These days we spend more time on our phones than well almost anything else. So it makes sense that we're also using our phones to edit, share, and create stories. I often get asked what I use to edit my photographs (right now it's these presets), how I make custom Instagram stories, tips for a cohesive feed, and how to add vintage vibes to videos. So I'm sharing all of my secrets today--all of my top apps that can help you craft unique and personal stories and photographs right on your phone. All of these are all quite user friendly (I'm definitely not a tech expert!) and free with the option of additional purchases in-app; the free versions of all of these are quite solid and worth checking out/using with no additional investment.
For Photo Editing: I do most of my photography edits on my computer, but whenever I am editing on the fly I use Lightroom Mobile. It's a very handy, easy-to-use editing app with a lot of substance; I feel like other apps depend on flashy filters rather than serious editing. Lightroom Mobile is really the mobile version of their desktop editing, if you want to control your brightness, highlights, clarity, play with curves, etc, this app does all that. I can even import my presets (the ones I sell) into the app to make for speedier edits (even the free version of this app lets you import presets). Being able to use my presets on my phone is so handy for consistency in my edits across all platforms and helps me maintain my editing style when I don't have access to my computer or want my stories--which I always shoot on my phone--to look like my main photographs, which are shot on my camera. The above pictures are all edited with different presets from my Bloom Pack.
For Creative Instagram stories: Unfold is the best app for unique Instagram stories! Within this app you can add frames or different affects to your pictures as well as layering fonts on top. My favorite collection of edits in the app is the "Ripped Paper 1" collection that looks like torn pages or folds on old paper. I use it often and always get asked how I add that affect! It's super easy to use and really adds a nice depth to your photographs. You can also build collages in the app. I always bring in already color edited photographs, for me this app is more about editing the layout or framing of a story. Another popular style in the app is a retro film-inspired frame that makes your pictures look like old photobooth or film pictures. The app is free but some of the effects/frames do cost money.
For videos: Filmm app is hands down my favorite video app. It was released in 2019 and it already has so many good updates since then. Now you can add several clips together in the app to combine them seamlessly into one video, in addition to all of the other effects within the app. There's a ton of fun vintage-inspired filters and layering effects you can add to your videos in the app, but what really separates this app from others is the ability to edit video almost exactly like a photograph. You can adjust brightness, saturation, or even the saturation of specific colors. And the app comes with loads of music within it. I use the songs often in my stories and get asked so many questions as to where my music is from! The app is free and offers in-app purchases for further filters and effects.
For planning my grid: I like my Instagram profile to flow together so one extra step I do is planning my grid out in advance. Click here for a post where I discuss why you might also want a cohesive feed and how to plan one in greater detail. I use Preview app to sync my active Instagram feed and then add in new photographs as I have them to create a sense of balance. I don't try to be too strict with how I post things, but it helps me realize if I'm sharing five pictures of the back of my head all in a row and makes me choose different photographs for more variety and balance.

by Taryn Knight

Do you ever find a sweet illustration and it just makes you feel all warm and cozy? Well, all three of the artists in today's post make me feel that way. Their work is truly lovely and makes me so excited for autumn and cozy nights in with candles lit and books to read. All of them have Instagram accounts where you can follow their work and Etsy shops if you want to support them as well. I love following them and seeing updates of their work; each new drawing adds a sprinkle of magic to my day--it's like when you delve into a good book and it makes you look at the world a little differently. Toadstools look like perfect umbrellas for autumn mists and warm tea is like a hug on a brisk night.  

