How to Edit Instagram Photos

In order to make your Instagram page popular, it is no longer enough just to take some high-quality shots – you need to know how to edit Instagram photos. You should know everything about basic image editing, current trends as well as use a variety of apps. In this article, I will cover the topic on how to edit pictures on Instagram like a fashion blogger. 

How to Edit Photos for Instagram Like a Blogger?

Instagram provides some simple photo editing features. If you're interested in this article, you are most likely looking for Instagram picture edits that will turn your photos into something special. So, here are several recommendations on how to edit Instagram photos in an effective way.

Tip 1. Try the Latest Instagram Editing Trends

Always follow the most famous Insta bloggers and photographers to know all the latest photo editing styles and trends to make you profile catchy and remarkable.

Awesome Photo Collages for Insta-worthy Posts and Stories

When the Unfold application appeared, it paved the way for the collage trend. Insta lovers started using its library of clean and up-to-date templates for creating their unique Instagram Stories.

Recently, one more Instagram Stories template application appeared. It is called StoryLuxe and it attracted a lot of users. It offers a large number of dynamic templates such as Polaroid and instant film, floral, neon, etc.

Extraordinary Filters with Unique Effects

Instagram users are fond of adding unusual details like paint strokes, sparkles and other non-trivial effects to their pictures. This way you differentiate your content and make it more striking. If you tend to make your photos more dynamic, use A Design Kit, which is designed by the developers of A Beautiful Mess and A Color Story.

Retro-Style Picture Editing

Instagrammers love to use old-style film filters and vintage effects as you my seen on film photography. While the commonly used HUJI seems to be an “old school”, Instagram users are searching for new and easy ways to achieve the vintage look for their pictures.

That is why many of them started using a cool Prequel app. It is one of the best apps which adds various grainy textures, VHS and film filters to your photos.

Beige Tones Give Your Feed an “Antique” Look

Beige, neutral and cream tones are intensively used by Instagram users. This picture editing trend gives the photo a vintage look and slight elegance. To get an “antique” effect and save natural tones, I recommend you VSCO Lightroom presets. These desaturated filters make it possible to create eye-catching images.

Black & White Photos Are Coming Back

Although in 2019 some profiles were dedicated to Instagram aesthetics with a selection of brand colors or shades, we can see the tendency of black and white pictures becoming increasingly popular. B&W photos allow you to post any content without worrying that it will drastically alter your color scheme. Although it is still essential to ensure coherence in your imagery, I recommend you post monochromatic images as seldom as possible.

The “Glitch” Effect Attracts the Viewers’ Attention

These “glitches” are frequently used by such celebrities as Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian. You can see this effect in static photos or in videos.

It is also possible to download Glitch Cam, free real-time filters from Glitché that allows creating amazing visual content.

Tip 2. Take High-Quality Photos

The best way to create a visually appealing Instagram post is to take a photo by a digital camera. Try to take several shots in natural light. If you shoot in low light, it is better to use the HDR mode.

The same you can do while taking close-ups or outdoor portrait photography. Choose a picture that will fit Instagram. If your photo is rather small, it may look blurry with a rough texture. It is better to choose the 1080p photo. The app will cut your image into a square by default, but it is possible to adjust it to fit the whole width or height.

Tip 3. For Professional Results Use Other Apps

Instagram includes some built-in photo editing tools. However, they are very amateurish. If you want to become a popular blogger or just want to attract more followers, you need more powerful features as Lightroom or Photoshop has.

Tip 4. Use Basic Instagram Filters

From Clarendon to Skyline, each effect is unique. With these exclusive filters, you can change not only the tones of the photo and the way it looks, but also the way it feels. Have a look at some of my favorite Instagram filters and learn how they affect the image:

Moon Filter

Download Professional Lightroom Presets

If you want to get a popular black and white effect, highlight the shadows and make your picture more vivid, use this filter. In addition, it gives your photo a vintage flavor.

Valencia Filter

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It makes your colors warmer, gives the image a vintage feel. Valencia doesn’t totally wash out colors.

Crema Filter

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This filter desaturates colors and adds a creamy, vintage look to your photo. Highly recommended for the photos without too bright colors.

X Pro II Filter

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This filter adds a contrast and vignette edges. Moreover, it makes the colors more vibrant. The best choice for travel photos.

Lo-Fi Filter

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It is suitable for travel and street photography. The filter makes the picture highly-saturated with rich colors. It also adds deep shadows.

Lark Filter

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This filter desaturates reds and intensifies blue and green colors. It is excellent for landscape and street photography.

Hefe Filter

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This unique filter adds a vintage effect to your pictures with a darker frame. The yellow tint makes the scenery spectacular and mysterious.

Tip 5. Prefer Clarendon Filter

The most popular Instagram pic edit filter is Clarendon. It allows you to brighten your image, making it appealing to the viewers. Clarendon is first on the list, so, maybe, this is the reason it is so commonly used.

You may regulate the intensity of any chosen filter by double-clicking on it. You can set a sliding scale from 0 (there won’t be any changes) to 100 (you can receive the full effect). If you have chosen your favorite filter to edit Instagram photo, use it on all your posts to give your image a special and unique look. This way your content will stand out. It is worth mentioning that 60% of the leading brands apply the same filter to each post.

If you want, it is possible to reorder or even delete the filters you rarely use. Just scroll to the end of the list and choose Manage. You can order the filters according to your preferences by dragging them.

