Product Review

If you’ve discovered the joy of Instagram already, beware… reading this post will blow your instagram lovin’ mind! If you’ve yet to discover one of the most popular photo apps on iPhone and Android this post may change your life…

design elements source /// rhonna designs insta lovin’ bundle 1 & 2

I have been bitten by the Instagram bug pretty hard. I love the idea of capturing life in fun little photos randomly throughout the day.  You can do as much or as little as you want. There are no rules.

Some people participate in fun photo a day challenges like the Photo a Day challenge from Fat Mum Slim. Or smaller challenges like the one I’m doing right now called Project Lipstick from Fresh Mommy Blog by Tabitha Blue.  This challenge is only for a week. I tend to have commitment issues, so the week long challenge is a little better for me.

What I’ve really fallen in love with is the creative side of Instagram. There are hundreds of other photo apps that help you enhance your photos above what you can already do with Instagram.  Some apps even have a bit of a digital scrapbook feel which I like. I have people asking me all the time what apps I use, so I thought I would list my 10 favorite. I’m going to start with #10 and then work my way up to the ones I use the most, all they way up to my all time favorite #1.

Now keep in mind… I use an iPhone so all of the apps are from the Apple App Store. I’m not sure of the availability in other formats.

Cuptakes /// $.99

Cuptakes is actually an app that has a library of wallpapers for your iphone.  What I have done with Cuptakes is create a screen shot of all the wallpapers that I like and then keep it in a separate album in my photo section. Then when I need a fun background for a photo collage I can find one there.  Here is a screen shot from my album…

Pros /// Fun colorful designs that are updated monthly.

Cons /// You can’t directly use in a photo app.

Label Box /// Free*

Label Box is a fun way to add a “washi tape” effect to your Instagram photos. I use it a bit, when I have a picture that I would like to add a little flair to. 

Pros /// Label Box has some super cute labels that you can dress your pictures up with.

Cons /// You have to *pay for premium labels {which of course are the ones you want} and it’s $.99 for a set of four. I ended up paying $3.00 for mine. I’m not in love with the fonts selection that they have so I generally leave the tapes blank and add the lettering in another app.

Here is a sample of what you can create with Label Box…

Picfx /// $1.99

Picfx is a fun and easy to use app where you can play with all kinds of effects with you photos. You can change the colors, create a vintage look, black & white… My favorite effects are all the fun effects that play with light in your photo called bokeh effects.  Picfx has some that are fabulous and not too intrusive to the photo.

Pros /// Several different effects for adding that creative touch to your photos.  I especially love the Light Set. This app is easy to use and easy to understand. Even beginners can pick this one up.

Cons /// Can’t really think of any, love it.

Here is a shot that I enhanced with the Light Set from Picfx. It was enhanced with a couple of other apps, but it shows off the bokeh that I was talking about…

Cuptakes Frames /// $1.99

Cuptakes Frames is created by the same crew that created Cuptakes. This app however, let’s you place one of your photos from your camera roll with in the frames that they have created to use as your wallpaper on your phone.

Pros /// Fun and stylish frames that are updated every month with several new frame options.

Cons /// The frames are lovely, but you can’t do anything else with the photo and you have no ability to change the photo window size.

Here is a photo that I inserted into a Cuptakes Frame. The collage aspect is from another app…

Lens Light /// $.99

Lens Light is another fun way to play with light in your photos. You can add that ever popular bokeh, or fun light leaks, stars or hearts to your photos. You could sit and play with this fun app for quite awhile. 

Pros /// So many different options for light play with you photos, I LOVE it!!

Cons /// It’s a little more advanced that the Picfx but easy enough to learn. You just have to play around with it a bit before you find your groove. Totally worth it though.

Here is a photo that I used the Lens Light app with. The lettering is from another app…

Bubble Frame /// $.99

Bubble Frame is one of my favorites!  It’s relatively new to the photo app game, but has become super popular pretty fast.  This app allows you to create photo bubbles, if you will.  You create a fun background and then create bubbles for your photos. I use this app a ton and I ADORE it!!

