Edit photos and short videos

Edit photos, and make short videos, on your phone. Most phones have a photo editor built in. Open a photo and tap Edit. Crop lets you cut away the parts you don't need, by dragging the corners. Adjust lets you make a dark photo brighter, or add contrast so it looks clearer. Small changes look best.

Short video basics

Plan your video first. Write down the three to five shots you need. Film in good light, and hold your phone steady. Get close to the person speaking, and avoid wind and noisy places. And keep it short. Thirty to sixty seconds is plenty for most social media. To edit videos, free apps like CapCut put your clips on a timeline. Trim the start and end of each clip, add text titles, and add music. Then tap Export to save the finished video. Be careful with music and pictures you didn't make. Using popular songs without permission can get your video taken down. Use the free music that comes with your editing app, or your own photos and sounds.

New word: Aspect ratio

Before you film, think about the shape of your video, called the aspect ratio. Hold your phone upright for a tall video, for WhatsApp status, TikTok or Reels. Turn it sideways for a wide video, for YouTube.

Quick check

Quick check. Your photo is too dark. Which tool helps? Adjust the brightness. Turn it up a little at a time. Options: Adjust brightness; Crop; Delete; Rotate.

Recap

Crop and adjust your photos to make them better. Plan your shots, film steadily, and keep videos short. Trim your clips, add text and music, then export. And only use music you're allowed to use.

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