As the iPhone strengthens its solid footing as a top-notch on-the-go camera, the App Store has seen an ever-increasing bumper crop of photo editing apps. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I downloaded Litely by Litely LLC (free with In-App Purchases) to see how it performs for general on-the-go mobile editing needs.

Overview

Litely includes several photo editing tools, including a couple not found within the Photos app

Litely’s tools include a number adjustments that are immediately familiar to any photographer with digital editing experience: exposure, contrast, vibrance, sharpen, vignette, and several others are packaged along with pre-set filters made famous by Instagram, Snapseed, and so many others. Filters have become so synonymous with mobile photo editing that the iOS native Photos app even includes some filters of its own. 

Intuitive touch controls with an ability to adjust the intensity of filters, as well as preview before and after

The editing tools I listed about are handy, and Litely’s touch implementation is clean and smart. Good enough, in my opinion, to put the app slightly above what the stock Photos app offers in terms of editing tools and functionality. Aperture fans will also be warmed to see that all adjustments are made non-destructively; if you want to undo any edits you have made to a photo, you can go back into the app and do so at any time. It’s tough to say whether these advantages are strong enough to lure me back to the Litely app on a longterm basis, or whether I’ll quickly fall back into a pattern of simply applying edits within the Photos app for the sake of convenience. 

Filters take center stage

As mentioned above, the app comes with a number of pre-set filters for quick, one-touch edits to photos. Filters are, arguably, Litely’s primary selling point, as well as their source of revenue on the app — the base app, including photo editing tools, is free, along with a handful of filters. Additional filters are available through in-app purchases. 

An example of filters within the stock Photos app, which shows a stark, bold adjustment compared to Litely’s filters

What sets Litely’s filters apart from the competition is what I would call the subtlety and adjustability of their effects. Whereas many of the filters in Instagram and Photos have very distinct, loud effects, Litely’s are generally more understated. The app also gives you the ability to adjust the strength of a filter, allowing you to increase or decrease the changes as desired.

In some circumstances, filters are difficult to see even when applied at default strength, so subtlety is a double-edged sword

Whether this subtlety is a benefit or a weakness is ultimately a matter of personal taste. If you find yourself often thinking that Instagram filters are too over-the-top, these tools may provide a good middle ground. On the other hand, there are certainly some cases where the effect of a filter is barely noticeable, especially in photos dominated by one color or high saturation that may all but negate the tweaks Litely is applying. 

Subtle, but effective

As I edited more photos with Litely, I found that I enjoyed the subtle effects and quick workflow for my iPhone snapshots. I don’t think I’d ever load my dSLR photos into Lietly in lieu of using a desktop photo editing suite, but that isn’t the niche it's trying to fit. 

Instead, Litely feels designed for the in-between shots — grabbing a few favorite snapshots on your iOS device and putting some extra care into them without expending too much effort. That niche is an increasingly crowded space, but Litely is a good contender, especially if you like the idea of filters but find them to be too loud or obtrusive in other popular apps.