Mori Raito on Instagram & Etsy Ghost Puff on Instagram & EtsyTaryn Knight on Instagram & Etsy

Lately one of my most frequently asked questions on Instagram is what I'm using to edit my stories and what I'm using to shoot with. As stories are more casual I shoot all mine on my phone; even my hair tutorials and slow-motion runs are shot on my phone (an Iphone 6) using the built-in slow-motion option. One tip for slow-mos, either for running shots or serene butterflies, is to shoot the video in a the slow-motion mode whether the one standard on your phone or via an app; if you add the slow-motion affect in later to a video shot in a regular mode you will lose quality and it won't be as smooth. People thinking some of those videos or photographs are shot on a more serious camera though is just proof what a bit of quick editing can do. So many apps these days are just as effective as the platforms you'd traditionally use to edit on your computer, but take half the time to achieve the same effects.
Unfold App: This is one of my most used apps on my phone and the one I think gets me the most questions! Unfold lets you add unique borders to your photographs which makes for eye-catching stories. It also has options for collaging several photographs together in interesting ways which is quite handy as so few editing apps allow you to collage photographs. My favorite frames right now are the ones that give an affect of folded paper or torn edges, but there's also simpler frames with clean lines if you prefer a simpler look. Another popular style that have is a retro film-inspired frame that makes your pictures look like old photobooth or film pictures. The app is free but some of the effects/frames do cost money.
Filmm App for videos: The same team behind the AColorStory app launched Filmm app earlier this year and it is a gem. Most video editing apps only have a few options, but Filmm works similar to photo editing apps by offering loads of filter packs by theme, many with a retro or vintage editing effect. Each pack comes with a few color editing filters and extra effects like grain or sunflare. My favorites are the '8mm' pack and the 'oui' pack which I use quite often to give my IG story videos a bit of extra pizazz. It also allows you to do more basic edits like making something brighter/darker, adding saturation, etc, so it really covers the gamut of what you might need to edit videos. It's one of my favorite new apps and really fits a need I had previously in editing--when I shot video before it was hard to make it feel and look like the rest of my pictures, but this does that. It's also so easy to just brighten or add a bit of warmth to videos that end up looking far too blue because they're shot indoors with poor lighting. The app is free and offers in-app purchases for further filters and effects.
Lightroom mobile: I still prefer editing my main photographs for my Instagram on my computer rather than my phone, but the Lightroom editing app is a great tool that bridges the gap between the two that I can use in a pinch or while traveling. I can even import my presets (the ones I sell) into the app to make for speedier edits (even the free version of this app lets you import presets). Being able to use my presets on my phone is so handy for consistency in my edits across all platforms and helps me maintain my editing style when I don't have access to my computer or want my stories--which I always shoot on my phone--to look like my main photographs, which are shot on my camera. The above pictures are all edited with different presets from my Bloom Pack.
AColorStory: I don't use AColorStory now as much as I used to since you can only use filters or presets already in the app to edit with, but it's still a very handy tool for the speediest of edits. For example, if I take several pictures in a day I can batch edit them in AColorStory which saves so much time when previously I would have had to edit each one individually. And while you can't bring outside filters into AColorStory you can "build" your own within the app by saving your editing steps. Basically at the end of an edit you have the option of saving all your editing steps, then the next time you bring a picture into the app to edit you can apply those saved steps as a personally designed filter. It also can help you plan your feed if you want a more cohesive look (read my blog post here about creating a cohesive IG) with their handy grid tool.

rebekahbethany 

Here's a few recent favorites from my #quietinthewild hashtag. Quiet in the wild is all about finding peace in the wilds of nature; it's that moment of calm when you're surrounding by towering trees and feel utterly disconnected from the busyness of life and reconnected with nature. As we head into spring, quiet in the wild can be found in every new fluttering green leaf. Please add your moments of quiet in nature to the hashtag, or just take a scroll through everyone else's if you can't escape to the wild today... 

 kalinkajam biancajaray seasonaltales jayde_archives sagamariah_floral notestothemoon

