So far, you’ve had to use Snapseed on your phone to add high dynamic range effects to Google+ photos after you’ve taken them, not very convenient if you’re at your computer. That won’t be a problem after today, though. Google has brought its mobile apps’ HDR Scape tool to the web-based photo editor in Google+, letting you brighten shadows and tone down highlights in a single step. And if you’re fussy about your edits, it’s now easy to zoom in and verify that everything is just right.
Google’s attempts to make Google+ the number one destination for users to share their photos continued this weekend with the addition of some new, neat features. The web giant has added HDR Scape, which allows users to tweak photos with a single-click High Dynamic Range effect, a tool Google has brought over from the Snapseed app it purchased in 2012. There’s also a somewhat self-explanatory Zoom editing tool, which is ideal for those seeking to get a better look at elements of the massive high-res photos Google+ allows, and make detailed alterations. “Seeing your images up close is an important part of the editing process — from checking the focus point, to seeing how the “Drama” filter has changed your pixels. With today’s update, you can now use the magnifying glass to zoom in or out,” wrote Google’s Andre Meyer on his own Google+ page.