One of the questions I have been asked a lot lately is how I edit my photos for Instagram and the blog.  Before I dive into my process let me clarify, I am not a professional photographer and go with what feels right for me.  I recently decided to play around more with presets and changing the overall feel of my feed so a few of these apps will apply to older pics and what I still use on my personal Instagram account.  When I have worked with photographers I give them an idea of how I like my photos edited and let them do there magic.

Snapseed – I like to use Snapseed to adjust the exposure of my images.  I use the TUNE option and increase brightness (to about 50-60% depending on how dark the original image is), decrease shadows (roughly 10%), and finally I increase the highlight (5-15% depending on the image).  Snapseed works wonders on photos that are shot in shadows or after the sun sets.

Original image

Final edit

Facetune – This app seems to get a bad rap thanks to people blurring the hell out of their faces to look like Kylie Jenner’s twin but there are some cool features I love!  If I am shooting something that has wrinkled in the car or from sitting I use the smooth option to fix that.  I will also smooth my legs and arms if I am in a weird light situation that creates shadows.  I really love the patch option.  I use this when I want to remove something in the background of an otherwise amazing shot, to clear up any blemishes or bruises, or to remove a piece of a plant that may be in the corner of a shot drawing the eye out of the frame.  And yes, I have been known to smooth out some wrinkles from time to time because lets be real, we all have those days.

Original lighting

After using Snapseed to adjust the exposure.

Final photo with VSCO A6 filter

VSCO – Most of my photos from the last year were edited with VSCO A6, A7, A8 or S2.  I like that these made the contrast of black and white pop…especially since I wear so much black!  I always adjust the setting on any filters to be right for the image…typically between 8.2 to 9.6.

Original Lighting…

After VSCO S2

Lightroom CC – This one is new for me and I am still learning BUT I downloaded the Hello Fashion Amalfi preset and LOVE IT!  I have been using that quite a bit lately and have created a few presets of my own to slowly start adding into the mix.  I like that within the presets I can still adjust things like color, saturation, and exposure while still keeping the overall feel of the preset.

Original Lighting

After with the Hello Fashion Amalfi preset

That’s it! The four main tools I use to edit all the images for Darling Niki.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

XO, Niki