YouTube video

If your movie would benefit from a bit of background music, this is relatively easy to achieve by using iMovie. You can download iMovie from the App Store for free if it’s not already on your iPhone. Once it’s installed, follow these steps to add music:

1. Open iMovie on your iPhone.
2. Tap Create Project > Movie.
3. Scroll through your library and select the video you want to use.
4. Tap +. 
   • To use the stock music that comes with iMovie, tap Audio > Soundtracks.
   • To use a song from your Music app, tap Audio > My Music.
   • If you have a song file on one of your cloud drives, tap Files.
5. Choose the song you want to use. It will appear on your project’s timeline as a green bar under the video.

So, before you upload your next YouTube video from your iPhone, give some of these features a try. Even if you’re already using the editing tools that come built into the YouTube app, these tips and tricks will help elevate your cinematography game. Hopefully this article has inspired you to try some new things and experiment with your YouTube videos.

The post How to edit YouTube videos on iPhone with the YouTube editor appeared first on Backlight.

How to make a collage on iPhone for free

You don’t need to spend big bucks to create a simple photo collage. In fact, you probably already have the tools needed to create one — right on your phone. Both Google Photos and Layout by Instagram make it easy to create a photo collage on your iPhone.

Design your photo collage with Google Photos

1. If you don’t already have Google Photos, download it and open it on your iPhone.
2. From the Google Photos home page, tap Library at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Utilities.
4. Scroll down to Create New and tap Collage.
5. A screen will appear with all the photos from your Google Photo library with instructions to select 2 to 9 photos for your collage. Tap the ones you want to include in your collage. A checkmark will appear on each photo you select.
6. After you have chosen your photos, tap Create.
7. Your collage will be generated automatically. From there, you can tap the upload icon to add it to your iPhone photo library.

Make a photo collage with Layout by Instagram

1. Download Layout by Instagram from the App Store and open it on your iPhone.
2. Your photos will appear on the screen. Simply tap the ones that you want to use in your collage.
3. Different collage options will appear at the top of the screen above your photos. Scroll through them and choose the layout you like best.
4. You will then be directed to the editing screen, where you can replace individual photos, flip photos, create a mirror image of a photo, or add a border. You can also use your thumb and finger to zoom in on specific photos.
5. When you’re happy with the results, tap Save.
6. From the icons at the bottom of the screen, choose to save your photo to Instagram, Facebook, or your Camera Roll.
7. Tap Done.

How to create a collage with a photo collage app for iPhone

If you want some extra features for making your collage stand out, you may want to try one of these more advanced collage-maker apps. Here are instructions for making photo collages using two of our favorite apps.

Make your collage using LiveCollage

1. Download LiveCollage from the App Store and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap Collage to begin creating.
3. Tap the + to choose a layout and quick-start your collage. (Any layout option with a pink crown in the corner requires a premium subscription.)
4. Once you have chosen a layout, you can tap the + to add photos to your collage.
5. Use the editing tools listed at the bottom of the screen to change the border, layout, and background.
6. When you’re happy with your results, tap the download icon to save your creation to your photo library.

Combine photos into a collage with Pic Stitch

1. Download Pic Stitch from the App Store and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose your collage frame from either the classic layout or fancy layouts. Your collage frame will appear on the screen.
3. Tap the center of the frame to open your photo library and select your photos, and your photos will appear at the bottom of the screen.
4. Drag each photo to the position where you want it to appear in your collage.
5. The photo will pop up so that you can edit it with filters and/or text.
6. When you’re finished, tap Done, and your photo will appear in the collage.
7. Tap each photo to reposition it within the frame.
8. Change the aspect ratio of your collage by tapping Aspect.
9. When you’re finished, tap Export to save your photo to your Camera Roll.

How to make your photo collages stand out

Now that you have the basics down, here are a few tips to make your photo collages stand out from the masses.

Use a common color

You don’t want the photos within your collage to be so similar that viewers have to look twice to notice the difference, but using a common color throughout your photos will give your photo collage a cohesive look.

Try creating an abstract photo collage

There are lots of different ways to add a bit of an abstract look to your photo collage. With the apps covered in this guide, you can create wacky shapes and unusual borders. Or you can simply use the same photo multiple times within your collage. This photo was created using Layout from Instagram without any borders, producing what looks like one abstract image.

Photo collages are a fun and creative way to tell your story. If you’re looking for a new technique for displaying your photo collection, download one — or more — of the apps mentioned above, and get busy designing new and inspiring work to share on social media or with your friends.

The post How to make a photo collage on iPhone: Apps and ideas appeared first on Backlight.

What is double exposure?

In simplest terms, a double exposure is one image superimposed on top of another. One image is usually overlayed at a reduced opacity so that just a hint of one photo shows up. Double exposures are mainly used for creative endeavors, such as superimposing a creative landscape inside of a portrait. No matter what two photos you choose, you will usually need a base photo with the main subject and a neutral background, plus a layer photo with more intricate details.

Can you do double exposure on iPhone?

You can absolutely create stunning overlay pictures on your iPhone. All you need to do is download a photo editing app and start experimenting. We’ll go over the process using three different apps for creating your double exposure, but there are dozens of iPhone apps to choose from. The one you choose for your double exposure shots will largely depend on your budget and personal preferences, as the procedure differs slightly depending on the app you’re using.

How to superimpose photos on iPhone

The steps for creating your double exposure will vary from app to app, but in general,  you will need to take two photos (or find two photos, either stock or in your photo library). Before you begin the process, you should think about how you want your final photo to look. You can do a Google image search for double exposure or search the #doubleexposure hashtag on Instagram. 

How to create double exposure photos with Snapseed

Google Snapseed is a free photo editing app with tools that are intuitive and easy to use. Snapseed is a great app for photographers who are just beginning to experiment with superimposing images. Here’s how to create a double exposure using Snapseed:

1. Download Snapseed and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap anywhere to open a photo.
3. Select your first photo from your photo library.
4. Tap Tools at the bottom of the screen.
5. Scroll down and tap Double Exposure.
6. Your first photo will appear on the screen with an icon menu at the bottom. Tap the photo icon with the plus sign in the corner and choose your second photo.
7. From here, you can use a variety of editing tools to adjust your image. 
8. When you are finished, tap the checkmark. 
9. Tap Export and then Save to save your finished image to your photo library.

How to do photo overlays in Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express is a robust photo editing tool created by Adobe. The overlay feature in Photoshop Express allows you to use a selection of predesigned overlays and superimpose them over your images. The current overlays in Photoshop Express include a variety of light-leaks, bokeh, grunge effects, raindrops, wallpapers, and patterns. 

You currently can’t superimpose one of your own images over another using Photoshop Express. Here’s how to create double exposures using overlays in Photoshop Express: 

1. Download Photoshop Express and open it on your iPhone.
2. Choose a photo to edit. The dropdown menu at the top of the screen will allow you to choose photos from your photo library, Facebook, Google Photos, or Dropbox.
3. Tap the overlays icon, which looks like two connected circles.
4. Scroll through the overlay options at the bottom of the screen. If you click on a theme, you will open up a menu of even more options to choose from.
5. Select your overlay and then use the slider to adjust the opacity.
6. When your design is completed, tap the share icon and save it to your Camera Roll.

How to superimpose photos using Enlight 

Enlight Photofox is another comprehensive photo editing app with a lot of great tools you can experiment with, including a really fun double exposure tool. You can download Photofox for free, but if you want to save your images, you will have to purchase a subscription, which is $7.99 per month or $35.99 per year. Here’s how to create awesome image overlays using Enlight Photofox:

1. Download Photofox and open it on your iPhone.
2. The home screen is the QuickArt section, where you can choose from a variety of easy-to-use effects. Scroll through the selections and choose Double Exposure. 
3. Choose a photo with a strong focal point or main subject for your double exposure and tap Start Now.
4. The main subject of your photo will appear with a stock image superimposed inside the silhouette. You can move the position of the overlay by tapping and using your finger to reposition it. 
5. To change the overlay image, tap Overlay, and then choose a new image.
6. When you’re happy with your edit, tap the share icon to save your photo or share it on social media.

Creating double exposures from two images opens up a whole new world of photo editing and is a way to be creative with photos you’ve already taken. Use the apps mentioned above to get started creating your photo masterpiece.

The post How to make creative double exposure photos on iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

Contrary to popular belief, photo editing apps aren’t just for Instagram influencers and professional photographers. Everybody who enjoys snapping photos can use and enjoy a photo editor. The best apps can make your photos more colorful, artistic, and stylized — or they can simply help you erase that rogue photo bomber.

The best photo editing apps for your iPhone photos 

Your choice of iPhone photo editor app will depend on a few factors. What do you like to take photos of? Where do you share your photos? Do you want to invest in a professional photo editing app or just play around with a free one? 

It’s okay if you can’t decide on the perfect editor just yet. Our list of the best editing apps for iPhone will help you choose one that’s perfect for you:

1. Enlight Photofox
2. Snapseed
3. TouchRetouch
4. VSCO 
5. Adobe Lightroom
6. Afterlight 2
7. Darkroom
8. Adobe Photoshop Express

1. Enlight Photofox: Best photo editing app for artistic creations

Enlight Photofox is a professional-level editing app with a free and premium version. We’ve found several free editing apps that outperform the free Photofox app, but if you’re willing to pay for a premium subscription, you will find a wealth of tools, including the ability to combine multiple layers, make tonal adjustments, and target small areas to make adjustments to. 

A robust set of tutorials makes it easy to learn new features, and artistic filters work to add unique elements to your photos. Enlight Photofox probably isn’t the best photo editing app for beginners, but it’s perfect for hobbyists who already have some editing hours under their belt. 