Tip 6. Use Lux Adjustments

After you have chosen the most appropriate filter, I recommend experimenting with the Lux setting. To do this, click on the sun icon which is located above the photo. With Lux adjusts, it is possible to regulate the contrast and exposure. You can also add dimensions to your images to make them more attention-grabbing. 

Slide the scale and adjust the Lux according to your preferences. To increase the contrast and intensity of the photo, just move the slider to the right. To decrease them – move it to the left.

Portrait Pro Lightroom Presets

Download Professional Lightroom Presets

For Instagram photo editing you can use not only the built-in filters of the app, but also use these wonderful, professional presets that will help to make any portrait beautiful.

Tip 7. Use Other Settings

Choose the edit button in the lower right corner to customize extra options. Do not forget to check the alignment. I recommend doing it if the crooked picture on the wall makes you mad.

It is possible to create your own filter thanks to Instagram editing options. You can:

• Give a Polaroid-like picture a vignette look
• Change the structure settings to add contrast and make your photo sharper 
• Increase saturation to receive bright colors or reduce it to add a fading effect

Tip 8. Edit Photos for Instagram Individually

If you prefer to use convenient Instagram feature that allows uploading up to 10 pictures at once, do not forget about the quirk that may happen during the process of image editing. For example, you want to upload a bunch of pictures of your kitten. I would choose the one to make an Instagram post and then click the album icon to choose several images at the same time. As usual, you will start choosing a filter from the menu. 

Just hold on! If you select one filter, it will be applied to all your pictures. As you see, it is essential to edit photos for Instagram individually. To do this, you will need to select the Venn-diagram icon which is located in the corner of each image.

Tip 9. Use Free Photo Editing Apps

Are you wondering how to edit Instagram photos professionally without investing money? Use free photo editing apps. Look at the list below and examine their main image editing functions.

Tip 10. Share Photos at Once or Post Them Later

If you want to share the picture right now, then do it after adding all relevant information. Mention a geotag, a caption, and tag any relevant Instagram users. Finally, click the “Share” button.

If you are not quite ready to publish the photo but want to save the changes, pay attention to this great hack. Turn on the airplane mode on your device. It allows using Instagram as an image editor but still do not share the results with your followers. But first, make sure you have saved the original pic. After that, turn on airplane mode.

Android devices. If you have Android phone or tablet, then you need to swipe down from the screen top, and after that from right to left. You must find “Settings” and choose there “Airplane mode”. Turn it on. That’s all.

iPhone/iPad. Activating the “Airplane mode” is done in a few simple clicks. First, swipe up from the screen bottom and click the airplane icon. You can also just go to “Settings” and then “Wi-Fi”, and turn “Airplane mode” on.

Ready? Well done. Now you need to return to the editing screen and click on the “Share” button. Finally, you will see a message about the failure of file uploading. Don’t worry as the necessary shot is automatically saved to the gallery.

10 FREEBIES for Instagram Picture Editing

Users who want to know how to edit Instagram pictures at the professional level should try these free tools for Lightroom and Photoshop.  Just download them and start creating unique pictures which will help attract plenty of followers.

Orange and Teal

This preset makes an accent on blue and orange hues. They become more attractive. As for cold tones, they are getting warmer. This Lightroom preset can be applied both to pictures taken inside and outdoors.

Creamy Look

Do you want to make the photo lighter? Then creamy and soft preset is what you really need. It perfectly suits photos taken outdoors as well as pics with blurred background. It means you can easily smooth the skin tone and draw viewers’ attention to the main subject of the image. Feel free to use it while editing wedding photos or portraits.

Pure Skin

If you are a fan of a film style photo editing, then pay attention to “Pure” preset. It will help achieve both faded tones and good sharpness. In the result, the pics will be warm with a desaturated look. These features are typical for film style photo editing.

Pastel

Looking for a universal preset? This plugin will become a perfect choice for editing a wide range of photos. Newborn, wedding, family or love story shots will become attractive in just a few clicks. Airy preset will help achieve a pastel glow in a matter of seconds.

Saturation

In case you want to make an accent on the cold tones in the portrait, choose this preset. It will change the overall impression of the photo if there are many blue tones. You’d better apply this filter if you want to edit Instagram photo taken outdoors. It will not be as useful in the case with studio pictures.

Smooth Skin

Ideal skin is one of the most important factors that influence the overall impression of the photo. That's why it is very important to be careful while editing portraits. This action will do such work perfectly. As a result, you won't disturb the skin structure but make it shine as much as possible. Action helps delete dark circles, acne, scars, etc. What is more, it doesn't affect such face parts such as lips, eyes, and hair.

Sharpening Eyes

What is more attractive than expressive eyes when it comes to the photo? Apply this action to enhance their color, add some highlight and shine. Adjust the filter in accordance with the person’s appearance. Try any of available blending effects for Hue and Saturation like Color Dodge, Overlay or Soft Light. Experiment and look at the changes in the iris of the model's eyes.

Black and White Effect

Do you like black, white, and grey hues in the photo? Then pay attention to this action for Photoshop. If you prefer white and black images to bright ones, then this action will help you achieve a monochrome look. Feel free to apply it to any photography genre as it is a classical image editing tool.

Dust Overlay

All lovers of old movies will definitely like this overlay. The vintage look is achieved by adding thin vertical stripes to the picture. This overlay can help with creating a true masterpiece in a few clicks.

Vintage Overlay

Choose this overlay to edit photos for Instagram if they look dark and have cold hues. It will make the image warmer while enhancing lighting as well. Now your portraits and family photos will look great.