iPhone 4 Photography 101

April 29th 2011

With the recent rumours that the iPhone 5 could have an 8mp camera, possibly even a 12mp camera, photography apps for the iPhone and other iDevices are only going to become more prevalent in the App Store.

Having said that, the current state of the Photography section of the App Store is already vast and the quality of the iPhone 4 camera is not too bad itself. I am actually a little shocked as to how much I use my iPhone 4 for everyday, out and about photos instead of lugging an additional camera with me – but maybe I shouldn’t be.

If you’re wondering where to start, or what apps to get for everyday use, look no further. Here is a compilation of some of the best photography apps around at the moment.

Instagram- Free

I’ve bought numerous photography apps, but Instagram is the one I recommend above all others and actually use the most. Get it now. Don’t walk. Run (or finish reading this and then get it). Aside from being FREE, Instagram allows you to import or take photos and apply one of 15 available filters. I love the way Instagram makes my photos come to life.

This is obviously personal taste, and some people might not like the square shape Instagram gives the images or that you have no choice of borders and image size, but I find it particularly helpful in keeping consistency in my gallery! When you’re done you can upload your image to a number of other social networking sites before adding it to your Instagram feed. You can also follow your friends, and their photos come up in your feed as well. I love the simplicity of this app and I always seem to find an effect that makes my photo look great.
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Camera Genius – $1.19

This app is currently on sale (I think from $2.49) and has a number of very handy features as well as a great camera-like interface. This app is sort of an advanced version of the iPhone camera. It allows you to take video, has up to 6x digital zoom, and allows you to review your photos like the iPhone camera. Aside from this it also features a timer for timed group shots, an anti-shake, burst photography (taking multiple shots) and guides for improved photo composition.

Once you’ve taken your photo you have some pretty extensive editing options – including effects, adjusting the light, hue, brightness, and colour; and cropping and border options. Camera Genius is an excellent tool for your iPhone 4 Photography, giving you a much more advanced option to iPhoto and it’s SO cheap! I haven’t used it much before now, but seeing as I have just highlighted some great features, I think I really better start using it!
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PictureShow – $1.19

This app is also on sale, I bought it for $2.49 and it is currently half price. If you like to give your photos a bit of excitement (I do) Picture Show is quite similar to Instagram but with so many more options. You can create photos with really old school effects that film photographers tried so hard to avoid – like light leaks and noise – but that these days give photos a great texture. There are so many different options to choose from that sometimes I get overwhelmed and head back to the simple elegance of Instagram – but you definitely get more variety with this app! Picture Show also has a selection of borders for your image and allows you to add text and crop or flip your image.

Like Instagram, you can select an image from your gallery or take a photo before editing, and there is an option at the end to add your finished product to your photo gallery, or share it via numerous social networking sites. My favourite part is the random button, where Picture Show randomly selects different effects to put over your image – great for if you’re on the run or simply run out of creative ideas.
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Hipstamatic – $2.49

The creators of Hipstamatic have put a lot of effort into giving the user the ultimate film camera experience. The interface is an old-school Hipstamatic and you get a pretty cool variety of  “equipment” including three lenses, 3 types of “film” and three different flashes. You also have the ability to purchase camera packs in-app that give you additional items to store in your “camera bag” – it’s a pretty obvious way to make more money but I kind of love the idea of it too.

You also get the annoyances of having a film camera – like the tiny viewfinder, having to “physically” change out film, flashes, and lenses, not knowing the end result of the image until its processed and the higher the quality image you want, the longer the “processing” time. Maybe I could have done without these features – or maybe I have to stop being such a Gen Y and learn to appreciate things a little more.  Some people may find it a little pretentious, but I kind of like the dedication of the creators and the old school feel of the app.
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Mobile Photo Booth – $1.19

There are a bunch of Photo Booth-style apps out there, I got Mobile Photo Booth just to check it out. I don’t really use it and kind of wish I’d used the money instead to buy an add-on pack for Hipstamatic but you can create some cute moments with it so I’m not crying too much. It’s a pretty basic app just allowing you to either take a series of photos as you would in a photo booth, or importing pre-existing photos to create a series. You can also choose whether you want your images to be in colour or in black and white. It’s a bit of fun to create a series of photos but for the price of the app, you’d be better off improving your basic camera with Camera Genius in my opinion.

Others you might like to check out:

As I said, there are a lot of photography apps out there. I’ve downloaded a couple of other free ones including Old Photo – where you pick a photo and put an old-fashioned, sepia tone effect over it; Cam Wow, which features the effects seen in Photo Booth on your Mac; and Photo Splash where you make your image black and white and choose to highlight one portion in colour (this annoyed me because it’s difficult to do).

There are apps for fish eye, Quadcam, Panoramatic, Polaroid – you name it, it’s there. The App Store is definitely worth checking out and if you have something specific in mind, that will help you get through so many apps! In the meantime, hopefully this list will give you a good starting point for your foray into the world of iPhone photography!

Instagram – Free

Instagram is an amazingly fun & simple life-sharing app for your iPhone. Snap photos wherever you go to show the world what’s going on in your life. Follow your friends’ photo updates as they move through the world. Instagram is an amazingly fun & simple life-sharing app for your iPhone. Snap photos wherever you go to show the world what’s going on in your life.
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Camera Genius - $1.19

Take Videos (iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPod Touch ONLY), Camera Zoom (Up to 6X digital zoom), Timer & Sound Capture,  Full Screen Camera Button, Prevent Blurry Photos with Anti-shake, Improve Photo Composition with Guides,  Burst Mode Shooting, Camera Manual, Review your photos, Edit your photos.
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PictureShow - $1.19 – On Sale

PictureShow emulates various toy camera styles.
It enables you to mix frames, light leaks and noises to create an unexpected result with simple shuffle button and even you can fine-tune on each edit mode.
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Hipstamatic - $2.49

Digital photography never looked so analog. The Hipstamatic brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty, and fun of plastic toy cameras of the past! The Hipstamatic keeps the the quirks of shooting old school but gives you the ability to swap lenses, film, and flash settings all with the swipe of a finger.
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Mobile Photo Booth - $1.19

SAY I LOVE YOU THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY…STRIP!!! Simple, easy-to-use- photobooth right in the palm of your hand.  Take four timed shots and create a classic photostrip – just like a real photobooth!  Save in black & white or color – or both.  Email or post to Facebook or Twitter! Imitated but unequalled!