Enlight Photofox on the App Store

2. Snapseed: Best free photo editing app for iPhone

Google Snapseed came onto the photo editing scene in 2011 and has a dedicated following of novice and professional photographers alike. 

While Snapseed does make use of some powerful manual editing tools, its most popular features are its filters and enhancement tools, which allow users to quickly transform photos with the swipe of a finger. Users can also access their complete editing history with Snapseed, making it easy to tweak adjustments at any stage of the editing process. If you choose one free photo editing app for your iPhone, Snapseed is our recommendation.

Snapseed on the App Store

3. TouchRetouch: Best photo editor for removing objects

It doesn’t take much to ruin an awesome photo. Anything from power lines and low-flying birds to a misplaced thumb or a group of strangers can wreak havoc on an otherwise awesome composition. The good news is that unsightly objects can easily be removed with TouchRetouch. 

TouchRetouch’s object removal tool lets you choose from a brush or lasso to remove unwanted objects with exact precision. This is a photo editing app that should be in every iPhone photographer’s toolkit, and at $1.99, it’s a great deal.

TouchRetouch on the App Store

4. VSCO: Best iPhone editor for unique filters

VSCO is an extremely popular editing tool that is best known for its array of film-style presets. Several VSCO presets are available with the free version, which will at least give you a chance to try them out and get used to the interface. If you choose to sign up for VSCO’s premium subscription, you’ll gain access to more than 200 filters. 

Basic image adjustments can be made in combination with presets, and the VSCO social media platform is a great place to share your VSCO edits with followers and friends. 

VSCO on the App Store

5. Adobe Lightroom: Best iPhone photo editor for workflow with a Mac

If you already use Adobe Lightroom on your Mac, then using the Lightroom app will make your workflow seamless. The app gives you access to all of your photos stored in Creative Cloud and allows you to share presets and workflow between your phone and computer for editing on the go. 

The Lightroom photo editor for iPhone has a more streamlined interface than the desktop version, and using it in conjunction with Lightroom Creative Cloud gives you lots of flexibility that you can enjoy from just about anywhere. 

Adobe Lightroom on the App Store

6. Afterlight 2: Great editor for creating your own filters

If you’re looking for a powerful photo editing app with a simple interface, check out Afterlight 2. Many preset filters are included in the Afterlight app. But one of the most awesome features is being able to create your own. Not only does creating your own filters cut down on editing times, but it’s also a great way to create a cohesive theme across your social media channels. 

Afterlight 2 on the App Store

7. Darkroom: A must-have app for professional iPhone photographers

Using Darkroom is like having a professional editing tool in your pocket, with the ability to add beautiful filters, fine-tune images, and make minor or major adjustments to your photos before sharing on social media or exporting your image to your iCloud library. 

The app can edit RAW files or JPEGs with ease, and instead of forcing you to manually import images for editing, Darkroom integrates with your iCloud library for ease of use. Darkroom also allows you to batch-edit multiple photos at once, which is a huge plus for busy photographers.

Darkroom on the App Store

8. Adobe Photoshop Express: Best iPhone photo editor for quick edits

If you’re editing a lot of photos on your phone, one of the best available tools is Adobe Photoshop Express. This is a complete photo editing app for iPhone, making quick work of cropping, fine-tuning, and even blending photos with textures and overlays. 

You can also use Photoshop Express to add frames and text or create custom collages. It’s especially useful for people who are already familiar with Adobe’s photo editing products, as the interface is similar to Lightroom and Photoshop. 

Photoshop Express on the App Store

If you take most or all of your photos with your iPhone, then a great editing app is a necessity. The photo editing apps mentioned above are the best of the best. They are free or inexpensive to use and will make your best photos even better.

The post The 8 best photo editor apps for perfect iPhone photos appeared first on Backlight.

Understanding watermarks 

A watermark is designed to do a few things. First and foremost, it can make your images harder to steal or less desirable for thieves. Watermarks are also useful for promoting your work by branding your photo with a logo that is easily recognized as your own. 

Believe it or not, watermarks are pretty controversial in the world of photography, with some photographers believing that they are incredibly useful and others considering them to be a waste of time and a distraction from the photo itself.

What is a watermark in photography?

A watermark is a logo or text that is superimposed over an image. When designed and added correctly, a watermark should be nearly transparent and shouldn’t interfere with the composition. Watermarks are easy to apply to your photos digitally, but careful consideration should be made to ensure that the watermark isn’t too large and doesn’t distract from the overall image.

Does a watermark copyright-protect your photos?

The minute you create a photo, your work is copyrighted, whether it is watermarked or not. A watermark may deter thieves from using your work, but if your photo is posted online and someone wants to use it without permission, it’s pretty easy to do, with or without a watermark. 

Why you should watermark your pictures

Now for the controversial stuff. If you’re thinking about watermarking your photos, you owe it to yourself to read through the pros and cons before deciding. There are some compelling reasons to use a watermark on your photos, and for many photographers, it is worth the extra time to add them. Here are some reasons why adding a watermark to a photo makes sense.

You want to build brand recognition

When done correctly, watermarking your photos is a good way to build your brand. Your followers and clients will begin to recognize your watermark as your own, and when your work is shared, you may gain recognition because viewers will know exactly who took the photo. For some photographers, using a watermark is how they sign their artwork.

You want to discourage theft of your photos

Despite the fact that anyone who really wants to steal your photos will do so with or without a watermark, you may still want to add one to at least make the process a bit more difficult. Basically, this means that honest folk and lazy thieves will leave your work alone. On the plus side, pirates who do choose to use work with your watermark attached will give you some free marketing before you ask them to take down your photo. 

You don’t want paying clients to print their own photos from your digital proofs

If you are a professional photographer who sends clients digital proofs of photos, a watermark will discourage them from having the photos printed themselves. In this case, you’ll want your watermark to be prominent across the photo without distracting the viewer from the main subject. 

Why you shouldn’t watermark your images

There are just as many reasons why you shouldn’t watermark your photos. Here are the most compelling reasons to stay away from watermarks.

A watermark will detract from your photo

As a photographer, you spend a lot of time planning and executing the perfect composition, and even the most unobtrusive watermark will distract viewers. 

A watermark only keeps honest people honest

If someone wants to steal your photo and use it for their own purposes, they will either use it with the watermark or remove the watermark through the use of various editing tools. In other words, watermarks may discourage theft, but they definitely won’t prevent it.

A watermark may appear unprofessional

I’m sure there are plenty of lovely watermarks out there, but the majority are too large, too colorful, and positioned in a way that makes them look unprofessional. A badly designed or poorly placed watermark will make even the best photos look tacky. Producing beautiful photographs is the best way to earn your reputation as a professional.

Using watermarks

If you’ve read through the pros and cons of watermarking and still want to use one on your photos, use the following guidelines to ensure that your watermark is professional and unobtrusive:

• Your watermark should be simple and easy to read.
• Place your watermark in a spot where it won’t be a distraction.
• A monochromatic watermark — black, white, or gray — will get the job done without being too loud.
• Make your watermark transparent (but still opaque enough to see).

How to add a watermark to a photo on iPhone

There are numerous ways to add a watermark to your photos, from the most simple text option to fancy logos. Because we are advocating simple and unobtrusive watermarks, we’ll go over how to add a text watermark in the Lightroom app on your iPhone or another mobile device. 

Lightroom is free to download to use, but there are some premium features that require a monthly fee to access. Here’s how to add a watermark to your photos using the Lightroom mobile app:

1. Download Lightroom and open it on your iPhone.
2. Tap the settings icon in the upper-right corner. 
3. Tap Watermarking.
4. In the text box, type the text that you want to use for the watermark.
5. Tap anywhere on the photo example to move the watermark on your photo.
6. Use the sliders at the bottom of the screen to make your text bigger or smaller and to make your watermark more or less opaque.
7. To use your watermark in a photo, tap the share icon when you’re ready with your edits.
8. Tap Export as > More Options > Include Watermark.

How to bulk-watermark your photos using the Watermark Photo app

With the Lightroom mobile app, you can set up a watermark so that it appears on all of the photos you export and share, so you shouldn’t need to watermark your photos in bulk. If you do want to bulk-watermark your photos, you can use the Watermark Photo app. The basic version is free to use, but the premium version has extra graphic design features and removes the app’s own watermark for $39.99 per year. Here’s how to bulk-watermark your photos using the Watermark Photo app:

1. Download Watermark Photo and open it on your iPhone.
2. From the home screen, tap Watermark Multiple Photos.
3. Your photo library will open so you can select the photos you want to watermark.
4. Tap Done.
5. Choose from custom stickers, text, an imported logo, or a signature watermark.
6. Tap the checkmark when you are done, and your photos will automatically be saved to your photo library.

Whether or not you choose to watermark your photos is based on your own personal preferences. If you do choose to use a watermark, you’ll find that a basic text version is easy to apply with Lightroom or Watermark Photo.

The post Should you watermark your photos, and how do you do that? appeared first on Backlight.

How to turn a photo into a drawing

Playing around with different photo-to-sketch converter apps isn’t the worst way to pass the time, but if you’d rather just get to it, we’ve narrowed the process down a bit for you by narrowing down the best apps for the job. Here’s how to turn a photo into a sketch or line drawing using Painnt and Prisma, which are both easy to use. 

Convert your photo into a line drawing with Painnt

Painnt is a simple app with more than 2,000 art filters, 90 of which are sketch effects. The Painnt app is fun and easy to use, and many of the filters are included for free with your initial download. Premium filters can be accessed for a subscription fee of $9.99 per year. Here’s how to use Painnt to turn your favorite photos into incredible sketches.

