We’ve taken time to compile a list of the best iPhone apps for every photographer out there who truly wants to get the most out of his iPhone’s camera. Forget the wacky apps where you can manipulate your friends’ faces into all sorts of distorted, albeit funny shapes. This list is the real deal, and it’s for serious photographers who want to use their iPhones as more than just a portable photo booth.
1. Camera+
Billing yourself as the “ultimate photo app” will make you a target for both users and critics, but fortunately for the makers of Camera+, their photo app indeed rises to the occasion.
Developed by a true-blue photographer, Camera+ has arguably become the go-to photo app for those who are looking to upgrade from the standard camera that their iPhone has to offer. It’s fitted with all the features that makes a great, functional camera: burst mode, image stabilizer, self-timer, exposure and focus by touch, and a high-quality 6x digital zoom.
When you’re done taking pictures, Camera+ provides you with a digital darkroom where you can edit, crop, and tweak your images to your satisfaction. There are several scene modes to choose from right from the get-go, and if you want to dig deeper, you will find a sweet collection of effects and filters to transform a dull photo into a more interesting image.
Almost anyone who has ever seen a beautifully-done panoramic picture has wished that he or she could also create a similar work of art with their camera. Most digital cameras nowadays allow the user to take a series of photographs and stitch them up to form a single panorama. You can also do the same process using specialized software on your computer.
However, there will be times when you will chance upon a gorgeous scene and you won’t have a digital camera with you. All you have is your iPhone in your pocket, and now the question arises: can your iPhone step up and meet the challenge?
Of course, you already know by now that there’s an app for that! Get the Video Pano 360 iPhone app, and get ready to take all the panoramas you want. The app is so well-designed and very user-friendly that only a brain-dead zombie would fail to take at least one gorgeous panoramic image.
Use Video Pano 360 to shoot a video clip of your chosen subject. You can shoot from left to right, top to bottom, and vice versa! Use portrait or landscape orientation, and trim your video’s start and end points if necessary. Old version devices, however, will produce a lower-resolution output.
3. Snapseed
Snapseed is one of the top iPhone apps for photo editing. It is created by Nik Software, a reputable company known for making high quality plugins for Lightroom, Photoshop, and Aperture. With that kind of reputation behind it, it comes as no surprise that Snapseed has established a solid fanbase among iPhone and iPad users.
The app provides a full-featured selection of utilities and filters for a complete photo editing toolset. Using it almost feels like you’re using a software package instead of a simple iPhone app.
The big difference is that you often need a manual and tutorial videos to learn how to use software that offers similar features like Snapseed. But with the app itself, it won’t matter if you’re not familiar with such things as histograms and RGB curves. The average user will find it surprisingly easy to use and will be able to produce great-looking results in just minutes.
With the dozens (maybe hundreds) of photo apps out there, it’s always a great feeling to know which ones are worth your time and money. We recommend these three best iPhone apps for you, the serious photographer, to ensure that you will always have a reliable set of photo equipment in your iPhone wherever you go.
