New consumers and product exposure may be gained through Instagram, which has more than one million daily active users. Instagram advertisements and influencer outreach are powerful, but without the correct tools, it’s difficult to master what to post on Instagram and achieve the results you desire.
We’ve compiled a list of the top photo editing software and apps for companies to help you stand out from the crowd and attract more visitors to your website.
The Finest Instagram Applications For Designing Picture And Feed
Filling your Instagram feed with amazing photos that clearly express your brand persona and the quality of your goods is one of the most critical aspects of establishing an effective Instagram account.
There are several Instagram designs tools that may be used to produce high-quality photographs even if you aren’t an experienced photographer.
-
VSCO (Available on IOS and Android)
Standard Instagram filters haven’t been cutting-edge for mobile picture editing in a while. As a result, VSCO has risen to prominence as the go-to app for taking stunning images on the move. As a picture editing platform and media platforms network, VSCO is an essential aspect of any Instagram strategy.
To elevate your smartphone images to the next level, use VSCO’s powerful editing tools and a bevy of high-quality basic effects. On the premium subscription, you have access to a massive library of filters, allowing you to completely transform your images and make them stand out from the crowd.
Free for basic pre-sets and tools; $19.99/year for use to the complete VSCO pre-set library and image/video editing capabilities.
VSCO’s Editing Tips for Instagram-ready photos
There aren’t many applications better than VSCO when it comes to enhancing photos taken with a mobile device.
VSCO is a useful app that can breathe new life into drab photos with the help of its well-developed filters. It’s not just about the effects of this top mobile photography software. It also offers a number of useful tools that may help you take better photographs.
Change the power of filters
There are many people who love this app because of how subtle the filters are. As a result, since picture editing is all about taste, you can always dial back the intensity of a filter if you find it too strong.
Make use of the film filters to see whether they work for you
There is a bevy of professional camera pre-sets included in the VSCO app. Film X filters, a new addition to the VSCO X line, replicate the vintage appearance of film rolls. In addition, you may alter the photo’s Intensity, Character, and Warmth with these filters. If you’re going to be working with RAW images, the more the merrier.
Layout the filters
When two filters are available, why limit yourself to one? VSCO doesn’t enable you to use more than one filter at a time, but in certain cases, that’s not enough.
It does a good job at painting people’s face tone
The skin of the person is the most important part of a successful portrait. Having a portrait that is overly faded or has an unnatural skin tone might be a turn-off. The G4-to-G9 filters are specifically designed for use in portrait mode. However, if you’re not happy with the results, the E-series is your next best option.
A few simple tweaks and modifications to these filters can result in some stunning photographs. The built-in Skin Tone slider is also a good option if you want to keep the original skin tone.
Change the picture angle
We don’t always get perfectly straight frames in the photographs we take. Photographs of brick walls or the horizon with an elevation were common. Use the straighten and trim tool to fix the perspective before you go out and take the identical picture again.
The Skew tool in VSCO is the best chance for correcting angles and difficulties with alignments and perspective. In addition to changing the photo’s perspective, these tools can also alter its emphasis.
Re-view the original image
To determine if you’ve gone too far in the filter department, read on. You don’t have to enter the gallery to see the difference between the freshly altered image and the original.
You may see the actual image by long-pressing on the image.
Isolate your attention and expose yourself to different types of light (IOS only)
Multiple features make VSCO’s mobile apps more appealing, but one of the nicest is being able to separate focus and exposure. To separate them, simply tap the camera interface with two fingers.
When photographing a landscape, this function is very useful because you can’t alter the shadows or the light.
You may save the filter and then customise your uploads
Your Instagram and VSCO feeds will be more aesthetically attractive if you theme a group of photographs together. Fortunately, VSCO’s filters and editing capabilities make theming simple and straightforward.
Raw image editing (IOS)
The advantages of shooting in RAW mode are numerous. RAW files are easier to edit since they include more information than ordinary JPEG files. VSCO, on the other hand, allows you to edit RAW photographs that you shoot on your phone.