1. Download the Painnt app and open it on your iPhone. 
2. Scroll through the massive array of filters and choose one you like. The newest filters will be available at the top of the screen, followed by the “Free only today” section. From there, you can scroll through filters by genres such as faces, modern, mosaics, nature, sketch, and more.
3. Tap Photo Library to open your photos and choose the one you want to convert to a drawing.
4. Tap Done to convert your photo to a sketch or drawing.
5. An editing screen will open up, allowing you to use sliders to adjust transparency, brightness, contrast, saturation, and more. 
6. When you are happy with the results, tap the download icon. Then choose whether you want to share your creation on social media or save it to your device. Unless you decide to purchase the premium subscription, your drawing will be saved with a small watermark in the corner. 

Turn a picture into a drawing with Prisma

Prisma is another app that is affordable and easy to use. By affordable, we actually mean free, but you will have to pay a subscription fee for premium filters. The Prisma filters are based on the works of famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, or Salvador Dali, and a new, free Prisma filter is released every day. Here’s how to use Prisma to convert your photo to a drawing.

1. Download the Prisma app and open it on your iPhone.
2. Your photo library will open up inside the Prisma app. Choose the photo you want to edit.
3. There are 12 free artistic filters you can apply to your photo, plus several more premium filters. Choose one to have it applied to your photo. 
4. Tap the tuning icon to make further adjustments to your photo. 
5. Tap the checkmark. Then tap the share icon.
6. Choose whether you want to share your photo or save it to your device.
7. Your drawing will be saved without a watermark.

How to take a picture that looks like a drawing

Another way to experiment with photo-to-drawing conversion is to use apps that will automatically turn your photo into a sketch when you take a photo. This method gives you instant gratification and is great for easy social sharing. Use either your iPhone Messages app or Photo Lab to make it happen. 

Turn your photo into a drawing with Messages filters

Did you know that there is a hidden filter within your iPhone’s Messages app that allows you to take photos and selfies and then turn them into sketches that look like comic book drawings? It’s true! Here’s how to access them.

1. On your iPhone, open the Messages app and type the name of the recipient that you want to send your drawing to.
2. Tap the camera icon to create your image.
3. Before you snap a photo, tap the filter icon, which looks like three connected circles in different colors.
4. Scroll through the filters at the bottom of the screen and choose Comic Book.
5. Frame your shot and tap the shutter button.
6. Tap the arrow icon to send your photo drawing.

Turn your photo into a sketch with Photo Lab filters

There are a few different apps that will let you apply your drawing filter within their camera screen before you take a photo. We love Photo Lab because it is free and easy to use. With the free version, you can apply a variety of artistic features, from simple sketches to elaborate scenes that will totally make-over your photo. The downside is that the free version includes ads as well as a watermark on your finished photo. The pro version is $4.99 per month or $9.99 per year. 

Here’s how to use Photo Lab to take a photo and turn it into a drawing.

1. Download Photo Lab and open it on your iPhone.
2. Scroll through the screen of available filters. The premium filters will have the word Pro in the corner. Tap the filter you want to use.
3. Tap the camera icon to open the Photo Lab camera.
4. Frame your shot and tap the shutter.
5. Tap Use Photo if you are happy with the image. Otherwise, tap Retake.
6. The next screen will allow you to crop your photo or change the orientation. Tap the arrow when you are finished.
7. A processing screen will appear, followed by your finished sketch. From here, you can tap the + icon to add text. Some filters also allow you to modify the results or turn your photo into a GIF.
8. Finally, tap the share icon in the upper-right corner to save your photo or share it on social media.
9. If you have the free version, you can remove the watermark by tapping it. A pop-up menu will appear, asking if you want to watch a short sponsored video to have the watermark removed. Tap yes to watch the video. Now you can save your photo-to-drawing without the watermark.

Your iPhone can do much more than take pretty photos. Get creative with unique apps that will allow you to turn your picture into a drawing, painting, or other digital work of art. The opportunities are endless, and the process is totally addictive.

The post How to turn your iPhone photo into a sketch or drawing appeared first on Backlight.

The 6 best Instagram photo editor apps 

Whether it’s fixing bad lighting or creating a one-of-a-kind filter, influencers have cracked the photo editing code. If you want to elevate your social media presence with a more aesthetically pleasing feed, then you should start using one of the not-so-secret tools in every influencers’ toolbox: a high-quality Instagram photo editor app.

Before you go searching social media for a rundown of favorites, check out this influencer-approved list of apps we’ve rounded up: 

1. Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor
2. VSCO
3. Afterlight 
4. Tezza
5. PicsArt
6. Facetune

Read on to learn which influencer uses what app and how these editing tools can take your photos to the next level. 

1. Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor: Professional editing with the tap of a button

Digital creator and Instagram influencer Amy Seder shares stunning photos of her exotic travels to her thousands of followers. Even though the locations of posts are already photo-worthy, she uses Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor to make them even more eye-catching. 

With almost five stars and thousands of reviews, this app features one-tap editing tools, cutting-edge camera modes, and interactive tutorials that teach you how to use the more advanced features like curves and color mixer. However, the most commonly used free feature in this app is Presets, a single-touch photo editor that can make dramatic changes to any photo. 

Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor also includes in-app purchases for premium features like a healing brush, batch editing, and more storage. 

Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor on the App Store

2. VSCO: An Instagram photo editing staple for influencers

Abeer Acero, the “part-time muggle, part-time content creator” behind the account lookingforabura, revealed in her Instagram Stories that she uses VSCO as one of the apps to edit her stunningly serene photos for her large audience. 

The VSCO app features 10 presets that will easily upgrade your photos to influencer-level quality. It also comes with editing tools, analog film effects, and an option to save and recreate your favorite edits with ease called Recipes. 

The above features are free, but the paid in-app membership includes over 200 presets and more advanced editing tools. 

VSCO on the App Store

3. Afterlight: The best editing app for light leaks

Digital creator Teejay Hughes recommends using Afterlight for selective color-editing and adding some unique, stylistic effects to your photos. It’s one of the few apps he uses to edit his travel and fashion photos for his ever-growing audience. 

Afterlight features over 130 photo filters created exclusively by photographers, as well as over 20 advanced editing tools. But perhaps the most commonly used tools on this app are the textures and overlays. They include unique additions like light leaks and natural dust that will make your photo extra special. 

Most of the above features are included in the app’s free version, but a paid membership comes with additional tools. 

Afterlight on the App Store

4. Tezza: A great photo editing app with tons of presents

Content creator Hannah Warling recently revealed to her followers that she uses one of the gorgeous presets featured on Tezza to edit her photos. If you’re looking for an easy way to make your photos pop like an influencer’s, using Tezza’s presets is a great place to start. 

Tezza features presets and editing tools that can be used for photos and videos alike. The app is free to download, but in order to use its features, you have to sign up for one of the memberships. They start at $1.99 per month. 

Tezza on the App Store

5. PicsArt: The best Instagram editing app for creatives

Digital creator Sofi of thatsosofi is no stranger to sharing her behind-the-scenes tools to create her artsy, colorful photos. She recently told her many followers that she uses the app PicsArt to add fun features like starry overlays to her pictures. 

PicsArt is an all-in-one photo editor that is best known for its impressive photo effects, artistic photo filters, and fun stickers. While there are over 5 million premade stickers to choose from within the app, you also have the option to DIY it and create your own. 

The app is free to download, but it includes in-app purchases like the PicsArt Gold subscription, which gives you access to thousands of premium stickers, fonts, frames, collages, and masks. 

PicsArt on the App Store

6. Facetune: Look your best with the top selfie editor

Not every influencer will admit to using this app. But digital creator Victoria of foxy.wanderer shared with her followers that she uses Facetune to make her skin look less oily in photos. 

Described as the “original selfie editor,” Facetune features dozens of tools to help you touch up and enhance your photos. You can whiten your teeth, remove blemishes, change your eye color, remove stray hairs, and even apply blush and lipstick, all within the app. 

With nearly five stars and thousands of reviews, it’s no wonder this is one of the most popular editing apps for Instagram photos. And the best part about Facetune? It’s totally free. 

Facetune on the App Store

It’s no secret that most influencers put their photos through dozens of rounds of editing before they appear on our feeds. Sure, it may take some practice to edit like the pros. But using even just one of these popular Instagram photo editor apps will make your photos even more Insta-worthy.

The post 6 Instagram photo editor apps favored by influencers appeared first on Backlight.

While technically all you need to participate in this trend is your Camera app and your face, there are additional tools available to help level-up your selfie game. In this article, we’ve rounded up our top 10 favorite apps that will help you capture the perfect selfie. 

The top 10 selfie apps for iPhone

When it comes to taking a great selfie, quite a few factors come into play. You need to make sure you have a steady hand, a neutral background, and good lighting — outside, during the golden hour right after sunrise and right before sunset, is the most ideal. Even with all of those components, there are other things you can do to make sure that your selfie stands out from the rest. 

Whether you’re looking for the perfect camera or a tool to retouch your photo, the apps below will help you take the perfect selfie: 

1. Facetune 2
2. BeautyPlus
3. Everlook
4. AirBrush
5. A Color Story
6. VSCO
7. Perfect365
8. Retrica
9. YouCam Perfect
10. Selfie Editor

1. Facetune 2: Best selfie editing app

Facetune 2 is a staple of every good selfie toolkit. Described as your own personal “glam squad,” this award-winning app features easy-to-use tools such as smooth skin, teeth whitener, glitter brushes, and red-eye removal. Within the app, you can also enlarge or minimize features on your face and body, as well as change the direction of the light source. 

