How to Rock Your Blog Photos for Free with Snapseed

By: | February 6, 2016 | Tags: , , , , |

#Photography Snapseed FiltersDid you notice my new toy?

I’ve been playing with it for some time now.

My new fascination is evident in all my blog graphics, bar none.

The truth is my fascination is an obsession.

I am obsessed with Snapseed, a free photo-editing app that lets you perform seemingly magical effects with your photos.

The best part– Snapseed is available to both iOS and Android users and is absolutely free.

ProBlogDesign discusses the importance of a strong image. Often, no matter how well-written, a post just won’t get read without it. They call good images a “must have” for any great post.

According to research, 65% of readers are visual learners. By containing graphics, and using filters to improve them, you are making the message in your post that much stronger and understandable for the majority of your readers.

Enter Google’s Snapseed

In their Best Apps of 2016 Issue, iPhone Life Magazine calls Snapseed the “Best of the Best” for Photo Editing Apps.

Snapseed is compared by the magazine to a photo-editing program, but better. It’s what people with smartphones use to tweak their photos.

Be Creative with Different Combinations of Snapseed’s Filters

Expert Blogging Advice

Post: How to Blog Like an Expert

Rationale: I chose a purse for the following reason. Decades ago, there was a popular song. The lyrics went, “Who ya gonna call, Ghost Busters?” So, I thought of people calling the experts for when they needed expert answers to questions.

Filters: Contains cropping and a border. I used the Tune Image filter to make the pink warmer. I increased the Saturation. I used Picassa to straighten the purse, but I could have used Snapseed.

Bloggers should network to get more subscribers

Post: How to Easily Get People to Subscribe to Your Blog by Networking

Rationale: Bloggers have a reputation for liking coffee. I figured the bloggers would drink coffee if they were actually networking with each other.

Filters: Contains a border and the blurred background.

Grammarly helps writers and bloggers

Post: Never Make Grammar Mistakes Again–How to Use Grammarly

Rationale: I wanted the page to look dirty since the post was about fixing (grammar) mistakes, so I used the Grunge filter at +400.

Filters: Auto Adjusted (fine tuning)

I rotated it at a +2.55 degree angle in order to straighten the notebook.

I blurred the background which was a brown table, so the focus would be on the notebook paper. The blur was at +30 strength.

I think photos with a frame seem to pop off the page, so I used Frame 8 which had a different width than the frames I’d used before. Even the dirty frame made the photo seemed like it had mistakes on it.

#Photography Snapseed Photo Editing App

Now, look at the same photo without the filters.

Post: 5 Reasons Paper.li Will Make You See More Blog Traffic

Rationale: I thought using paper matched the topic of Paper.li, an online paper. Also, in contrast to the Grammarly photo, I thought it showed the contrast of how different you can get your photos to look depending on the combination of filters you use.

Filter: My notebook was crooked! I had no need to retake the photo. Snapseed straightened it for me with the Rotate tool.

#Photography Snapseed Photo Editing App

Post: Meet and Greet 12: New Year’s Party

Rationale: I knew I had this post coming up, and I hadn’t applied Drama yet. When I tried it, I thought it made the photo look better.

Filters: Drama

#Photography apps Snapseed

Post: Meet and Greet 12: New Year’s Party

Rationale: A 2016 cake was appropriate for a New Year’s Party

Filters: Brightness -64, Saturation, Rotation -7.25 degrees

I also cropped the photo, so the plastic box around the cake didn’t show.

#Photography Snapseed Photo Editing App

Post: How to Save Time, Money, and Stress [Cross Promotion]

Rationale: Since the post was about bloggers helping each other, I thought the teddy bears would be a cute representation of the bloggers.

Filters: I knew I would want to write the headline on the carpet, so I blurred the carpet, so the focus would be on the teddy bears.

#Photography Snapseed Photo Editing App

Post: I have a post coming up on how to make money from blogging.

Rationale: The first time I wrote about making money from blogging, I used a picture of cash in my graphic, so this time I wanted something else. I figured a cash register offered variety while keeping the same theme of money.

Filters: Noir, lens blur, retro lux, and a frame. Since the post will be about making money, I tried to use the filters to put a glow on the photo.This time, I picked a fancier frame. Although it’s a thumbnail image, can you tell there is white separating the black from the graphic? I thought the appearance of the while would make it seem like the photo had a matte, something people with money could splurge on.

How to rock your blog photos for free [snapseed]

Post: I have a post planned about new Pinterest boards all bloggers could start.

Filter: HDR Scape

Rationale: I hadn’t used this filter yet, and I wanted to display it for this article. When I applied the filter, the holes on the bulletin board looked much more obvious. I think the bulletin board looks like it’s showing signs of wear. If it looks like I need a new bulletin  board, that’s perfect for a post on new Pinterest boards.

#Photography Snapseed Photo Editing App

This might very possibly be my favorite graphic doctored with Snapseed’s filters.

Post: 5 Free SEO Tools to Help You Easily Improve Your Keywords

Rationale: The post was about little-known SEO tools. I thought of a treasure chest of obscure SEO sites.

Filters: By using Grunge, I was able to give the safe the look of a treasure chest when it’s just been discovered. I also used a Frame and a Crop.

Now look at the original photo.

#Photography Snapseed Filters

In contrast, you can plainly see how Snapseed’s filters enhance your photo to accompany the mood of your article. They actually give your article mood which engages readers since the graphic is the first thing your readers see after your headline.

A complete list of Snapseed’s filters is available in the Infographic.

