It's far easier to take great photographs on smartphones now than ever before. However, there are some best practices most people will still need to learn.

To help with this, certain iPhone apps can help turn good photographs into great ones. Whether you need to change the focal point, master night photography, or take the perfect selfie, you'll find the tools you need in this list.

1. Focos

Focos allows you to alter the depth of field in photographs you’ve already taken, as well as take photos from within the app. It brings DSLR-style photography to the iPhone (or iPad Pro).

This means you can point and shoot as normal. As long as your subject is in focus, you'll be able to blur out the background and bring the focus onto the main subject. The free version of Focos allows you to turn your chosen image into a 3D picture.

You can even use Augmented Reality (AR) to add the subject of your previously taken photo into your viewfinder. This is a great way to add someone into a photograph who can’t be there in person.

The built-in tutorials make Focos great for beginners. They allow you to learn as you go, and are thus a great way to practice. To access the tutorials, tap the Settings cog (at the top-right of the screen), then scroll down to Tutorial.

Is the Subscription for Focos Worth Paying for?

When you pay for the premium offering, this app goes from a good tool to an incredible one. First, you can change the lens type you use for photos taken within the app. This allows you to choose from one of 16 preset lenses or create your own custom one. You can change the softness, creaminess, dispersion, curvature, and much more.

You can even add additional light sources, which is incredible. Using this feature, it's possible to take a fairly dark, shadowy image and turn it into a well-lit one. You can do this without adding anything; it only needs a couple of taps within the app.

So if you need help tweaking the focal point of an image you’ve already taken, Focos is a really easy iPhone app to use.

Download: Focos (Free, premium version available)

2. Night Camera

If you’re struggling to master taking good images in darker situations, the Night Camera app is well worth a look. Its automatic settings are brilliant for beginners. If you point and shoot from your iPhone camera without the flash, then do the same via the Night Camera app, the difference is clear.

The addition of the 10-second timer makes this app even better. You'll have no more excuses to always be stuck behind the camera, as the photographer can finally get into the large group photos tas well.

Night Camera still has the ability to tap the screen to focus on what you want to bring into focus as well—something some apps can’t do in low-light situations. (You can always tweak photos you take with Night Camera in Focos later to make them even better).

You can use the volume buttons to your advantage too. Volume up allows you to take the photo, while volume down fades the heads-up display (HUD) elements, so you can use the full screen to view your model.

almost-full moon in a cloudy sky

The free version of the app offers three different filters, which can be useful if you’re trying to capture a particular mood. Paris is a little brown and gives off vintage vibes. London adds a bit of brightness to your shot, while Miami adds even more light. Once you’ve become more familiar with the app, you can manually adjust the exposure, white balance, and zoom as well.

The manual settings give you the ability to change the shutter speed. When you’re in a well-lit area, the higher the shutter speed number, the clearer the image will be. When you’re in a low light environment, a lower number allows more light into the lens, so your images will be brighter.

Once upon a time, long exposure images were something only pro photographers could produce. Nowadays, it's possible from an iPhone.

Related: Ways to Take Long Exposure Photos With an iPhone

Night Camera is perfect for taking pictures in a dark, insufficiently lit environment. Even during daylight, your pictures show up more clearly, with less interference, due to the extended exposure times. You can also block the white balance separately and edit it if necessary.

It's worth remembering that a minimum amount of light is required for this app to work. Additionally, for delayed exposure times, the preview is also delayed accordingly. The app creators also recommend stabilizing your device to take optimal pictures with long light exposure times.

Is the Premium Version of Night Camera Worth It?

Night Camera HD doesn’t offer much of an upgrade from the free version, other than the removal of ads. You can also remove ads via an in-app purchase. So if you don’t mind banners, you can save yourself a few dollars.

Download: Night Camera (Free, premium version available)

3. BeautyPlus

When you want to master the portrait (or selfie), BeautyPlus is the app you need. This app can take your portrait game from "good" to "wow," with just a few clicks. The free version allows you to apply makeup, smooth, mattify, and contour your skin. You can also remove dark eye circles, whiten teeth, slim down your nose, resize your eyes, and remove acne.

The app allows you to resize images so they are the perfect dimension for your favorite social media platform. You can also add filters, stickers, text, and borders. Most recent iPhone models have portrait mode built-in, but you have to remember to use it when you take your photo. This app allows you to tweak photos that are already in your camera roll.

Related: How to Use Portrait Mode on iPhone

Is the BeautyPlus Subscription Worth Paying for?

The subscription gives you access to dozens of additional filters, makeup choices, and lighting options for a few dollars per month. You can also remove unwanted objects from photos, preventing annoying photobombs. It can even replace the sky in an outdoor image, so a dull, cloudy photograph might instead feature a stunning blue sky.

The photos shown above display what the app can do, and what a difference it makes to your selfie game. So if you’re trying to master portrait photography, BeautyPlus is definitely an app to download.

Download: BeautyPlus (Free, subscription available)

iPhone Photography for Beginners

Depending on the types of images you want to capture, these iPhone apps help you take and create some great photographs. When you’re getting to grips with photography, there’s a lot to learn, so they will give you a hand.

While there are apps to help you edit photographs, you may want to find out more about concepts like image composition and depth of field. This will help you picture a great image before you even pick up your camera.