But perhaps the best thing about this app is that you can use the live retouching feature to touch up your photo before you even take it. 

Facetune 2 is free to download and comes with in-app purchases such as a membership subscription that grants unlimited access to all features.  

Facetune 2 on the App Store

2. BeautyPlus: Snap, edit, and filter your way to a better selfie 

With almost five stars and over 150,000 reviews, BeautyPlus is one of the top photo editing apps available for iPhone. While it has tons of powerful editing tools like a lip plumper, a hair volumizer, and fun augmented reality filters, the feature that draws the most praise from users is the auto-beautify tool. 

While you have the option to manually edit the photo however you desire, the auto-beautify tool turns your photo into the perfect selfie with just the push of a button. The app is free to download but comes with in-app purchases for premium features like reshaping and firming tools. 

BeautyPlus on the App Store

3. Everlook: One of the best selfie apps for accessories

Everlook is one of the most powerful face editing apps out there. Not only can you essentially remodel your entire face — which is a controversial editing tool, to say the least — you can also give yourself facial hair, change your eye color, and even dress up in accessories like a hat or glasses. 

The app’s face recognition technology makes editing your selfie not only a breeze, but fun. While the free version comes with many features, even more tools are available with the paid Everlook VIP Subscription. 

Everlook on the App Store

4. AirBrush: Hide blemishes and give yourself glowing skin

This retouching app will help you fine-tune your features and hide any unsightly marks so your selfie will be even more Instagram-worthy. Free to download in the App Store, AirBrush features multiple editing tools to give you glowing skin, brighter eyes, and voluminous hair with just the push of a button. 

While the app’s free version includes tons of editing capabilities, the AirBrush Black paid subscription features even more. 

AirBrush on the App Store 

5. A Color Story: Paint your selfie with light leaks and vintage filters

A Color Story can help turn your classic selfie into an aesthetically pleasing masterpiece through its over 400 professionally designed filters and 20 different advanced editing tools. Not only can you add movable effects to your photo, but you can also smooth your skin and color your face with light leaks. 

While A Color Story is free to download, you have to purchase a subscription to access all of the filters and tools. 

A Color Story on the App Store

6. VSCO: The classic selfie editor 

VSCO is a classic selfie editor that every Instagram self-photographer should have on their iPhone. The dozens of filters available are just some of the many reasons this app is so popular. The editing tools included within the free version are the same as those used by the pros, so, needless to say, downloading this app will give your selfies a real upgrade. 

The paid subscription of VSCO gives you access to more filters and tools. 

VSCO on the App Store

7. Perfect365: Selfie editor with a makeup tool

With four and a half stars and over 114,000 reviews, Perfect365 is a virtual makeup app that can give you a complete makeover with just a single tap. With tons of makeup brands and looks designed by top Instagram influencers, there’s no limit to how you can experiment with your personal style. 

While the free version has all the beauty tools you need to capture the perfect selfie, the paid subscription gives you access to unlimited makeup looks. 

Perfect365 on the App Store

8. Retrica: The original filter camera

This photo editing app features a variety of overlays and editing tools that can give your selfies the ultimate vintage look. Between multiple light leaks and over 190 filters, the free version of this app will help you post some seriously fabulous selfies. 

The premium feature gives you access to Retrica’s entire library. 

Retrica on the App Store

9. Selfie Editor: A simple retouching app for your best selfies 

This simple photo editor is great for retouching selfies to give you radiant skin, whiter teeth, and more. The beauty camera also features tons of picture-perfect filters so you can capture a great selfie every time. 

The app is free to download, but the in-app subscription gives you access to premium selfie tools. 

Selfie Editor on the App Store

10.  YouCam Perfect: A selfie cam with live editing features

This app is known for being one of the best selfie cameras around. Thanks to the live effects option, you can perfect your selfie before you even snap the photo. After you’ve taken your picture, you can add bursts of shapes and colors with the magic brush or conceal any unsightly parts of the image with the blur tool. 

Most of the features are available within the free version. However, the premium version includes even more unique tools. 

YouCam Perfect on the App Store

Whether you’re looking to simply touch up an old selfie you want to post or hoping to capture your best angle with a beauty camera, these apps will get you one step closer to achieving the self-portrait of your dreams.

The post The 10 best selfie apps to take that perfect selfie appeared first on Backlight.

In this guide, we’ll give you all the tools you need to change, edit, or remove the background from an image. 

The 7 best background photo editors for iPhone 

Thanks to modern technology and the increasing capabilities of our handheld devices, editing the backgrounds of photos has never been easier. Whether you want to blur the trash can behind your killer pose or switch out your city scenery for something tropical, we’ve rounded up the 7 best background photo editor apps for iPhone users. 

They are as follows: 

1. Background Eraser
2. Cut Paste Photos Pro Edit Chop
3. Blur Photo Background
4. Object Removal Lite
5. Blur Photo Editor Background
6. Focos
7. LightX Photo Editor & Retouch

1. Background Eraser: Erase, remove, and cut out the background of any photo

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for the background of a photo is to just delete it. That’s where the Background Eraser app comes in. This free app allows you to easily remove the background of a picture and save the transparent version of the photo as a PNG or JPEG. 

Once the photo is removed, you can use it as a stamp within other apps like Snapchat, or you can use it in a collage. You can also use it in one of the other apps listed below and add it on top of a different background. 

This app also features advanced erasing tools, as well as restore and reverse options. It’s currently free in the App Store. 

Background Eraser on the App Store

2. Cut Paste Photos Pro Edit Chop: The easiest image background changer app

Maybe you love the way you look in a certain photo but wish it was on an exotic beach instead of your mother’s front porch. A cut and paste app like Cut Paste Photos Pro Edit Chop can transport you to any destination in the world with just a few swipes of your finger. 

This app is mostly used for its easy photo cut tool and its over 40 fun camera-ready backgrounds to choose from. You can also cut objects and people from multiple photos and merge them all together in a new one — a great tool to have on hand for those group pictures where at least one person has their eyes closed.  

The app is free to download, but its premium features are only available with a monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscription. You do, however, get a free three-day trial of all the features upon downloading.  

Cut Paste Photos Pro Edit Chop on the App Store

3. Blur Photo Background: Artfully blur the background of any photo

Maybe the background of your photo isn’t terrible, but it could still be improved. Many people find that blurring the background of an image makes it look more polished, and apps like Blur Photo Background make this easy to accomplish. 

Blur Photo Background offers sophisticated yet simple-to-use tools to blur the background, an unwanted object, or even a stranger’s face. There are different types of blur tools (like Gaussian Blur and Motion Blur), as well as effects like Pixel, Glass, and Mosaic. 

The app is free to download and includes some in-app purchases for more advanced tools. 

Blur Photo Background on the App Store

4. Object Removal Lite: Remove unwanted objects from any photos

Still, sometimes the only way to make a photo work is to separate it from the background. Object Removal Lite is one of the leading apps in photo object removal. 

By using artificial intelligence and image processing technology, you can remove people, buildings, phone lines, and even blemishes from any photo you choose. The app also includes filters, editing functions, and other tools. 

Object Removal Lite is free to download in the App Store, but premium memberships are available and include more functions and ad-removal. 

Object Removal Lite on the App Store 

5. Blur Photo Editor Background: Add a unique blur effect to your Instagram photos

If you want to get a little more creative when you blur your photos, Blur Photo Editor Background is a great option. This app features tools that can blur a background quickly and easily, as well as 10 different blur effects to make your photos pop. 

In addition to artistically blurred photos, users also enjoy high-resolution editing, which allows you to zoom in on the tinier details you might otherwise miss. The app is free to download and comes with in-app purchases such as a Pro Subscription that features even more functions and tools. 

Blur Photo Editor Background on the App Store

6. Focos: Edit your iPhone photo like you have a DSLR camera

While iPhone cameras have come a long way since the first iPhone model, they’re still not as sophisticated as DSLR cameras. However, apps like Focos make it easier for iPhone photographers to edit their pictures into more professional shots, which is often created by a blurred background effect. 

With nearly five stars and thousands of reviews, Focos makes it possible to focus on a subject long after the photo was taken. You can adjust the depth of field and blur any unsightly backgrounds so your photos are always post-ready. 

Focos is free to download and offers some in-app purchases like additional features and built-in tutorials. 

Focos on the App Store

7. LightX Photo Editor & Retouch: Completely erase a photo’s background

Need to erase a background entirely? LightX Photo Editor & Retouch has got you covered. This all-in-one editing app offers tools such as cutouts, blur, and even a background changer. 

After you’ve cut out your subject and superimposed it onto a new background, you can add more flavor to your photo with its professional editing features like color splash effects, stickers, frames, doodles, and photo filters. 

The LightX Photo Editor & Retouch app is free to download and comes with additional in-app purchases. 

LightX Photo Editor & Retouch in the App Store

Thanks to modern advances in technology, editing photos has never been easier. And thanks to the apps mentioned in this article, you can blur photos, remove objects, and even change backgrounds directly on your iPhone.

The post 7 photo background apps for iPhone to change the background of your shot appeared first on Backlight.

How to fix your composition in the Apple Photos app

You can easily crop, rotate, and straighten photos to improve the composition of your image using the Photos app. The Photos composition tools are useful for fixing skewed horizon lines, cropping your thumb out of a photo, and rotating photos for a new perspective. 