Identify Your Favourite Pre-sets
Our favourite settings and tools are the ones we reach for on a regular basis. If only I could access my most often used filters without having to scroll through a long list of filters. The good news is that thanks to VSCO, it’s possible to accomplish.
Apps To Improve The Aesthetics Of Your Instagram Account
Conventional photography and phone photography are vastly different. It doesn’t matter if it’s because the camera on our phones is lacking or because we don’t know how to use it properly.
At times the angle is warped and at others, the entire hue is thrown off. So, to summarise, the picture in our heads and the one in our hands are vastly different. That’s why an app like VSCO is a must-have for everyone who takes photos. The greatest filters app on the market, without a doubt.
-
Snapseed (Available for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows)
Photo-editing apps like Snapseed allow you to fine-tune your images. In contrast to Instagram’s pre-set filters, Snapseed allows you to add effects with a brush so that you may fine-tune each photo’s unique characteristics.
In addition to its other amazing features, Snapseed offers the ability to store a collection of filters as an image template. When you create Stacks, you can use them again and over again to create a consistent appearance across all of your social media accounts.
Price: Free.
The Best Ways To Get The Most Out Of Snapseed
It’s as simple as selecting a filter on today’s high-powered smartphones when it comes to editing photos. Despite the fact that filters can have a substantial impact on a picture, they are seldom able to improve the image’s essential features.
This is when more sophisticated tools come into play, allowing users to make finer adjustments to the image. Photo-editing software of all kinds may be found on the App Store and Play Store in plenty. A popular free photo editing software for Android and iOS, Snapseed is one of the best in its class.
It will take some experience and knowledge of the software’s hidden features and techniques to turn a raw image into an artistic beauty. Using these techniques and tactics, you may make your photographs more suitable for social media.
The Essentials
Snapseed’s basic features allow you to adjust just the most important aspects of a shot. In some cases, you may simply wish to change a piece of the image rather than the complete frame, which is impossible with the majority of regularly used filters and tools.
There are several ways in which you might enhance the impact of a photograph by selectively altering a piece of the image. Snapseed’s basic features allow you to adjust just the most important aspects of a shot. The most often used filters and tools do not allow you to apply a change to a specific area of a photo without affecting the full frame.
Selectively modifying a piece of an image can make it stand out, or make it more subdued so that the rest of the image can shine through.
Remove Objects That Do Not Belong In An Image
Snapseed’s Healing Tool is similar to Photoshop’s Content-Aware tool in that it allows you to remove specific elements from an image. Distracting items in your image, such as a few rocks or wrappers strewn across a stunning scene, maybe simply removed with the Healing Tool.
Larger undesired things can be removed, but you will need to be exceedingly exact and careful in your removal process. Keep in mind that a plain background, such as the sky or a wall, is ideal for this technique.
Expand an image, not crop it
If cropping is too common, try “expanding” an already-captured image instead. An image may be expanded using some of Google’s mind-boggling AI wizardry with the ‘Expand’ tool. How? Even if your mobile doesn’t have a wide-angle camera, the AI engine can digitally fabricate the expansion, enabling you to build enormous, spreading landscapes. It’s important to make sure that the image’s borders are tidy and easy to copy.
Fix the perspective of your images
Let’s say that, owing to limitations, you were unable to take a picture from the desired perspective. Snapseed’s Perspective tool makes it simple to change the camera’s angle of view.
Perspective tools in most photo editors leave a gap in the region revealed by the tilt you’ve given to the shot. This time, Google’s AI capability comes into play as the AI engine automatically fills the gaps.
Add drama to your photos
You may utilise HDR Scape and Drama to give your photos a little extra pizazz. To get HDR dynamic range even if your phone doesn’t have HDR capabilities, utilise the HDR Scape Tool. You may even adjust the strength of this tool by swiping left or right. HDR scaping sceneries including Nature, People, Fine, and Strong are also included in the software.
Intensify the blurring of the surrounding background
The bokeh or blur in your photo isn’t quite right for you? The ‘Lens Blur’ feature in Snapseed may be used to enhance this effect. As you adjust the level of the blur, you may change the image’s focus to a new location and blur the surrounding regions. Unfortunately, there is no way to lessen the blur that has already been taken with this programme. However, when you want the viewer to focus on a specific portion of the image, this tool is a great option.
