As I get into this blogging thing, I have been experimenting with different photo editing apps to make my pictures look better. My current favorites are, Darkroom, VSCO, and Afterlight. The photos I have posted on my blog have been edited using Darkroom.
I started using this app a couple of months ago because I really liked one of the preset filters and I thought it made my photos look very seasonal (autumn & winter). The filter I use is A100 and depending on the original quality of the photo, I adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Fade and Sharpness accordingly. There are other filters that are also great and I think I will look into those more as we get into Spring and Summer, looking for something lighter. As other photo editing apps, you can also purchase additional filters.
2. VSCO
VSCO’s main appeal is that they’ve built a community of photographers and photography aficionados. I do think this app takes practice and it’s a lot about trial and error. It also provides a built-in camera where you have control over a lot more settings than with the standard iPhone camera app. VSCO counts with more free filters, but also offers additional filters at a price. Like most apps, it also allows you to edit the individual composition elements of the photo. My favorite filters in this app are F2 and HB2.
3. Afterlight
Afterlight has A LOT of filters and they classify them in categories like Original, Guest, Seasons, Fusion, etc.Since there are so many options, I find it harder to find a favorite one. One of my favorite features of this app is the Clarify setting. I’m not 100% what it does, but it usually makes my photos look really good and then I can go into editing the individual composition items like Contrast and Brightness.
If you have any apps that you use, please leave them in the comments below! I am always looking for new tools to work with and I appreciate your input!
