Make Your Photos Pop With These 3 Simple Steps
No Fancy Camera Needed
Whether you’re snapping a vineyard view on a girls’ weekend, catching the golden light in Joshua Tree, or taking food photos on vacation—beautiful moments deserve beautiful photos. But here’s the good news:
You don’t need a DSLR or professional editing skills to make your images shine.
Most of my favorite travel and everyday memories were captured on my phone—and with just a few quick edits, they went from “okay” to frame-worthy.
In this post, I’m sharing the top 3 things I do with nearly every photo—the easiest, most impactful tricks anyone can use to make their photos pop. No extra gear. No complicated apps. Just your phone and a few built-in tools.
🌅 1. Straighten the Horizon (Seriously—Start Here!)
You know that nagging feeling when something in a photo just feels… off? It’s often the horizon. Whether it’s the ocean, a vineyard, or a landscape, a tilted horizon can throw off the whole image.
Take this photo from my girls’ trip to Daven Lore Winery in Prosser (which if you find yourself in Washington for a wine getaway, I highly encourage you to visit and say ‘hi’ to Gordon – Mention “MyWineWalk” and get a tasting at club price.). The view overlooking the vineyards and the Yakima Valley was stunning—but in the original shot, the slope made it feel awkward. I tapped the “straighten” tool in my phone’s editor, and voilà—the image instantly felt more balanced and beautiful.
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👉 Tips: On your iPhone or Android, open the photo, tap Edit → Crop, and look for the straighten slider. Just a quick adjustment makes a world of difference.
The easiest way to keep that horizon straight, use a smart phone tri-pod. I love this one from Amazon and it has done wonders when I want to focus on landscape images.
Be sure and read about my girl’s trip to the Yakima valley and get all of the winery tips and discounts.
✨ 2. Tap the “Auto” Button for Instant Glow-Up
It doesn’t get easier than this. The auto-enhance or auto-adjust button is built into most phone editors—and it works surprisingly well.
On a recent trip to Palm Springs, my husband and I had a picnic in Joshua Tree National Park at sunset—wine, charcuterie, and the golden sky peeking through the Joshua trees. The original photo was underwhelming. One tap on the auto button, and the light came to life. The colors popped. The moment was back.
👉 Tip: Auto-adjust usually fine-tunes brightness, contrast, and warmth to make your photos pop. You can always tweak it after, but it’s a perfect first step.
✂️ 3. Crop Out the Clutter
You don’t need Photoshop to clean up a photo. A simple crop can remove distractions and put the focus where it belongs.
Like this paella dish I photographed while on vacation in Tenerife with a friend. Delicious? Yes. Beautiful? Almost—except for a distracting patch of our waiter’s shorts in the top corner. One quick crop and suddenly, it’s all about the food and the moment.
👉 Tip: Try a tighter crop that frames your subject—whether it’s a dish, a face, or a view. It creates stronger composition with almost zero effort. You can also read more about my trip to Tenerife and why I highly recommend visiting.
📱 Want to Do More? Try These Easy Apps
Once you’ve mastered the basics, here are a few apps I use to add a little extra magic—still beginner-friendly, and all available on your phone:
📸 Snapseed
Great for brightness, contrast, and filters. The Drama tool can add mood, while the Portrait tool can help brighten and add clarity to your favorite portrait images. This app will really make your photos pop!
✨ Lightroom Mobile
Perfect for advanced users or creatives. The AI tools are seriously powerful—use them to remove unwanted people, fix sky color, or apply presets for a cohesive aesthetic. I’ve been using Lightroom for years as my ‘go to’ app, especially when I capture images with my DSLR. But the new AI ‘remove’ tool has made this a very useful app to have on my phone!
📷 Camera+
If you want to level up your in-camera skills, Camera+ offers pro-style manual controls and an excellent sharpening/clarity tool for post-editing. I love to use the clarity tool when I do landscapes on my phone for a quick edit. Just remember that the filters are often very ‘high strength’ and it is best to lower that so the image doesn’t look unnatural.
💡 Try It Yourself and Make Your Photos Pop!
This week, choose 3 photos you’ve taken recently. Maybe it’s a dinner, a walk, or your latest weekend trip, or just the most recent 3 images you took. Open them on your phone and apply these three steps:
- Straighten the frame
- Tap Auto-Enhance
- Crop out what you don’t love
Then compare your before-and-after. I guarantee you’ll be amazed by the difference.
Ready to level up your wine photos too? Check out my guide on how to take wine bottle shots like a pro and capture your favorite vintages in their best light.
✨ Want to share your results? Tag me on Instagram at @mywinewalk or @tipsoomemories (my photo Instagram) —I’d love to cheer you on!
🧭 Final Thoughts
Photography isn’t about perfection. It’s about capturing the feeling of a moment. And sometimes, just a little tweak can bring that moment to life.
So go ahead—take the shot. And then, give it a little love. You’ve got everything you need, right in your hand.
#iPhonePhotagraphy #PhotoTips #PhotographyforBeginners #TravelPhotography #FamilyPhotoTips #VacationPhotoTips #LightroomMobile #PhotoEditingApps
