Thirteen years ago, I took a big leap and started my own photography business.  At that time, film was king, and one of the most important decisions to make was which printing lab to use.

My, how things have changed. There is no more waiting for the lab, yet the work seems to have exploded exponentially. Now I am in total control of the process from start to finish.  And sometimes, it’s exhausting! There is so much organizing, tweaking, and cropping to do for each file. And there are endless presets and actions to choose from to get just the right feel for every photo.  I’m tired just thinking about it!

So, when I discovered “iphoneography” a couple of years ago, it was truly a Eureka moment. Who would have thought that a playing-card-sized piece of metal and plastic could open up endless creative possibilities while cutting my editing workload in half. These days, I can pull out my handy iPhone whenever the mood strikes (which is quite frequently) and snap a photo that is possibly 100 times better than anything that came back from that lab so many years ago.

I first experienced “iphoneography” when someone introduced me to the Hipstamatic App for my iPhone. Hipstamatic, sold through iTunes, is a nifty little app that comes with several different “lenses” and “films” as well as a few fun flash gels.  Through the Hipstamatic store you can purchase additional lens and film sets. Each lens/film combination results in a unique image.  The editing is done right in the app and the outcome is always a bit of a happy surprise.

Since discovering Hipstamatic I’ve found and acquired several, OK, a whole lot, of photography apps.  Some I use frequently and others rarely.

 

Camera+ This app allows you to touch anywhere on your screen to determine exposure and focus and has some pretty nifty special effects to add to your image.  I use this app instead of the iPhone’s native camera.

 

Photo FX This is a great app for post processing. There are a number of basic editing features as well as numerous special effects. In addition, you can easily layer effects one on top of the other, which many apps don’t.

PhotoToaster I love this one.  It has a very simple interface and comes with some sweet effects.  You can also create your own recipes and save them for later use.  PhotoToaster is a fave right now.

VintageScene Such a fun app!  You can give your photo a very realistic old time feel.  Choose from Vintage Scene, Antique Photo or Faded Time. Within each category there are numerous preset effects to choose from, each of which can be further tweaked to your liking.  And this one also allows you to save your custom settings.

 

TtV Camera Another fun camera that emulates the popular yet vintage through the viewfinder cameras of old. It ‘s a bit funky and slightly unpredictable, which is probably why it appeals so much to me!

 

Instagram This is the biggie.  The ultimate. Instagram has been on the scene for almost a year and has become one of the most popular apps for iphoneographers.  Instagram is mostly a sharing site, sort of like a Twitter for photographers.  But within the app are 15 presets that each give your image a unique flavor. There is also a tilt-shift effect which is very useful for giving an image some interesting blur and depth of field. There are millions of users on Instagram.  Some people use it just to share photos with friends, others, like me, are addicts and accumulate followers and friends. It’s so inspiring to see the incredible things people are doing with their camera phones!

As you learn about these apps and the many, many others that are available, you’ll find your own style and discover that what you did using one app can then be tweaked in another to give it a totally unique flavor.

 

Remember this about using your phone as a camera,

The same rules apply for it as for a DSLR, a point and shoot, or a vintage Brownie:

• good light
• interesting composition
• simple subject matter
• an eye for knowing when to click the shutter.

The formula is the same, but the method is pure joy! And it all happens right inside that playing card sized device. No lab, no computer, no need for a degree in PhotoShop.  Have fun!
If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me @kerrymac.