diff --git a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.html b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.html
index 6a601db..4d6c426 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.html
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-<div class="image-modal">
+<div
+  class="image-modal"
+  [class.image-modal--settling]="swipeSettling()"
+  [style.transform]="swipeTransform()"
+  [style.opacity]="swipeOpacity()"
+>
   <div
     #viewport
     class="image-modal__viewport"
diff --git a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.scss b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.scss
index ca62222..344f405 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.scss
+++ b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.scss
@@ -12,7 +12,15 @@
   flex: 1;
   flex-direction: column;
   overflow: hidden;
-  background: #111111;
+  background: black;
+  transform-origin: center top;
+  will-change: transform, opacity;
+}
+
+.image-modal--settling {
+  transition:
+    transform 180ms ease-out,
+    opacity 180ms ease-out;
 }
 
 .image-modal__viewport {
diff --git a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.spec.ts
index 589bf78..63bb5c5 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.spec.ts
@@ -92,14 +92,37 @@ describe('ImageModalComponent', () => {
 
   it('dismisses with a downward swipe while the image is at its base zoom', () => {
     const viewport = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.image-modal__viewport') as HTMLElement;
+    const modal = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.image-modal') as HTMLElement;
 
     viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointerdown', 1, 150, 100));
     viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointermove', 1, 155, 230));
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(modal.style.transform).toBe('translate3d(0, 130px, 0)');
+    expect(Number(modal.style.opacity)).toBeLessThan(1);
+
     viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointerup', 1, 155, 230));
 
     expect(modalRef.dismiss).toHaveBeenCalledWith('swipe');
   });
 
+  it('returns smoothly to its position when the swipe is too short', () => {
+    const viewport = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.image-modal__viewport') as HTMLElement;
+    const modal = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.image-modal') as HTMLElement;
+
+    viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointerdown', 1, 150, 100));
+    viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointermove', 1, 150, 160));
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    expect(modal.style.transform).toBe('translate3d(0, 60px, 0)');
+
+    viewport.dispatchEvent(pointerEvent('pointerup', 1, 150, 160));
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(modalRef.dismiss).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(modal.classList.contains('image-modal--settling')).toBe(true);
+    expect(modal.style.transform).toBe('translate3d(0, 0px, 0)');
+  });
+
   it('does not dismiss with a downward gesture while the image is zoomed', () => {
     const element = fixture.nativeElement as HTMLElement;
     const viewport = element.querySelector('.image-modal__viewport') as HTMLElement;
diff --git a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.ts b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.ts
index d3a5e46..6ae8029 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/components/image-modal/image-modal.component.ts
@@ -35,10 +35,16 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
   protected readonly offsetX = signal(0);
   protected readonly offsetY = signal(0);
   protected readonly imageFailed = signal(false);
+  protected readonly swipeOffsetY = signal(0);
+  protected readonly swipeSettling = signal(false);
   protected readonly transform = computed(
     () => `translate3d(${this.offsetX()}px, ${this.offsetY()}px, 0) scale(${this.zoom()})`,
   );
   protected readonly zoomLabel = computed(() => `${Math.round(this.zoom() * 100)}%`);
+  protected readonly swipeTransform = computed(() => `translate3d(0, ${this.swipeOffsetY()}px, 0)`);
+  protected readonly swipeOpacity = computed(() =>
+    Math.max(0.65, 1 - (this.swipeOffsetY() / 400) * 0.35),
+  );
 
   private dragStart: Point | null = null;
   private dragOffset: Point = { x: 0, y: 0 };
@@ -88,6 +94,7 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
     this.gestureMoved = false;
 
     if (this.pointers.size === 1) {
+      this.swipeSettling.set(false);
       this.dragStart = point;
       this.dragOffset = { x: this.offsetX(), y: this.offsetY() };
       this.swipeStart =
@@ -95,6 +102,7 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
     } else if (this.pointers.size === 2) {
       this.hadMultiplePointers = true;
       this.swipeStart = null;
+      this.swipeOffsetY.set(0);
       this.beginPinch();
     }
   }
@@ -125,6 +133,13 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
       return;
     }
 
+    if (this.pointers.size === 1 && this.swipeStart) {
+      const deltaX = Math.abs(point.x - this.swipeStart.x);
+      const deltaY = point.y - this.swipeStart.y;
+      this.swipeOffsetY.set(deltaY > 0 && deltaY >= deltaX ? deltaY : 0);
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (this.pointers.size === 1 && this.dragStart && this.zoom() > this.data.minZoom) {
       this.offsetX.set(this.dragOffset.x + point.x - this.dragStart.x);
       this.offsetY.set(this.dragOffset.y + point.y - this.dragStart.y);
@@ -137,7 +152,10 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
     const trackedPoint = this.pointers.get(event.pointerId);
     const endPoint = trackedPoint ? { x: event.clientX, y: event.clientY } : null;
     const shouldDismiss =
-      wasTouch && endPoint !== null && this.isSwipeDown(this.swipeStart, endPoint);
+      event.type === 'pointerup' &&
+      wasTouch &&
+      endPoint !== null &&
+      this.isSwipeDown(this.swipeStart, endPoint);
     this.pointers.delete(event.pointerId);
     const viewport = this.viewport().nativeElement;
     if (viewport.hasPointerCapture?.(event.pointerId)) {
@@ -169,6 +187,10 @@ export class ImageModalComponent {
       this.pointerDownAt = null;
       this.hadMultiplePointers = false;
       this.swipeStart = null;
+      if (this.swipeOffsetY() > 0) {
+        this.swipeSettling.set(true);
+        this.swipeOffsetY.set(0);
+      }
       this.clampOffset();
     }
   }