In full quality save the edited images you’ve made
What’s one of the finest things about this app? Using this feature allows you to save your finished project in the best possible quality. Snapseed, by default, saves all altered photographs as JPG files at 95% quality. Nevertheless, under the Settings menu, you have the option to set it to 100%.
To access Format and quality, go to the Settings menu and select that option. You may choose between saving JPG photographs at 80%, 90%, and 100% quality using this programme. To save the image as PNG, you can choose to do so, although this choice increases the file’s size.
Fix your frown from the bottom up!
You’ll find this app invaluable if you snap a lot of selfies. Using the Pose tool, you may tilt the subject’s head in a new direction. More crucially, you may elicit a grin from a person by increasing the intensity of the smile (while still maintaining a natural appearance) and even altering the size of the subject’s pupils.
-
Afterlight (iOS)
A photo-editing programme, Afterlight has a basic collection of more than a dozen filters and textures, as well as a variety of frames and overlays. Your custom filters may be saved, and you can deal with a wide variety of picture formats. The typographic features in Afterlight can help your photographs stand out.
It’s simple to see why Afterlight has become a must-have for anybody who wants to enhance the visual impact of their Instagram images.
For $2.99 a month or $17.99 per year, following a seven-day free trial.
How to Get the Most Out of Afterlight’s Powerful Photo Editing Tools
iPhone and Android consumers love Afterlight, one of the most powerful photo editing applications around. You can improve your smartphone photos by learning how to utilise this app.
The Afterlight app and a few photographs are all you need to get started.
Begin the Editing Process by Taking or Importing a Photo
It’s possible to snap a picture with Afterlight’s camera tool at any time. You should use a manual camera app if you want greater control over your image. You’ll be able to better adjust your focus, retain your image data, and more using this. After that, you may use Afterlight to edit the image.
Afterlight’s camera is a delight to use if you’re not too concerned about the technical aspects of photography.
Make Your Photo Pop with Adjustment Settings!
Afterlight’s editing tools are completely re-orderable. Adjustments are often the first step for many photographers. Because changes may help you lay a solid foundation for your image, this is a good incentive to use them. You’ll be able to play around with pre-sets and overlays much more easily now.
Adjustment options are available for both basic and experienced users in Afterlight. Exposure, contrast, saturation, and so on are the most common. Advanced tools allow you to alter the highlights, mid-tones, and darkest areas of a photograph. Lowering the opacity of an adjustment can make it less harsh.
Use a Pre-set to Create a Dreamy, Romantic, or Contemporary Ambiance in Your Photographs
Pre-sets from Afterlight, which are entirely free, are noted for their uniqueness. You may use them to make any photo seem better by making adjustments to the colour and brightness. Original, Guest, and Seasons are the three kinds of pre-sets that are available.
The retro feel of the Original settings is unmistakable. Pre-sets for many seasons are included in the Seasons collection. You can adjust the opacity of a pre-set if it is too intense. Your shot might also benefit from a variety of pre-set colours. Each setting should have a lower opacity to give it a more natural look.
With Dust Overlays and Light Leaks, you can give your images a retro feel
Adjustments and pre-sets are common features in any picture editing software. With polaroid film, antique film, light, and many more overlays, the Afterlight app elevate photo editing to a new level.
Dusty, Light Leak and Instant Film are the three subcategories of Afterlight’s overlays. For photos that appear like they were taken with a film camera, use the Dusty section. Light Leak lets you recreate the effect of old-school film photography with colourful splotches of light.
Instant Film has 22 film textures and seven frames that you must purchase. The preceding two parts have been upgraded to a more advanced level. When using any of these tools, use caution. Adding too many textures to your images might make them seem weird. Less is more in this instance.
Distractions can be eliminated by using ‘Crop Tools’
For the most part, the crop tool is only a set of basic tools for cropping and rotating. An excellent opportunity to remove unnecessary elements and play with perspective. No matter how wonderful you think your shot is, you should try flipping it. Try experimenting with each tool to see if you can improve the appearance of your image. You may be surprised by the findings!
