Best iPhone Photo Apps

Even though I pride myself on being a DSLR photographer, I have come to appreciate iPhonography. Sometimes the only camera you have is your phone, and you have to make that work without having a choice. More than that, I think iPhone cameras (sorry Android) can take some beautiful photos if you have the right tools! My Instagram uses both DSLR photos and iPhone pictures, so I have become a pro at mixing the two.

Today, I want to share some of my favorite photo apps that I use regularly! Most of these are editing apps, but I have a few other random apps I use when making Instagram content.

VSCO | Filters, photo editing, etc.

Everyone who's anyone uses VSCO. I have a bunch of presets that I use on my desktop with Lightroom, but somehow the mobile filters are still some of the best filters out there. I generally use this app for my iPhone photos in order to make them more cohesive and artsy. My current favorite filter is M5, and I usually will bump up the contrast + sharpening + clarity + the warm tones when I edit things.

Polarr | Desaturation, more specific photo editing

This app has some interesting filters, but I usually use it for specific photo editing hacks. It has a more professional set of features - mainly the specific color saturation adjustment which is what I like to use. It also has a cool fringe feature that I like to use when I'm trying to be really artsy. Otherwise, I generally just bring down the orange & yellow saturation in the HSL section.

A Color Story | Light leak effect, filters, coloring

I rarely use this app, but when I do it always blows me away. The filters in this app really boost your colors in a unique way. I also love using it to add fake light leaks and flares. You can get access to more features by purchasing in the app, but I just use the free version for the most part.

Huji | Disposable camera effects

I'm sure you've seen people using this app recently - mainly because it has a cool little time stamp in the corner. My friend introduced me to this after we both talked about wishing we could use film instead of just our phones to take photos. This app is basically like a digital version of a disposable camera (complete with wacky light leaks) and it's my current obsession. I love how unique all the photos look and I don't even have to edit them when they're done because they look so...old school. 

UN UM | Curating my Instagram accounts

I'm sure there are many apps out there where you can plan out your Instagram, but I was introduced to this app last year, and I've been using it ever since. UN UM has a number of features, and if you upgrade to their Elite plan you can even track your followers and posts! (I won a subscription somehow...I don't even know lol) It's super helpful if you have a theme or you want to just plot out which photos you want to post next.