If you are an Instagram addict, here you have 5 free apps to tell creative stories.

Instagram is more than just an app for photo filters, it’s a community to share stories. And sometimes, the app’s built-in features aren’t good enough to tell the story you want to. But there are some innovative third-party apps that let you get creative with Instagram.

Third-party apps for Instagram are nothing new. In fact, some Instagram clients are better than the official app. Of course, you will still have to use the official app to upload your images, but these third-party apps let you do some cool edits to them before uploading. From adding captions to a Flipbook-like collection of photos, this is how you can tell a better story on the world’s most popular social photo community.

Yes, Instagram has captions. Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words. But haven’t you sometimes felt like just adding text right on your image? It’s one of the best ways to tell a story without taking the eye away from the photo itself. Quick is the easiest way to do that.

Available for free on Android and iOS, all you need to do is select an image from your gallery or take a new photo with your camera. Quick will show you a text field that you can tap to edit. There’s a wide variety of typography to choose from, and you can customize the color too. Once you’re done, save it and share it.

It’s not the most powerful photo editor around, but the focus here is simplicity. And it couldn’t be simpler.

Instagram lets you upload video clips of up to 15 seconds, but sometimes, that isn’t enough to convey the full story. Which is why Instagram Hyperlapse fits more into 15 seconds by speeding up your footage.

Basically, the Hyperlapse app takes a video, which is artificially stabilized and sped up, from 1x to 12x. At any point, you can see the actual footage time as well as how much it would be in sped-up time.

Read Full Article

Photographs are important for the memories they represent. You look at a picture and it conjures up thoughts, feelings, and smells that take you back to a long forgotten place.

In this article by professional photographer Laurence Norah of Finding the Universe, continues his five part series on taking better travel photos. Part two of the series is on how to get the perfect shot.

When to shoot.

The middle of a sunny day might seem perfect for photography. In truth, it’s the worst time to take pictures — the light is harsh, shadows are challenging, and your photos will not do your subjects justice.

The best times to shoot are closer to sunrise and sunset, when the light is soft and warm. These times are known as “the golden hour”.

Dealing with bad light

You can’t be everywhere at the right time for the perfect light, especially when traveling. Here’s how to get the best shot from a bad lighting situation.

Be aware of the sun

This is the most important tip of the lot. Ideally you want the sun behind you. If you can, position yourself so you are between the sun and your subject.

Be creative

That harsh light can be used to your advantage. Try shooting into the sun to create silhouettes, or use a high aperture to create a starburst effect.

Use the weather

When the sun is behind clouds, the light is diffused. Clouds also add interest and scale to otherwise plain, boring skies.

Read Full Article