With hundreds and thousands of photo apps out there, it’s hard to sort out the great from the average, and sometimes it’s only through word of mouth, reading reviews, and unfortunately wasting some dollars here and there that you get to find out.
I’ve rounded up some of my must-have IOS apps for great and fairly quick editing, effects and sharing – great for moms who are time strapped.
Snapseed
Why it’s cool: Snapseed has awesome editing features that are quick and easy to use, like straightening, tuning, cropping, adjusting and filtering. The filters are among my favourites on any app – I particularly love “Drama” and “Grunge”.
Price: Free
Why it’s cool: By far one of the best social sharing sites around, Instagram is easy to use, and has some gorgeous filters if you don’t feel like editing beforehand. (Look out too for some cool Instagram printing sites, such a
Price: Free
Camera+
Why it’s cool: This app offers more effects and functions than you probably know what to do with. Some of these include touch exposure and focus, a grid to help guide straight photos, front flash, stabiliser, 6x zoom with advanced digital processing and burst, which helps make rapid motion photos possible.
Price: Free
Diptic
Why it’s cool: This app allows you to create collages easily, and if you’re worried you might get bored, there are 165 layouts to choose from. You can also add text, filters, colours, textures and borders.
Price: $0.99
Title FX
Why it’s cool: It’s easy to add text to your image, plus change fonts, sizes, positioning and style. There are lots of options for creative and gorgeous-looking titles and captions.
Price: $1.99
Photo Toaster
Why it’s cool: This is one of the best-rated photo apps and has great filter, texture, lighting and frame options. If there’s one easy-to-use editing and prettifying app you’re looking to use, then this is probably it.
Price: $1.99 or free for the light version
Afterlight
Why it’s cool: It has great adjustment tools, 39 filters and 42 textures. You can be subtle, or rev up your pics with some of the great lighting options.
Price: $0.99
First Camera
Why it’s cool: This is more of an app for your kids, but everyone wins here. Your child can use this app to take pics, which aren’t saved to your camera roll, but rather to the app (no more accidental posting of pics to Facebook or Twitter). There are great filters, stickers, speech bubbles and decorations, making it loads of fun for them (and ultimately, you).
Price: Free
LensLight
Why it’s cool: This app lets you add “wow” lighting elements with bokeh, lens flares, light leaks and spotlights. The hardest thing will be choosing which of the awesome effects to choose.
Price: $0.99
Polamatic
Why it’s cool: Who remembers Polaroid pics? Polamatic is all about nostalgia which features that can turn your pics into Polaroid lookalikes. You can take a pic or import a pic, and add borders, light leaks and text.
Price: $1.99
Instaplace
Why it’s cool: This app lets you give descriptions to the pics you’re sharing, plus will help you remember locations and details one day when you look back. You can also send people virtual “postcards” from Instaplace.
Price: $0.99
Photosync
Why it’s cool: Forget wires – with Photo Sync you can transfer pics and videos from your computer to your iDevices, and vice versa. You need bluetooth, wifi or 3G in order to sync and have all your images in all your places.
Price: $1.99
Camera Awesome
Why it’s cool: This might be slightly trickier to use, but the effects are well worth the “effort”. Aside from filters, this app can improve your pics with brighter, better exposed, and well contrasted shots.
Price: Free
What have I left out? And what are your favourite photography apps?
Note to Android users:
All the apps I review are try are for iOS as I don’t have an Android phone. I’m sorry about this, but feel it wouldn’t be truthful to write about apps I haven’t tried. For what it’s worth, some of the apps I have mentioned are available for Android (such as Instagram and Snapseed). I have read a lot of good things about Android photo apps such as Pixlr Express (free), Fotodanz (free). Photo Grid (free), 360 (free), Camera Zoom FX ($2.99), Fast Burst Camera ($3.99)
