Good graphics can make your post and a bad picture can break it. Most small business owners don't have a regular photographer or the ability to hire one and, let's face it, stock photos will only get you so far.
Don't worry, though. There are plenty of ways to fix your photos, even if they look like they came fresh off an old polaroid.
Here are four free or cheap apps that can make your photos ready for prime time viewing:
A Color Story sounds like the name of a Pixar short, but it's actually a fairly easy-to-use photo editing app that focuses on---you guessed it---color. A Color Story has a large selection of filters that can make your photos stand out, and is particularly effective for product photos.
It features a sliding scale that allows you to adjust your photos, as well as additional tools that will tweak the contrast and clarity of them. If you find that you continually make the same photo mistakes---or have to take pictures in the same kind of lighting condition---you can save your adjustments to apply them to every photo you take. It is free for IOS and Android.
Snapseed is another photo editing app that is good for sections of your pictures. This is effective for photos taken partially in the light and partially in the shade, or with contrasting colors that don't reproduce equally in your images. Simply tap on the area you want to edit, select one of the four editing options (brightness, contrast, saturation or structure) and adjust them by swiping left or right. Snapseed is also a free app.
Pixomatic is one of our favorites. It makes blurring out a distracting background a breeze, making the subject you want to concentrate on pop out and grab the viewer's attention. With Pixomatic, you upload the photo and trace around the image you want as a focal point with your finger. (It's okay if your outline isn't perfect, but it should be as close as possible). Then you tap 'blur' to blur the background and swipe left or right to adjust the intensity. You can also save your focal image to import it into other photos. Pixomatic is $4.99 for iOS, but free with in-app purchases for Android.
TouchRetouch is the app you've always wanted, because it allows you to take unwanted images out of the background (or, sometimes, even the foreground) of a photo. It'll cost you $1.99, but it's worth it. How many times have you taken the perfect photo, only to realize there's a blemish in the background? It works on photobombers, too. Check out this video, if you're a disbeliever.
Those are just four of the apps out there that will make your amateur photos look like professional snapshots. Do you know any others? Let us know in the comments!