Travel photographer Cole Rise is Instagram famous. As in, he created Rise, the filter, and has over 840,000 followers.
Since crafting Instagram's first photo treatments, Cole has promoted the gospel of the "unedited edited" look via his gorgeous pictures on Instagram and founded a mobile and desktop photo app of subtle filters called Litely.
Needless to say, this guy knows his stuff. Cole sat down with BuzzFeed Life to discuss the secrets of subtle editing and how to get DSLR-worthy photos from your phone.
1. Protip #1: Brighten shadows and tone down highlights for better balance.
Most photo editing apps include tools to adjust highlights and shadows. Take advantage of them!
To enhance this landscape photo, Cole balanced the exposure by brightening the shadows and darkening the highlights. He also added a touch of the Winsy filter from the Litely app to bring out the image's warm hues. The result is a brighter, more even-toned photo. Take the slider for a spin to see the before and after.
Most photo editing apps include tools to adjust highlights and shadows. Take advantage of them!
To enhance this landscape photo, Cole balanced the exposure by brightening the shadows and darkening the highlights. He also added a touch of the Winsy filter from the Litely app to bring out the image's warm hues. The result is a brighter, more even-toned photo. Take the slider for a spin to see the before and after.
Most photo editing apps include tools to adjust highlights and shadows. Take advantage of them!
To enhance this landscape photo, Cole balanced the exposure by brightening the shadows and darkening the highlights. He also added a touch of the Winsy filter from the Litely app to bring out the image's warm hues. The result is a brighter, more even-toned photo. Take the slider for a spin to see the before and after.
2. Protip #2: Add vignetting and amp up shadows to increase brightness.
When in doubt, add a hint of vignette. Vignettes, which are basically Cole's favorite thing, add a subtle dark border around your photo, brightening the middle of the image. "It makes the balloons pop," he said of this photo, taken in Napa Valley, California. Because the original image is dark, he increased the vibrance and added a little sharpness to distinguish the shapes of the balloons and landscape, without making the photo look edited. Cole then added Litely's Lunar Faded filter.
When in doubt, add a hint of vignette. Vignettes, which are basically Cole's favorite thing, add a subtle dark border around your photo, brightening the middle of the image. "It makes the balloons pop," he said of this photo, taken in Napa Valley, California. Because the original image is dark, he increased the vibrance and added a little sharpness to distinguish the shapes of the balloons and landscape, without making the photo look edited. Cole then added Litely's Lunar Faded filter.
When in doubt, add a hint of vignette. Vignettes, which are basically Cole's favorite thing, add a subtle dark border around your photo, brightening the middle of the image. "It makes the balloons pop," he said of this photo, taken in Napa Valley, California. Because the original image is dark, he increased the vibrance and added a little sharpness to distinguish the shapes of the balloons and landscape, without making the photo look edited. Cole then added Litely's Lunar Faded filter.
3. Protip #3: Edit the photo, then go back and reduce your adjustments by 50%.
This. is. key.
The trick to maintaining the integrity of your photo is to not filter and edit them too heavily. Edit your image as normal, then dial back everything to 50%. On Instagram you have the ability to edit your filter strength. Once you select a filter, tap it again to reduce its intensity.
This is a rule Cole has always stuck to. It's also why he wanted to create his own app. "I wanted filters that were applied at 100% and still looked great," he said.
Another piece of advice: "Stay away from clarity! Also known as Lux in Instagram." Clarity and Lux are intended to "fix" underexposure and lack of contrast. But the tools often make images look Photoshopped.
This. is. key.
The trick to maintaining the integrity of your photo is to not filter and edit them too heavily. Edit your image as normal, then dial back everything to 50%. On Instagram you have the ability to edit your filter strength. Once you select a filter, tap it again to reduce its intensity.
This is a rule Cole has always stuck to. It's also why he wanted to create his own app. "I wanted filters that were applied at 100% and still looked great," he said.
Another piece of advice: "Stay away from clarity! Also known as Lux in Instagram." Clarity and Lux are intended to "fix" underexposure and lack of contrast. But the tools often make images look Photoshopped.
This. is. key.
The trick to maintaining the integrity of your photo is to not filter and edit them too heavily. Edit your image as normal, then dial back everything to 50%. On Instagram you have the ability to edit your filter strength. Once you select a filter, tap it again to reduce its intensity.
This is a rule Cole has always stuck to. It's also why he wanted to create his own app. "I wanted filters that were applied at 100% and still looked great," he said.
Another piece of advice: "Stay away from clarity! Also known as Lux in Instagram." Clarity and Lux are intended to "fix" underexposure and lack of contrast. But the tools often make images look Photoshopped.
4. Use humans whenever you can! Landscapes are better with people in them.
5. People can also help create a sense of scale.
6. Try shooting in "burst mode" out of a car window.
7. Setting your phone on the roof of your car can add some visual interest.
8. Bringing your phone right to the water's edge can also create cool reflective effects.
9. When shooting for Instagram, shoot in portrait mode — not the preset square.
10. Otherwise, shoot in landscape so you can press the shutter with the volume button.
11. Get down low for a more interesting foreground.
12. Be invisible, blend in, and don't carry a backpack.
13. Bad weather = great photo weather.
14. Get a waterproof case and GET INSURANCE.
15. Quickly capture fleeting moments by knowing your phone's camera shortcuts.
16. The most important thing to do is to "go further than anyone else."
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