Not all photography apps are created equal. Let's explore a shot and then filter it.

Just about everyone who carries a smartphone has caught a bit of the photography bug thanks to filter apps and sites that help you turn so-so snaps into what you and others may think are truly beautiful works of art. With more and more people using their smartphones as their "go-to" camera, it is high time we all get great at editing.

Not too long ago, I was attending a fair and took this picture with my Samsung Note 5 on a clear day with no external lens.

It's a nice pic. Nothing there that would cause too many emotions or oohs and ahhs. But if you take that same pic and put it through some simple hoops in a photography app, you end up with something a little more stirring.

Now there's a story in there somewhere. The best part of photography like this is allowing the beholder to tell you the story they see. It can be very gratifying and sometimes shocking what different people pick up from the same photo. Smartphone photography is free, many filter apps or manipulation websites can be used without charge, and you are not limited to physical resources or expenses like film or developing unless you choose to share them (or sell them) in printed form.

There are so many sites and apps available that it would be difficult to choose to list and describe many of them but here are a few websites or apps to get you started.

Some great online resources for photo editing and design (in no particular order):

Picmonkey.com
Canva.com
Lunapic.com
Gimp.com
Inkscape.com
Pixlr.com
BeFunky.com

Some great smartphone apps (in no particular order as well):

PhotoLab
Adobe Photoshop Fix
Polarr
SKRWT
Poladroid (you need to see this is you are yearning for vintage!)
Pixisnap
Anymaking

There you have it. Take some notes. Take some snaps. Go forth and create something special. Make the word a better place with more art! The Universe will thank you personally somewhere down the road.