30+ Incredible Tools To Maximize Event Photos
According to a study by MDG Advertising, content with visuals attracts 94% more views than content without visuals. In addition, people tend to retain 80% of what they see vs. 20% of what they read. Therefore, it quickly becomes clear that stunning photos can go a long way to help any marketing efforts.
For event organizers, images help communicate the event experience. Moments from past events, pictures of your venue, images of inspiring speakers – these can significantly affect the decision-making process of whether one would attend your event. Images can and should be used on your event website, event marketing emails, social media campaigns, or blog posts.
More generally, marketers of any kind benefit from make us of beautiful imagery. Whether photos are embedded in a slide deck, or are shared on Twitter, images have the power to communicate what is otherwise impossible to convey.
It’s because visuals are so critical to marketing generally, or event marketing specifically, that we at Bizzabo put together a list of 30+ photo editing tools for you to try.
1. VSCO
A fantastic all-in-one photo editing app, VSCO allows users to take photos, edit them and share them with the VSCO community or to other social media platforms. The app has many pre-made filters and editing tools that allow users to create stunning event photos.
2. Adobe Photoshop Express
The full Photoshop platform can be overwhelming to use, so that’s where Adobe Photoshop Express comes in. Express allows users to harness the power of Photoshop while not having to learn how to use the extensive, complicated platform. Express can easily optimize event photos so that they look bright and vibrant.
3. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Lightroom sits between the full Photoshop software and Photoshop Express. Adobe Lightroom is not an app but an actual piece of software. Users can manage their event photos within the Lightroom platform and publish them directly to social media.
4. Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform that offers a variety of AI-powered tools for editing photos, including:
- Cropping and resizing
- Adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation
- Adding filters and effects
- Removing unwanted objects
- Retouching skin and blemishes
- Adding text and graphics
- Creating collages
5. Snapseed
Snapseed, by Google, is an app for iPhone and Android that allows users to quickly optimize a photo with just one tap. Users can also apply filters and add overlays so that event photos look great on social media platforms like Instagram or Pinterest.
6. Filterstorm Neue
For those interested in a photo editing platform with all of the bells and whistles, Filterstorm Neue is ideal. Not only does it come with advanced filter and overlay options, it also allows users to edit the metadata of a photo. That means an organizer can customize the title and description of an event photo so that wherever it’s shared, the information is the same and is on message.
7. Pixlr
Using a suite of three tools, conference organizers can manage all their event photo needs with one online platform. Pixlr allows users to manage and upload photos and make detailed corrections. Alternatively, users can choose to quickly optimize a photo with the click of a button or apply Instagram-like filters to them.
8. Acorn
Acorn provides organizers with a free but powerful photo editing platform. Think of it like Photoshop, but with fewer advanced features. Still, Acorn provides users with the essential tools necessary to optimize or even transform a photo into something that fits an organizer’s event marketing needs.
9. Gimp
While its website design may not be the prettiest, Gimp provides users with a powerful set of photo editing tools. Packaged in a free piece of open-source software, Gimp is perfect for the event organizer on a budget.
10. Affinity Photo
Affinity is a software platform similar to Photoshop, though it promises to provide Mac users with a better experience than Adobe’s photo editing software. The creators of Affinity Photo built it specifically for Mac computers, and they are promising a revolutionarily “fluid” photo editing experience. Affinity is best left for skillful editors who want a change from Photoshop.
11. PicsArt
More of a community for photographers and photo editors than a photo editing software, PicsArt is a great place for organizers to become inspired. Users can browse photos other community members have uploaded and even reach to talented members for help with photo editing tips.
12. Afterlight
Afterlight provides users with a plethora of filters, and frames so that organizers can transform event photos into something truly attention-grabbing. It’s an app available for download on Android, Windows phones, and iTunes.
13. Fotor
An online platform that allows users to upload photos for editing and turning into collages or into printed cards, Fotor is a great option for organizers interested in turning digital photos into printed keepsakes. Fotor is an excellent resource for organizers who want to provide attendees of a small event with a customized thank you card, for example.
14. Befunky
With a Google Drive Photos integration, Befunky is a great resource for transforming simple event photos into something more unique. Befunky allows users to insert custom overlays, whether they are filters or text. Additionally, users can crop and retouch event photos.
