VSCO, A Color Story, Snapseed—oh my! With a plethora of picture editing apps on the scene, it’s hard to know which one to choose for perfecting certain images. What app offers the most control when it comes to color? Which one allows us to enhance and brighten an image? Below, our team is spilling the beans on the photo editing apps that stay open on our phones all day, every day. Spoiler alert: One newly-released app has taken the Glitter Guide editors particularly by storm. Want to know which one it is? Read on to get the details, plus find out our tried-and-true tricks for taking your photos from “snapped” to “shared” in just minutes.
Taylor loves Afterlight and VSCO: “I can’t name just one! Afterlight and VSCO are my go-to apps because of the ability to control brightness and contrast levels, and the ability to straighten. I particularly love the A6 filter in VSCO. My one personal photo editing tip? Stay consistent. Don’t mess with too many different filters. That way, your photos can look like they tell a story. One filter may not always work for every photo, so find a few filters you love that also work well together.” Follow Taylor @TaylorSterling
Caitlin loves PicTapGo and A Color Story: “These two apps are my favorites because of all the great filters and the ability to control the contrast and brightness. My advice is to use whiteboards from the dollar store or craft store as a white backdrop for styled vignettes, and to reflect light and block shadows!” Follow Caitlin @CaitlinKruse
Abby loves A Color Story and Snapseed: “I used to be really into Afterlight and VSCO, but now I’m primarily using A Color Story and Snapseed. For A Color Story, the different filters are so awesome and fun—I love playing around with them to make my pictures more vibrant. For Snapseed, I really love how you can brighten, add contrast and saturate different parts of the photo, and not just the entire photo. My tip is to not overthink it or obsess—it’s just a photo.” Follow Abby @TheFabLifeOfANatchDisaster
Carrie loves Snapseed: “If you use the ‘Selective’ option, you can brighten the background of almost any image to the perfect, brightest shade of white! My advice is to try not to go overboard. People will be able to tell if you over-edit an image, so think about enhancing your images rather than totally altering them.” Follow Carrie @DreamGreenDIY
Arin loves A Beautiful Mess: “My favorite photo editing app is A Beautiful Mess. The doodles are just the cutest! Also, it was created by my favorite bloggers. These gals know how to create the ultimate photo! You can add borders, text, backgrounds and more—so much fun! My personal editing tip is to keep it simple and to brighten. Always brighten up!” Follow Arin @HeartOfChic
Carly loves A Color Story: “My favorite part is that you can layer filters to help bring out the white in photos without losing color. I love the Fresh and the Airy filter packs the most. My one personal photo editing tip is to take a ton of photos before so you have different options to edit after!” Follow Carly @CarlyAHill
Erin loves A Color Story: “I love how the filters really bring out the best in my photos, and help with the white balance. My favorite filters are in the Essentials pack—the Everyday filter and the Lite Bright filter. Start by taking your photo in the best lighting possible! I always crop and straighten first, use my filter and then fine tune using the tools in the app.” Follow Erin @ErinCG
Natalie loves A Color Story: “My favorite features are the easy filters that can be adjusted for intensity. I especially love the Essentials pack, which helps me make my photos look their best but not over-edited. One tip: When in doubt, boost brightness and contrast. It makes any photo look better!” Follow Natalie @NatalieBorton
