Camera Apps - the Other Way to Get Started
One of the most exciting developments is the ability of digital cameras and their apps to show the effects of various filters and distortions as you take the picture. This is tremendously helpful in framing your compositions, and in getting the right feel for the picture.
Mostly I use my phone camera for photography, it's easier to handle and is more likely to be with me. There are, however, a few that work only with one or the other.
Mostly I use my phone camera for photography, it's easier to handle and is more likely to be with me. There are, however, a few that work only with one or the other.
iPad Camera Apps
Some Very Useful Graphic Apps
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iPhone Camera Apps
More iPhone Camera Apps
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Camera App Specialists |
These are Apps that do their magic as you take the photograph. This is especially useful for composing the shot, and can be very entertaiining as well.
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Camera Only
Twist Twist
Exposes the image slowly, allowing the physical movement of the camera or the subject to distort the final result in a number of ways.
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Ripple HD
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Composite Composite
iPad 2 app that reveals an image as you draw on the screen. rather dreamlike results, tricky. Only works "live". Also for Windows phone 7
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360, Photosynth
Camera and Transformation Specialists
These are Apps that do only one thing, but they do that one thing really well. Some work only with a live camera, transforming the image as you capture it. Others work with existing images as well as the camera.
Top Five Transformation Specialists:
An image can start with a photo, a digital "start-from-scratch" drawing or painting, or a scan from a piece of artwork. Once you have a pre-existing image, the options to transform it are literally endless. The transformation specialists are the apps that do only one thing, but do it very well. There are many other editing apps that change the colors or add a texture over the picture (in fact almost all of them offer such tools), but the transformation specialists distort or provide textures in a different way. Most of them also have a camera function, if you need to take a photo. My top five favorites are:
An image can start with a photo, a digital "start-from-scratch" drawing or painting, or a scan from a piece of artwork. Once you have a pre-existing image, the options to transform it are literally endless. The transformation specialists are the apps that do only one thing, but do it very well. There are many other editing apps that change the colors or add a texture over the picture (in fact almost all of them offer such tools), but the transformation specialists distort or provide textures in a different way. Most of them also have a camera function, if you need to take a photo. My top five favorites are:
"Splash" uses LiquiPad HD and Percolator
"Grand Entrance", uses Popsicolor, iColorama
"Pastel Self Portrait", Goomified
Abstract pastel, uses Fluid FX
"Impending", uses MarbleCam, Color Lake, much photoshop
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Percolator
Playing on the idea of brewing coffee, this entertaining app mostly makes circles. Using three different variables, each of which has three sub-variables (each of which has many different options), it turns an image into a field of circles, from fine to coarse. There are some nice effects in the mix, and some excellent animations as it does it's work. I've used it in many of my finished digital images. Popsicolor
Made by the same team that made Percolator, Popsicolor does a quite credible job of turning an image into a loose, impressionist two-tone watercolor. I sometimes use it to essentially posterize a complex subject to isolate different value areas, which it does in fine style. Goomifier
This app was probably made primarily to turn your face (or your friends' faces) into rubber, which it does very well. However, it can also come in very handy with abstracts, or even for curving or straightening parts of any kind of picture. Its underlying mesh is quite robust, and can produce extreme distortions without losing the original information. (You may not be able to see the details, but they're still there.) Many photo-booth type apps are similar in effect, some with more kinds of pre-made effects, but without the fine control. Much fun. Fluid FX
Made by Autodesk, this excellent app has many effects that you can use. Most of them, although fun and entertaining, are not often very useful for producing art. However, there are some very good liquid effects, and a few that will stay put as you develop other parts of the composition. I've spent many happy hours with this one. Color Lake
If you need some watery reflections, this app does an amazing job. With a good range of controls, it produces excellent screen saver types of images where the reflection portion stays in motion. You can send a finished image to the Camera Roll, but a screen grab generally looks more natural, although the resolution is lower. |