I always will know Instagram as my first love in the social media world. It was the first platform that I really got into and it just keeps getting better! In the past few years, I have taken my love from casual habit to obsession and have since incorporated a few other apps to my Instagram workflow. Any photo I post on IG goes through these three apps…and sometimes a few more.
Snapseed
If you are going to dive into one app to upgrade your Instagram, this is the one to start with. This app lived on my phone for a few years and I did nothing with it except use it to crop photos. I almost deleted it when my friend showed me a thing or two. Boy did that change the game! This app is way more powerful that in looks. Three of my favorite features – Details, Rotate, and Healing. I can't tell you how many cranes or lamp posts I have removed with this app. Every phone photo I post on my feed goes through Snapseed.
VSCO
After a run through Snapseed, I pull my newly edited photo into VSCO. This app is all the filters you would ever want. You can edit within this app, as well, but I prefer the user interface and features in Snapseed. Start with the filters that it comes with then slowly work your way up to purchasing some others if you like what you are getting. Because I need to know how everything works, I have downloaded all of their available filters, but only use 3-4 on the photos I post on my feed. Using a small selection of the same filters helps to give your gallery a cohesive look.
PLANN
Once you have your photos looking right, you don't want to just post them all right away. PLANN is a visual planner and scheduler. My feed is highly curated. I am picky about when and how my photos go up – not too many of the same types of photos in a row, not too many photos right away, I like to make sure photos look good next to each other – like I said, I love my Instagram! All of this may be overkill for a lot of people but PLANN will help you corral photos you have already edited. Once I have Snapseeded and VSCO'd my to hearts content, I pull photos into PLANN so I can arrange and schedule them as needed. You can also pre-draft your post as well as your hashtags. Scheduling your posts in PLANN is helpful but it WILL NOT post on your behalf, just send you a reminder to post at the time you scheduled.
If you decide to try these apps out, I would love to see what you come up with! Follow me on instagram so you can tag me in your photos + #pictureyourselfhappy for a potential feature!
