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Remember the days when everybody pretty much only ever edited their photos with the inbuilt instagram photo editor and those really bad filters that were on there? Life was simpler back then *sigh*.
I figured I should mention before I jump into this post that it is not going to be one of those how to edit your instagram photos posts. And I’m not going to be talking about apps like facetune or anything like that. If you’ve scrolled through instagram and stumbled across an account with a really beautiful aesthetic theme that you wanted to recreate then this post is for you.
If you want to step up your instagram game, having a cohesive aesthetic might help. A sort of defined look and feel to you photos, like the one above. These days it’s actually so easy to create your own photo filters. So many apps have come out that are free that can help you create these aesthetic photo edits.
I wanted to mention 5 free apps that will help you create the most amazing filters for you photos. I know most of you already know or have already used most of these apps but just in case you didn’t and have been missing out on these gems, here are 5 of the best free photo editing apps to create aesthetic photo edits!
5 AMAZING FREE PHOTO EDITING APPS FOR INSTAGRAM
1. VSCO
I want to start with probably the most infamous, VSCO! VSCO gets such a bad rep, like its for shallow instagram models that carry around hydro flasks, have painfully tight ponytails created with oversized scrunchies and are always shoving metal straws at us because we need to… save the turtles. You know the girls I’m talking about, the VSCO girls… I’m just kidding around! Despite all that VSCO is actually an amazing app! It has a collection of some of the best filters out there. Like an insane amount of filters that are really good. You can download VSCO for android here and for iOS here.
The image above is just an example and tutorial of how to create presets (photo filters) on VSCO. The app has so many amazing filters and as you can see you can customize them to make pretty aesthetic photos for your feed. The only down side to this app is that you only get a number of filters for free and you have to pay to access the rest, it should be about $20 for a year. I can’t tell you if that amount would be worth it for you. You’d have to explore the app for yourself and then decide.
2. Lightroom
Lightroom is one of those apps that kinda scare people. And I understand why, it has a bit of a learning curve, and that’s for the mobile app, don’t even get me started on the desktop app. Let me tell you guys, any time you spend to actually get the hang of this app would be completely worth it! With this app you give yourself so much control over your photos and can basically transform them to look how ever you want. Create any type of filter you want. The best part is that this app is completely free for mobile. You can get it here for iOS and here for android.
I created this soul green preset using Lightroom and you can get it here if you want it… I’ll never stop screaming about this app, if you’re into any kind of photography or photo editing you definitely need this one. And the amazing thing about Lightroom is that it is not just a photo editing app, its also a great and easy way to make money online. Just go to Etsy and search for Lightroom presets and see all the people that are able to make money from selling presets. If your actually willing to learn this app, it could be such an easy stream of money.
3. Polarr
Polarr is an app that is very similar to Lightroom but don’t let that stop you from downloading it, it has its own flare. This is definitely another one of my favorite apps. I won’t lie it also has its own learning curve but once you get the hang of it, you will have such a great time editing.
Polarr can be such an easy app to use if you know this simple hack to help ease your way around it. Ok so all you need to do is search for polarr code or polarr filter on instagram or pinterest or google and you’ll find a bunch of pictures basically just like the one I shared above with a little QR code at the bottom. You can scan them and so many amazing filters for free and with basically no effort. Don’t say I never give you important life hacks guys *wink*.
4. PicArt
If you’ve been using PicsArt for a long time, like I have been, then you remember the days when it was just collages and bad filters. The app has come such a long way. And it is now one of the best apps out there that can let you create really amazing aesthetic edits of your photos. If you don’t know what I mean just take a look:
PicsArt is slowly becoming one of my favorite apps, just because of how surprisingly powerful of a tool it is for a free mobile app! I mean some of the features really do surprise me sometimes.
5. Instasize
Instasize is an app that is sort of similar to VSCO while also being its own unique app. The thing I really like about Instasize is how easy it is to use. You open the app and you sort of immediately pick it up. I guess this is good if you’re looking for an app that is easy to use that will allow you to create some pretty amazing filter really quickly and really easily.
Loved this post? Check out some of the presets that I created on Lightroom! You can actually download them for free!
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