Hello everyone!
I apologize for being so M.I.A here. I’ve been caught up with so many things in my life. I’ve been feeling really off lately. I’ve been questioning my future obsessively and compulsively. BUT that’s another story I’ll get into another day.
I thought it would be fun to take my mind off of everything to create a blog post of my favorite apps that I use for Instagram. NOW, I can also create another blog post of how I edit my photos using these apps, but I feel like it’ll be better explained through a video. What do you guys think?
First thing is first, I’m still a newbie when it comes to editing. I’ve made A LOT of editing mistakes, but I enjoy editing my photos just as much as I like taking them. Don’t get me wrong I understand it can get frustrating, but I hope these apps help you achieve the aesthetic you’re looking for.
Here are my favorite apps that I use for Instagram:
1. Facetune 2: Now I know what you’re thinking… really Facetune? Facetune has such a bad rep but if you use it lightly, you can make any picture look amazing. Just don’t over do it! I typically use Facetune with selfies -to patch up stubborn acne, sharpen makeup looks, and give detail to my eyes.
Here’s an example of a photo (taken with iPhone 8+) where I just used Facetune and nothing else:
2. Retouch: Now this app is a lifesaver! Have you ever taken a photo and thought man there’s a lot of random people on this shot…or man I wish that random piece of furniture wasn’t in this picture? RETOUCH LITERALLY MAKES THESE DISTRACTIONS DISAPPEAR so you can achieve the perfect picture! Here’s an example (photos taken with iPhone)
Before:
After:
Can’t tell the difference? Look at the floor, the first photo had a bunch of random rocks, then I used the “object removal” portion of the app to erase them, and the app replaces the rocks with the original background of the picture. The app is really easy to use but don’t expect miracles! Rule of thumb for this app: the smoother the background the more you can remove, the busier the background the harder it is to remove.
3. Lightroom: Now Lightroom can definitely be intimidating. There’s a desktop Lightroom version that has an annual fee, but I use the mobile app version which is way less intimidating but definitely more limiting. Almost all the photographers I work with use Lightroom, I used to use Lightroom all the time, but now I only use it if I want to create a drastic change to my photo.
For example (photos taken with Sony a5100)
Before: 
After:
Side note: you can also purchase “presets” through Lightroom and use them in every photo to create a consistent theme throughout your Instagram (which is something I definitely need to work on).
4. UNUM: I only use this app to make sure my Instagram looks cohesive- in other words, to make sure it doesn’t look TOO random. BUT I definitely need to create a theme or make my Instagram more cohesive because as of now, it looks all over the place. But if you’re someone who’s goal right now is to create a theme, UNUM is for you. It helps you view your entire feed and it provides empty squares so you can manually add future posts and adjust them to your liking. There are definitely more features of this app that can help your Instagram- it shows your engagement, your following, and it has editing options. It’s an all-in-one app!
5. VSCO: I used to hate VSCO! It wasn’t until a good friend told me to try it again, and it’s all I’ve been using lately. It has sooo many filter options, and it has my new current obsession: the “grain” effect. Out of all of the editing options I show you, you NEED to use VSCO for all of your editing needs. Once you start using VSCO, you’ll start to realize that there are certain sets of filters you favor… and that’s ok! That is what will help you create a cohesive Instagram.
For me it’s the entire “L” collection (photos taken with Sony a5100):
Before:
After:
Tip: A huge rookie mistake is to use the filter to its fullest capacity! Bring the intensity down to 1-3- that way the only job of the filter is to enhance your photo and not make it unrecognizable.
6. Afterlight: Have you seen the latest trend of bloggers of Instagram where their photos have a slight “dust” effect on them? Well that’s where Afterlight comes in. I only use this app for the dust effect, BUT it also has some awesome light effects as well. Once again, you don’t want to use the dust effect to its highest capacity, you want to use this effect as slightly as possible to create a vintage aesthetic.
For example (used same photo as above):
7. HUJI: Another trend of bloggers of Instagram, HUJI. The awesome app that creates a 90’s vibe to any photo. It includes a date on the left-side corner of the photo which you can adjust to your liking. The cool thing about this app is that it does all the editing work for you, your only job is to find good lighting! I typically only use this app for my stories.
Here are a few examples (photos taken with iPhone):
8. Unfold: I only use Unfold for my stories! Yes it is kind of excessive to do extra work just for IG stories, but I want my following to be drawn in to what I’m doing and saying. This app will make any story look so interesting! It gives you many layout options to create a page or an entire story for your Instagram.
Here are some cheesy IG story examples:
Last but not least….
9. 8mm: Basically another extra way that I like to make my IG videos for my stories. This app is super cool! It makes any video you take look vintage. It gives you various “time eras” you can choose from to create that vintage effect.
Here’s a random example:
Once again, it is a lot of work just for IG stories. But my goal is to draw people in, I like putting in the extra work just so my following can see something out of the norm.
And that’s it guys! I hope you enjoyed this lengthy blog. If you want to see how I actually edit my photos / videos with these apps, comment down below and I will make sure to make a blog post or video for you guys. Which app do you see yourself using? What apps do you already use? I would love to know! I hope you enjoyed your weekend, and I will talk to you soon.
I’m going to make an effort to make at least one blog post per week! I promise!
To see what I’m up to on a daily basis and to see these apps in action, follow my Instagram @elizabethandreaa_ or check out my home page for a direct link!
XO,
Elizabeth Andrea
Elizabeth Andrea 