Photoshop How To

Snapseed is a superior app for photographers on the go who edit images on a smartphone or tablet, and it's available in versions for both iOS and Android users. This tool offers a wide array of features for beginners and experienced users alike, and it would be a great choice even if you had to pay for it.

Thus, the fact that Snapseed is free is an unexpected bonus. This quick tutorial from the Photo Genius YouTube channel explains everything the app can do and how to use it for optimum results—much in the same way that you edit images on the computer. If gimmicky filters and weird effects are what you're looking for, Snapseed may not suit your needs.

On the other hand, Snapseed really can't be beat for quickly accomplishing serious editing tasks on a mobile device—even though it's intuitive and very easy to use. Instructor Paul Ferris puts it like this: "There's a good reason this app is on the home screen of my iPhone. That's because Snapseed is the number one photography tool for editing images quickly on the go."

In barely nine minutes Farris describes his favorite Snapseed features and how he uses them to achieve pro-level results. In fact, there are a few tasks you can accomplish that would be more time-consuming or difficult to achieve in Lightroom or Photoshop. He first walks you through a basic edit and then demonstrates the versatility of his favorite Snapseed tools and techniques.

Farris pulls up a portrait captured in his hometown of Brisbane Australia. He's unhappy with the colors, a shady area in the top left corner of the shot, and a few other attributes that need to be improved. The process begins with a discussion of several powerful presets that come with the app, then you'll see why editing photos "manually" provides significantly more control.

You'll see how easy it is to improve color temperature with Snapseed's precise White Balance tool. Then Farris moves on to several other adjustments that are just as quick and effective for improving the impact of photos in various ways.

In most cases your enhancements are accomplished by swiping a slider to the left or the right, depending on exactly what you're trying to achieve and Snapseed makes it a breeze to share your images via email, text, or via a quick upload to social media sites. There are also powerful options for converting color to b&w, making a variety of selective adjustments, creating HDR effects, and much more, which is why we love Snapseed too.

The Photo Genius YouTube channel is full of shooting and editing lessons, as well as discussions about gear, so take a close look when you have time to pay a visit.

We also recommend watching the tutorial we featured earlier with another image-editing expert who explains a simple solution for photographers who are dissatisfied with their post-processing workflow.