The art of aerial photography has been made more accessible in recent years due to the advent of drone technology. Now, anyone with a drone and a passion for photography can capture stunning, breathtaking aerial shots. But, what truly turns a good drone shot into a great drone shot is quality editing. And, as much as we would love to have our computer and software available at all times, editing on-the-go using mobile devices has become a common practice for drone photographers. With a plethora of apps available for both Android and iOS devices, it might be tricky to find the best one for your editing needs. This article will highlight and discuss some of the best apps available for quick drone photo edits on mobile devices
1. Adobe Lightroom Mobile
Known for delivering professional-quality image edits, Adobe Lightroom Mobile is a preferred app for many drone photographers. It offers comprehensive features that are easy to use on both Android and iOS devices. Lightroom Mobile gives you control over your images’ various aspects, including light exposure, detail, color, distortion, and grain. It also provides advanced photo editing features like gradient and radial masks. If you are a regular Adobe user, you can sync all your edits across multiple devices and platforms.
2. Snapseed
Snapseed, developed by Google, is a free app that provides a multitude of editing features. It hosts 29 tools and filters, including healing, brush, structure, HDR, perspective, among others. You can open JPG and RAW files, save your personal looks and apply them to new photos, and even edit selectively on the image. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to manipulate the image in a variety of ways. Snapseed is known for its high-quality sharpening tool and ambience filter which enhances photos wonderfully for beginners and advanced users alike.
3. Filterstorm Neue
If you’re an iOS user looking for an advanced, comprehensive photo-editing app, do check out Filterstorm Neue. Offering masking tools for selective editing, it also allows for adjustments in curves, levels, contrast, color balance, saturation, lighting and more. Filterstorm Neue’s feature set gives you the extra editing functionality that some apps lack, making it an ideal choice if you plan on doing substantial edits on your phone.
4. Pixlr
Pixlr, an editable app best known for its speed and simplicity. Available on both Android and iOS platforms, it provides over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and filters. You can create photo collages with various preset collages, grid styles, customized ratio, and background. The Auto Fix feature is a one-click fix to balance out colors, creating a photo that’s a lot closer to what your eyes see. Pixlr’s one-tap share button will instantly post your photo to your social media accounts, making it handy for social media enthusiasts.
5. Polarr
Polarr, available for download on both Android and iOS, is an excellent tool for more experienced drone photographers. Offering advanced auto-enhance tools and sophisticated filters, you can edit your images’ minute details. You can also customize your own style with selective adjustments and overlays. The app supports the editing of RAW and DNG photos, works with dual lens devices, and has customizable workspaces to cater to your editing style.
6. VSCO
VSCO, a classic editing app known for its sleek interface and phenomenal filters, serves photographers from entry-level to experts. Besides its basic editing tools like brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness, VSCO’s real strength is in its filters, designed to simulate classic and vintage film. With its community platform, you can check out other user’s work or publish your own to get exposure. Its specific Set-up for Drone Photography filter pack allows you to enhance your photos remarkable with a few clicks.
7. Afterlight 2
For iOS users, Afterlight 2 is another great app for drone photo editing. It offers an extensive list of editing tools and special effects. This one-time payment app offers raw file support, high-quality filters, and textures, advanced adjustment tools, and a dust and light leak overlay feature. For those who love to experiment with artistic and unique edits, this app is a go-to choice.
8. Prisma Photo Editor
Prisma is quite unlike other photo-editing apps. With more than 300 art styles in its Art Filter library, you can make your drone photos look like a Picasso, Munch, or even Salvador Dali artwork! Images edited on Prisma spark joy and are quite beautiful to look at, and certainly delivers on the creative front.
9. AirBrush
AirBrush is a free to use app that specializes in quick, easy retouching. Its User-Friendly Retouch Tools can help drone photographers fix a slightly imperfect part of the sky or modify a landscape color. You also get Real-Time Editing Technology to edit your drone photography right on the scene and a variety of filters to choose from.
10. TouchRetouch
TouchRetouch is a unique photo-editing app designed to deal with unwanted content in your photos. Its simplicity lies in the fact that with just a few taps, you can remove any distracting elements that might have ruined your drone shot. The app is a must-have for drone photographers seeking a quick fix for their photos.
Remember, each drone photography editing app includes different features and requires an individual approach. Try them out, experiment, and decide which meet your requirements and suit your style. Ultimately, the best app for you is the one that allows you to realize your creative vision quickly and efficiently, letting you capture, edit, and share your drone shots with the world.
