Create Composite Images with your Phone! ft. Elise Swopes

Tutorial Description

Learn how to create beautiful composite images with your phone from master mobile editor, Elise Swopes! Follow along as she breaks down what apps she recommends and then walks you through the process of combining multiple images, color grading, and exporting.

And if you want to take your mobile skills even further, check out her PRO tutorial Mobile Editing with Elise Swopes where you’ll learn how to use a variety of apps to create stunning images and even how to start your own photo business using only your phone!

A Note About the Sample Images
Elise uses two images from paid stock websites that we can’t include in the sample image download. Instead, we’ve included similar photos from free stock websites (pexels.com, unsplash.com). If you want to purchase the originals, you can find them here:

Stars & Clouds
Moon

Apps You’ll Need

Some apps are great for blending multiple images together. Some are great for making adjustments to exposure. And some are great for coloring and stylistic effects. Elise uses a variety of apps to create her images. Be sure to download the following apps on your phone or tablet so you can follow along with the tutorial!

ArtStudio
iOS
ArtStudio is not available on the Google Play Store. We recommend trying Adobe Photoshop Mix for any image compositing on an Android device.

VSCO
iOS
Android

Adobe Lightroom CC
iOS
Android

Mobile Editing 101

Technology is changing and so is the way we create. You don’t need an expensive computer. You don’t need a top-of-the-line camera. You can start making amazing images today with any mobile device.

Elise Swopes built her brand and her business using only her phone. From capture, to composite, to building her community, all it takes is some motivation, inspiration, and the tiny computer in your pocket.

ArtStudio

ArtStudio is a powerful app that has all the usual tools you might find in a more traditional piece of photo editing software like Photoshop. Layers, selections, blending modes–if you’re looking to make realistic composites using a phone or tablet, this is the best place to start.

VSCO

One of the most popular apps for sharing images with the world, VSCO is also a great tool for editors. Equipped with a massive library of color filters and intuitive tools for making minor adjustments (like exposure, cropping etc), VSCO is a must-have app that can help in a wide variety of situations.

Adobe Lightroom CC

All the power of the Lightroom you’re used to, now in the palm of your hand. Elise turns to Lightroom when she’s ready to put the finishing touches on an image. This could mean fine-tuning the exposure, adding rich color toning, or adding stylistic effects like film grain. Lightroom is as versatile as it is powerful, and is one of the best ways to edit images on a mobile device.