How to straighten a photo on iPhone

1. Open the Photos app and navigate to the photo you want to straighten. 
2. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap the crop icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. The first editing icon is the Straighten tool (it looks like a circle with a horizontal line going through the middle).
5. Tap the straighten icon and then use your finger to straighten the elements of your photo.
6. When you are finished, tap Done.

How to crop photos on iPhone

1. To access the Crop tool, open the Photos app and tap on the photo you want to crop.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap the crop icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. If you want your photo to be a certain aspect ratio, tap the resizing icon in the upper right. This looks like a box with smaller rectangles inside it.
5. Choose whatever aspect ratio you want from the menu, then use your fingers to change the borders on your image.
6. When you are happy with your crop, tap Done. 

How to flip, skew, and rotate photos on iPhone

1. Open the photo you want to edit in the Photos app and tap Edit.
2. Tap the crop icon.
3. To flip your photo (create a mirror image), tap the bisected triangle in the top-left corner of your screen.
4. To rotate your photo, tap the rectangle with the arrow above it in the upper-left corner. 
5. Your photo will make one turn clockwise. Continue tapping the rectangle until you’ve rotated your photo to the desired position.
6. To skew your photo, either from right to left or top to bottom, use the two perspective icons next to the straighten tool. 
7. Choose the icon with the vertical line to change the vertical perspective. Choose the icon with the horizontal line to change the horizontal perspective. 
8. Move your finger across the slider and then tap Done.

How to edit pictures on iPhone with its editing tools 

The Photos editing tools all work by sliding your finger back and forth on a slider until you achieve your desired results. These editing tools allow you to make subtle or dramatic changes to a photo quickly and without navigating out of your Photo Library. 

Below are the editing tools available in the iPhone Photos app, as well as a short description of what they can be used for. To locate the individual editing tools, open your editing screen and scroll through the icons under your photo. The name of the tool will appear over each icon.

Exposure

The Exposure tool is for making your photo as dark or as bright as you want. It’s useful for bringing out more details in an image that was taken during low-light or toning down a photo that was taken on a bright, sunny day.

Brilliance

Want to make your photo look richer and more vibrant? Check out the Brilliance tool, which makes details clearer while brightening shadows and toning down highlights.

Highlights

The Highlights tool adjusts the details in the brightest part of a photo. This is useful if you are shooting in bright light and have a photo with blown-out highlights. Reducing highlights with the Highlights slider will introduce detail into an otherwise bright white part of your photo. 

Shadows

The opposite of the Highlights tool, the Shadows tool adds detail to the darkest part of your photo while making the shadows less prominent. It’s useful for brightening up a dull foreground and bringing out details in subjects that are very dark. 

Contrast

In certain shooting conditions, your final images will appear flat and lifeless. This is often because the scene you were trying to capture didn’t introduce a lot of contrast. If the foreground and background are similar in tone and color, you may need to add a bit of contrast by moving the slider to the left on the Contrast tool. By comparison, if your photo has prominent contrast already, you can tone it down by moving the Contrast slider to the right. 

Brightness

The Brightness tool is similar to the Exposure tool, but it brightens or darkens all of the colors within your photo. Brightness is best used with a light touch, as moving the slider too far to the right or left will make your photo look unrealistic. But, then again, that may be the look you’re going for. 

Black Point

The Black Point tool sets the point where the darkest part of your image becomes completely black, without any detail at all. If your image is washed out, without a lot of contrast, you can use the Black Point tool to increase the contrast in relation to the point you’ve set. 

Saturation

Saturation is useful for uniformly increasing the intensity of all the colors in your photo. A little saturation goes a long way to improve drab, washed-out photos. Be careful when upping the saturation on portraits or group photos of people, as it tends to impart an orangish tint to skin tones.

Vibrance

Vibrance is also used to increase the saturation of your photo. The difference is that it only increases the saturation in subdued, washed-out colors while leaving the bright colors alone. If you’re editing a portrait or a shot featuring people, increasing the vibrance creates a more natural image than upping the saturation. 

Warmth

If your photo seems a little too blue or too yellow, you can use the Warmth tool to make adjustments. Moving the slider to the left will increase the blue tones in your image. Moving the slider to the right will increase the warmer tones.

Tint

Use the Tint tool to add color tints over your entire image. This can be useful for correcting photos with a sepia cast, or you can use it creatively to add unrealistic drama to your photos. 

Sharpness

The Sharpness tool brings out details along the edges of your subject, making them appear crisper and clearer. It doesn’t actually make blurry photos sharp; it simply highlights the edges for an illusion of more detail. Introducing too much sharpness to your image, however, will make it appear grainy.

Definition

This is another tool that is useful for making your photos clearer and sharper. Definition increases contrast and texture so that your main subject stands out from the background of your photo. 

Noise Reduction

When you take a photograph in a low-light setting or with your camera’s digital zoom, you will capture a lot of variations between pixels, making your photos appear grainy. This “noise” can be decreased with the Noise Reduction tool, which will smooth out the pixels, but also make your photo appear less sharp. 

Vignette

The Vignette tool simply darkens the edges of your photo, drawing attention to the center. You can use this to focus your viewer’s attention on your photo’s main subject or to give your photo a more vintage look. 

How to edit photos on iPhone by using filters

Filters are an easy way to change the look of your photos without making lots of little adjustments with the tools mentioned above. With Filters, you simply tap a button and adjust the strength of your filter by using the slider. 

To access your Photo Filters on iPhone, head to the editing screen, then tap the icon with the three intersecting circles. From there, you can try out different filters to see which you like best.

Vivid

The Vivid filter is an overall brightener that also ups the saturation of your image. 

Vivid Warm

This filter brightens your image, ups the saturation, and increases the warm tones in your photo.

Vivid Cool

Vivid Cool increases the cool tones in your photo while making it slightly more saturated.

Dramatic

The Dramatic filter decreases the saturation slightly while increasing the clarity and texture. Just as the title implies, this edit adds drama to your image.

Dramatic Warm

Dramatic Warm brings the saturation way down on the cool tones while increasing warm tones. At the same time, it adds more definition to your photo.

Dramatic Cool

Dramatic Cool brings the saturation down on the warmer tones while increasing the cool tones in your photo. It also increases the texture and clarity for a more dramatic image.

Mono

This black and white filter is a low-contrast option with beautiful details and soft tones. 

Silvertone

Silvertone is a warm black and white filter with dark shadows and high contrast. 

Noir

The Noir filter is another great black and white filter featuring cooler tones, low contrast, and intense details. 

How to use the Markup tool in iOS Photos to add text and draw on photos 

If you’re searching for photo editing tools that go beyond image adjustments, Photos has you covered. The Markup tool is a fun way to add text, drawings, or shapes to your photos. Here’s how to use it to do all of the above.

How to draw on photos on iPhone

1. Open a photo that you want to draw on in the Photos app.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap the ellipses in the upper-right corner and choose Markup.
4. Choose a tool from the bottom of the screen. There are simulated markers, pens, and eraser tools. 
5. Choose the thickness of your line from the pop-up screen.
6. Use your finger to draw on your photo. Pinch your fingers together across the screen to zoom in on your photo for more detail. 
7. Tap Done.

How to add text to an iPhone photo

1. Open the photo you want to add text to in the Photos app.
2. Tap edit.
3. Next, tap the ellipses, then Markup.
4. Press + in the bottom-right corner, then choose text.
5. A text box will appear in your photo, and you can type your text in the box.
6. Change the color of the text by choosing a color at the bottom of the screen.
7. Change the size of your text and the font by choosing the aA icon.
8. You can change the placement of the text by moving the box with your finger.
9. When you’re finished adding text to your photo, tap Done.

The iPhone Photos app isn’t just for scrolling through your favorite images. It’s also an incredibly powerful editing tool that rivals the most expensive photo editing apps. 

The post How to edit photos on iPhone with iOS Photos and nothing else appeared first on Backlight.

The 7 best filter apps for iPhone

There are dozens of photo filter apps available for iPhone, but they aren’t all created equal. The following 7 filter apps are easy to use, fun to experiment with, and either free or available at low cost. These are our favorite filter apps for creating quick and stylish edits to all of our photos:

1. VSCO: The most popular filter app right now
2. Retrica: Film-like filters for retro photographers
3. Snapseed: A feature-packed filter app for photographers
4. A Color Story: Create custom filters for your photos
5. PS Express: Pops of color and nature-based filters
6. Instagram: The first filter app on social
7. iPhone Photos: iPhone’s native photo filter app

1. VSCO: The most popular filter app right now

The premium version of the VSCO app includes more than 200 filters, called presets within the app. Many filters are based on vintage film looks, but there are also dedicated filters for landscapes, selfies, urban scenes, and more. 

VSCO filters allow a lot of flexibility, and new presets are added all the time, making them perfect for fashion photographers, Instagram influencers, and small businesses.

VSCO on the App Store

2. Retrica: Film-like filters for retro photographers

Want to turn your iPhone into a retro camera with the look of film? Look no further than Retrica, an app that lets you apply retro filters before taking a photo. More than 190 filters can be applied in real-time, which means you can take photos without any additional editing. 

Exclusive filters are released periodically to premium members, and Retrica also includes fun editing tools that you can use before and after taking a photo. 

Retrica on the App Store

3. Snapseed: A feature-packed filter app for photographers

Snapseed is one of the most comprehensive free photo editing apps, with a great mix of filters that can be endlessly adjusted and combined. Unique filter categories include black-and-white options along with vintage, grunge, grainy film, Retrolux, and Glamour Glow. The nondestructive editing feature means that you can change any aspect of your edit without having to start over. 

