Some Favorite Inexpensive Tools for #Bookstagram

Hello everyone!

A lot of people in the #Bookstagram community have been sharing some great Bookstagram 101 posts. Instead of following suit, I decided to share with you all some favorite tools I like to use when posting photos for #bookstagram. 

I’ve been posting onto Instagram & participating in the #bookstagram community for almost two years now. I’m still constantly learning and didn’t start getting serious with my account until this year. Some of the tools I learned about along the way are listed below.

VSCO Cam App

This App is my essential tool for all my photos! This App allows me to edit my photos how I like as well as add filters. The app itself is free but most of the filters are add-ons. These can cost anywhere from $.99 to $8.99 USD. While I have the means to purchase what I want filter wise, I’d suggest looking through the samples and seeing what filter(s) best capture the feel you’re going for with your account. Also you can just utilize the filters that come with the free app as well as the editing tools only. The recent update has changed the interface a bit, so the only downside would be figuring out how the app works now that the interface relies more so on symbols than the word menu of the past. 

Pixlr.com

This website is great if you don’t own Photoshop. It has most of the same tools you would find in Photoshop available for free on the website. I don’t use this as much since all my photos are currently shot on my iPhone 6s, but if you shot with a camera or want the extra editing tools then I highly suggest this site! I love that the website is free for users! I’m still playing around with it to learn all its editing features but really do love using it. The only downside is that I’ve recently started having some problems using it after I switched over to a Mac. I’m not sure if it’s the JavaScript or what, but it has recently been freezing on me. Before on my PC everything worked smoothly on the website. So is recommend just giving it a try to see how it works on your computer.

Camera Awesome App

This camera App I use from time to time especially when I want to crop an image. Sometimes VSCO doesn’t allow for certain smaller/particular crops that I like to do. This App also boats as being a better camera then the one that comes with your phone. I’d agree with this up to a point. I really enjoyed using it on my old iPhone but now that I have the iPhone 6s I find that both cameras are almost equal. The 6s’ camera might even be slightly better. Even so, it’s a nice app to have on your phone as a back up. Plus, did I mention this one is free too?

Library Books

I know a lot of people shy away from using library books in their #bookstagram photos. And yes I understand that they sometimes look beat up or have that annoying bar code across the cover, but I find I don’t mind at all. Not everyone can afford the latest reads or want to buy them. Library books are a great inexpensive tool for creating images on your account. I like to use them because they showcase what I’m currently reading. Most of my reading recently has been for classes, so I haven’t wanted to buy the books right away for what we were assigned to read. Instead I utilized my local library and then used these books in my #bookstagram shots. I don’t think library books detract from a photo at all. So I’ll continue to use mine in my photos and encourage you to do the same! Especially if you have a limited amount of owned books. 

Recycle Props.

Okay so this isn’t technically a tool, but more like a tip. If you’re low on funds or don’t have the time or space to be buying a bunch of props for your photos then create a theme (if you want a theme 🙂 ) around the props you do have. Or just recycle the props you have creatively throughout your photos. A lot of accounts I’ve seen have utilized the same props to create a cohesive theme. Others trend towards a minimalist feel so only one or two props (if any) appear alongside the book(s). I personally reuse certain props a lot because I don’t have a whole lot of props hanging around my apartment. I find that most people don’t really care as long as the photo is appealing and draws you in. So if you’re looking to create your #bookstagram account on a low budget then find props you have or purchase props you know you’ll be able to use multiple times. Recycling props is a great way to not wind up spending a load of money on props and instead you can spend loads of money on books (or…you know…see the above tip 😂) 

That’s my quick list of inexpensive tools to help you with your #bookstagram account. Hope you found some new tools & tricks to help you with your account! If you want to check out more of my #bookstagram photos, feel free to follow me here. 

If you have other tools or tricks, let me know in the comments below! I’m always looking for good recommendations to improve my photos & #bookstagram account 🙂

As Always,

Happy Reading!

*Disclaimer: None of my links on this post or on this blog are affiliate links. If I ever begin to participate in affiliate links, I will let you know. 🙂

Follow Me: GoodReads | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin’ | Facebook | YouTube