20+ Free or cheap apps that are essential photo business apps that you need to be successful
Wondering how to organize your business, market, look professional and make content on the go?
You have a super computer in the palm of your hand already. Let me share with you 20 plus essential apps that I use EVERYDAY to invoice clients, make slideshows, manage 11 social media platforms, create ads that look amazing and stay on top of invoicing, mileage, receipts and more!
Yes, you really can do it all on your phone. In fact the only reason for me to go to an actual computer is if I am editing my website, editing long wedding videos and photos or in need of a larger screen.
Other than that, I can literally run my entire business- contacting clients, sending out forms,
Making a podcast:
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Make a podcast completely on your phone with no fancy equipment. Includes transition music and sound effects. Get featured on apple podcasts and other podcasting apps for free depending on followers and interaction.
Social media
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Join the number one photo sharing app. Share your work and create a portfolio in a simple and beautiful interface. Interact and message clients who find you through hashtags and geotagging. Upload videos up to a minute along with photos.
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Want longer videos to put on your Instagram? You can create videos up to ten minutes with IGTV. But the caveat is they have to be in portrait mode! Don’t shoot in portrait mode? Use one of the apps below- video resizer, to get your landscape video looking good on IGTV.
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Join over a billion users on the largest social media platform in the world. Find clients through mutual friends or connections. Message clients one-on-one- create business groups and business pages.
Photo editing:
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Works in tandem with adobe lightroom and edit on the go. Edit large files and use advanced editing tools without getting to an actual computer.
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Great quick and free mobile editing tool. Has great features like HDR editing, lens blur and double exposure
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Nikon bridge/ canon camera connect/ imaging edge mobile -cost: Free with corresponding camera
connect your camera to your phone and send your photos through bluetooth. Most camera companies have a similar program.
Graphic design:
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Over -cost: Free (you can upgrade though)
create beautiful graphics and video story content with their premade templates with out a few clicks.
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Unsplash -cost: Free
get commercial free photos from artists around the world.
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Pixabay -cost: Free
get commercial free vector files, illustrations, photos and stock videos at no charge.
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Adobe spark -cost: Free with adobe membership
Manage your entire business marketing in one place- graphics, explainer videos, slideshows and simple webpages.
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create amazing graphics and brochures with their templates. share with your coworkers and other accounts.
Video apps
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Video cut -cost: Free
cut any video into sizeable chunks. the average person is only going to see 1-2 minutes of a video anyway. (and remember that instagram can only post a video up to one minute! )
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Video resizer -cost: Free
create story sized and igtv sized videos with only a few clicks.
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Video crop -cost: Free
crop your video to be square sized in seconds- great for instagram.
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Spark video -cost: Free with Adobe membership
create explainer videos and slideshows with text easily. you can also use their library of songs for free.
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Quik -cost: Free
make a splash with great slideshows and animated text boxes ( I like this app better for slideshows than any other one that I have found! (you can’t use their music though unfortunately- you will be flagged for copyrights, so you must you copyright free songs from YouTube instead)
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Amazon -cost: Free
get all your gear in one place. Create wishlists and research reviews of millions of items.
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Ebay -cost: Free
sell your gear to the highest bidder and find even more items for sometimes a really good deal.
Business apps
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Google voice -cost: Free
stop getting spammers on your regular number. create a free google number that will filter spam, text you if it’s important and send you an email if someone leaves a voice mail.
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Quick books selfemployed -cost: rates vary
the best decision for my business this year was to buy this app and program. I can send invoices, track my milege, save receipts and pay taxes altogether. Rates start off at $15 a month, but there are coupons all the time for different pricing.
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Google calendar -cost: Free
me and my husband’s calendars are both synced so that we can manage our busy family life and business life. I can also send appointment reminders to clients in a snap.
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Cash app -cost: Free
stop having clients ask you “do you take credit cards?” invoice them through cash app, google pay, paypal, venmo or zelle. yes, there are fees, but it’s worth not having to lug around a little swiper and pay an arm -and -a -leg for a card reader.
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My gear vault -cost: Free
keep track of serial numbers and insurance info for your expensive gear- all in one place.
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Jotform- cost: free and prices vary
create forms, esign documents, recurring payments and contracts easily.
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Zoom -cost: Free
share your screen with your clients and walk through a confusing program or gallery with them while video chatting
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Amazon photos app -cost: Free
store your jpeg photos for free and for life on the cloud with your prime membership. they have have affordable rates for video and files saving.
Christal Marshall is the owner of Virginia Photos and Films, Studio Marshall Arts, Marshall Arts Media Group and Virginia Beach Photobooth Company.
She lives, breathes and does media and marketing pretty much 24-7 for over 14 local business through social media management, website design, photo, video or media coverage or graphic design.
She is a homeschool mom of three, cat lover, sushi eater and poke fan!
She started her business in 2011 with nothing but a $400 camera from Amazon, now she is has been published in over 60 different blogs and websites for her media work and rank top Wedding Photographer in Virginia Beach.