Snapseed on the App Store

4. A Color Story: Create custom filters for your photos

A Color Story includes more than 100 endlessly adjustable filters, plus the ability to create custom filters for your own unique look that can be saved for future use. Motion effects include lens flare, bokeh, light leakage, glow, and texture, and you can change every aspect of the effects so that they fit your photo perfectly. 

A Color Story on the App Store

5. PS Express: Pops of color and nature-based filters

Adobe Photoshop Express is a fast and easy photo editor with a variety of interesting filters that can’t be replicated anywhere else. The app is free to download, but premium features require a subscription fee. Our favorite filters allow you to add pops of color to otherwise black and white photos, create replicates of black-and-white film photos, and create HDR looks with a single tap. 

PS Express on the App Store

6. Instagram: The first filter app ever

We can’t talk about photo filter apps without mentioning the one that started it all. Instagram began in 2010 as a way for users to upload photos, add predesigned filters, and share them with followers and has since become one of the world’s largest social media platforms. 

While Instagram doesn’t offer dozens upon dozens of filters like many other photo apps, the filters that it does offer are well-loved by their users. Just about every Instagram user has a favorite filter, but the most widely used filter, according to Shutterstock, is Clarendon. 

Instagram on the App Store

7. iPhone Photos: iPhone’s native photo filter app

For casual photographers and folks who don’t want to download a dedicated app just to add filters on their selfies, we recommend going with the Photos app. The editing tools and filters available are great for casual sharing, and there’s no uploading or downloading because your photo library is already built right in. Nine filters are currently available in the Photos app, providing a variety of looks in color and black and white. 

Once you discover your favorite photo filter app, you’ll find that it is both fun and addicting to use. You’ll want to start editing every photo you’ve ever taken just so you can add your favorite filters. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

The post 7 photo filter apps to give your photos a final touch appeared first on Backlight.

The good news is that yes, it’s possible to crop a video on an iPhone using either Photos or iMovie. The not-so-good news is that the size recommendations for videos are different depending on what social media platform you want to post on, and you may have to crop to multiple different sizes before uploading to different platforms.

How to crop a video on iPhone using Photos 

The simplest way to crop a video on an iPhone is to do it within the Photos app. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Photos app and navigate to the iPhone video you want to crop.
2. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. From the bottom menu, tap the crop icon.
4. A white frame will appear outlining your video. Use your fingers to drag the outline to your desired crop. 
5. When you are happy with the results, tap Done.

How to crop a video for Instagram 

The aspect ratio for videos is different for every social media platform, so you may have to adjust your video crop depending on the platform you want to upload it to. 

Instagram allows video placement in three different areas on the platform. You can upload a video to Instagram Stories and IGTV, or you can upload a video as an Instagram post. Here are the different video size requirements for Instagram. 

• Instagram Stories: For Instagram stories, you should upload videos in portrait orientation at a 9:16 aspect ratio with dimensions of 1080 x 1920 pixels. Landscape videos (16:9) will work too, but they will show up much smaller on the screen. 
• Instagram posts: For Instagram posts, you can upload square (1:1), portrait (9:16), or landscape (16:9) videos. Square videos are still the most popular size for an Instagram feed.
• IGTV: IGTV video dimensions should be 1080 X 1920 pixels with an aspect ratio of 9:16. This is the same as the recommended size for Instagram Stories.

You can crop a video for Instagram to an exact aspect ratio using the Photos app. The method is slightly different from the method for more general video cropping.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and navigate to the video you want to crop.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap the crop icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap the aspect ratio icon (which looks like a segmented rectangle) in the upper-right corner.
5. Scroll through your aspect ratio choices and choose the one that best fits Instagram.
6. Tap Done to save the video to your Camera Roll.

How to crop a video for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat 

You can use the method above for cropping videos before uploading them to any social media platform. To make things easier, we’ve compiled an overview of common dimensions and aspect ratios for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat.

• Facebook: You can upload videos to Facebook that are either portrait (9:16) or landscape (16:9) orientation. 
• Twitter: Twitter allows you to directly upload landscape (1:2.39) or portrait (2.39:1) videos. 
• YouTube: For YouTube, you should crop your videos to 16:9 in landscape orientation. 
• Snapchat: Snapchat primarily uses portrait orientation at a 9:16 aspect ratio.

Can you fix a vertical or horizontal video by cropping? 

What happens when you accidentally record a vertical video when you actually need a horizontal one or vice versa? While this solution may not be ideal, you can easily crop your photo from vertical to horizontal or horizontal to vertical. The downside is that you’ll lose a lot of the scene you were trying to capture. In many cases, it won’t make a huge difference, but you may occasionally lose important footage. In many cases, it will be easier to just reshoot your video. 

How to crop a video in iMovie

Another way to crop a video on your iPhone is by using iMovie, which allows you to zoom in on your video, crop out unnecessary elements, or emphasize an element within the video. Cropping a video in iMovie is useful when you are also editing other elements of your video, stitching multiple videos together, or adding music. Here’s how to crop your video using iMovie on your iPhone.

1. Open iMovie and tap on the video you want to crop.
2. Tap Create Movie.
3. Tap the video timeline to open the video editor.
4. Tap the small magnifying glass next to the video player.
5. Use your pinched finger and thumb to zoom in or out on your video. The aspect ratio will automatically change as you do this.
6. When you’re happy with the results, tap Done.
7. Tap the upload icon and then tap Save Video to add the edited video to your Photo Library.

Cropping your video may take some additional time, but it is well worth the results, especially if you’re uploading your creation to a social media platform like Instagram or YouTube. Fortunately,  iMovie and Photos make this a relatively painless task.

The post How to crop a video on iPhone with Photos and iMovie appeared first on Backlight.

The best photo apps for iPhone as of 2020 

1. VSCO: More than 200 filters for quick photo editing
2. Gemini Photos: A photo gallery cleaner for iPhone
3. GIF Maker: Convert your photos and videos into GIFs
4. NightCap Camera: Take stunning long exposures with your iPhone
5. Snapseed: A free photo editing app for all types of photography
6. Adobe Lightroom CC: A photo editing app for professional photographers
7. Adobe Spark Post: Perfect editing app for creating quick graphics
8. Camera + 2: A camera app packed with advanced features
9. Airbrush: Best selfie app for iPhone

1. VSCO: More than 200 filters for quick photo editing

If you want to quickly edit your photos with beautiful, professionally designed filters without a lot of fuss, check out VSCO. There are more than 200 filters to choose from for all types of photography, from landscapes to portraits. 

Save your favorite VSCO presets to use again and again or combine them to create your own unique looks. VSCO is one of the most popular photo editing tools for Instagram, and the results are truly stunning. 

VSCO on the App Store

2. Gemini Photos: A photo gallery cleaner for iPhone

The more storage your iPhone comes with, the harder it becomes to keep your photo library clutter-free. That’s where Gemini Photos comes in. With this app, you can tackle photo clutter in bite-sized pieces. Gemini Photos will start by helping you find duplicate photos, then will go on to find and delete blurry shots and help you choose the best of similar shots so you can delete the rest. Using the Gemini Photos app weekly is a great way to keep your photo clutter to a minimum.

Gemini Photos on the App Store

3. GIF Maker: Convert your photos and videos into GIFs

Are GIFs a part of your everyday conversations on social media? If you answered “yes,” then maybe it’s time to stop searching for the perfect GIF and start making your own. GIF Maker is a free app that allows you to turn your favorite photos or videos into one-of-a-kind GIFs. With it, you can create loop-style videos, add custom text, adjust the frame speed, and add beautiful filters before sharing. Now, all you have to do is find your best GIF-worthy shots.

GIF Maker on the App Store

4. NightCap Camera: Take stunning long exposures with your iPhone

If you’ve been playing around with low-light photography, you will love NightCap Camera. This app allows you to shoot long-exposure photos, time-lapse captures, and star trails with an array of settings that are easy to use. 

NightCap’s Long Exposure mode is great for amazing motion blur effects in low light. It also has an ISO Boost feature that allows for a 4-times higher ISO setting than any other app, producing bright photos in very low light. NightCap is a fun app for more advanced photographers who want to experiment with new techniques and settings. 

NightCap Camera on the App Store

5. Snapseed: A free photo editing app for all types of photography

Snapseed’s editing tools are free to use and provide professional-quality effects that are as simple as they are beautiful. Choose from a range of ready-to-go filters or fine-tune your edits by using powerful tools like HDR Scape, Healing, or Brush features. 

Snapseed is one of the easiest photo editing apps available — the tools are intuitive to use, and even if you’re a novice photographer, you can dramatically improve your shots.

Snapseed on the App Store

6. Adobe Lightroom CC: A photo editing app for professional photographers

If you have been taking your photography seriously for a while, you probably have some experience using Adobe Lightroom on your computer. Now, you can take those professional editing tools and use them on your iPhone. 

The Adobe Lightroom app uses an interface similar to its more powerful desktop editing software, and if you already use Adobe’s Creative Cloud, you’ll have access to your entire photo library on your phone. The Lightroom app is free to use with in-app purchases. If you aren’t already a subscriber, there are a variety of packages available for photographers. 

Adobe Lightroom CC on the App Store

7. Adobe Spark Post: Perfect editing app for creating quick graphics

Another of the many photo apps for iPhone by Adobe enables you to create quick promotional projects to post on social media. 

With Adobe Spark, you can make collages and add custom-colored borders and text overlays. You can also make custom posts for all of your social media platforms using a personalized color and font palette for easy edits, or you can choose from a variety of templates that are ready to personalize and post.