However, be careful not to over-crop. There is a limit to the quality of smartphone images, no matter how high their pixels are. As a photographer, you want to avoid over-cropping your images.
Using Afterlight’s Creative Framing Tools, you may improve your design
Afterlight has a wide variety of fun and easy-to-use frames. Original, Type and Instant Film are the three subcategories under which you’ll find them.
A white border may be added to your photo in Original. For a unique look, try using shapes like triangles, ovals, or even anchors as picture frames. This is a quick and easy technique to make your Instagram or other social media photos stand out.
Commonly Asked Questions About Afterlight
Exactly how much does the Afterlight photo editing software cost?
Afterlight is free to use, but if you want access to its premium features, you’ll have to shell out some cash. Every month, Afterlight’s premium edition costs $2.99. Instant Film packs may be purchased for less than $1 on the Android version of the app.
What’s the best way to get Afterlight?
Afterlight may be downloaded for free. Using the free version, you may improve your photography on your Android or iPhone. It is simply the additional overlay or texture packs that you will have to pay for. You may utilise the extra textures and frames on them to enhance the appearance of your photos.
Do you know if Afterlight has the ability to edit RAW files?
RAW images are supported in the iPhone version of Afterlight. You may now edit RAW photographs taken with your DSLR or smartphone. Only JPEG photos may be edited on Android.
In Afterlight, how do you create filters?
By hitting Fusion and the plus icon, you may create your own filters. After that, everything you do will be documented and made into a custom filter for future use. Finally, hit the Save button and give your filter a name. By hitting Fusion and then the filter name, you may access your filters.
Using a reputable and creative editing programme is a great way to succeed on social media. Among these are Afterlight’s unique pre-set, filter, modification, and overlay options. Start with the free version and if you like it, you can always pay for the premium version.
-
Canva (Available for web, iOS and Android)
Canva is a great tool for creating visually appealing photos for your Instagram feed or Stories. You may use pre-designed pictures, superimpose text, and construct multi-image layouts to make your posts more visually appealing to your followers.
If you adhere to a few standard picture styles and fonts for your Instagram Stories, you can begin to ensure that your followers always identify your material.
Prices range from free to $12.95 a month for Canva Pro, which includes translucent backgrounds and the ability to create animations and GIFs.
5 Ways Canva Can Enhance Your Instagram Posts
What You Need To Know About Canva
There’s no need to be afraid if you’re new to this software or the design industry in general. As a result, Canva is far more user-friendly than professional applications like Photoshop. Non-designers will like its user-friendly UI.
Using Canva, you can start from scratch when making an Instagram post or Story, and then customise it to your heart’s content. In addition to free graphics and photos, you may also submit your own to customise the design.
Depending on your preference, you may either download or share your finished product immediately to Instagram using the mobile app.
If you’re using Canva to boost your Instagram posts, here are some tips.
-
- Post inspirational quotes on your social media accounts
Overlay quotes are a common sight on Instagram. In their posts, people want to uplift, invigorate, or impart some knowledge with a message of encouragement or inspiration. Using the search box on the Templates tab of Canva, type “quote” and you’ll be presented with a choice of possibilities for you to choose from.
The font, text size, images, and borders of every element in the template may be customised. To make your design look professional, we recommend that you match the text’s colour to the image’s colour.
Canva makes this procedure a breeze since it tells you exactly what colours are in the image you’re creating. Think of a catchy Instagram caption to go along with it, too.
-
- Make collages
It’s not uncommon for a single photograph or a photo reel to fall short of conveying your message in its entirety. Canva has a few methods for combining numerous photographs into a single frame.
Firstly, there are infinite grids to pick from. The Elements section of the menu contains these. Moreover, these grids aren’t your typical grids—they may contain 12 different-sized images to make a stunning puzzle!
A third option may be found in the Templates section of the menu bar. As a starting point, you can type in “collage” or “grid” or any other keyword that is relevant. Templates enable you to add text, change the background colour, and build a storey with the photographs you select to include in your collages.
