Even though all my photographer friends would hate to hear me say it, editing photos has become easier over the years. What used to be a pretty tedious process has transformed to mainly digital, making novice photo takers into seemingly amazing photographers.
And while editing has nothing to do with actually being able to take a decent photo, it has a lot to do with how the common person perceives a picture. For someone like me, who was thrust into developing a brand and narrative for a company, having good photos was crucial in facilitating that.
A lot of my editing experience was on the job, and I had a barebones budget to work with. If you are a new photographer or a media person who has now had to take on that responsibility, here are 10 of the best apps and podcasts for editing photos you can get online.
10. Effects Studio (App)
Platforms: iOS
Effects Studio is the bare-bones photo editor that you can get for $.99 on your iPhone. Its limited capabilities also make it pretty easy to use, though at times it feels like it should just be included on the iPhone’s OS.
9. This Week in Photo (Podcast)
As its name suggests, This Week in Photo is a podcast that revolves around all things photography. Hosted by Frederick Van Johnson and Alex Lindsay, the podcast has been running since 2008 and has been touted as one of the best -if not the best – photography and tech podcasts out there. If you want to learn from the best and most relevant, you should check it out.
8. Airbrush (App)
Are you the type of person who takes hundreds of selfies? If so, stay away from me and check out this app. Airbrush allows you to get rid of all those pesky facial imperfections and red eyes. Because after all, who wants to be realistic about their physical appearance anyway?
7. Fotor (App)
Platforms: Android, Desktop, iOS
No, it’s not some sort of robot, or a rejected superhero name. Fotor is actually an app that’s pretty useful for editing photos. It doesn’t rely as hard on filters as some of its competitors, and for that reason it’s pretty good in my book. In order to use Fotor you need the minimal amount of photographic knowledge so it lends itself to newbies.
6. Photo Editor (App)
Love filters? No? Well, then this app isn’t for you. With a plethora of different filters and frames, you can make a completely oversaturated mess of a picture look intentionally oversaturated. You can also add text with this app so you can create media materials and other things useful for advertising.
5. Snapseed (App)
This app is very cool and very simple to use. With the click of a finger you’re able to do more advanced photo editing, crop photos, as well as even change or fix the perspective of an image. This is definitely an app you should check out if you are new to photo editing but want some more advanced features.
4. Photography Tips from the Top Floor (Podcast)
Chris Marquardt will be able to enlighten both seasoned veterans and beginners when it comes to taking photos and photo editing. With episodes ranging from 20 minutes to an hour long, the podcast covers a wide range of subjects, and has the world experience of its host to back it up.
3. Pixlr Editor/Express (App)
Platforms: Desktop, iOS, Android
Ever wish you had Photoshop but it’s not installed on your computer? Pixlr Editor is an app that’s just like Photoshop but runs in your browser or on your mobile device. Pixlr Express is a smaller version that allows you to add filters and overlays to your images. Best of all, it’s free.
2. Pixelmator (App)
Platforms: iOS
Pixelmator is a pretty advanced application that’s exclusive to Mac. It allows you to do advanced layer photo editing, similar to Photoshop or Illustrator, but also includes 3-D imaging aspects as well. If you are in the position of making some pretty big photo edits, Pixelmator for iOS may be your app. At $4.99 it’s far less than the big editing programs.
Platforms: Desktop, iOS, Android
The reason it takes number one is because Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is not only free for mobile, but it works over a variety of platforms. It has all the tools you’d expect from a lighter version of its software counterpart. On top of the ability to change hue, saturation, and exposure, you can also sync your images over multiple devices making editing on your desktop easier.
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