I changed these 3 Pixel camera settings and finally got the shots I wanted

Your Pixel camera is a powerful tool (that is leveraged fully by Google Photos) that has a double life: it can both offer nearly pro-level control over your photography, but can also utilize its impressive stack of computational capabilities to dynamically adjust settings both before you take the shot, and use AI algorithms after you take the shot (in the case of Pro Res Zoom, Night Sight, etc.) to provide the best image possible (and Pixel's Camera Coach can help even more).