In the second installment of our iPhone Travel Snapper Apps series, Contributing Editor and Photographer Paul Sullivan takes a look at image editing apps.
While Apple’s celebrated iPhone has become one of the most drooled-over objects in the mobile world, its camera has always left a little to be desired . The new 3GS has pumped the megapixels up to 3 (from 2) but there’s still a spectacular lack of features: no zoom, no flash, slow shutter reaction, a lack of sharpness and no in-camera editing or post-processing options are some of the failings.
But vex not. A number of apps on the market can dramatically improve your iPhone images. While we wouldn’t claim they will turn you into a ‘pro’ (though some people are trying their best), they can certainly get you acquainted with various ‘pro’ aspects of photography such as editing, composition and post-processing.
Obviously, a lot are more for novelty than anything truly creative, so we’ve road-tested and hand-picked a bunch that we think could be particularly useful for travel snappers.
Photoshop Mobile
Before & After shots of photos edited with Photoshop Mobile by author.
Since the iPhone has no in-camera editing facilities, you’ll have to download an app that allows you to crop, rotate, color adjust, apply FX and all the rest. It took them a while, but software giants Photoshop have finally brought a version of their celebrated software to the iPhone. Photoshop Mobile has just four main controls.
The Basics icon offers Rotate, Crop and Flip; Color offers Exposure, Saturation, Tint & Black & White (all simple, one-touch adjustments); Filters has Sketch and Soft Focus while the Effects option lets you make your photo Vibrant, Border, Pop, Rainbow and Warm Vintage at the click of a button.
While the Basics and Color tools are definitely useful, the Filters and Effects are quite gimmicky, which is perhaps a surprise given Photoshop’s status as one of the leading post-production software manufacturers. The program could also do with a Contrast slider. Then again the app costs nothing, making it by far the best free photo editor app on the market.
Price: Free
Read full article on MatadorU →
Other Articles in Series
iPhone Travel Snapper Apps Part 1: Replacement Cameras
Disclaimer – All apps above have been reviewed on the new iPhone 3GS. Please double-check compatibility of your phone if you have an older model.
Do you know of other iPhone Apps that provide image editing? Please share in the comments below.
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Paul Sullivan
Paul Sullivan has been a freelance writer and photographer since 2000. Operating primarily in the realm of music, travel, lifestyle, and culture, his work has taken him around the world. His work has appeared in/on the BBC, Dazed and Confused, DrownedInSound, Electronic Beats, The Face, The Guardian, DJ, Intelligent Life, iDJ, fRoots, The Independent, Observer Music Monthly, National Geographic Music, Time Out, Wax Poetics, The Wire, and others. He currently lives in Berlin.
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http://www.jonrouston.co.uk Jon
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http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/michelles Michelle Schusterman
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http://www.paul-sullivan.com Paul Sullivan
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