i don’t think anyone can deny, we are living in a very visual world. photos are shared and liked and tagged all over facebook, pinterest is the fastest growing social sharing site in the world, and instagram has raised so high in popularity that facebook went and bought it!
with the availability of low cost, high quality dSRL camera’s, not to mention the high quality photos we can take with our phones, anyone can have a go at taking great photographs. you no longer need to invest the money or time into a hefty program like photoshop either, there are many free options for editing and enhancing photos – even right on your phone!
so why wait? you can have some fun taking, editing, enhancing, and sharing photos right now. here are just a few examples of what you can do…
i started with a photo i took using my android smart phone.
and here it is edited, right on my phone, with instagram.
unless you have been under a rock you have probably heard of this app. instagram is both a photo editing tool (it allows you to add filters and frames to your photos to enhance their look) and a social network (you can follow other instagram users, ‘like’ their photos, leave comments, and post your photos to facebook, twitter, & tumblr). you simply take the photo, add whichever filter you like (you can turn the frame on and off) and then post to your instagram account.
this one is with another smart phone app, pixlr-o-matic:
if you love the idea of enhancing your photos right on your phone but are not interested in the social sharing aspect of instagram (or maybe you aren’t into cropping all of your photos square!) there are many other photo apps to choose from. i really like pixlr-o-matic. there is a huge array of filters to choose from, as well as adding effects like vignette or bokeh, and then a variety of frames to finish off with. i really like that you can mix and match! then you simply save and share online, or email your photo.
of course phone apps are fun, but there are also many free online photo editors that will allow you to edit, enhance, and even add text to any of your favorite digital images (without having to purchase or doewnload software. awesome!) so i set off to try a few and see what i could do...
the first one i tested was pixlr:
pixlr is very similar to using photoshop (which is what i am used to) and allows you very fine control of editing photos. if you have a keen interest is taking gorgeous photos and editing them to be just perfect, this editor seems like it would be a great choice. (plus there is also pixlr express which is perfect for anyone was a fan of the now defunct picnic).
the next on my 'must try list' was picmonkey:
i had a lot of fun trying out this editor. picmonkey is very simple to use, with a very easy & intuitive interface and a quick learning curve. if you want to have some fun with your images (adding filters, text & frames) and have some editing control without a lot of fuss, then this is a fabulous choice. (note: it looks like there will soon be a paid version to get some of the new features that are avaialbe to try now, like the photo corner frame i used.)
the last editor i tested was ipiccy
i wanted to try ipiccy because of the ability to make collages, and you can see the result at the top of this post. the actual collage interface was fun to play with, but i found the editing controls a bit tricky to figure out and it was sort of frustrating to use. i don't think i would go back to this progam for editing, but the collages feature is great, and would use it again (though picmonkey says they have a collage feature coming too so i will definitely check that out.)
so there you have it. 5 free programs that will allow you to have some fun with your photos. go have a little ‘play’ and let me know what you think! and of course, if you want to save yourself the time and frustration, i can edit & enhance your photos for you; my favorite thing is making custom portraits & collages!
tip: if you are trying to figure out any photo editing program try looking for tutorials on youtube. it will save you heaps of time!
this one is very special. i made it for for one of my long time clients after her mum passed away. not only did we include all of her favorite photos, but the border is actually a poem that her mum wrote. life is so very short, and memories are often all we have.
this one is made from a mum's favorite photos from a monumentoal occasion - a first birthday! time goes so fast doesn't it? (not only do i create a custom collage but i edit the photos as well to make them look their best.)
this one shows that you can use your favorite snapshots or even mobile phone photos to create something really special to display. let's face it - these are the photos that make your memories. the every day moments that show your children just as they are. these are the ones that should be up on your wall. right?
photo collage 
