Favourite Photo Editing Apps

So, as someone who likes taking pictures of pretty much anything and far too many selfies on my iPhone I am always on the hunt for new photo editing apps to enhance the photos I take or give them a retro feel. So, I thought it's only fair that I share some of the ones I use the most and like. 

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Instagram. 

Cost: free

The last selfie I took of myself as a 22 year old! I turned 23 last weekend. Eep! 

Instagram is one of the most popular photo editing and sharing platforms used by smartphone owners of the moment. Over 100 million people have downloaded it! It offers several different filters to your image, most to help you create a vintage/retro look to your images. Much like twitter, tumblr and other such social networks instagram lets you follow your friends, celebrities, artists and other awesome people to keep up to date with their photos and lives. You can like other photos and make comments. It's a pretty standard setting and one that's so simple it's really took off. The one issue I have is that you can't share your likes with other people, which would help find people with similar interests and styles as yourself. You have unlimited uploads and sharing has never been easier with just a tap you can choose to share your images on facebook, twitter, tumblr, foursquare or send it in an email. I for one have met some lovely people through the app and am continuing to find more. Stores use the app for promotions and give aways and it's a fast growing community. My biggest grumble is that twitter won't allow your images to be seen in your feed, instead you have to click the link and go to a new page. But this is just a minor grumble. Additions to the instagram app is the instacollege app which allows you to put two images together in creative ways and offers different filters to the original app, however this does cost 69p. If you don't already have an instagram then get moving! :) If you'd like to follow me my username is: Amehduck . 

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Photoshop Express

Cost: free for lite or in-app purchases for more features range from 69p-£2.99

Edited in just photoshop. I'm so glad the flowers have started to bloom and have brought splashes of colour to the world again. :)

I have the free version of this app and the only extras I have purchased was the extra effects. This is one of my favourite photo editing apps to help define images with subtle changes to contrast, saturation or sharpening the image. I use it as a basic clear up before I put the photo into one of the other apps for filters as to be hones the filter effects on this app aren't the best and to be honest are too heavy most of the time so I rarely use them. It's another simple app to use with sliding effects to change contrast, for example, allowing subtle changes. I don't find it uses alot of my battery life as well, which some other apps I've used does. For free I think this is an app worth checking out and playing around with. 

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Afterlife

Cost: 69p

Note: I edited both images in Afterlight and then put the images together using Instacollege. 

I've only recently downloaded this app after someone on instagram mentioned it. I've only used it once but boy am I in love! As with the other apps this is simple to use and has a beautiful range of filters for different effects. Like the photoshop app Afterlife also comes with editing to the image directly (eg contrast, exposure) so it does mean I can skip the PS stage of my editing process. The real reason this app has got me got me head over heels is the camera film effects you can add. I adore film photography and I own my own Diana F+ Mini (though I have film that desperately needs developing!), I love the grain, the textures and the feeling of nostalgia for my childhood playing with my parents film camera. I'm really looking forward to use this app more and with it's beautiful design, multitude of editing possibilites (I can't wait to use the borders) I can already tell this is 69p well spent! 

ABeautifulMess

Cost: 69p plus in-app purchases from 69p. 

Say Hi to my new three little gerbils! :)

Anyone who knows much about the blogging world will know about Elsie and Emma's A Beautiful Mess blog. I've been following them for a long time now and when they announced they were releasing a photo editing app I was very exciting! Now this app was released last week and is already proving to be a hit with various bloggers and instagramers. The main reason I love this app is that it allows you to put a personal, quirky touch to your images whether this is is with a personal message or a cute border they certainly give you new options. HOWEVER, there is a pretty big grumble with this app is that depsite already paying 69p alot of the extras cost more if you want more than the basic package (and it is pretty basic). At another 69p for each extra it soon adds to a few pounds. Ok, that's still very cheap and I maybe I shouldn't be so irked but I can see it putting people off purchasing the app. Despite this I'm looking forward to, hopefully, new content being added in the future and seeing the app grow into itself. As with the others this is a simple app to use and allows easy sharing with instagram, twitter, facebook and others. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe gave you an idea to try a new app. I'll give the low down if I discover anymore gems in the appstore. Would you like to see more review posts? I'll happily review books, films, music, recipes and anything really! Enter any thoughts in the comment box. :)