When we take photos with a digital camera or with our smartphone it happens that we do not have the time to choose one of the filters available with the device, thus losing the possibility of embellishing and making the photo much more beautiful. Fortunately, all is not lost, since we can safely apply photographic filters worthy of a photographic studio even later, when we have much more time to devote to the shots.
In this guide we will show you how to apply professional effects and filters to photos on any type of device in use, so you can act on the photos taken "on the fly" even outside the home (with apps for smartphones or tablets) or think about the result to be obtained and act with the free programs or websites recommended in the chapters below.
READ ALSO: Programs to add photo effects and photo filters on Windows
How to apply professional effects and filters to photos
Below we have collected all the programs, apps and websites with which we can apply professional effects and filters to photos, on any supported platform. We just have to find some time and try all the methods proposed, so as to obtain very beautiful photos.Programs to apply filters and effects
If we want to apply effects and filters to photos from a computer, we can use the free XnRetro program, available free for Windows and Mac.
With this simple program we will be able to upload our photos and apply various retro-style graphic effects, thus recreating the photos as if they had been taken a long time ago (sepia and black and white effects). We can either act on the parameters on the right side or use one of the predefined models below.
To apply other types of effects and professional filters on photos we can also use FotoSketcher, available for free for Windows and for Mac.
Using this program we can apply beautiful effects and filters to the photographs taken, such as the watercolor effect, the pencil effect or charcoal stroke and many others. In addition to the filters, we can also modify the basic parameters of each photo, so as to achieve the perfect shot.
In addition to these programs, we can also use the classic photo editing programs to add effects and filters, such as those seen in our guide to the best free photo editing and graphics programs .
App to apply filters and effects
From smartphones or tablets it is much easier to apply professional effects and filters, since there are heavy apps for the purpose; Retrica stands out among the best, available free for Android and iOS.
With this app we will be able to apply real-time photographic effects and filters to our shots (while shooting), so as to create beautiful photos to share immediately on social networks or on chats without even going through the PC.
If Retrica does not satisfy us or we want to try other professional effects for our shots we can install the Fotor app, available for Windows 10, Android and iOS.
Thanks to this app, we will have over 300 effects for sure impact photos, as well as advanced photo editing tools, so that we can edit and make all our shots unique before sharing them on social media.
If we want to try other apps to apply professional effects and filters to photos, we recommend you read our guides to the Best apps with photo filters for Android and iOS and how to make more beautiful photos from smartphones .
Websites for applying filters and effects
We can't install anything on your PC "> Polarr, to improve the photos, available for free and without even logging in.
Once the site is open, simply upload the photo to be edited and press the Filters and effects button, so you can try all the filters offered by the site (to unlock other filters, just press down on More filters after opening the sidebar) . The results are very good and, once the changes are finished, we can choose to share the result on social networks or to download a copy of the modified photo.
Another very good website for applying professional effects and filters to photos is Yogile.
This site allows you to upload your photos to an online album and edit them individually, just click on them and open the Filters menu, so you can choose from the numerous filters and effects offered free of charge by the site. At the end of the changes we can save the album online (even with our personal account) or download the modified photographs, so as to share them where we deem it appropriate.
Other websites for editing and adding effects to photos can be viewed in our guide Best sites for editing photos online .
Conclusions
Even if we are not great professional photographers, we can make beautiful shots with professional filters and effects using one of the free methods offered in this guide.Obviously a professional will be able to apply the same effects using paid photo editing programs such as Photoshop; if we are looking for valid free alternatives to the Adobe program, we advise you to read our guide Best alternative graphics programs to Photoshop, free .
If we want to create a musical presentation with the photos taken (a slideshow), just continue reading our article on how to create photo videos, music, effects such as image slideshows .
We have photos to share with low-tech relatives, who can barely use the DVD player or PC player "> How to make a photo CD with effects, slideshows and titles.
