You may have noticed that this is the summer of the hydrangea.
I can’t help it.
They look like art to me.
I’ve planted them and arranged them and put them in the family room and filled the laundry room sink with them.
But never did I think they’d help me discover the best photo tip ever on my phone.
Here’s how to brighten your photos on your phone….
….courtesy of my hydrangeas.
Here’s the starting picture on my phone.
This was taken in my laundry room when the sun was starting to set and the room wasn’t that light.
See how dark it is.
I always get so frustrated when I’m trying to take a picture on my phone and it looks dark.
Until now.
Here’s the same picture.
Except I tapped the screen.
Before I took the picture I reached up and tapped the screen.
See that square with the sun? It shows up when you tap the screen.
And all you do to change the light is to move the sun up and down.
Move the sun this way and the picture gets darker.
And if you want it lighter?
You just move the sun the other way.
Adjust the sun until you have the light you want and then snap the picture.
Here are a few pictures I’ve taken with my phone so you can see the light.
And of course….hydrangea.
Where it all started. 🙂
PS If you have any phone photo tips–please share.
The hydrangeas are always looking to “grow” their knowledge.
Hee hee.
What type of phone do you have Kari Anne? iPhone or android?
Thanks for the great tip. I never knew it could do that.
I just tried this and my photo looked so much better. What a game changer! Thanks so much for passing along this tip!
Who knew???? Thank you, so much, for sharing this tidbit. It works!!!!
Is this the post you were talking about? It IS a good one! I didn't realize the sun was a 'scroll'! Who knew! All this time I've been doing the editing in my Photos app. Now here's hoping my chubby sausage fingers can manage to move the sun, instead of sliding the pic to video! (Now THERE's a "fun" fact!)
On my Samsung Galaxy S6 you tap on the screen in camera mode and a light bulb shows up on the bottom of the screen with a minus and plus sign. Move towards the minus sign and the picture is darkened, move towards the plus sign and its brightened.
Thank you Lan, I have a Samsung too but I never knew about this! Great tip.
Thx for sharing about Samsung!
Cool. Love this tip. I used to pull out my DSL to get a better brightness. I'll definitely be using this tip! Thank you, Julie
I have the cheapest possible phone (just upgraded from an 8-year-old phone when it literally fell to pieces). However, I do have an iPad, which I sometimes use to photograph. I have found that if you tap the screen on a dark corner and hold it a minute, that square shows up and the light of the whole picture is reset to it. I hadn't noticed the little sun, but I just checked and yes, it's there! It adjusts the light even more. Great tip!!!!
Oh my, thanks for sharing that tip! Makes a huge difference.
Great tip -- give your hydrangeas a big slurpy kiss from me. I love hydrangeas -- it reminds me I have to feed them. I think I'll take a photo of my hydrangeas. Oh!!!! I had a great idea. See, I'm supposed to do a selfie for a photography assignment. Why don't I do that only holding a hydrangea bouquet front and center? Your hydrangeas are talking to me, now. Wow! They are sending flower waves all the way to Indiana. Have a great weekend. I've got some photos to take.
Hey I live in Indiana too. I'm in the South Bend/Mishawaka area. Have a great day and enjoy the hydrangeas!
Thanks for sharing, I didn't know my phone had that feature, and I always thought you had a fabulous camera that took all those gorgeous pictures :)
I totally forgot about the little sun thingy! I shall try this out today since it's cloudy and gray. XX Lisa
That is so cool!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing that is an amazing tip that will be used all the time by us on our jobs!!! We always having trouble with low light under tree pictures. Thanks again for sharing!
I love that feature on my iPhone! At this point in time, it's the only camera I have for blogging! By the way, I'm headed to the beach this weekend and I hope I can find you a heart shaped rock to go with your collection! BTW, I've tried several times to grow hydrangeas and haven't much had luck. The deer and rabbits enjoy snacking on them. But, this year, I may have one that is going to grow. My sister has always given me blooms from hers so I've at least had those! Have a great weekend!