15. PicMonkey
PicMonkey has four key competencies when it comes to photo editing. Users can retouch faces, create “canvases” from scratch in various standard photo sizes, apply filters to photos, and create collages. It’s a good web-based photo editor for EventProfs interested in basic photo editing features.
16. Photo Editor by Aviary
Event organizers may have used Aviary before if they have tried the Bizzabo event management platform. Aviary is an app and embeddable widget that allows users to crop and filter photos seamlessly. It’s great for making small but impactful tweaks to photos.
17. Photobucket Editor
For a simple but powerful web-based photo editor, it’s hard to beat Photobucket Editor. Their unique event photo editing resources, such as stickers and filters, mean that event photos can be turned into something really fun and engaging reasonably quickly.
18. Polarr Photo Editor 2
Polarr is to Google Chrome what Photoshop is to your computer desktop. With Polarr, users can edit RAW (a type of file format) images to their heart’s content. From editing lighting effects to applying advanced filters, organizers can optimize event photos with this Google Chrome extension.
19. Pho.to
Users of Pho.to have access to many essential photo editing features, such as a one-click photo enhancer and the ability to apply Instagram-like filters to photos. Additionally, planners can turn event or conference photos into cartoons and make them funny or eye-catching by adding cute stickers and layover text.
20. Luminar AI
Luminar AI is an AI-powered photo editing software that helps users create stunning images with ease. It offers a variety of tools, including AI Sky Replacement, AI Portrait Retouching, AI Human Detection, AI Landscape Enhancer, and AI Artistic Filters.
21. Serif PhotoPlus x7
If you don’t want to rely on a web editor and photo editing app, Serif PhotoPlus is a reasonably priced piece of software that will allow users to perform basic photo editing tasks without a problem. This is an ideal solution for event organizers concerned about the security of their photos, since they don’t need to be uploaded to a platform connected to the web.
22. iPiccy
While it isn’t the prettiest web-based photo editor out there, iPiccy is quick and straightforward. If all you want to do is optimize your photos to look richer and more vibrant, iPiccy is a good option for you.
23. Sumopaint
Not only can users edit photos with Sumopaint, they can also create unique illustrations. Available for download or online, Sumopaint is a good option for organizers interested in turning event photos into compelling additions to event marketing materials.
24. Photovisi
One of the most straightforward photo editors on our list, Photovisi allows users to upload a photo, select a filter and share it on social media. It’s a good solution for event organizers who want to get active on Instagram by sharing past event photos to encourage future ticket sales.
25. Seashore
This free photo editing software is ideal for users with older Mac computers. It has the power to perform some advanced photo editings features, though users with new Mac computers may find that Seashore isn’t the best solution for them.
26. DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro is a piece of software designed to instantly optimize a large number of photos based on the type of camera and lens that was used to take the photos. All an organizer has to do is upload the photos, select the type of camera and lens combination that was used to take the photos, and the software does the rest of the work.
27. Camera+
Camera+ is designed to help users capture better-looking photos with the camera feature, and make sharper-looking images with its many filters. This is a tool that organizers with Apple products should check out.
28. Mextures
Add cool textures to your photos with Mextures. This app is perfect for organizers who want to create beautiful-looking event photos to share on social media. Mextures can add a touch of style to nearly any photo with its set of intuitive tools.
29. TouchRetouch
Easily remove ugly blemishes from event photos with this simple yet powerful app. TouchRetouch allows users to highlight a part of a photo that they want to be removed and then makes that object disappear. While it won’t work in all cases, it’s a great app for EventProfs who want the editing power of Photoshop in a much easier-to-use package.
30. Facetune
Facetune is a wonderfully powerful, yet simple app designed to help users easily retouch faces. This is a great tool for organizers who want to edit the photos of event speakers whose faces will be showcased on an event website, in marketing emails, and on an event app. Facetune is packed with features that would otherwise require a lot of skill to perform on other platforms.
31. Over by GoDaddy
Event organizers can turn event photos into pieces of marketing collateral with Over by GoDaddy. Easily overlay any photo with text or artwork using this app.
32. ProCam 8
Rather than optimizing photos after the fact, ProCam 8 allows users to control things like exposure and focus while taking a photo. While the Apple iPhone is equipped with an adequate camera, this app provides users with more advanced features, thus giving the photographer more control over how the photo will look.
33. Faded
If you love using Instagram but wish you had more filters to play around with, Faded is the event photo editing tool for you. The app comes with dozens of free filters and more available for purchase.
