How to edit your Instagram pictures to be light + bright

Hey guys!!! So, a lot of people have been asking me lately to do a tutorial on how I edit my pictures! If you’ve seen my Instagram you know that I like very light, bright, and clean pictures! If you haven’t stopped by Life as Leah before, you can click here to read more about me 🙂 Anyways, I don’t edit exactly the same way, each time, but I always use the same filters! My “formula” is to throw in as much light + bright until I like it. Lol! With that being said, I also want to mention that I don’t have any photography or editing training! I’m just a mom who loves taking pictures for the ‘gram. I’m going to walk you through, step by step, on how I edit my Instagram pictures! 

 

 

For starters, I think for a great picture you only need a decent camera, a good eye, and a great editing app! I personally don’t own a “real” camera, and take all my pictures on my iPhone 7+! The camera is awesome on this phone, and it’s easy to use! I do eventually want a DSLR, but even then, I don’t think I’ll ever stop taking pictures with my iPhone! Below is another picture I took and edited on my iPhone 7+!

 

 

So, how do I edit my pictures to be so light and bright? My favorite app to use is PicTapGo!! I’ve tried a lot of editing apps, (trust me) and I by far like PicTapGo the best. (By the way, this is not a sponsored post, I just love the app!) I’ve been using PicTapGo for years now, and it is always my go-to! You do have to pay a small fee for PTC in the App Store, but I’m my opinion, it’s worth it! I use PicTapGo for every edit I make. I’m not sure if it is available for Android users, but hopefully, it is! If it’s not available for those of you with Android, try to see if Lightroom IS available for you! Lightroom is another app that has a good “lights on” filter.

 

 

1. Start with opening up the picture you want to edit in PicTapGo.

*I prefer natural lighting whenever possible, even on a cloudy day. I open up all my blinds in the room (or go outside) editing natural light is much easier than artificial.

 

2. Click the “EDIT” button in the top right corner!

3. Once you’ve hit “EDIT”, you’ll come to this screen, and you’ll want to click the “filters” button.

 

 

4. Scroll down and click the “LIGHTS ON” filter. Make sure you have the “all” option selected for filters!

 

 

5. Once you’ve clicked the “LIGHTS ON” button you’ll get a screen where you can adjust the light. I usually turn mine up to the highest possible.

 

 

6. After you’ve decided how much light you want to put into your picture, scroll down again to add the next layer! I love PicTapGo because you can layer edits on top of one another.

 

7. The next layer I add to my picture is “CRISPITY” I love this filter because it makes everything sharper in the image! Again, adjust the amount of “crispity” you want the picture to have. For this picture, I kept it turned all the way up.

 

8. After I’ve applied both layers of edit, I decide if I want to add more light & crispity. For this picture, I scrolled down and hit “LIGHTS ON” again. Notice how turned all the way up, it’s waaaaaay too bright and washed out now. So I adjust to my liking again.

 

 

 

9. I usually add one more layer of crispity, and adjust to my liking.

 

 

10. Once you’re happy with the picture, click “GO” in the upper right-hand corner, and this will take you to the final step!! I click “save to camera roll”,  and then upload to my Instagram!

 

 

That’s it!!! Easy, huh!? You officially have my “secret formula” on how I edit all of my Instagram pictures!! You can play around with filters and lighting, to find your perfect “insta worthy” edit! Remember that natural lighting is the best to work with, and have fun! If you have any questions, you can send me a message on my Facebook page,

or leave a comment!

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