Pixelmator Photo

I'm not a frequent user of Pixelmator Photo, which caused a slight delay in locating the camera roll—tapping the cog icon in the top right toggles between file and camera roll views.

Pixelmator maintains a files interface even when displaying the camera roll. I duplicated the photo to avoid any mishaps during editing.

The horizon needs leveling, so let's address that.

As mentioned, the rocks appear shadowy, and the sky is excessively bright. I tapped on "Edit" and selected the machine learning (ML) feature.

While the rocks gained more detail, the sky became even brighter. I want to tone down the sky without impacting the rocks.

Pixelmator lacks local adjustment features but allows color adjustments. I reduced the brightness for blue and purple tones, which yielded minimal results.

I attempted a curves adjustment on the blue and purple channels; this improved the sky slightly but distorted other areas. I subsequently dialed back the blue curves.

My satisfaction with the results was moderate; the rocks remained too dark, and I desired more prominence for the blue sky behind the clouds.

While I appreciate Pixelmator Photo's capabilities for global adjustments, it lacks essential features like "dodge" and "burn." Most outdoor photos face a wide dynamic range, necessitating techniques to lighten shadows and darken highlights effectively.

The intelligent software on the iPhone minimizes the need for such adjustments, but these tools remain crucial for elevating a photograph.

Controlling brightness adjustments is not just about revealing detail; it also guides the viewer's focus within the image.

Humans instinctively gravitate toward the brightest areas in a photo. Lacking control over this aspect is a significant drawback.

Lightroom

I’ve used Adobe Lightroom since its initial release on Windows and MacOS in 2007. It was crafted for photographers seeking a simpler alternative to Photoshop. I was thrilled to see it available on the iPad, but how does it perform on this device?

Correcting the uneven horizon was straightforward.

Like Pixelmator Photo, I utilized the automatic option to adjust the lighting.

The rocks in the foreground are more detailed, but the small island in the bay remains too dark, as does the coastline on the right.

I could apply a global adjustment, but I prefer a more targeted approach. Lightroom, like its desktop counterparts, offers selective adjustments—fantastic!

• Brush selection (paint adjustments)
• Radial selection (adjustments confined to a resizable ellipse)
• Linear selection (similar to a graduated filter)

I used a brush selection on the coastline, tapping the cliffs to set an anchor point. I increased the brightness and 'painted' over the cliffs, revealing the details—success!

Next, I applied a radial adjustment to the island, partly to test this feature and partly because I view it as shining a spotlight, which I find appealing. The effect is strongest at the center.

Finally, I executed a linear adjustment for the sky, darkening the blues to accentuate cloud patterns.

I am satisfied with the outcome; detail in both the sky and rocks is preserved. Thanks to local adjustments, no detail was lost in the water or sand.

Pixelmator Photo

I applied the ML feature to see what improvements I could achieve.

The results were minimal; the grass appeared slightly darker, and there was a minor reduction in the brightness of the gorilla's fur. More adjustments were necessary.

I aggressively reduced the brightness and highlights, which yielded significant improvements, albeit lacking the finesse of ML. However, numerous distracting highlights persisted in the background, which I found unacceptable.

Lacking selective editing options, I hoped a curves adjustment might help. Unfortunately, it didn't yield much difference, leading me to abandon further edits.

What about the blemishes on the gorilla’s face? The healing brush provided a simple solution, and while zoomed in, I lightened the shadows.

Lightening the shadows restored some detail to the gorilla, but I also sought to enhance the visibility of its eyes, a task I couldn’t complete.

Here is the final result.

I felt disappointed; the background remained distracting, and the eyes were not distinct.

Adobe Lightroom

I tapped the auto button to assess the free adjustments available.

Lightroom effectively revealed details in the gorilla’s fur and diminished the glare on the grass. The background shrubbery also appeared less glaring.

To address the spots on the gorilla, I used the healing brush.

Utilizing the healing brush in clone mode was straightforward. Zooming in highlighted the newfound detail in the gorilla's fur.

Next, I aimed to minimize glare with a linear adjustment on the grass in the lower left.

This adjustment is graduated, starting strong and tapering off. I dragged from the bottom left, stopping just before the gorilla.

I reduced the overall exposure and highlights; some shadows remained dark, but I accepted this outcome. Next, I focused on the bush behind the gorilla.

I lowered the exposure and highlights to reduce glare, and I applied four additional smaller radial adjustments to the gorilla's head, achieving excellent results.

I added another linear adjustment to darken the top left of the image, but I couldn’t apply this to the foreground shrubbery, as it overlapped with the gorilla.

Using brush adjustments proved to be the best solution.

This approach worked well; I utilized the Apple Pencil for precise control over the adjustments. I lowered the exposure and highlights, significantly reducing most of the glare.

However, some glare remained, prompting me to try the healing brush again, though with limited success. It was challenging to find leaves of the right shape to clone without glare.

Finally, I employed a radial adjustment to enhance the visibility of the gorilla’s eyes.