5 Best iPhone Photography Apps I use every day
I love my iPhone, and I love photography, so when a discovered iPhone photography it was a “light-bulb” moment! I take iPhone photos everyday, and at least once a day I upload a photo to Instagram.
If you are on Instagram follow me – I’m Janmary there too. These 5 apps are the ones I use on about 80% of my photos.
Best 5 iPhone Photography Apps
1. I take my photos with proCamera App
This is my original un-edited photo I snapped from the choir stalls this morning AFTER church.
2. I do most of my editing with Snapseed App
Here are the steps I took
a. straighten
b. crop
c. tune image
d. save
3. Add a filter with PicTapGo App
I’m not a huge fan of many filters, especially if there is no option to reduce its strength – I prefer subtle! PicTapGo is great for this as it gives live preview of each filter, and then the option to reduce the strength of the filter.
So here are the steps
a. open the photo
b. select the filter (I used Equalize this time)
c. use the slider to reduce the opacity (strength) of the filter
d. press “Go” and them save to camera roll
4. Add text with Over app
a. tap on the photo to open
b. add text
c. pick font
d. adjust the text – size, opacity,
e. save to camera roll
5. Share with Instagram app
(and depending on the photo, I also share on Facebook, Twitter etc)
There are other apps I use from time to time, but these are definitely my most used.
I hope all this doesn’t come across as very time consuming – I usually don’t spend more than 2 minutes in total editing and uploading an image.
Do you use your mobile phone for photography?
From time to time I do some iPhone Friday posts, and plan to have an iPhone tips newsletter – (sign up for sporadic iPhone tips here) and have a popular post on Why I Love iPhone Photography
What are your favourite apps?
Do you use Instagram? If so, share your username here and I will follow you. I’m Janmary on Instagram too (follow me!)
If you found this blog post useful, I’d love it if you would pin it on Pinterest. If you are interested in more iPhone tips, follow my iPhone photography board on Pinterest.
Thanks!
Hi there_
Nice article. I’m new to instagram & just realized that I should be doing it from my computer also. Started following you.
Where in Northern Ireland are you? My husband & daughter were there in May when she was studying at UCD. Loved it!
You are motivating me to make a new Pinterest board for photo! Will post this there too.
best,
Karen
karenfriedland.wordpress.com
https://pinterest.com/karenfriedland/boards/
Hi Karen, and thanks for stopping by. I’ll follow you on Instagram too 🙂 I live about 10 miles outside Belfast, but we spend quite a lot of time up on the North coast, near the Giants Causeway.
I don’t have an iPhone but having been thinking of upgrading my smart phone to one for this very reason, so that I can take really nice pictures, especially since it seems to be the only way that my husband and I take pictures of our family 🙂
Thanks for the list of apps and picture examples, that will be a great help if I do upgrade!
I certainly take much more pics now, even though I was the main photographer in my family already. My husband is going to choose an iPhone when he next changes his phone – another convert!
I just got my first Iphone and am learning everything about it. Thanks for the insights for the photo apps.
Enjoy your iPhone – I didn’t quite appreciate just how much it would change the way I view photography!
I am not a professional photographer, but as a scrapbooker (waning on that hobby actually), I am constantly taking photographs. I keep my point and shoot in my purse at all times and swore I would never give it up. Enter a new MUCH smaller purse and a switch to the iPhone….camera is no longer is a staple in my purse. I still don’t do fancy things with my pictures other than send them to my computer, use PicMonkey for edits, and then use them on my blog, social media, or for personal use for scrapbooking. But I appreciate the demonstration of what can be done!
I am more of a digi-scrapper! I much prefer editing my phone photos on my phone to doing it on my laptop, and then sharing on Instagram with the personal challenge to take daily iPhone photo has much improved my in-phone editing!
Wow. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful photography apps. If I ever get an apple phine these will be my go to photography apps. Unfortunately for now…. I am on Android. My fav. Apps is line camera. And I love instagram too! I am at @smomblogs
Will follow you on Instagram Irene 🙂
I don’t have any kind of cell phone, but my husband has an iphone and I am amazed at how clear his pictures are. I’m going to forward this post to him so he can see what more he could do with his pictures.
