If you’ve ever browsed the Apple App
Store or Google Play, then you’ll already
be aware that there are hundreds and
hundreds of photography apps to choose
from. While we can’t possibly hope to
cover all of them here, we have picked
a few of the best ones out.
We’ve installed and used all of these
ourselves at some point, so if you’re stuck
for inspiration we have no hesitation in
recommending them.
On this page we’ve primarily
concentrated on photo apps that are fun
and relatively easy-to-use. That’s not to
say that they are in any way limited,
though – far from it.
Over on the facing page, meanwhile,
we’ve selected some more-advanced apps
that can be used as a third-party camera
or as an editing tool for images that
you’ve already captured.
Instagram
Free
WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM
Retrica
Free
WWW.RETRICA.CO
If you have an affi nity for images with a washed-out,
vintage or cross-processed aesthetic, then Retrica
could very well be your go-to camera app. The app
has been designed to be simple to use and offers no
manual controls over your camera. That said, there are
over 100 fi lter effects, providing a vast range of hues
and effects. Unlike many other fi lter-specifi c apps that
allow you to apply the fi lter at the processing stage,
you can only apply fi lters at the point of capture. You’ll
get a live preview of how it will look and if you can’t
decide which fi lter to use then Retrica provides a
‘random fi lter’ button that you can keep pressing until
you get something you like the look of. The range of
fi lters on offer is very good, with lots of stylish-yet-
subtle effects to choose from. Retrica also provides you
with a blurred background effect you can employ to
create selective focus images with. Other than that,
camera controls are pretty sparse. Still, as a fun app
that provides instant results, Retrica is a great app.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
Adobe Photoshop
Express /
Lightroom Free WWW.ADOBE.COM
Adobe currently offers two mobile photography apps:
Photoshop Express and Photoshop Lightroom, both of
which are very good in their own right. The main
difference between the two is that the former is more
of a one-stop fi x for mobile photographers that allows
you to import, edit and then share images within the
app, whereas the Lightroom mobile app requires you
to own the desktop version of Lightroom to get the full
range of functionality from it. Which one is right for
you will depend on your individual requirements. For
many users, the more self-contained Photoshop
Express is likely to be the more convenient and useful
of the two, while for others the ability to sync their
mobile images with their desktop version of
Lightroom will prove invaluable. Either way, both apps
offer a wide range of adjustments, along with a good
selection of digital fi lter effects. As you might expect
both apps are also fully compatible with Adobe .DNG
Raw fi les created by smartphones too.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android and iOS
Pixlr
Free / £1.61
WWW.PIXLR.COM
Pixlr makes a range of good image-editing apps for
mobile and desktop users, along with a couple of
browser-based editing tools. While the app is free to
download, it does come with adverts. To rid yourself
of these you’ll need to pay £1.61 from within the app.
While Pixlr can be used to control your camera, the
controls are extremely limited, so you’ll want to use
either your phone’s built-in camera app or a
third-party alternative. Where Pixlr really excels is
as an image processor for mobile devices. The user
interface is intuitively laid out, making it pretty
straightforward to use. It offers a wide range of editing
tools along with brush tools for more localised fi xes
(including selective focus). Pixlr also provides a useful
one-touch ‘Auto Fix’ feature. The app also provides a
variety of digital fi lter effects that can be stacked to
create a unique look. Rounding things off are tools for
adding picture frames, stickers and text. You can also
make collages of similarly themed photos.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android and iOS
EyeEm
Free
WWW.EYEEM.COM
Launched in 2011, EyeEm was one of the original online
cameraphone communities that allowed mobile
photography enthusiasts to share their work and
browse the work of others, and it currently has over 13
million members. While the community aspect is still a
big part of the draw, EyeEm has since diversifi ed into
stock photography and offers contributors 50% of all
the images it sells. If you like the idea of being able to
sell your images then all you need to do is sign up,
enter your details and start uploading your mobile
images. The app has no built-in camera of its own, but
you can open other camera apps from within the app.
Alternatively you can also browse your phone’s image
library for any images you want to edit and upload.
EyeEm provides 24 individual digital fi lters, along with
a fairly standard range of image-wide enhancement
tools. As with Instagram the tagging system is quite
advanced, enabling you to target who is likely to view
– and hopefully buy – your photos.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
When it comes to mobile photography communities
and sharing, Instagram is the heavyweight champion
of the mobile app world. Instagram is essentially a
camera and photo-editing app that allows you to
take photos, apply digital fi lters and other image
corrections, and then share the result with other
Instagrammers. As the emphasis is on sharing, it’s not
ideal for lone-wolf photographers, but it is a great app
for social photographers. Its built-in camera is about
as basic as you can get (the only control being a fl ash
on/off switch), but you can thankfully choose to open
images that have been taken with other camera apps
before moving into the editing and sharing modules
of the app. In regards to processing, it offers 40 fi lter
effects and a basic range of adjustment tools. There’s
also a selective focus tool for creating tilt-shift type
images. When it comes to sharing, you can hashtag
keywords to your heart’s content and share your
images directly to other social media platforms such
as Facebook. AVAILABLE FOR: Android and iOSWWW.WHATDIGITALCAMERA.COM
Camera+
Free / £2.29
CAMERA.PLUS
Exclusive to Apple iPhone users running iOS 8.0 or
higher, Camera+ has long been considered the go-to
third-party camera app. The main reason for this is
the way in which it effortlessly combines good levels
of control over key camera settings – including
manual focus, exposure, shutter speed, ISO and white
balance – with advanced image-processing and
sharing abilities. The latest version also offers an
image stabiliser to help sharpness, and a ‘Clarity’ tool
that acts as a kind of auto-enhance at the point of
capture. Finally, there’s also a slow-shutter mode that
can be used to facilitate long-exposure photography
on an iPhone. As well as its extensive image capture
tools, you can also use Camera+ to process your shots,
using a range of advanced editing tools or one-click
digital fi lters. You can even use the app to sync your
images to iCloud – enabling you to view your images
on any other connected devices, including iPads.