Adobe Spark Post on the App Store

7. Camera + 2: A camera app packed with advanced features

Despite the hardware and software upgrades that make new iPhones awesome, manual controls are still lacking on the native Camera app. That means if you want to play around with long shutter speeds, aperture, or ISO, you’ll have to install a camera app that can go the extra mile. 

Our recommendation is Camera +2, which enables you to utilize all the features of a fancy DSLR on your phone. You can virtually change lenses, set your shutter speed, focus manually, and shoot in RAW for maximum editing capabilities. This is an advanced camera app for experienced photographers and can be downloaded for $3.99. 

Camera+ 2 on the App Store

8. Airbrush: Best selfie app for iPhone

While Airbrush is a great general photo editor, it really excels at perfecting selfies and portraits. Before you post your photo on social media, edit your selfie to get rid of blemishes, smooth out wrinkles, and even out your skin tone. 

For even bolder effects, you can use Airbrush to add volume to your hair, enlarge and brighten your eyes, and whiten your teeth. Whether you want to fine-tune imperfections or change your look entirely, Airbrush will work wonders on all of your selfies and portraits.

Airbrush on the App Store

Even with all the amazing features available with your iPhone camera, you can still dramatically improve your photos with some of these amazing apps. Our favorite photo apps for iPhone make life easier and photography more fun, which is something we can all appreciate. 

The post 9 photo apps for iPhone that every photographer needs appeared first on Backlight.

For basic tasks like trimming or shortening videos and cutting out unwanted clips, you don’t need fancy editing software. In fact, most simple video editing tasks can be done in either the Photos app or iMovie. Here’s how to use both apps to easily trim a video on iPhone.

How to trim a video in the Photos app

The Photos app is not an advanced video editing tool, but it does allow for some easy video edits when all you want is to make a quick fix before uploading to social media. One thing that the Photos app does very easily is trimming a video to make it shorter. Using the Photos app, you can trim from either end of your video clip by following these instructions:

1. Open the video you want to edit in the Photos app.
2. Tap Edit. 
3. Tap the video camera icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. See the slider underneath the video? Hold your finger on either of the arrows and slide them inward to effectively shorten your video clip. 
5. When you’re finished, tap Done.
6. A pop-up menu will appear. Choose Save Video or Save Video as New Clip, depending on your preferences.

How to trim an iPhone video for Instagram

Sharing your video on Instagram? To keep videos in line with Instagram’s length restrictions, move the yellow slider bar on either side of your clip within the timeline at the bottom of the screen. You’ll be able to see how long your video is on the main video screen. Here’s an overview of video length limits for Instagram:

• Instagram Stories: Each individual Story card can be a maximum of 15 seconds. If you upload a longer video to Stories, the video will automatically be segmented into 15-second clips.
• Instagram Posts: Any video that is uploaded as an Instagram Post can be between 3 seconds and 1 minute long. 
• IGTV videos: Most videos have to be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes. Some accounts do have special privileges and can create videos up to an hour in length.

How to cut a video on iPhone into parts

You can cut a video into separate clips by using the Photos app, which is useful if you want to make several short clips to use for different purposes. Here’s how it works:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap the video you want to edit.
2. Hold your finger on one of the arrows on either side of the video timeline and slide it to adjust your clip.
3. Press play to watch your clip and adjust as necessary. 
4. Tap Done. 
5. A pop-up menu will appear. Tap Save Video as New Clip. To save multiple clips as separate videos, you will have to go back to the original video and repeat the above steps for every clip.

How to split and rearrange clips using iMovie

The method mentioned above is useful for using your clips for different purposes, but what if you want to cut and rearrange clips within the same video? iMovie is the easiest way to split and rearrange clips. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open iMovie on your iPhone and select or add the video clip that you want to cut.
2. Your video will appear with the timeline underneath. The vertical white line is called the playhead, which is where any current editing will take place. Use your finger to move the playhead to the spot where you want to cut your video.
3. Tap the playhead, then tap Split at the bottom of the screen.
4. iMovie will create a cut between the two newly created clips.
5. Hold your finger on the clip you want to move and drag it to the left or the right on your movie timeline. When you have it in the proper position, take your finger off the clip.
6. Tap Done to save your video in iMovie.
7. Tap the upload icon to save your video to your photo library. 

How to cut a clip out of a video

Want to edit out that giant sneeze or some other blooper from your latest video? It’s easy to do using iMovie. 

1. Open iMovie and tap the + icon to add your video clips to iMovie.
2. When you have chosen your video clips, tap Create Movie. Your movie will appear on the screen with the timeline beneath it.
3. Scroll through your timeline until you come to the start of the scene you want to delete.
4. Tap the playhead and then tap Split.
5. Play the clip until you come to the end of the scene you want to delete.
6. Tap the playhead and tap Split one more time. 
7. The clip you want to delete will now be split on both ends. Tap the clip so that it’s highlighted in yellow. 
8. Tap Delete to remove the clip from your video. 
9. Tap Done to save your movie within iMovie. 
10. To save your video to your photo library, tap the upload icon and select Save Video.

Yes, editing video clips takes a bit of practice. But fortunately, you can do most simple edits with a combination of the Photos app and iMovie. All you need are your video clips and your creativity. 

The post How to trim a video on iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

While VSCO offers 10 free filters for users who download the app, the premium subscription offers more than 200 gorgeous filters to choose from. Here are the best VSCO filters, free and paid alike, for all of your best photos.

The best VSCO filters for portraits and selfies

Looking for a VSCO filter that will maintain an even skin tone and hold on to detail while still emphasizing the background and color palette? Check out these VSCO presets, which are great for portraits.

1. AV4/Agfa Vista 400: Bring back the look of film

Agfa Vista was a brand of camera film originally created for amateur photographers. In the VSCO app, the Agfa Vista filter ups the blue tones in your photo while highlighting natural tones and colors. Skin tones are a bit brighter, shadows are darker, and the overall feel is vintage with a look that is reminiscent of film. 

2. KP5/Kodak Porta 400NC: Another film simulation from VSCO

Kodak Porta film was originally designed to offer a smooth color palette with vivid hues to work well on all skin tones. The VSCO filter KP5 tries to emulate that look, with cooler skin tones, lighter blues, and shadows that are just a tad darker than normal. Portraits taken with KP5 are on the dreamy side and are perfect for professional-looking shots indoors and out. 

3. AGA1/Agave: A VSCO preset for outdoor portraits

For fabulous-looking outdoor portraits, look no further than AGA1, which features deeper contrast, sharper details, and cooler overtones. AGA1 makes highlights a little brighter to give a pop of color to portraits within the natural landscape. This is a stunning choice for candid shots and photo shoots.

4. AL6/Mixed Boost: A pop of color for portraits and street photography

AL6 ups the saturation while still managing to keep skin tones looking natural. The overall look is cooler but with warm highlights and skin tones. AL6 is a unique filter that is perfect for busy street scenes, festivals, portraits of kids, and even pets. It’s worth experimenting with other types of photography, too.

5. J6/Minimalist: A great undersaturated VSCO filter

If you are seeking to capture detail in your portraits without saturated color, check out J6, which brings the saturation way down so that you can let the personality of your subject shine through. Shadows are a little deeper and highlights are a little brighter, but the overall effect is more like a muted wash. 

VSCO filters for landscapes and nature 

Editing landscape shots can be tough, especially if you’re trying to create a cohesive theme for your Instagram feed or portfolio. Fortunately, these VSCO filters make it easy. You may have to adjust the sliders to reduce the strength for some shots, but for the most part, these presets are fabulous for landscape and nature shots. 

6. DOG3/Isle of Dogs: A nice VSCO filter for warm overtones

Want to create a subtle pink sky that says sunset even in the middle of the day? DOG3 warms up your landscape shots while decreasing shadows. DOG3 is a bit otherworldly, introducing hints of orange and purple while still retaining a natural feel. DOG3 is part of the Isle of Dogs series, based on the film of the same name.

7. L5/Forest: A VSCO preset especially for trees and gardens

To really bring out the green in your forest shots and highlight leaves and other plant life, check out L5, which is part of the landscape series designed by VSCO. L5 ups the saturation and adds depth to otherwise boring landscapes, and the landscape presets are intuitive and perfect for all of your nature photography. This is a great choice for photographers who love color and aren’t afraid to show it. 

8. L8/Beach: The perfect VSCO preset for deep contrasts

VSCO’s landscape series is designed to work with different types of landscape photos, from mountains and forests to beaches and deserts. Using the L8 VSCO preset will make the darkest parts of your photo really pop while bumping up the saturation and increasing the contrast. 

L8 is bright and sunny. This makes it a great filter for all landscape shots but especially attractive when photos have natural blue and green hues. 

9. IND2/ Indigo Soft: A VSCO filter for dark and moody shots

IND2 may not be for everyone, but it’s a great VSCO preset for making even the most cheerful landscape shot look like it was plunged into nighttime. IND2 produces cool tones, dark shadows, and muted colors, so it’s great for otherwise bright landscape shots without people in them. It’s also a fun way to create a bit of mystery. 

10. V3/Valence: A VSCO filter for low contrast and added warmth

V3 is a subtle filter, but it’s perfect for taking drab, dark scenes and giving them a little added brightness while reducing shadows and highlights. V3 is quite versatile and is perfect for street scenes, landscapes, still-life shots, and even portraits, but we particularly love how it accentuates natural scenes. Use it to accentuate multiple photos for a cohesive Instagram theme.

The best black-and-white VSCO filters 

If you’ve been under the impression that all black-and-white filters look the same, you ought to experiment with some of these VSCO filters. No matter what you’re shooting, there’s a great black-and-white filter for you. 

