Today I am diving in to share the editing and planning tools that I use on a daily basis to bring @alishylishy to life! Many of these are intended for on-the-go use and are definitely not a substitute for Adobe Creative Suite, or good natural lighting, but they are incredibly useful for Instagram power users, or small business owners who may be utilizing iphone photography exclusively. Read on to see my top 3 picks AND before and afters!
For Editing
1. Snapseed
Snapseed brings those bright whites to life! The selective tool is perfect for flatlays, and even for lifestyle imagery where a shadow may be hiding in a corner. I usually start here to even out the lighting in my images if need be. Snapseed also has a spot remover that is super handy if you’re away from photoshop and need to clean up a small area!
Best Feature – The Selective Tool
Cost – Free
Before & Afters:
Donuts, Shot on Canon Rebel T5 DSLR
Accessories, shot on Canon Rebel T5 DSLR, screenshots to show selective brightening in action
2. A Color Story
A Color Story, created by the team from A Beautiful Mess, is perfect for adding a quick punch of color and brightness to your photos. There are so many effective filters to choose from, and the curves feature is super helpful for brightening.
Best Feature – Quick, Impactful Filters
Cost – Free + upgrades
Before & After:
Palms, Shot on iPhone
Snapseed selective brightness, contrast + saturation, then A Color Story “Everyday” filter
Lifeguard Tower, Shot on iPhone
Snapseed selective brightness + saturation, then A Color Story “Punch” Filter
Planning
3. Plan Your Gram
*Currently available for Android, coming soon to IOS
If you have ever worried about what image to post next, or immediately regretted what your feed looks like now that you’ve clicked post, Plan Your Gram is for you! It is perfect for the design and detail obsessed instagrammer, or beginners trying to improve the quality and cohesiveness of their overall feed. In addition to visual planning, Plan Your Gram also includes scheduling and hashtag saving capabilities.
Best Feature – Drag and drop to plan your feed in advance
Cost – $8.99 USD one-time download fee – literally a STEAL
Still need help bringing your brand to life across social media? Click to learn more about LISH creative consulting, or content creation services.