Let me know what your husband makes of the apps – they have made a big difference to my own phone photos.
That is a great list of apps for photos. I don’t use a smartphone though… I am a photographer, and I can appreciate how much you enjoy using your phone to capture your day.
Hi Janmary! I use PicTapGo a lot, too – my favorite feature is that you can choose “Instagram full” when you export the photo to IG and it will add a white frame around the sides or top/bottom so you don’t have to crop your photo down if you don’t want to. 🙂 You probably already knew about that, didn’t you? I’m kris_ram on IG – going over to find you now!
Hi Kristen 🙂 I often want to add text to non-cropped images, so I tend to use Square Ready app, before using a text-adding app such as Phonto or Over. Will look for you to follow on Instagram!
Wow, your photos look wonderful. I don’t have an iphone- my android is hopeless. Or maybe it’s just that I don’t know what I’m doing. 🙂 I started an instagram account during a blogging conference, haven’t used it much because my pics looked so bad. But here’s my link: https://instagram.com/plumdoodles
Hope you get back into phone photo pics – quite a few android apps for photo editing too (but not to the same extent as iphones!). I will follow you on Instagram just in case you try phone photography again!
I LOVE the text over picture app and I use Instragram on a regular basis. I must check out these other ones!
Let me know your Instagram name, and I’ll follow you 🙂
I like the list, though I’ll admit there are a couple there I haven’t seen. I’ll have to check them out.
I’m an Instagramer (just followed you) and love it. I use snapseed a ton, but unfortunately jumped on when it was a pay app! I am also a Hipstamatic junkie as I love the old films, lenses and everything else.
Though I do the majority of my photography with my DSLR, I truly love what the iPhone can do when it comes to images. Great stuff. Thanks for the list and for a few more apps I need to check out!
I would never have believed it, but my DSLR is being left at home more and more. Having the iPhone has changed the way I blogged – previously I wouldn’t do a post unless I had a DSLR image taken, downloaded, edited etc – now I just snap it on my phone, edit it quickly and add it to my blog post 🙂
Beautiful photo – love how easy it is to add lettering and titles with the Over App.
I don’t have an iphone or an instagram account, but if I did I’m sure I’d be snapping pictures!
I need to see if some of these are available for Android!!
I have an Android phone, but I snap quite a few pics with mine. I share photo’s on instagram sometimes. i will have to see if some of these apps are available on Android. Thanks!
This article very informative as I will be purchasing an iPad very soon. I thought long and hard between getting the 8.9 inch Kindle HD and the iPad and went back and forth doing many comparisons. The learning apps for the iPad are what did it for me!
Good choice! I think you will love your iPad 🙂
I’m a little backwards…I don’t even have a cellphone! I do have an ipad though and I actually have a blog sponsor sending me to ROME! aaaaccckk! I have to figure out how to use some ipad apps to edit and post pictures while I’m travelling! Maybe I will have to get an iphone!!
Wow … Rome! I spent a few days there last year for our 20th wedding anniversary …. such an amazing city! Most of these apps are available on the iPad, if not all of them 🙂
I don’t have an iphone–and I’m not on Instagram yet. I know I should; it’s just another thing to do!
Oh don’t feel any pressure to be on Instagram! Just be where you want to be and enjoy it – I’m just a bit in love with Instagram but it’s not for everyone 🙂
aaah, I so want an IPhone! But I do have an IPad. Do these apps also work with the IPad?
Oh yes Heather – some if not all are on the iPad, and if not there are lots of other creative photo apps on the iPad. Let me know how you get on!
I use my phone for photos a lot and enjoy Instagram. I’m your latest follower, buttercupnyc. I also take photos with my iPad and my camera. My camera does take the best pictures :), but I like posting to Facebook or instagram or sending pictures with texts.
Thanks for the follow on Instagram – following you now too 🙂
Thanks for the clear, concise instructions! I am so interested in visiting your corner of the world…Lord willing! I am in love with sea glass and discovered that those mighty seas around Ireland produce some beauties!
Blessings!
:)Wren
Hope you make it over here someday. I find occasional pieces of sea glass, and a friend just told me of a great beach over in Donegal – planning to visit it soon!
