Hi, this is Donna Gibson again, here to share some of my favorite photo apps. Disclaimer: I’ll only talk about apps in conjunction with iPhones, but there are many apps available for other smartphones.
The most popular, and my go-to sharing photo app, is Instagram (also available for Android users on Google Play as Michelle shares above). It’s a free photo-sharing app (and now the basis of a hugely popular social network) that is quick and easy to use to edit [slightly] and post photos. I stalk it daily, specifically looking for photos of my grandchildren. =)
Here’s a photo I took this morning with my iPhone 5 when I walked the dog:
Here’s the same photo of the tree after running it through Instagram (sharpened, boosted the colors, cropped, and added a border):
There are scores of apps available to edit iPhone photos. Besides Instagram, I often use the following five photo apps:
Snapseed. This is my go-to app for editing photos for Instagram, because it offers so many options (many more than Instagram), and it’s easy to use.
PhotoToaster. This is my second favorite app for editing. At first I didn’t use it as much as Snapseed, because it wasn’t as intuitive for me. The more I play with it, the more I like it. The edits are non-destructive, and you can go back and change any earlier edit at any point before you click Save.
FxPhotoStudio. This app with its 194 filters lets you play with your photos and get creative! You can also layer multiple effects. Here’s an ordinary, unedited photo I took this morning while walking the dog:
Here’s the same photo after I simply cropped it and added a filter, both with Photo Studio (no other editing done):
I chose this filter because it looks like the scene is drenched in the early morning sun, and it will impress my family that I got up so early to take a walk.
Diptic (Android version here). This app allows you to combine two, three, or four photos into a single image. It has 52 different layouts into which you drop your photos. Here’s a Diptic layout with four photos of my gorgeous grandson:
Not a one of these four photos was sharp, because my grandson is so active (even when he’s sitting). Collages are a good way to take the focus off individual photos that are less than stellar.
Fuzel Pro. This is another app for combining more than one photo into a single image. Fuzel Pro has more options than Diptic. It allows you to make collages incorporating different shapes, and it includes various filters, effects, and borders. It’s also good for creatively presenting just one photo, like I did here:
The border, frame, and text were all added with Fuzel Pro.
While you’re editing and posting photos, don’t forget scrapbooking! All of these apps help you enhance your photos so that they’re ready to include in your digital scrapbooking pages. I’m scrapping more and more with photos from my iPhone than with ones from my Nikon 3100, because I take more photos with my iPhone, because my iPhone is with me at all times. I no longer miss those every day moments that make the best pages. Cottage Arts has all sorts of templates and quick pages to make your scrapping easier, as well as our super fun calendars like the cd case version below.
And, here’s the Cottage Arts’ Phoneography Pinboard for even more inspiration!
Wishing you much joy as you take your photography to a new and fun level, just by using your cell phone!
Donna Gibson, Creative Team
