Apple-featured photographer explains how he edits on his iPhone

Apple's annual World Gallery showcases some of the world's best iPhone photos, picked from online entries submitted by photographers across the globe.

For 2016's campaign, the company's photo editors picked a selection of 53 photos shot with the iPhone 6S -- its latest model, naturally -- and splashed them on billboards and hardcopy ads, in order to promote the camera on the phone.

San Francisco-based designer Kevin Mao managed to get two of his shots into the exclusive line-up, and shared his iPhone edit room secrets with Mashable.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Editing steps in apps:

• Straightened and fixed perspective in SKRWT.
  

• Increased brightness and shadows in Snapseed.
  

• In VSCO, added filter, increased exposure and contrast, tinted and saved highlights, tweaked skin tone, sharpened and added clarity.
  

Kevin says: "Jennifer and I were standing in front of this very dense looking part of Shanghai and I thought the muted urban background was a beautiful backdrop for her. 

"I actually snapped the candid shot while she was fixing her hair, but I loved the serene captured motion of her hand."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Editing steps in apps:

• Removed another person's reflection that was in the mirror behind the subject using Touch Retouch and Snapseed’s healing tool.
  

• Increased brightness in Snapseed to highlight natural light on the face, while darkening shadows. The darkening also made it easier to remove the other person's reflection. Decreased ambiance in to get more contrast.
  

• Added a filter in VSCO to increase contrast, added fade, Added vignette, and then sharpened the image.
  

Kevin and Jennifer, the subject of both featured images, were exploring an upper level of the Yuyuan area in Shanghai, he said.

"Luckily for us, it was mostly empty except for employees taking breaks and eating. 

"I noticed some really nice natural light coming through the open windows that contrasted nicely with the dimly lit interior, so I asked Jennifer to strike a pose at the window and look towards me," said Kevin.

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