11. B4/B&W Classic: The top black-and-white filter on VSCO

They don’t call it B&W Classic for nothing. This VSCO filter is great at retaining detail, adding contrast, and really making your photos pop. It’s great for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to portraits and pet photography. If you want a black-and-white filter that does it all, B4 is the one.

12. X2/B&W Fade: Subtle black-and-white VSCO filter

X2 reduces contrast for muted tones of gray that are reminiscent of old-fashioned black-and-white photography. While X2 may not be great for retaining details in landscapes and buildings, it’s lovely for creating a soft mood and capturing macro shots, vintage portraits, and artistic captures.

 13. KT32/Kodak T-Max 3200: A warm VSCO filter for black-and-white portraits

KT32 is a bright black-and-white filter with warm tones and dynamic highlights. It’s a great choice for capturing a single subject, such as a portrait without a busy background. The foreground is accentuated, and the background fades away. Shadows are lightened up a bit, too. 

14. IHF/Ilford HPF: A fun VSCO filter for winter scenes

The IHF VSCO filter lets you step back in time to an era when photographic details were less important and capturing the essence of a scene was critical. IHF does retain crisp edges, but it does so while minimizing tonal contrast for shots that seem like they were created decades ago. Buildings thrive under the IHF treatment, as do pastoral scenes, still-lifes, and macros.

15. FN16/Fuji Neopan 1600: Great VSCO filter for retaining details

If your photo has a lot going on, you’ll want to choose a black-and-white filter that will maintain all those different tones so that the details can be preserved. FN16 does a great job of this and is nice for street scenes and busy landscapes. 

If you’re looking for ways to easily edit photos with the press of a button, VSCO is a fun and thoroughly addictive choice. There are more than 200 presets to choose from, and you’ll no doubt find your own favorites after some time on the app.

The post 15 gorgeous VSCO filters for different kinds of photos appeared first on Backlight.

Getting started with iMovie editing

Some parts of iMovie are intuitive and simple to use — others, not so much. When you open iMovie, you’ll see a question mark icon in the lower-right corner. If you get stuck on something, simply tap on the icon to access a short iMovie tutorial. 

iMovie can be used to stitch together video clips and photos, set them to music, or add sound effects and voiceovers. All of your movies, both finished and in progress, will be saved on the Projects screen for easy access.

How to create a new project in iMovie

Ready to make your first iMovie? Let’s get started.

1. Open iMovie on your iPhone. You will be taken to the Projects screen.
2. Tap the large + icon in the upper-left corner.
3. You will be able to choose between creating a Movie and a Trailer for your first project. A movie allows you to combine videos, photos, and music to create a custom movie. A trailer follows a template to create a Hollywood-style movie trailer.
4. Your Photo Library will appear on the screen. Here, you can choose video clips and photos to add to your movie. Simply tap on the ones you want, and a blue checkmark will appear. Don’t worry — you can always add or delete clips later. (At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a tally of how many items you’ve selected and an estimate of how long your movie will be.)
5. When you are finished selecting clips, tap Create Movie.

How to edit an iPhone video in iMovie 

Once you have chosen clips and photos for your movie, you can begin editing. Editing may include cropping your movie so that it fits the social media platform you want to share it to, cutting out bloopers or mistakes, flipping or rotating videos, and shortening clips so the finished product is nice and tight. Here’s an overview of the most popular iMovie editing techniques.

How to crop a video in iMovie

Your iMovie will have a 9:16 ratio because this is the most popular size, and unfortunately, you can’t change this within iMovie. You can, however, crop unwanted features out of your video by using the pinch and zoom method. 

Here’s how to crop your video in iMovie:

1. Open iMovie on your iPhone and choose the video that you want to crop.
2. Navigate to the clip you want to crop by scrolling through the timeline at the bottom of the screen. 
3. Tap the clip you want to crop. If the clip was taken in a different aspect ratio than your video, you will see a black border surrounding the clip.
4. Tap the small magnifying glass in the upper-right corner.
5. Pinch and spread your thumb and finger across the screen to zoom in on your video. This will crop out portions on the outer edges of your clip.
6. When you’re finished cropping your clip, tap Done.

How to cut out parts of a video in iMovie on iPhone

Cutting out parts of your video is an important step to help keep things flowing. Not only can you cut out mistakes, but you can also shorten long, awkward pauses, cut out coughs and sneezes, and delete photo-bombers. Here’s how to cut out parts of a video clip in iMovie:

1. Open iMovie and open the project that you want to edit.
2. Scroll through your movie’s timeline to find the mistake or area that you want to cut out.
3. Position the vertical white line to the frame just before the scene you want to cut.
4. Tap the timeline to open up the menu at the bottom of the screen.
5. Tap the scissors icon and then Split to make a cut.
6. Press play, then pause your video at the end of the mistake you want to cut.
7. Tap the timeline again, then tap the scissors and Split to make another cut. Now you should have a cut line on either side of the clip you want to delete.
8. Tap Delete to get rid of the scene.
9. When you are finished, tap Done.

How to rotate a video in iMovie

If you’re making your masterpiece and find that your video is sideways, don’t despair. It’s quite easy to turn it around in iMovie.

1. Open iMovie and tap the video you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Scroll through the timeline to find the clip you want to edit. 
4. Using two fingers, hold them on the video and turn your fingers to the right or the left to rotate the video. 
5. Turn again in the same direction to rotate it another turn. (Note that this will only rotate one clip at a time. If you want the entire video rotated, you’ll have to follow the steps above with each clip.)
6. When you are finished rotating your movie, tap Done.

How to shorten clips in iMovie

Shortening clips is one of the easiest ways to tighten up your movie and keep the action flowing. You want to keep your viewers watching, and with so many videos out there, attention spans are shrinking. The beginnings and ends of your video clips are easy targets and are the easiest to shorten. Here’s how to shorten clips in iMovie:

1. Open iMovie and open the video you want to shorten.
2. Scroll through your video and tap on the clip you want to shorten.
3. The clip will be highlighted in yellow. You can now drag the yellow bar on either side to make the clip shorter. 
4. If you find a space in the middle of the clip that you want to cut to make your video shorter, follow the instructions above on how to cut out parts of a video in iMovie.
5. When you are finished shortening your clips, tap Done.

Can you flip a video in iMovie on iPhone?

If you want to mirror a video clip, otherwise known as flipping your clip, you will need advanced features that iMovie doesn’t provide. You can download an app like RFV on the App Store to do this. RFV is used exclusively to flip and rotate videos, so you won’t have to weed through a bunch of editing tools to find what you’re looking for. 

The iMovie tutorial for putting together your movie

As you can imagine, there’s more to creating your iMovie than just editing clips. You can use templates to create overarching themes, add transitions between clips, and add the perfect soundtrack to bring it all together. Here are some ways to polish your iMovie before sharing.

How to use iMovie templates (themes)

Themes in iMovie are templates you can use to create a cover photo for your video. You can choose from seven themes: Modern, Bright, Playful, Neon, Travel, Simple, and News. 

1.  Open the app and tap the Project you want to edit.
2. Tap the settings icon at the bottom right.
3. You’ll see an area for Project Filters and Themes. Scroll through the themes and choose one of the seven offered. 
4. Tap Done.
5. Tap Done again and then tap Projects to see how your cover thumbnail looks. 
6. If you aren’t happy with the results, repeat steps 1–5.

How to add iMovie transitions

A transition is how iMovie handles the brief period between clips. By default, a transition is half a second long and looks like a sharp cut between clips, but you can change the transition based on the scene to zoom in or out, fade out, or dissolve. You can easily experiment with different transitions to see which ones fit your clips best. Here’s how to add iMovie transitions to your video.

1. Open iMovie and tap the video you want to edit.
2. Tap the split on your movie timeline.
3. A menu will appear along the bottom of your screen with different transitions you can choose from. 
4. Tap a transition and play your movie to see how it looks. 
5. When you have added transitions between all of your clips, tap Done.

How to add music to iMovie on iPhone

Your movie won’t be complete without a soundtrack to accompany your masterpiece. Audio files that you can add to your movie include built-in sound effects and soundtracks that come with iMovie, songs that have been downloaded to your iPhone, or audio files you have recorded in an app like GarageBand. 

Here’s how to add music to your movie on iPhone.

1. Open the video you want to edit in iMovie.
2. Scroll along your timeline until you come to the spot where you want your music or sound effect to start.
3. Underneath your video, you will see a small + sign. Tap it to add media.
4. Tap Audio.
5. Choose from Soundtracks, My Music, or Sound Effects. Tap the + sign next to your choice to add it to your video.
6. Your music/soundtrack selection will appear below your video timeline. 
7. Tap Done when you are happy with the results.

How to add subtitles in iMovie

Adding subtitles to your movie will make it more accessible. You can also add text to your videos to highlight certain aspects of your video or add more information. If you want to add subtitles, it’s really easy to do.

1. Open the video you want to edit in iMovie.
2. In your movie’s timeline, tap the clip you want to edit. It will be highlighted in yellow.
3. Tap the T icon to open the text menu.
4. Choose a font from the menu. If you are using a custom iMovie theme, you will also be able to choose the text that matches your theme. 
5. Tap your video to make a custom text box appear. 
6. Add your custom text or subtitles. The more text you add, the smaller the font will become.
7. When you are finished adding your subtitles in iMovie, tap Done.

Hopefully, these basic iMovie instructions will encourage you to give the app a try. There are many benefits to using iMovie for your next project. Not only is it entirely free to use, but it integrates with your iPhone photo and video library and creates professional-quality results without a steep learning curve.

The post iMovie tutorial: How to use iMovie to edit videos on iPhone appeared first on Backlight.