Does Photos on Mac change my original video?
No. Edits are stored with the clip and can be removed with Revert to Original. Export a copy if you need a separate file with the edit applied.
Free · runs in your browser
How to darken a video on a Mac
Photos and iMovie can both turn a bright clip down. Here is how, which sliders to use, and when the browser tool on this page does it better.
To darken a video on a Mac in Photos, double-click the clip, click Edit, then Adjust. Drag the Light slider to the left, or click Options under Light for separate Exposure, Highlights, Brightness, Contrast and Black Point sliders. Click Done. Apple notes the change applies to the whole video and the original footage is kept.
iMovie works differently: there is no Exposure slider, but its Color Correction button opens a multislider for shadows, brightness, contrast and highlights. Both apps are free and already on most Macs. The tool at the top of this page also works in Safari, Chrome and Firefox on macOS if you want a measured Auto fix or a split before and after.
Darken a video in Photos on Mac
Open the video in Photos
Double-click the clip in your library, then click Edit in the toolbar.
Click Adjust and find Light
Click Adjust in the toolbar (or press A). Next to Light, drag the slider left to darken everything at once.
Use Options for finer control
Click Options below Light. Lower Exposure for the overall level, lower Highlights for a bright sky, and raise Black Point to deepen the shadows.
Click Done, then export
Click Done. To save a separate file, choose File → Export → Export 1 Video. Revert to Original in the editing toolbar removes the edit later.
Darken a clip in iMovie
- Select the clip (or a range within it) in the iMovie timeline.
- Click the Color Correction button above the viewer.
- On the multislider, drag the white slider left to lower the highlights, the grey slider left to lower the overall brightness, and the black slider right to deepen the shadows. The half-moon sliders change contrast.
- To export, choose File → Share → File, or click the Share button and choose Export File.
Apple says a correction made to a range applies to the whole clip. iMovie’s Color Balance → Auto setting is another quick option: it removes colour casts and maximises contrast, which can help a hazy, washed-out shot.
Photos, iMovie or the browser?
- Photos is the quickest for one clip in your library, and its Options sliders cover most over-bright footage. Holding Option while dragging a slider extends its range.
- iMovie suits clips that are part of a longer edit, and lets you match shots against each other on the timeline.
- This page adds a measured Auto fix, dedicated highlight recovery, a Levels histogram that tells you how much is clipped, and a split preview. It runs in your browser on the Mac, with no upload.
HDR clips on a Mac
Photos on the Mac can edit 10-bit HDR video, and recent MacBook and iMac screens show HDR brighter than the rest of the desktop. A clip that looks too bright on such a screen may look normal elsewhere. Check it on another display, or save a standard-range copy here, which looks consistent on every screen. Overexposure explained covers the difference.
Darkening videos on a Mac: questions
Does iMovie have an exposure slider?
Current versions of iMovie for Mac don’t. Use the Color Correction multislider: the white slider lowers highlights and the grey one lowers overall brightness.
Can I darken a video in QuickTime Player?
No. QuickTime Player trims, rotates and joins clips but has no brightness or exposure controls.
What does the Light slider in Photos do?
It moves several underlying sliders together (Exposure, Highlights, Brightness and others) for a quick overall change. Click Options to set them separately.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for Adjust in Photos?
Yes, press A while editing. In the tool on this page, A runs Auto fix instead.