Pictures of flowers are some of my favorites no matter the season, but especially as we head into early spring I'm craving all of the growing and blooming things! If it isn't quite looking like spring in your region yet, then these Instagrammers will help put you in the spring mood. Yasminemei is a lovely florist based in California and I really love the unique mix of colors and textures in her bouquets. Rebekah Bethany isn't an exclusive flower 'grammer, but clearly like myself has an eye for pretty blossoms. I especially love her photographs that combine books, tea, and fresh blooms. One of the prettiest accounts I've found recently though has to be Ann Wood's; she creates the most magical paper flowers that almost seem prettier than the real thing. For soothing photographs of flowers mooncanyon is my absolute favorite. Each of her photographs looks more like a painting and she makes even the humble pansy look mesmerizing.

yasminemei rebekah bethany woodluckermooncanyon

So if you don’t know what I mean by “the algorithm” then this post probably won’t be super relatable to you (or maybe it will! who knows?!). But for those familiar with Instagram, the *new* algorithm is something that comes up again and again as a point of frustration. In short, awhile back Instagram changed the feed from chronological to algorithm based and since then many users have found their posts receive less likes and attention, and even reach less of the people actually following them. The last point is probably the largest point of contention and area of frustration—that people who decided to follow you on their own now don’t even see your posts. Honestly I don’t have the answers; I can’t promise tips that will help you improve your engagement or get more followers, but maybe these suggestions can at least improve your overall experience.
1. Highlight someone else. When you’re feeling especially frustrated by your lack of reach, your lack of engagement: shout-out your favorite accounts in your Instagram stories. Don’t write the people ahead of time, don’t ask for anything in exchange, just share. Share a few favorite pictures from the last week or accounts that consistently inspire you, instead just share. Pass the inspiration on and be an encouragement to someone else probably struggling with the same feelings you have. Especially focus on a small accounts who might really benefit or appreciate the mention. Be the light to someone else who might be feeling the same things you are feeling.
2. Get involved in a new, small hashtag. You can start your own hashtag or merely find a new, preferably small one to follow and love. Try to be active in that hashtag—find some new accounts to follow and like. Make some new friends. Within a smaller, newer hashtag you can really connect with people and build a tight knit community. Sometimes you feel lost in the crowd on Instagram and hashtags can help you find your community.
3. Set challenges for yourself you can achieve with no one else’s help. This was a big thing to me when I started blogging—I didn’t have friends who were interested and I had to learn how to take my own pictures because there was no one around to help. In the end though it made my creativity dependent only on me—if I was willing, I would find a way to do it. Similarly, set challenges for yourself that you can achieve that aren’t dependent on other people liking or commenting on your content. Maybe you want to post more often, or challenge yourself to try a new creative idea once a week (or once a month! make it something you can achieve). Figure out a way to set goals for yourself that don’t depend on anyone else and then feel the success of achieving those goals. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
4. Listen to Me and Orla’s podcast Hashtag Authentic. I suppose I ought to call her Sara Tasker, but I think of people as their usernames so she’s always Me and Orla in my mind. Names aside, I feel like I recommend her podcast to people at least once a week. It’s for all sorts of creatives and honestly, from her soothing voice, to her realistic tips, it’s just an absolute treat. It’s not just for “Instagrammers” or bloggers or any set thing at all, it's for everyone who is or wants to be creative. The podcast has the best, practical advice and honestly, makes you feel good when you listen to it.
5. Take a break. I love the Internet and I’m slightly addicted to my phone, so I’m not about a “phone detox” or whatever you might call it. But it’s sort of like that classic idea of whether you should stay home waiting for the guy to call, or go out and have something to tell him when he does call. If we spend too long on the Internet or apps we don’t have as much to add to the story—the material that adds to those corners comes from the outside world. So even if it’s just setting a few hours a day aside, it can really enrich the content you share. Don't forget to step away from it all and do something creative or fun that isn't for "the 'gram."

As I said earlier, these tips won't necessarily help improve your statistics or "fight" the algorithm, but they can improve your overall experience on the app and your day. Getting sincere thanks from someone who appreciated your mention can be so much more powerful than a new faceless extra follows or empty likes. There's more than one way to measure success and it's up to you to decide how you measure your experience and success.