There’s no doubt that the iPhone and iPad sparks people’s creativity and have given mobile photography and editing a boost in popularity. There’s a tremendous amount of photo apps on the market. To help you pick the photo app that suits your needs, I’ve put together this list of the 15 best apps available now. I’ve tested these photography apps thoroughly and can recommend each one of them. Apps to help you get the most out of your photos through editing, adding filters and processing.
MOBILE PHOTO EDITORS
Filterstorm
Filterstorm’s unique touch interface makes it intuitive, easy and fun to use. The versatile and varied set of tools for editing photos includes powerful masking tools, that give you the ability to apply any of the filters by brush, color range, and gradient, as well as to the entire image. Selectively adjust your photo by painting on your adjustments. Includes in-app video tutorials.
For iPad and iPhone. Developer: Tai Shimizu.
Photogene
Intuivitve and easy to use to edit, enhance and share your photos on the go. Professional editing tools. Photogene is an excellent everyday photo editor.
For iPad and iPhone. Developer: Omer Shoor.
PhotoForge
PhotoForge is a digital darkroom with an impressive range of tools; image manipulation, painting, retouching, effects, and color correction.
PhotoForge is available for iPad and iPhone.
Developer: GhostBird Software.
Adobe Photoshop Express
The free, basic mobile photo editor that lets you upload, view and share your photos.
Available for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Developer: Adobe.
MOBILE PHOTO EFFECTS
Pano
Take beautiful, seamless panoramic photos directly from your iPhone. Handy semi-transparent guide helps you line up all your shots perfectly. 360 degree panorama images.
For iPhone. Developer: Debacle Software.
QuadCamera
4-8 serial shoots are taken in sequence by the iPhone’s camera, then composed into a single shareable image with six selectable effects. One of many toy apps by Takayuki Fukatsu that allow you to do fun and artistic things with the iPhone’s built-in camera.
For iPhone. Developer: Art & Mobile.
TiltShift Generator
Create more dramatic-looking images, focused only on one spot. Processes your photos with blur, color, and brightness to apply radical depth-of-field effects. Makes even flat cell phone images look like DSLR-quality shots with depth of field.
For iPhone and iPad. Developer: Art & Mobile.
ARTISTIC VINTAGE FILTER EFFECTS
CameraBag
Recreate the magic of film by emulating photography’s most beloved and iconic vintage cameras, film, and processing techniques. Effects can be stacked. Easy to use with an intuitive, simple interface.
For iPhone, iPad, Windows and Mac. Developer: Nevercenter.
lo-mob
Retro lo-fi and photographic experiments on your iPhone. Select or snap a photo and lo-mob immediately generates a list of previews of all the different effects. Pick the one you want, tweak it if you like, and save or share your photo via e-mail as well as through a range of social media services
For iPhone. Developer: Aestesis.
PictureShow
Choose between 37 analog presets or mix your own style with frames, light leaks, noise and vignetting. Features lens kit, random shuffle effects and social photo sharing.
For iPhone. Developer: graf.
Plastic Bullet
Randomly generates the look of many combinations of cameras, lenses and films turning your photos into gloriously unpredictable works of art. A true electronic lomography app that encourages you to explore the “happy accidents” of your photography. Share directly to Facebook and Flickr.
For iPhone. Developer: Red Giant Software.
Film Lab
Recreate the look of analog film stocks with Film Lab’s impressive set of film and film styles from brands like Ilford, Kodak, AGFA, Calotype, FORTE, GAF, Polachrome, Rollei and Fuji.
For iPhone. Developer: CLBITZ Ubiquitous Communications Inc.
FX Photo Studio
Tons of effects that can be stacked on each other, combined, randomised and saved as new presets. Includes basic photo editing like cropping, rotating, flipping, as well as social photo sharing.
For iPhone and iPad. Developer: Mac Phun LLC.
Hipstamatic
Turns your iPhone into a small toy camera. Take your time swapping a variety of camera components, film, lenses, and flashes with hip descriptions, for a variety of different looks and styles. Can not save your unprocessed photo.
For iPhone. Developer: Synthetic Corp.
Instagram
Instagram offers a selection of filters and borders but what really sets this app apart is its focus on social media and photo sharing. Easily share photos through Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare and Twitter.
For iPhone. Developer: Burbn, Inc.
Which are your favourite photo apps for the iPhone and iPad? What did I miss?
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Tags: apps, iPad, iPhone, photography, software
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