Change and enhance a video in Photos on Mac

You can apply a single adjustment or a combination of adjustments to a video to achieve the look you want. (You can’t use the retouch or red-eye tool to change video; these adjustments appear dimmed in the Adjust pane.) Applying adjustments to a clip doesn’t actually change your footage; you can revert to the original look of your video at any time.

1. In the Photos app on your Mac, double-click a video clip, then click Edit in the toolbar.

2. Click Adjust in the toolbar to show adjustment options in the Adjust pane, then do any of the following:

   

   • Adjust the light, color, or black-and-white look of a video: Click the Light, Color, or Black & White adjustment, then drag the slider until you see the change you want. You can also make advanced light and color adjustments. See Adjust a photo’s light, exposure, and more.

   • Apply white balance color corrections: Click the White Balance adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Adjust a photo’s white balance.

   • Change the brightness and contrast: Click the Curves adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Apply curves adjustments to a photo.

   • Adjust the tonal range and contrast: Click the Levels adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Apply levels adjustments to a photo.

   • Add contour and shape as well as midtone definition: Click the Definition adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Adjust definition in a photo.

   • Adjust specific colors: Click the Selective Color adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Apply changes to specific colors in a photo.

   • Reduce graininess, speckles, or noise: Click the Noise Reduction adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Reduce noise in a photo.

   • Make edges crisper and better defined: Click the Sharpen adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Sharpen a photo.

   • Apply a vignette: Click the Vignette adjustment, then use the controls to achieve the look you want. See Apply a vignette to a photo.

You can apply a filter to a video to create a cooler or warmer look or apply a special black-and-white effect. When you apply the filter, you can adjust the amount of filtering that appears.

1. In the Photos app on your Mac, double-click a video, then click Edit in the toolbar.

2. Click Filters in the toolbar, then click the filter you want and drag the slider to change the filter’s look.

   See Use a filter to change a photo’s look.

   

You can trim a video clip so that it starts and stops at specific places. Trimming a video clip doesn’t actually delete footage; you can recover any trimmed video later.

1. In the Photos app on your Mac, double-click the video clip to open it.

2. Click Adjust in the toolbar, then drag the trim handles at either end to shorten the clip.

   

3. To select a Poster Frame for the video, drag the playhead to the location you want, then choose Image > Make Poster Frame.

To cancel the trim, drag the trim handles to their original position. You can also click Revert to Original in the toolbar, which removes all adjustments made to the video clip.

You can crop or straighten a video clip to center or change the video framing. You can also straighten a video if the video was shot at an angle unintentionally.

1. In the Photos app on your Mac, double-click the video clip to open it.

2. Click Crop in the toolbar, then drag the selection rectangle to enclose the area you want to keep in the video.

   You can also drag the tilt wheel to adjust the angle of the video. See Crop and straighten photos.

   

   You can also click Auto to straighten the video automatically. To cancel the crop, click Reset.

Using an iPhone or iPad, you can capture slow-motion video using Slo-mo mode. In Photos on your Mac, you can change when a video clip recorded in Slo-mo mode slows down and speeds up again.

1. In the Photos app on your Mac, double-click a slow-motion video clip to open it.

2. Click Edit in the toolbar, then click Adjust in the toolbar.

3. Drag the vertical bars below the frame viewer to change when the clip begins to slow down and speed up again.

   

After editing a slow-motion video clip, you can restore it to the original by clicking Revert to Original, which removes all adjustments made to the clip.