Lifestyle

The Best Photo Apps To Download If Your 'Gram Is In Need Of A Serious Upgrade

by Marisa Casciano
Alexey Kuzma/Stocksy

You're a social media butterfly, with a serious need of an upgrade. Our modern world calls for cute pictures and even better captions. At this point, you might have mastered how to properly edit a photo, find the right filter, or locate a pun. Those skills are all essential to your social media game, and are sure to snag you some followers along the way. Don't stop there, and challenge yourself to get even better on the 'Gram. Downloading the best apps for pictures might seem like a move just for the photographers and creatives of the world, but we can all strive to be a little more #artsy.

Full disclosure — I love Instagram. I'm a loyal liker and could honestly spend hours messing around with different captures until I'm content with a post. Sure, we all must be aware that social media is like a car mirror. What you see isn't always what you get, and you must learn to find beauty in your life with or without the filter.

But, this doesn't mean you can't focus a bit on your feed and perfect your profile. These apps are tried, true, and totally easy to understand for even the most unexperienced editors. Give them a go and watch your 'Gram get so much better.

01VSCO

Marisa Casciano

I'm personally a big fan of VSCO. You can get totally adventurous with filters in this app, and learn the basics of balancing light, color, and contrast. There are different packs you can purchase, or just use the extensive library that automatically comes with your download. This is a great place to start if you want to upgrade your social media and need some artistic inspiration, but don't want to get too down and dirty.

The other side of VSCO is actually another social media platform, per say. Aside from uploading photos from your camera roll to edit for Instagram, you can publish your finished product on your profile within the app and create journals to capture your experiences.

02UNUM

Marisa Casciano

Your personal feed should always have a flow, and with UNUM you can plan your pictures out before you post them. When you're looking at your latest selfies and snaps, notice the colors and the contrast. You want to make sure there's a solid scatter of darks and lights, and a consistent color story. Some of my favorite bloggers and photographers have the best feed because they stick to three or four colors on the spectrum, and slowly introduce new tones as time goes on.

I find that my color story changes quite often, and you'll notice that as the seasons go on, your feed might feel more saturated with blues and greens instead of minimalistic with many neutrals. Use this app to get your 'Gram in a good groove, and arrange your aesthetic.

03Afterlight

Marisa Casciano

If you're learning the basics of editing, Afterlight can be incredibly helpful. When I first downloaded this app, I liked how it guided me through filtering and creating the right tones. Like VSCO, certain color filters come along with your download and others are available for purchase.

Can't find one to match the feel of your feed? Try using the Fusion feature to create your own. Call it something catchy and use it every single time you want to post something to social media. Being consistent with your editing is key, just like finding a color story flow. That feature alone is a great reason to download this app for all of your picture needs.

04A Color Story

Marisa Casciano

You live your life in immense color, so your Instagram should cater to it just so. Sometimes when we snap a picture, what we get isn't as vibrant and full of life as it is with our own two eyes. A Color Story is a great app for enhancing these tones and creating an atmosphere in every picture you take.

Work with filters and effects like light leaks and color fogs (Did you notice that ray of sunshine on my burger?). Curve your reds, blues, and greens to different corners to get a different grade on your 'Gram.

Of course, you could easily go overboard with everything all of these apps have to offer. So, you'll have to judge when enough is enough. But, take some time to mess around with everything is app in particular has to offer. Color is key, and your social media should tell a story.

05PicFrame

Marisa Casciano

Have you ever been scrolling through someone's profile and wondered how they got the extra white space around their posts? Or how they put together such a nice collage? There are a lot of apps out there that do this sort of thing, but I've found PicFrame to be the best.

Edit your individual photos before putting them into one of many grids. Choose the width and style of your lines, and then share to social media. Your feed should feel like you in a way, and if this style seems like something that would fit your vibe, I'd absolutely give this app a try.

Your Instagram will be seriously upgraded, and you'll be an experienced editor in no time. Just don't forget to put a pun or two in your Instagram captions. Those really never get old.