I have always been “snap happy”. I’ve been a picture person since I was young! Having a baby has sent that into overdrive. Like, 50-100 photos on an average day isn’t rare. One of my requirements  for my phone is that it has a GREAT camera. So many friends were getting blurry photos with their iPhones and other smartphones, I knew it would just drive me crazy. And, because my photos are taken on my phone, they are uploaded to Intagram and FB from my phone. Instagram offers a little “fun”, but I wanted to do a LOT more with my photos. I began searching and playing. Since I started doing more with my photos, a TON of people have asked me what apps I use. I figured it would be easier to direct them here than continue to retype my answers again and again.

NOTE: I am an Android user. Some of the apps are available on both Android and iOS, and I’ll try to note when it is. But keep in mind, I have never used the iOS versions of these apps!

Labels

“Labels” are the colored strips with text. They often look like something that has come out of a real label maker or text written on masking tape, washi tape, etc. I am picky with these, I don’t like it to look “junky”. Some of my favorite apps are…

maskingtape

I couldn’t even begin to count the number of tapes Divided by colors, then patterns (you scroll for miles) All are semi see-though – meant to look like Japanese Washi Tape [Available on iOS]

Collages

This is the trick to putting a bunch of related photos into one image for sharing via social media. I prefer ones that create square collages. Then I can quickly plug it into Instagram, which then shoots it out to Facebook and Twitter. I’ve tried quite a few, but it really comes down to two for me.

PhotoFrame

Super clean and quick All the frames are divided by number of images Can change the thickness and color of the frame around the collage You can save to your gallery or send it straight to another app (Instagram, Facebook, editors, etc) For iOS Check Out: Fuzel

Photo Grid

Some cool collage options (not all square/rectangle) Funky borders available as well (patterns, etc) Add text right in the app [Available on iOS]

Editors

Sometimes you want to do just a bit MORE. Maybe add some clip art, some “chalk drawing-like” text or images. A photo needs “touch-up” or even “blacked out” . Maybe even some silly arrows or talking bubbles? That’s when I go to my editor for the extra “ooph”. Now, I have a LOT of editors, and I use them all for different things. But I have a few I use more frequently for “common” edits or even more specialized features …

PicsArt

A little chalk-like clip art in the library Some great fonts – sometimes I’ll leave my labels plank and add text from this app! You can add stickers, frames, borders, layer photos, masks, draw and other effects Also, create from scratch a brand new image! [Available on iOS]

Real Bokeh

This adds a little “magical aura” to your images – it looks like light reflections It also lets you pick shapes, colors and placement! [Available on iOS]

Examples

Here are some examples of these apps in use!

Used: PicArt

Used: LabelBox

Used: PhotoFrame

Used: Real Bokeh

Used: PicsArt

Used: Beautiful Mess

Happy Editing!

– Tara, the Speechy Keen SLP