AVAILABLE FOR: Apple iPhones running iOS 8.0 and
higher
Camera FV-5
Free / £2.49
WWW.CAMERAFV5.COM
Designed specifi cally for photography enthusiasts,
Camera FV-5 aims to provide as much manual control
over key camera settings as possible. The amount to
which it can do so does vary between individual
Android phones, however, and the app’s two main
headline features – manual shutter speed control and
Raw capture – are only compatible with a number of
top-end devices. You’ll fi nd a compatibility checklist
on the developer’s website. Once installed, the FV-5
user interface is fairly straightforward to use, and even
if you’re unable to take advantage of the headline
features FV-5 still provides direct control over white
balance, sensitivity, metering mode, and enables you
to take bracketed and timelapse exposures, too. You
can even use it to re-assign your phone’s volume
button to a camera-specifi c function, for example
lowering/raising the ISO. While the full version will set
you back £2.49, there is a Lite version that’s free, albeit
with a vastly reduced maximum resolution.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android only
Fotor
Free
WWW.FOTOR.COM
This advanced image-editing app comes with a range
of tools not commonly found on more basic photo
apps, including curves adjustments, RGB (Red, Green,
Blue) controls, tilt-shift effects and 13 ‘Scene’ modes
that will automatically adjust your image to get the
best out of it. You’ll also fi nd a generous range of basic
adjustment tools and a huge range of stackable fi lter
effects. You can also add frames, text and stickers to
your images or create collages of multiple images.
While Fotor comes with a built-in camera, manual
controls are sadly lacking –though there is the option
to employ a stabiliser for sharper images, along with
support for burst shooting. More experienced users
will probably want to use either their smartphone’s
built-in camera app or a more advanced third-party
option. Image sharing to the likes of Facebook and
Twitter is provided, with further options to email
images also available. Fotor is neatly laid out, making
it straightforward to navigate and operate.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android and iOS
PicsArt Photo
Studio Free
PICSART.COM
This popular all-in-one app allows you to take photos,
process images, apply effects, create collages and
share your fi nished creations. The in-app camera is
admittedly a bit basic, with no manual controls, but
the image processing and effects module is one of the
most comprehensive on the market, with advanced
features such as curves adjustments, cloning and
perspective tools available, alongside all the standard
adjustments. There’s a huge array of digital fi lter
effects, backed up by a generous selection of frames,
stickers, masking effects, clip art and suchlike. As with
many of the better photography apps, there’s a strong
community element to it, too, that allows you to share
your images with other PicsArt users, as well as enter
competitions. If you’d prefer to upload your images to
social media, then you’ll fi nd sharing links to all the
big-name players. The only slight issue we have with
PicsArt is that because it tries to do so much, it can
take a little time getting used to the layout.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android, iOS and Windows Phone
Google Snapseed
Free
SUPPORT.GOOGLE.COM/SNAPSEED
Originally designed and released by the same
team responsible for the legendary Nik Software
range of Photoshop plug-ins (also now free, by the
way), Snapseed is now owned by Google. At its heart,
Snapseed is a powerful Raw-compatible image-
editing app that has been specifi cally designed for
touchscreen devices. Neatly presented and relatively
intuitive to use, Snapseed combines a range of basic
‘one-click’ editing tools and digital fi lters with a
selection of more advanced processing options,
including localised adjustment tools that can be used
for dodging and burning, or even to add selective
focus to your images. Elsewhere, the app’s generous
range of image-wide editing options are controlled
via intuitive drag-and-swipe controls that work in
harmony with a small touchscreen device. In addition
to basic image-processing, the app can also be used
to add frames and text to images, capped off with a
good range of sharing options.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android and iOS
Camera Zoom FX
Free / £2.99
WWW.ANDROIDSLIDE.COM
Taking its cue from Camera FV-5 (see above) and
Manual Camera (another Android photo app), Camera
Zoom FX is another Raw-capable third-party camera
app that offers tons of manual control over your
camera, including shutter speed on compatible
Android handsets. In addition, Camera Zoom FX also
offers a good range of shooting modes including a
stabilised Stable Shot mode, a Best Shot mode, a
Timelapse mode and an HDR mode among others. The
main way in which Camera Zoom FX differs from other
serious-minded photography apps such as Camera
FV-5 is that in addition to providing access to all the
serious things demanded by enthusiasts, it also
throws in a bunch of fun stuff too such as digital fi lters
and sticker packs. Some of this does need to be paid
for, mind. There’s a trial version where you can have
a look at the layout and see how you get on, but in
order to unlock the best features you’ll need to
upgrade to the premium version.
AVAILABLE FOR: Android
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