Improve the Quality of Your Photos with Exposure Control!

When taking photos with your cell phone camera, you can improve the quality of your photos by utilizing the ‘exposure control’ feature. In this post, I’ll introduce you to how to do it, the difference it can make in your photos, and how people feel about the results.

1. What is Exposure?

Exposure is the amount of light your camera lets in when it takes a photo. Too much exposure and your photo will be bright, too little and it will be dark. On your phone’s main camera, you can adjust the exposure of specific areas by tapping the screen. Typically, touching the area you want to make brighter will adjust the exposure of that area.

2. How to Adjust Exposure

  • Launch your phone’s camera app: Open the camera app and select the object you want to photograph.
  • Touch the screen: Touch the part of the photo you want to brighten, and the exposure control bar will show.
  • Use the exposure control bar: Slide up and down to adjust the brightness (exposure). Move it up to make it brighter and down to make it darker.
  • Take a photo: After adjusting to the desired brightness, take a photo.

3. Exposure Affects Photo Outcome and Emotion


Adjusting the exposure can drastically change the mood of your photo and the emotion it conveys, transforming a simple snapshot into a powerful image that communicates a specific feeling or atmosphere.

  • When you increase exposure:
    • Outcome: The photo comes out bright and colorful; the overall mood is cheerful and upbeat.
    • Emotion: Bright photos trigger energetic and positive emotions. It’s great for sunny landscapes or smiling people.

  • When you underexpose:
    • Outcome: Your photo will be darker and have more depth. The contrast is stronger, making certain parts stand out more.
    • Emotion: Darker photos evoke mysterious and calming emotions. This works well for evening sunsets or emotional scenes.

4. Exposure Control Tips

  • Shooting indoors: It’s hard to use natural light indoors, so it’s a good idea to increase the exposure a bit, which will make your photos look warmer and more vibrant.
  • Shooting outdoors: If you’re outdoors in strong sunlight, you can underexpose to reduce areas that are too bright. This will bring out the details in your photo and make the landscape look sharper.
  • Portraits: When taking portraits, it’s important to touch the face to get the right exposure. The face will come out bright and natural.

Exposure is a simple but important feature that can drastically change the mood and emotion of a photo. Take advantage of this small difference to improve the quality of your photos. Pair it with Retrica’s filters to take your photos even further!

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