If you’ve ever been on Instagram, you know that filters are everything.
Filters allow you to give a photo the exact feeling you’re trying to convey. A lot of sites know this and have created special presets meant to capture a consistent look, feel, and style. You have to purchase these a lot of the time, but you might also come across a few free ones.
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If you don’t want to go that far (or spend time searching), Instagram has its own free filters readily available and easily accessible at all times. And we happen to like some of them more than others.
Check out some our favorite Instagram presets and filters (some for free, others you can buy) below.
1. Honey Gold (The Luxe Lens)
Credit: The luxe lens
One of the first things I thought of when I saw this preset pack from The Luxe Lens? Fall. Everything looks like fall. These photos could’ve been taken in the middle of June for all I know, but they still look like fall. For the fall-obsessed, this preset pack shows off all the beautiful browns, reds, and grays we love about the season. And it’s currently on sale for $8.
2. Winter (Preview)
Credit: preview
What’s the only season that can compete with fall (for aesthetic, anyway)? Winter! (For us, at least.) This preset elevates all of those pale colors of the winter season that don’t usually pop in regular photos while still letting the other colors shine and be the focus.
3. Sepia (Hootsuite)
Credit: hootsuite
Normally, when I think of sepia, I think of everything looking brown, coppery, and old-timey. It usually screams “back in my day…” This preset from Hootsuite offers a toned-down version of the sepia filter, giving you that vintage feel without making everything look like a penny.
4. Neon (Hootsuite)
Credit: hootsuite
Who doesn’t love neon? It’s, well…it’s neon! It’s just cool, I don’t know what else to tell you. This preset from Hootsuite (appropriately titled “Neon”) does a great job of capturing that neon glow without obscuring any other details.
5. Clarendon (Instagram)
Credit: andy moser / instagram
Getting into the free readily available Instagram filters, we’re starting with Clarendon. I appreciate this filter because it doesn’t completely alter the vibe of the photo, but it still brightens everything up and adds a bit more saturation to the colors.
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6. Reyes (Instagram)
Credit: andy moser / instagram
Reyes definitely does change the vibe of the photo. If you’re going for something that looks slightly older, maybe even nostalgic, Reyes has your back. You can see above how it took my regular old picture of flowers and trees and turned it into a Lana Del Rey album cover. So if your vibe is “Lana Del Rey album cover,” Reyes is the way to go.
7. Sierra (Instagram)
Credit: andy moser / instagram
To me, Sierra is a nice medium between completely natural and “Lana Del Rey album cover.” Sometimes you want to take it all the way there and sometimes you want to be a little more subtle. Sierra gives you something that can still capture that fond feeling while also existing in the present. It’s a bit more “dreamy” than “full-on nostalgia trip.”
And there you go, have fun with filters!