Pros /// So many fun, creative options with you photos… I LOVE this app!!

Cons /// It’s early in the life of the app so the selection is a little small, but they are working hard to build their design options.  The release that will be coming out soon has some fabulous designs from Miss Whippy Cake herself!!

I am going to give you two different photos of mine that I have used Bubble Frame with, just so I can show the versatility…

 

Camera+ /// $.99

Camera+ is hands down the first place I go to enhance my photos.  This is the app that helps you to brighten your photos and help to crisp them up a bit. Plus they have some photo effect options.  I don’t really use the camera part of the app, just the light room portion mostly. I’m just used to the regular camera that came with my phone. This is one of those apps that can take a ho-hum pic and create a stunning photo.

Pros /// This is a powerful app that can help enhance your photo library. Totally worth the money, love this app!

Cons /// It’s a little more challenging and will take some time to get the hang of, but totally worth it!!

Here are two versions of the same photo, the one on the left is enhanced with only the Clarity function in Camera+.  It can take the dull photo on the right and make it amazing!!

Insta Lovin’ /// Starts at $6.00 

Here we are getting down to my absolute FAVORITES!!! Here is another newbie to the block, but I know will make some MAJOR waves in the Instagram world.

InstaLovin’ from Rhonna Designs is the bread to my butter. This is not an app that you would buy on your phone.  It is a series of digital design kits that you purchase on your computer and then add them to your phone through iTunes and the Photo app. This my friends is going to change the face of Instagram as we know it.

Pros /// You can create some of the most stunning pieces of digital art, just on your phone. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these digital kits. I can’t say it enough.

Cons /// It does take a bit to load onto your phone, but you can figure it out with some great video tutorials that you receive when you purchase the kit.  They are a little pricier, but worth the money.

I’m going to show off four of my favorite pics that I have used Rhonna’s Insta Lovin’ designs on.  Also, all of the design elements on this post are from the Insta Lovin’ bundles… Isn’t that cool, you can use them with all of your digital designs, not just on your phone.  Almost all of the images come in a png format, and brush format {for use in PSE or PS} and a TTF {True Type Font or ding bat} the TTF is what you will use on your phone.

As with most of my photos, I’ve used several different apps so for this example you are just looking at the digital design elements, not the backgrounds or bubbles and such…

 

 

Phonto /// Free

Phonto is another super fav…The minute saw someone put writing on one of their Instagram pics, I knew I needed to figure out how.  Phonto is by far my favorite typography app, plus you can use the Insta Lovin’ digital designs with it. You can easily add text to any of your photos.

Pros /// SUPER easy to use and a fabulous library of fonts to choose from, plus you can add your own True Type Fonts if you would like. LOVE it!!

Cons /// I don’t really have any at all!!

You’ve seen some of my photos already with text added to it, but here’s one more just for good measure…

Fuzel Pro /// $1.99

Fuzel Pro is I think hands down my favorite app right now for use with Instagram. This app takes the idea of creating photo collages and bumps it up SEVERAL notches.  You can use their collages, or you have a cutting tool that you can cut and slice away to create a piece of Instagram art out of your photos.

Pros /// The app is so well designed, the user interface is clean, stylish and easy to navigate. You have so many options with this app, you never feel like your hands are tied.  I ADORE this app, and will never need to look for another frame app ever again. This one is too powerful to even waste my time or money.

Cons /// I don’t really have any, I LOVE it!!

Here are some examples of what I’ve created with Fuzel Pro…

 

 

So there you have it… My top ten favorite apps for Instagram. What are some of yours? I would LOVE to follow you guys on Instagram. Leave a comment here with your user name and I will look ya up… You can follow me at WhipperBerry or just click here to follow me via Followgram.