What Are the Best Photo Apps? We Asked the Pros
Photo by David Boca / Unsplash.
Is your phone full of photos, too?
Do you wish they looked, well, better? Time to up your apps arsenal.
Many of these are pro favorites we included in our new free download, How to Take Better Travel Photos, along with a handful of others that will have you feeling like a Steve McCurry in no time.
Plan + Scout
Sygic Travel Maps
Find photogenic hotels, restaurants, shops, and sites.
Sun Seeker
Map the location of the sun to optimize light in photos.
Explorest
A collection of photographer-approved locations.
Shoot
Your Built-in Camera App
Learn to use what came with your smartphone.
Moment
An app that allows you to control shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, converting your phone into a manual camera. Also shoots in RAW file format.
Lux
A reliable and free light meter when shooting film.
Spectre Camera
Uses AI to make beautiful, long-exposure images.
Edit
VSCO
This is the one to start with. A sleek editing app and built-in camera interface that people love for the film-inspired filters.
Filmborn
Another option for high-quality filters that evoke classic films. (The claim is that these are more true to form than VSCO, but it can be hard to tell.)
Lightroom
The industry standard photo editing and organizing tool for Adobe software users.
Snapseed
A feature-packed editor that excels at adjusting specific parts of an image.
Afterlight 2
Adds white borders to photos, adjusts tones precisely, adds effects like film dust, and more
Touch Retouch
An easy way to get rid of unsightly details.
Photoshop Fix
A more sophisticated version of Touch Retouch, which can make surgical edits, like erasing and smoothing elements. (Only for Adobe users.)
Skwrt
This is great for straightening photos
Later
Plan and schedule Instagram posts and stories ahead of time.
Unum
Organize the layout of your feed to create your cohesive aesthetic.
Panoply
Also plan, organize, and schedule posts for your Instagram feed
Unfold
Stylish templates for Instagram stories.
Are we missing your favorite? Shoot us a message on Facebook or Instagram and let us know. And tag your best travel photos #FathomWaytoGo.
Thank you to Katie McKnoulty of The Travelling Light, Marcus Lloyd of This Is The Place I Was Telling You About, Natasha Lee, Marcello Masselli, and Jessica Sample for contributing.
Snap! Here's More Great Travel Photography
24 Tips to Make You a Better Travel Photographer
Our Favorite Travel Photographer Portfolios
The 24 Best Travel Apps