Maximizing the iPhone's camera with some great apps

In my eyes, Apple has hit a home run with the iPhone.  Not too long ago I would not leave home without a cell phone, a palm pilot and a USB memory stick on me.  The iPhone has rolled all these devices into one.. and.. sports a pretty good digital camera as well.

Pretty safe to say that the best camera is the one you have with you, so being able to create and edit images using the iPhone's awesome display and then instantaneously upload and share images right from the iPhone changes the way we communicate and stay in-touch.  But gone are the days of crappy thumb-nail sized camera-phone images!!  The iPhone is an awesome camera and with the addition of a few simple and inexpensive apps we can document and share moments of magic with relative ease.  Here a just a few of my current favorite iPhone apps..


Snapture from Snapture Labs 

This is a multi-function app.  It has a burst mode that allows for three images to be taken in quick succession along with a leveling aid to help you align your horizons and some decent filter effects that allow for black and white captures, sepia or creative colorizing.  But my favorite feature stacks thumbnails of the images you capture off to the side of the display so you can review them before saving.  Or just tap the Snapture logo at the top of the screen to auto save them.

Includes integration with FaceBook and Twitter
Available in the App Store for $1.99.

PhotoGene from Omer Shoor 

There has a lot of hype around the PhotoShop iphone app but I was left cold with it's lack of features.  Seemed like Adobe had to get into the app game, but did a really weak job at it.  My heart skipped a beat when I purchased PhotoGene and found a true histogram, Levels and Exposure adjustments and sharpness filters.  This is my first stop for image post processing.

It includes the most robust set of instructions and tips I have seen on any app.   Not the cheapest app for post processing of images ($2.99 in the App Store) especially when the PhotoShop app is a freebie, but it is absolutely worth the few dollars.

GorillaCam by Joby 

This app is from the makers of very useful Gorilla Pod line of portable and flexible mini-tripods.. and there is now a model that is designed specifically for the iPhone called the GorillaMobile!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite apps! 

Like many other camera apps it has a PressAnyWhere mode that makes the entire iPhone screen a shutter release so you don't have to hunt for the tiny release button Apple includes in their camera app, but it has a host of really cool, unique and useful features..  A bubble level and grid line overlays help with keeping your images straight and the grid adheres to the compositional guide called the Rule of Thirds.  There is a Self Timer feature, the three shot burst and the continuous unlimited rapid fire capture at 1.6 frames per second.  These features work best when combined with the GorillaMobile tripod to keep the phone steady.  But my favorite feature is the Time Lapse which can be set to capture up to 200 images hands free, with an interval of from one second to two minutes between captures!

I have few more apps that I find extremely useful for capture and editing iPhone images and helping with general photography.. stop back for the next install!!