How to Add and customize light sources

Choose a photo

When you open Apollo for the first time, it will show the Portrait mode photos available on your device. If you don’t see your desired image here, it isn’t stored with the necessary 3D depth data. Tap one to work on it.

Change distance

Dragging light will see it move on the X and Y axes, but you also need depth for advanced lighting. Select a light, then tap Distance, then drag the dial left to move the light backwards, or right to move it forwards.

Scatter the light

Select a light, then tap Spread. Here, you change how wide the light falls by swiping along the dial, moving between a spotlight effect as you swipe left, to a very broad light across a wide field as you swipe right.

Your first light

Onto the editing screen, and the first light source is already there as a white dot in the center. Tap it, then drag to move it around and see how the light changes. Tap anywhere else on the image to deselect this source.

Tweak the color

Lights don’t have to be white. Tap one, then Color. There’s a spectrum at the bottom of the screen. You have to drag your finger to move the crosshair, but you’ll see the color of the selected light change in real time.

Backgrounds

Tap the image to deselect all lights. Want an effect like Apple’s Studio Light where the background is removed? Tap Background Remove at the bottom and swipe the dial right. It will then darken from back to front.

Add and duplicate

After deselecting the light (indicated by a black dot), tap the plus at the bottom to add a new light. Tap the two dots to switch between them. You can also copy a light: when selected, tap Duplicate at the bottom.

Adjust brightness

Each light can be made brighter or dimmer. Select one, tap Brightness, then move the dial left to dim it, or right to go brighter. This gives greater effect control: a bright, far away light has a different look to a dim, close one.

Remove your halo

Some lighting near to the camera may create a halo effect around fine detail. If you get this with no lights selected, swipe left on the bottom menu, choose Halo Adjust, then swipe on the dial to cut back the effect.