The Ultimate Guide to Photo Editing on the Go: Becoming a Pro at Portable Post-Processing
One of the many exciting things about being a photographer is that you can do it from just about anywhere. This creates many opportunities for travel and schedule flexibility, which is great news for any creative professional who appreciates a fast-paced, inspiring lifestyle.
But when it comes to post-processing your photographs, it’s important that you take the same amount of care and attention to detail on the go as you’d do at your studio desk. Portable post-processing is what’s needed when you frequently find yourself out and about and want to upload finished images. Creating ways to make your photos come alive even when you’re in between spaces is an important skill to develop for any avid photographer.
In this post, we’ll guide you through everything you need to become a portable processing pro.
7 Of The Best Post-Processing Tools For Busy Photographers
There are two main ways to photo-edit on the go. You can either edit via a laptop or you can use your smartphone. However, smartphones are far more conducive to portable editing as you really can do so from anywhere—and pop your phone in your pocket when you’re done.
Smartphones might be a lot smaller than laptops, giving you a slightly narrowed perspective of your images, but today’s mobile device options are so evolved technologically that you’ll barely notice the difference. However, when it comes to post-processing and editing your photos on a phone, the kind of software tools you use need an adjustment.
While it’s totally possible to use classic platforms like Adobe Photoshop, these high-functioning tools will take up an enormous amount of storage space and be harder to navigate on a smaller-than-usual screen. But worry not; there are plenty of other options to choose from.
Below, we have listed seven of the best portable post-processing tools that can be installed and accessed on your smartphone for easy, comprehensive photo editing that fits into your back pocket.
Owned by Google, Snapseed is an accessible full-stack post-processing app that you can use to perform a wide range of basic and advanced editing techniques. With a very user-friendly interface and easy-to-navigate system, you can achieve beautiful, complex imagery at the drop of a hat.
This convenient app offers everything you could want from a mobile-based photo editing tool. And it takes up very little space, making it easy to download with all your other apps.
While the standard Photoshop app might be a little heavy on your average smartphone, the Express version takes up less space and provides almost all of the fancy trimmings of the iconic software brand. From perspective correction to exposure to both framing and text options, Express has it all.
But even though Photoshop Express might require a slightly steeper learning curve tha
VSCO is one of the most popular and top-rated post-processing apps in the photography business. Plus, it’s actually designed for mobile use, making it perfect for anyone who feels more comfortable making edits in a smaller, more familiar format.
The filters, overlays, and tools on VSCO are not necessarily as comprehensive as the others on this list, but they can fulfill all of your basic needs as a photographer.
If Photoshop Express is still too much for you or your phone to handle on the go, Polaar Photo Editor makes an excellent replacement. Complete with an extensive range of unique filters, overlays, and editing options, you can process your photos like a pro wherever you are.
But even though Polaar Express focuses on its range of artistic filters, it is also a highly competent editing app that includes everything you need to produce professional-looking photos.
If your photography practice requires you to do a lot of object removal, Touchretouch is your go-to on-the-go editing app. It’s ideal for use in product photography, especially if you want to load new images to your online portfolio while out and about.
Instead of offering a wide range of tools, this app focuses on providing you with one excellent tool for removing and realigning textures or objects with professionalism and ease. All from the convenience of your smartphone.
Afterlight is a great photo editing app for amateurs or photographers who are still gaining experience with post-processing formats. It’s extremely easy to use and comes with a wide selection of all the basic tools you need, plus some extra ones for added depth.
This user-friendly app also comes with some interesting frames to add to your photos, similar to the ones that Adobe Photoshop provides. Additionally, it takes up very little space on your phone.
If you are an architecture photographer, SKRWT just became your new best friend. With a built-in perspective and symmetry overlay, it allows you to quickly identify what the aspect-ratio issues are with your photos and provides a solution to making your photos as aligned as visually possible.
This perspective and lens correction app gets rid of any converging lines and also eliminates lens warp to create the ideal perspective.
Make Your Photography Career More Travel-Friendly
Being a photographer is an exciting and fulfilling career choice that allows for so much experimentation. As mobile phones can now take high quality images that compete with a DSLR, and lenses, rigs, tripods, and other mobile accessories are readily available, there’s no reason to limit your creativity. This extends to post-processing, too.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to make your photo editing process more portable. And most of them are as simple as installing an editing app on your smartphone.
While iconic tools like Adobe Lightroom might be available for download on mobile devices, they slow down phone performance and can be tricky to navigate on such a small screen.
However, the above seven post-processing apps are the perfect combination of accessible, easy to navigate, portable, and high quality. By having the right mobile tools for post-processing, you can enjoy a more dynamic and flexible approach to photography.
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About the author: Trent (IMDB | Youtube) has spent 10+ years working on an assortment of film and television projects. He writes about his experiences to help (and amuse) others. If he’s not working, he’s either traveling, reading or writing about travel/film, or planning travel/film projects.
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