The 5 Best Instagram Photo Effects

Having an attractive, professional-looking Instagram feed could allow you to turn Instagram into your full-time job. The most successful Instagram influencers make up to $250,000 per post, while casual influencers can make hundreds or thousands of dollars a month through ad revenue.

Whether you are trying to become an influencer or just want to impress your Instagram followers, using the right photo-editing effects is an easy way to elevate your feed. However, you may feel overwhelmed by the task of editing photos with professional software, especially if you do not have any editing experience.

Good news! PhotoDirector is a beginner-friendly, professional photo effects app that you can access right from your phone. PhotoDirector makes it easy to snap a photo on your phone camera, make a few adjustments in the app, and upload the image straight to Instagram in a matter of minutes.

If you've never used PhotoDirector, you may not know which editing effects to try out first. We've analyzed Instagram editing trends and determined that the five best effects to add to your feed include photo animation, dispersion, glitch, sparkle, and sky replacement.

Read on to learn how to add effects on an Instagram post with PhotoDirector. Then download the PhotoDirector app for iPhone and Android to begin applying these effects for yourself.

• 5 Best Instagram Photo Effects
1. Photo Animation
2. Dispersion
3. Glitch
4. Sparkle
5. Sky Replacement
• Elevate Your Photos with PhotoDirector

The 5 Best Instagram Photo Effects

1.Photo Animation

Instagram allows users to follow up to 7,500 other accounts. If your followers are seeing thousands of other posts each day, your photo can easily get lost in the shuffle.

One easy way to help your Instagram photo stand out is to animate it. PhotoDirector lets you add animation to some or all of your images with a few clicks of a button.

To utilize this feature, upload an image into the PhotoDirector app, then select Animation at the bottom of the screen. Next, select the bottom left icon that looks like a dotted line with an arrow at the end. This tool will allow you to create vectors throughout your photo where you want to add movement and in which direction.

You can apply as many vectors to your image as you see fit. To preview the animation, click the Play icon in the bottom right corner.

Once you are satisfied with the animation, export it as a video or GIF. Instagram supports both file types, allowing you to upload your photo creation to your feed with ease.

Your photos' inherent motion will grab your followers' attention, and your advanced editing skills will likely make them want to look at your future posting and engage with your account.

2. Dispersion

Another eye-catching technique is the dispersion effect.

This tool lets you scatter away color particles from a focal object, making it pixelated and floating away.

You can apply this effect to your photo in a few easy steps, with the PhotoDirector app.

1. Import a photo into the app, then select Dispersion at the bottom of the screen.
2. Next, use your finger to highlight the portion of the photo that you would like to disperse. We recommend highlighting the upward-facing edge of the object.
3. Select Next, then choose the desired shape for the particles being dispersed, from a selection that includes circles, stars, hearts, puzzle pieces, and several other shapes.
4. If you would like to alter the dispersion in any way, you can use the adjustment tools at the bottom of the screen. You can also animate the dispersion effect to make it more prominent.
5. To add movement to the effect, select the Animate tool at the bottom of the screen. This tool will automatically add movement to the dispersed shapes, saving you the trouble of manually animating them.

The dispersion effect works best on photos with a clear subject, such as a person, animal, or object—not landscapes or sceneries. Applying this effect to the main object draws attention to the photo's subject, encouraging your followers to stop scrolling and check out your post.

3. Glitch

The glitch effect comes from splitting the image and overlaying its duplication several times. You can easily add this impressive effect with the PhotoDirector app for iPhone or Android.

To apply this effect

1. Open the PhotoDirector app and import your photo.
2. Next, scroll to the Adv. Effects tab and select Glitch. The app will take you to a new screen that showcases several glitch effects you can instantly apply to your image.
3. You can customize each of these built-in effects by adjusting the horizontal and vertical placements, fade, and angle. These parameters let you set how far apart the duplications are from the central object. We recommend playing around with the sliders for each of these adjustments until you are satisfied with the final creation.

The glitch effect looks impressive on any photo, but we recommend adding it to images that showcase movement. Applying this effect to jumping, dancing, or action shots from a sporting event will bring the scene to life through the eye-catching neon colors and trippy duplication effects.

Adding a glitch effect will catch your followers' attention as they scroll through their Instagram feed, encouraging them to take a second look at your photo.

4. Sparkle

If you have a photo that features light—be it Christmas lights, LED, fire, the sun, or any other light source—applying the sparkle effect can instantly transform your image.

Adding animated sparkles brings your photo's source of light to life. This effect can be applied on the go before you post an image to your feed.

To apply the sparkle effect

1. Open the app, import your image, then select the Effects tab.
2. Next, find and select the Sparkle effect to reveal the options. Each of them comes with its own animation, and you can use the slider to adjust the intensity, amount, and color of the filter.
3. Use the eraser tool if you want to limit the sparkle effect to a specific portion of the image, for example next to the source of light. To do so,drag your finger across the screen over the sections that you want to protect from the effect.

The sparkle effect adds a subtle, cinematic animation to your photo that will help it stand out from the other images your followers see on their feeds.

5. Sky Replacement

The weather doesn't always cooperate with your plans. Sometimes, you have the opportunity to capture a beautiful, scenic landscape, only to realize that the cloudy, dull sky takes some of the wonder out of your photo.

Thankfully, PhotoDirector makes it easy to replace the sky in your photo with a built-in sky overlay, instantly transforming your image. To apply this effect, click on the Sky icon at the bottom of the screen and choose the most suitable option from the extensive menu that includes choices such as:

• Aurora
• Nightfall
• Sunset
• Sunrise
• Starry sky

Each of these options offers several variations of the overlay style, allowing you to choose one that suits your existing photo well. If the overlay you choose looks unnatural at first, you can use the sliders to adjust the color, spread, edges, and fade of the sky effect to match your photo better.

You can now salvage otherwise unappealing overcast sceneries or bland selfies. We recommend adding the sky replacement effect to any scenic photo to brighten up the colors and show your followers you have an eye for beauty.

Elevate Your Photos with PhotoDirector

There is more to Instagram photo editing than overlaying built-in effects and filters that come with the phone. However, even if you do not know how to put effects on Instagram photos or how to add effects on Instagram, you can use PhotoDirector to make high-quality adjustments before uploading your images to the platform.

With PhotoDirector, you can apply professional-looking effects, filters, and overlays to your photos with a few clicks of a button. These effects deliver professional results without needing any expensive tools, professional software, or editing expertise.

PhotoDirector comes with all the tools you need for editing photos and transforming your Instagram feed. Download PhotoDirector App on iPhone or Android today to try out these impressive Instagram photo effects for yourself.