How to Fix & Improve Mobile Phone Photos

UPDATE 4/18/19: Topaz DeNoise has been discontinued and it’s functionality is now part of Topaz DeNoise AI. Click here to learn more about Topaz DeNoise AI and as always, contact me if you have any questions about the applications reviewed in this article.

Update 8/7/18 – Macphun’s Creative Kit (including Intensify Pro) has been discontinued. However, most of the Creative Kit technology has been integrated into Luminar – available for both Mac and Windows. Try Luminar free. If you love it, click here to purchase and make sure you use coupon code ANGANDRIEUX to save $10 on your purchase!

The best camera is the one you have with you

Today’s photo was taken on my way to a lecture at San Diego City College. Just before I walked into the building I noticed an awesome reflection.  While I would have preferred to shoot a multi exposure image with my Canon 7D, I only had my iPhone 5 with me, so I set it to HDR mode to capture maximum detail, clicked off a couple of shots and then went on my merry way.

It wasn’t until the next day that I looked at the photo again, and decided to pull it onto my computer to see what I could do with it.

Fix the Noise

The first thing I noticed when I started working with this image was the noise in the sky (upper right corner). After doing a quick lens correction in Lightroom I jumped over to Topaz DeNoise. It didn’t take much to smooth out the grain.

Pump up the detail & contrast

Next, I opened the image in Macphun’s Intensify Pro. I clicked on the “Architectural Details” preset and was very pleased with the results.

I didn’t want to do too much with this image because it was just a jpg. When I shoot with my DSLR I shoot in RAW which gives me a great deal more data to work with. A JPG, however, is a much smaller file and can show defects much easier with over-manipulation.

Finishing Touches

I added a bit of sharpening in Lightroom, and that is it! I’m pretty happy with how this photo turned out. Especially considering it came from my trusty iPhone!

If you see something you like, take a photo

The best camera is the one you have with you. All you have is your mobile? Take a photo! You might be surprised what you can do with it!