-
- Enhance Your Stories Using Sequential Images
Instagram Stories can use many of the same Canva design choices as a regular post. Templates with text and photographs, collages, and grids are all examples of this. It’s also a good idea to submit a sequence of photographs to make your Story more intriguing.
Story templates provide a variety of options when you hover over them, with some saying “Free” and others saying, “1 of X.” When you select a template series, you’ll be sent to a list of all the pages that are part of that series. These pages are yours to use as many times as you’d like.
The layout of each page varies significantly, yet there is a common thread that runs through them all. One or a few images or a single topic may be conveyed in one Story, making it a unified post. Using the mobile app, you may upload all of your pages at once.
-
- Enhance Your Post With Q&A
A question, poll, or quiz sticker in your Story doesn’t have to be unappealing to be effective. This is an option that’s available in Canva as well. Again, use Templates to find “quiz,” “poll,” or “question” and then choose your preference.
You may easily add a sticker to any of the pre-made themes. There are a variety of “get to know me” quizzes available on Canva, some of which you may create and share with your friends.
-
- Use Animated GIFs in Your Posts and Stories
This is one of Canva’s best features, hands down. Almost all of what has been discussed thus far can be animated. The Animate button is located in the editor’s toolbar. Your photographs and text will display more gradually on the screen in the free edition, giving your post a more dynamic feel.
Short videos may also be found by clicking on the Videos tab located on the left side of the screen. These images may be used as a backdrop, in a collage, or in a template to create an eye-catching article. Of course, you are free to include your own video as well. Even music may be added on top of it.
You can also use the Templates search box to look for “animated social media.” Various templates are available here, each with a unique look.
Your Instagram post may be perfected with the help of Canva
Canva has so many options that it might be daunting. The golden rule is to keep things simple.
If you really like a template, instead of adding more and more things, attempt to make as minimal adjustments to it as feasible. As a rule of thumb, when in doubt, stick to a single typeface and one or two colours. Always use high-resolution photographs when submitting your own.
Adds On Apps For Instagram: Apps For Instagram Video Promotion
Instagram has evolved into much more than a simple photo-sharing platform. Your social media marketing strategy for Instagram should include including videos because of the rising emphasis on video on the platform. These tools can help you expand your Instagram video marketing efforts.
-
Instagram’s time-lapse feature
-
Hyprelapse (Only available on iOS)
Hyperlapse, Instagram’s time-lapse tool, allows you to create time-lapse films, which are essentially a collection of still photographs that have been fast-forwarded. Allows you to choose the pace of the video and provides video stabilisation so that you don’t have to worry about keeping your phone steady.
The use of time-lapse film is ideal for demonstrating lengthy operations, such as applying cosmetics, painting, or sculpting, in a little period of time.
-
Instagram’s own Boomerang mode
You can’t deny the allure of a boomerang’s endless spins. You’ve seen those three- to five-second videos that play backwards and forwards? Instagram’s Boomerang app lets you record and shares video loops to your Instagram feed or Story, and it’s free.
Instagram has a similar function in their Stories section, but the Boomerang app on your phone lets you record many movies and then select the best one to share.
Both iOS and Android devices are capable of using this app.
-
InShot
InShot is one of the most widely used free Instagram video applications on the market today. This all-in-one video editing application enables you to trim clips, apply filters, modify speed, eliminate sections of the clip, merge clips, including music and special effects, and even employ stop motion.
Plus, even non-professional video editors like myself will have no trouble getting to grips with the user interface. The service is free, but you may upgrade to a premium subscription. Both iOS and Android devices are capable of using this app.
Publish Your Posts
Each of these tools is beneficial to marketers. An Instagram presence may be streamlined with the use of a wide range of creative tools, such as rapid video edits, easy object removals, a smart visual creator, and an intuitive and interactive planner. Let these cutting-edge solutions take care of the hard work while you focus on other priorities.
With artistic filters and editing capabilities, Instagram is a fast-growing social network for sharing and enhancing images. Many company marketers are using Instagram to expand their customer base and promote services on a daily basis as the platform grows in popularity.
Do you work for one of these companies? Consider our services if you’re interested in hiring a social media marketing agency to promote your brand on social media platforms.
