My Top Photo Editing Apps

We are a generation of picture takers, and 9 times out of ten we're using our phones, not a traditional camera. From our faces to our dinner, with the emergence of Instagram our phones take pictures of practically every moment of our lives. So we might as well make sure they'e good. 

There are so many apps available with a variety of settings and filters, however some are more advanced and professional than others. So I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourites. 

Instagram - Seems a bit of an obvious one, but I thought it was worth a mention simply for its recent update, otherwise it's only mention would be the one above. I still don't use Instagram's editing tools that often because of the other apps I have, but since the recent update, I've noticed that the filters are a lot more subtle and their editing settings are precise and more specific with more options. 

Photo Editor Pro - I like the HD Enhance option for the camera, however the filters are a bit too dramatic. Custom crops are always handy, especially if you are planning to upload it to Instagram later. Features the typical editing functions as well as the ability to draw and add text to your pictures. There aren't  many face editing options, but the less of those we can use the better I think. For editing this is easy and quick, but I wouldn't use it's camera option.  

Photoshop Express - The filters on this app are more subtle and realistic. As well as the usual editing features, you can also control clarity, vibrancy, noise reduction and shadows. For face editing, you've got red eye and blemish removal, and a large variety of frames for decoration purposes. The camera settings for this app are quite high tech, with Night and Panoramic features as well as the classic HDR, which I feel is a must when using an app to take pictures. 

Litely - The camera tools that come with this app are very basic, and there's nothing extraordinary about the editing features either. Just your standard tools. However this is a must have if you like your filters and add-ons. With a variety of filters, from vintage and black and whites to a range of temperatures, as well as kitsch stickers and borders, flares, shapes, and frames, you can turn a picture of your cat into an emoji masterpiece with a cherry on-top. 

VSCO Cam - This is one of my favourites. When using the camera option, pinching out on the screen allows you to control both exposure and focus, which is so useful. It helps you to create clear and bright pictures in environments of bad lighting. There's a small but concise selection of filters but it's much better to create your own using the good range of editing settings which are subtle but it's so easy to get the desired effect you're looking for. This is my go-to for Instagram pics. 

A Better Camera - Kinda does what it says on the tin. This is a smart little app to have if your camera isn't performing the way you want it too, or if it's just not that great. I'm not saying this app will ram it up to DSLR quality, but it will allow you to control white balance, focus and exposure. It doesn't sound like a lot, but these three things can make a massive difference. 

Snapseed - This app has a lot of good and effective features that enable you to select specific areas of the picture on which you can edit individually, which is really handy, but whoever created it has made it really fiddly to use and there's a lot of tapping and swiping involved. If you're patient this could probably be a really clever little app for you and your pictures. 

Afterlight - I've only recently just added this to my collection, and I wish I'd known about it sooner. The camera's pretty average but it's the editing features that make it worthwhile. The variety available doesn't differ greatly from VSCO cam, but I find them to be clearer and crisper. As a result your pictures look bright and fresh, and the colours are vibrant.