Apple Photos Editing on Mac Big Sur: A Complete Walkthrough of Every Tool
Apple Photos on the Mac includes far more editing power than most people realize. While it may not replace professional tools like Photoshop, it offers a deep and flexible set of editing features that are already built into macOS Big Sur.
In this guide, we walk through every editing tool available in Apple Photos, explaining where the tools live, what each one does, and how to use them to develop your own editing style without damaging your original photos.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
• Where to find editing tools in Apple Photos on macOS Big Sur
• How Auto Enhance works and when to use it
• How to crop, rotate, flip, and straighten photos
• How to remove red eye from photos
• How to use filters and adjust filter intensity
• How to edit light, color, and black and white photos
• How to copy and paste edits between photos
• How to retouch blemishes and distractions
• How to adjust white balance using temperature and eyedropper tools
• How levels and curves affect exposure and contrast
• How selective color isolates and modifies colors
• How sharpening and noise reduction work
☁️ Getting Started with Editing in Apple Photos
Apple Photos uses a non-destructive editing system, which means your original photos are never permanently changed. You can experiment freely, undo changes, or revert to the original image at any time.
To begin editing, you simply open a photo and click the Edit button in the top-right corner. This reveals the main editing interface where all tools are organized into categories.
Key things to understand before editing include:
• All edits are reversible
• You can compare before and after versions instantly
• Keyboard shortcuts allow faster previews and navigation
🧭 Where Editing Tools Are Located
Apple Photos places its editing tools in a consistent layout that makes it easy to move between different adjustment categories.
At the top of the editing interface, you’ll find:
• Adjust for detailed manual controls
• Filters for stylistic effects
• Crop for framing and rotation
Each adjustment category expands to reveal additional tools, sliders, and reset options as you work.
✨ Auto Enhance and One-Click Improvements
The Auto Enhance tool applies automatic adjustments based on what Apple Photos thinks improves the image. Results vary depending on the photo, lighting, and subject.
Auto Enhance can:
• Adjust exposure, contrast, and color automatically
• Remove red eye in some photos
• Be toggled on and off to compare results
You can view exactly which adjustments Auto Enhance applied by entering the editing interface and reviewing the sliders.
✂️ Cropping, Rotating, and Straightening Photos
Cropping tools allow you to refine composition while maintaining control over aspect ratios and orientation.
Cropping options include:
• Freeform cropping
• Preset aspect ratios such as 5×7
• Horizontal and vertical orientation
• Fine rotation adjustments
• Flip and rotate controls
Using the grid overlay helps align horizons and straighten images precisely.
👁️ Red Eye Removal
The Red Eye tool is designed to correct flash-related eye reflections in portraits. It includes both automatic and manual correction options.
Red eye editing features include:
• Automatic detection and correction
• Manual brushing for precise control
• Toggle switches to preview before and after results
Each adjustment can be enabled or disabled independently for comparison.
🎨 Filters and Visual Styles
Filters apply preset visual styles to photos and can be adjusted for intensity. Unlike older versions, Big Sur allows fine-tuning how strong a filter appears.
Filters allow you to:
• Apply stylistic looks quickly
• Adjust filter strength with sliders
• Combine filters with manual adjustments
Filters are non-destructive and can be changed or removed at any time.
🌈 Light, Color, and Black and White Adjustments
The Adjust panel provides the most control over how a photo looks. Light and color adjustments can be applied globally or fine-tuned using individual sliders.
Light adjustments include:
• Exposure, brilliance, highlights, and shadows
• Brightness, contrast, and black point
Color adjustments include:
• Saturation and vibrance
• Color cast correction
Black and white tools allow control over:
• Intensity and tonal balance
• Grain and contrast
All adjustments can be combined to develop a custom look.
📋 Copying and Pasting Adjustments
If you’ve edited one photo and want to apply the same look to another, Apple Photos allows you to copy and paste adjustments.
This workflow is useful when:
• Editing multiple photos from the same shoot
• Maintaining a consistent style
• Saving time on repetitive edits
You can always revert pasted edits if the result doesn’t work for a specific image.
🧽 Retouching Photos
The Retouch tool removes small distractions like blemishes, scratches, or spots without altering the overall image.
Retouching features include:
• Adjustable brush size
• Keyboard shortcuts for resizing the brush
• Intelligent blending based on surrounding pixels
The tool works best for minor corrections rather than major image manipulation.
⚖️ White Balance, Levels, and Curves
White balance controls allow you to adjust the color temperature and tint of a photo. You can use sliders or sample neutral areas directly from the image.
Advanced tools include:
• Temperature and tint adjustments
• Eyedropper tools for neutral gray or skin tones
• Levels for controlling shadows, midtones, and highlights
• Curves for precise contrast and tonal adjustments
These tools provide greater control but benefit from experimentation and subtle adjustments.
🎯 Selective Color, Sharpening, and Noise Reduction
Selective Color isolates individual colors so they can be adjusted independently. This can be used creatively or for subtle corrections.
Additional finishing tools include:
• Selective color hue, saturation, and luminance controls
• Sharpening to enhance detail
• Noise reduction to smooth grainy images
These tools are best applied carefully, as stronger settings can noticeably change image texture.
🔍 Final Thoughts on Editing in Apple Photos
Apple Photos offers a surprisingly complete editing toolkit for everyday photography. While it doesn’t replace professional editing software, it provides enough control for learning, experimentation, and practical photo editing workflows.
Because edits are non-destructive, the best way to learn is to explore each tool, adjust sliders, and discover what works for your personal style.