#Photography Snapseed

Other things you can do with Snapseed:

Healing will get rid of spots marring your photo. Vignette and fixing red-eye are additional options.

When you are done editing your photos, you can share them with others, or Email the photo to yourself for inserting into your blog post.

Conclusion: Snapseed

In closing, Snapseed is easy to use. Any of these filters can be modified to greater or lesser degrees with a simple swipe of your finger.

In the not-too-distant past, people would use expensive photo-editing tools like photoshop. Today, many apps are free, and Snapseed is stand-out-tall among them. I hope this post sparked your creativity and inspired you to think of your own filter combinations you can apply to your photos.

I’m no mathematician, but I’m guessing the number of combinations is infinite.

Please share, so others know the benefit of Snapseed.

Readers, are you using Snapseed? Which is your favorite filter to use? Are you using any other photo-editing apps that you would recommend or advise us to avoid? I look forward to your views.

Related Posts:

4 Simple Ways to Start Blogging Creatively

6 Top Photo Effects that Will Make You Glow with Pride

6 Ways You Can Save Time Blogging, Technology You Should Know

How to Double Your Traffic Using Simple Photography Tips

Taking Blog Photos Doesn’t Have to Be Hard. Try These Ten Tips

  1. Pingback: A new photo app/2/5/2016 – Annette's place
  2. Melinda

    Another new toy! BBFFJ, I’m just amazed at all the new things you constantly find to show us! Where do you find them? How do you have the time to do all this research?? You are my hero! thanks again!
    BBFFM

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Melinda,
      Thank of all you could do to rock your purple pictures with a photo-editing app. Thanks so much for the compliments on my research and my post ideas. You are so complimentary, my ego and I love it! Thanks!
      BBFFMe

  3. John Doe

    This is a great editing app. Congradulations for finding such a wonderful new tool. I do not know how you keep doing it,you never run out of introducing new things.

  4. Barbara Radisavljevic

    Is this only for mobile users? I don’t really use any mobile devices.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jo!
      Great to hear from you! I appreciate your interest. Have fun with all the filters. Thanks for writing me.
      Janice

  5. Barb

    Wow, it seems to have everything, and more….going to check it out now. Thanks Janice!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Barb,
      It definitely does, and as I said, the combinations are endless. I think there is even a way to save your combinations to reuse them like a template. I appreciate you writing me.
      Janice

  6. Wendy Chen

    I use another photo editing app. Will check this out. Thanks for the tips!

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Wendy,
          Thanks for answering my question. Is Photoshop Express free? I remember hearing Photoshop is pricey, or at least it used to be. Thanks,
          Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debby,
      My pleasure as always. I guess it’s the teacher in me, LOL.
      Janice

  7. Pingback: How to Rock Your Blog Photos for Free with Snapseed
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  9. Hilda Solares

    Thanks Janice just downloaded this app! So appreciate all you do to assist us on our blogging journey.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Hilda,
      Great to hear from you! I am sorry I didn’t make it to your Christmas party. Thanks for reading what I wrote. Enjoy the app. The filters are fun! Thank you for your kind words. I love to help.
      Janice

  10. Lynda

    Janice,

    Thank you so much for the introduction to the “snapseed” App I’ve nothing Mobile that can handle the filters that you’ve demonstrated, and I will definitely d/l it as soon as there’sa WiFi hotspot, and yes I’m looking forward to it, and I will probably drive people mad with my enthusiasm LOL

    I’d like to ask what what Graphics/DTP software you would have been using the most ten years ago?. I miss using Xerox Ventura and Pagemaker for dtp, then for graphics it was Corel Draw, arts & Letters, pc then I got into paint shop pro and “kais power tools” – term did I just give my age away Janice?, oh well Oopsie!.

    Loving the blog btw, I like the technique you’ve honed with regards to keeping visitors on your blog reading, I’m not new to websites but I am fairly green when it comes to blogging, I can’t seem to get started properly, Janice, would you be good enough when you’ve time call in and do a blog tour?

    Warm Regards etc
    P.s. That’s what I mean, I know that my blog needs input, the subject I’m not sure but it should probably be called something like “Stay a while, vent blow off some steam” – I really want to get the figures up 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lynda,
      1. Regarding the Snapseed, post, it was my pleasure to share my love for it and hopefully inspire others to use it.
      2. Regarding ten years ago, I have been making the Yearbook for many years at my school but never really used PhotoShop or other Graphic Design Tools. Now, I use Canva for my graphics. As far as Infographics, Easel.ly, Piktochart, and Canva are my favorites.
      3. I was intrigued by your mention of a blog tour. Can you explain further what you mean by that?
      Janice

  11. Cennik - Dekor-Tech

    Hello there, I discovered your blog by using Bing when researching a similar subject, your web site came way up, it looks good. We have combined with favourites types|added onto the bookmarks. Hello there, I discovered your blog by using Bing when researching a similar subject, your web site came way up, it looks good. We have combined with favourites types|added onto the bookmarks.

  12. Shellie Bowdoin

    Good tip Janice. No matters how much I think I have learned, there’s still always something new that I know nothing about.

    Shellie

    • Janice Wald

      HI Shellie!
      Great to hear from you! Thank you for writing me. I am glad you enjoyed my Snapseed article. I am interested in technology. When I write about how technology can help bloggers, and it resonates–Janice joy. I am already planning another post about a different app that can help bloggers for March. I won’t tell you which one, though. That would be a spoiler alert. =). Thanks for the visit.
      Janice

  13. orange filter

    Thanks for sharing this nice article. I read it completely and get some interesting knowledge from this. I again thanks for sharing such a nice blog.

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