Snapseed Launches Free Android App

Snapseed, a brainchild of the Nik Software company (a company recently acquired by Google), just announced the launch of the Android version of their popular photo editing app. Although this app has been available to the iOS market, it came with a $4.99 price tag -- a price tag that was slashed to free on the heels of their Android app announcement.

But how good could this free app really be? As an avid iPhoneographer (and professional DSLR shooter), I decided to download the app immediately. The app comes jam packed with 5 photo adjustments, 4 featured editing effects, and 5 creative enhancements.

Auto Correct - analyzes your photo and adjusts color and exposure to perfection.

Tune Image - Adjust White Balance, Saturation, Contrast, or Ambience to create depth and vibrance.

Straighten & Rotate - Rotate or straighten with simple gesture controls.

Crop - Remove unwanted parts of your photo with standard aspect ratios, or a free crop.

Details - Sharpen traditionally or use the unique Structure control found in the Nik Software professional products.

Black & White - Get that fine art Black and White look with this darkroom-inspired filter.

Vintage Films - Create nostalgic photos and make the image look like it was shot on vintage or expired film.

Grunge - Give your photos a unique, hip look.

Center Focus - Draw attention to the subject of your photo by blurring and adjusting the brightness of the surrounding background.

Tilt-Shift - Create a compressed depth of field look similar to a miniature set.

Retrolux - Makes your photos look retro with light leaks, scratches, film styles, and more.

Selective Adjust - Make precise selections and enhancements to specific areas of your photos in seconds with Nik Software's revolutionary U Point technology.

Drama - Add style with a custom effect tailored to your photos - ranging from subtle textures to wildly artistic effects.

Frames - Add stylized borders to photos for the perfect finishing touch.

After a few minutes of "tutoring" I was ready to start editing some images that I had taken yesterday. I was happy with their results and found that I could quickly upload them to Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. I was also able to email the images and save them to my photo library. Attached are a few sample images I was able to edit in under 5 minutes with my iPhone. I'm thinking this app just became an important part of my photo editing process.

Snapseed also has software available for Mac and PC for $19.99.