We had the same problem when we lived in Ohio. Try cutting a bar of soap in half (the more fragrant the better) and placing it in a knee hose or cut pantyhose piece, tie it to an inner branch or center trunk of the bush . Works like a charm and will not hurt plants. We learned this from a park ranger. Hope this helps save your plants!
Wow, just tried it on my iPhone! Who knew?? I was trying to move the sun side to side but it's up and down that does the trick. This is a great tip, thanks ?
Actually cannot believe I didn't know this. Since dropping Beloved's swanky Canon on the floor (oooops!) I've been taking all of my photos on the phone, then working on them in Photoshop. I'll still be post-editing, but to have the original image lighter will be a real bonus! Thanks KariAnne!!
Wow thanks go out to you and of course the hydrangeas for this tip. I never knew!
Wow thank you for the great tip. I never knew my phone could do that! I lived in a home several years ago that had 30 or so hydrangea plants all under irrigation they were beautiful! Now I have 2! But so glad for to have them. God bless.
Thank you!!! But now, what excuse do I have for using bad photos on social media??? HA HA...
Thank you Karianne. Who knew? Ah you did because you are all knowing. :)
Thanks for sharing, Karianne. I'll try it the next time I take a pic of my little Maddie (my chi). And I'll let you know how it works.
So my son works for Apple but he never taught me this great photo trick! Read the post at work, photographed a piece of fruit on my desk and it actually looks like art. All thanks for KariAnne's hydrangeas, who do not even know my tangerine personally. Thanks for sharing the love KA!
Your hydrangeas are gorgeous! Thanks for the tip!
Well now I feel so tech savvy! My hubs and kids tend to just DO it for me and never SHOW me anything. Thank you!
Interesting...thanks...I always wondered what that box was that sometimes appears on the screen when I'm trying to take a photo...my girls would be appalled that (once again) I didn't know a techy thing...let's not tell. :)
Who knew! Not me!! Thanks for a great tip. Can't wait to try it out.
Thank you for that! Why didn't I know that ? Duh! ??
Oh gosh! What a cool tip! You made my Friday! Thanks.
I always take my phone with me on my walks. And I almost always see something photo-worthy and snap a shot with it. But when I get home to load the epic (in my mind) photos on my computer, thinking it's going to be as breathtaking on screen as it was in person...well, it's always disappointing. And I do mean always. I used to take my camera but it's so burdensome when I'm trying to get a good pace going. After all, I walk for health benefits more than photo ops. So, today, I'm going back to all the photos on my phone I haven't deleted and try this! Thanks for the tip!
I tried it! Yipee! Thanks so much!
Our hydrangeas are so full of wisdom? Love this....can't wait to try it.
Oh I wish I had hydrangeas! but at least now I know about that instant lighting with the sun slide! I rarely want my images to be so so bright but you never know!
Oh my gosh! I never knew this. On my phone, the icon is a light bulb - and I never noticed that! Thank you!
Beautiful! Never too much beauty or knowledge from hydrangeas. Mine are blue and beginning to bloom now. My absolute favorite with none too many photos of them!
Love this tip! You always make the world a brighter place!! xo
If you take a photo on your iPhone and it's too dark you can click the edit button the one with the three horizontal lines with circles in them. Then tap the one that looks like a timer or a sun. Then you can choose the Light button and make it lighter or darker.you can also change color and black & white. I haven't played with those yet.
Thank you!! And it works on my Samsung. :)
Why didn't I know this before! Thanks so very much!
OH MY GOSH!!! I just tried it . . . and it WORKS!!!!! One of my biggest picture-taking irritations - SOLVED! And so simple!!!! (When you know what you're doing!!) Thank you so much for sharing!!! I'm off to take more pictures!
What an awesome tip. I'm going to go look for that sun right now! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday.
Great tip! I never knew you could do that!!!
Such a great tip! thank you for sharing, KariAnne!
What?!?!?!?! How did I not know this? Please thank your hydrangeas for me for their words of wisdom.
Hello. I do this on my iPhone. What I've noticed is that you tap in dark area and it makes everything lighter. If you tap on a light spot, then it will make everything darker. It's like you fool the camera thinking it is under or overexposed.