How To Take Shadows Out Of Pictures On iPhone

January 19, 2023

People walking on a busy street. — Unwanted image shadows

Are you a big fan of taking pictures too? Most of us today are very much into capturing moments in which we share in social media. But have you ever taken a shot wherein a shadow was accidentally included in the picture, which spoils the whole thing? It’s likely that you did.

Sometimes, a shadow enhances a picture, but other times, it ruins a shot. So, what should you do? Do you have to retake the shot and get the exact same thing with the exclusion of the shadow? Good news! You don’t have to do it again.

Wondering how? Well, taking perfect pictures every time is impossible but making them look perfect with a few tricks is possible. Thankfully, a lot of photo editing tools today can help you remove the shadows or any unwanted objects in the pictures that you take.

In this article, we are going to talk about how you will take out the shadows of the pictures on your iPhone using the best photo-editing tools that are existing today.

Table of Contents

Best Photo Apps that Take Shadows Out Of Pictures On iPhone

1. Cut Paste Photos Pro

Cut Paste Photos Pro is a free photo editing tool on iOS. It helps you resize, rotate, crop, or flip photos. For removing shadows or better yet completely cutting the subject out of its background, you can use the freehand cut tool. Using your finger, you can trace a subject out of its background and save it as a PNG file. You can also use the background eraser tool.

Download Cut Paste Photos Pro if you have an iPhone! If you’re an Android device user, we suggest you use the 5-in-1 photo editing app called zShot. It has a video editor, document scanner, slideshow maker, and collage maker as well.

2. PhotoShop Fix

Adobe Photoshop Fix is a freeware web browser developed by Adobe. — Adobe PhotoShop Fix is an app which can remove shadows in an image.

Cost: Free

PhotoShop Fix is used and trusted by a lot of professional photographers and editors because of the wide range of features it offers. This software has the best healing tools you can easily use or manipulate to enhance your picture and achieve your desired result.

Here’s how you will use this software to remove a shadow in your iPhone photo:

First, import the image that you are going to edit in PhotoShop.
Second, click on the pen tool then create a path around the shadow or any unwanted object. Keep the spaces in the edges as little as possible for better results.
Third, make the path that you have created into a selection. You can do this by simply right-clicking on the path and choosing “Make Selection” from the drop-down menu which will enable you to set the Feature Radius.
Set the Feature Radius to 0 pixels
Press OK.
Choose Fill on the Edit options.
Choose the content aware option in the dialogue box and
Choose Normal Blending Mode and 100% opacity.

3. TouchRetouch

TouchRetouch Android app on smartphone screen.

Cost: $1.99

Most iPhone users, most especially those who are new to photo editing, choose this app because it is way easier to use. Using it is not complicated at all, as with just a single brush, this app can already hide the shadow or any unwanted object in an image. Plus, you can also the Clone tool and Selection tools, which you can use to edit your pictures in this app.

To remove a shadow in your iPhone image using this app, follow these steps:

First, launch the app and then import the image you want to edit in this app.
Second, select the output image resolution on the menu bar.
Select either the Lasso tool or the Brush tool to remove the shadow or any unwanted object in your image.
If you prefer to use the Lasso tool, then draw a continuous line around the shadow. If you prefer the Brush tool, then select the brush size first then draw over the shadow.
Finally, click on the start button at the bottom part of the screen. Wait for a few minutes before the shadow disappears.

4. Pixelmator

Cost: $4.99

Pixelmator is considered one of the best substitutes for PhotoShop because of its amazing editing tools. It is a very user-friendly app that beginners will surely enjoy using. Removing shadows in a picture is simply done by brushing over it. This app even allows you to directly store and access your images from iCloud Drive.

Follow these steps when trying to take out a shadow in your iPhone image:

Open the image with the shadow.
In the tools palette, choose the Magic Eraser tool.
Click and drag the Magic Eraser on the shadow.
Wait until the shadow disappears.

5. Snapseed

Snapseed application on smartphone screen — Snapseed is a complete photo editors app by Google.

Cost: Free

Snapseed is a free editing tool from Google. It offers a wide range of selection tools that you can utilize to enhance the outcome of your images. This app is best used with small objects or blemishes that are not really necessary in the image.

Here are the steps on how you can maximize Snapseed:

Import your image into the Snapseed platform.
Click the Edit icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen.
From the drop-down options, choose Healing.
Using your finger, draw over the shadow that you want to remove. Zoom the image if necessary for more accurate results.
Once you are done erasing the shadow, hit the save button.

6. Enlight Photofox

Cost: $3.99

Enlight Photofox is Enlight Photofox is a very powerful photo editor for iPhone that comes with a wide range of editing tools and settings. The features of this app are the ones that are usually needed when editing pictures which makes it simple to use. Some of its features include:

Smart, efficient, and quick selection brush tools
Easy to control and adjust
Allows duo filter application
Instantly remove unwanted objects

When trying to remove shadows in an image, follow these simple steps:

Launch the app.
Choose the image that you want to edit by sliding the images displayed at the bottom part of the screen.
Go to tools and click Heal in order to access the healing tools.
Click the Mode option then choose between heal and patch from the drop-down menu.
If you are copying pixels directly from one area of the photo to another, choose patch. But if you are two areas in one version, choose heal.
A circle will appear. Position the circle over the shadow in the image that you want to remove.
For a smooth result, use the feathering and fuse options.

Tips to Avoid Shadows When Taking Pictures with Your iPhone

Shadow of a man. — Sometimes, shadows destroy an image.

1. Ensure adequate lighting

Having the exact amount of light when taking pictures will keep you away from capturing any shadow. So, when you want to take images without shadows, make sure that you are taking the image in a well-lit environment. The best source of light in photography is the daylight; however, you can also use a portable softbox to enhance your photo’s lighting.

2. Find the best angle

You should take pictures that are towards the light and not the other way around. Capturing images that are against the light will create a shadow in the image since your body or your hands will be projected by the source of light.

3. Use the flash

If you are taking a picture in a low-light environment, try using the flash for better results. Using your iPhone, you can manually turn on or turn off the flash. You can also choose between auto and torch mode. If you want a studio-level flash effect, you can invest in a professional LCD Display Flash.

4. Use HDR

HDR balances the exposure between the background and the subject, thus less shadow appears. Using HDR doesn’t just reduce the risk of shadows in photos but also gives you the best image as the result of three or more photos being joined together.

Conclusion:

The quality of your images is very important as it helps you bring out the best in everything. When taking pictures, in as much as possible, make sure that there is no shadow visible in the photo. If you can’t avoid it, then perhaps you should find a way to fix it.

Have you chosen which of the photo editing tools mentioned works best for you? Share it with us in the comment box!