Awesome!!! I had no idea any of these existed. I think I need to play around with some photos now 🙂
I don’t have an IPhone right now but I’m planning to get one by the end of the year. I can’t wait to try these apps!
I’m slowly getting the hang of Instagram (@CookCleanCraft), but I have an Android phone, so not all the same apps are available. It’s a lot of fun though!
This is a great list. I have an Android phone, but I think some of this apps are available for me too. I love Instagram! I’m @superheroesandteacups
I love Over…it’s so fun! Have you tried Dynamic Light? It’s awesome…esp for sky photos!
Oh – I am an app addict! Must take a look at Dynamic Light 🙂 Thanks!
All the pictures on my blog are taken with my point and shoot and I so need to learn how to use it better. I recently discovered a DSLR app on my tablet and am hoping it gives me half way decent results. Don’t have iphone (android) and I’m on Instagram. Getting great pictures is more challenging than I thought it would be.
that was way informative. i know of instagram but haven’t used it, but i hadn’t heard of any of the others. i always just take pics with my iphone and then put them to my computer to edit them. but your way looks easy!
I like PicsArt to edit photos. It takes some getting used to but it’s really fun. I usually download the photo and then upload it to social media. I’ll check out the apps you listed here too!
This is great! I don’t have an iPhone but I imagine these apps, or something like them, are available on Android. I’ve been cautious in using many pics on my blog so far. But this post gives me courage to delve in and work on adding more. Thanks! ~ Bobbi
Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for this exact information. I’m just starting to embrace Instagram and I REALLY want to be able to add text to my images. This will help so much!
There are a few other text adding apps I use – Phonto and Label Box probably my most used after Over
I loved this. I’m new to Instagram and want to learn more about photography and adding great pictures to my account. Right now I have a couple and because of my business people want to see more but my pictures are so bland.
You have given me light and inspiration. Hopefully the apps will work with the S4 if not I’m quite sure I can find similar apps.
Thank you for the wonderful information.
Kimberly Ann Hawes
I used all of these with the iphone 4 – only recently upgraded to the iphone 5, so these apps should be fine …. and there are so many more out there too!
I don’t have an iphone but I am finding myself using my phone more often than my camera for pictures. I do add some photos to instragram (lifewiththebs) when I remember to do so. It’s fun to see life in snapshots!
Great information! I use my phone for taking most pictures because I LOVE using Instagram. The app makes me feel like a pro when it comes to photography, but I am so NOT! 🙂 Thank you for posting!
I have a Droid not an iPhone. The camera is pretty good as long as there is plenty of light, but if the room is dark and you don’t use a flash, the pictures are very grainy. With the flash, it tends to wash out the image.
My husband has a droid phone, and finds it hard to get decent results – he is going for an iPhone next time (resistence is futile!)
This post is just what I needed! I am bookmarking it! I have an Iphone and some apps for photography, but don’t use them often. I have to admit, I don’t use Instagram that much either….but want to! Pictures can tell a thousand words and this will make it easier for me when I’m blogging to do just that! Since you seem to really know Iphones, what is your favorite all-time app? Thanks for the valuable info!
Probably Instagram – love the connection around the world through images!
I’ve only been on Instagram a short time but I’m loving these apps on my iPhone.
There are so many app options out there that I get overwhelmed. So thanks for sharing your faves. I will check out your recommendations for sure!
Hi JanMary. This is so timely. I really need to get these apps and improve my photography for the blog and the Etsy store.
I haven’t ventured down the InstaGram road, but it looks like I may need to do that.
Thank you so much for sharing this.
As a crafter, I find it really easy to share “behind the scenes” pics via Instagram, and showing the item I am making in the various stages of the process – even sold some of my jewellery this way!
Thanks for this informative post. I had no idea there were so many photo apps available for the iPhone! I’ll revisit your post after the challenge to familiarize myself with the apps you mentioned and their uses.
I will definitely be trying these apps on my iPhone. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t have a phone that takes good pictures and the pictures from my tablet don’t look very good either so I don’t take too many pictures with a mobile device. I have heard that pics with iPhones are pretty good and it looks like yours turn out nice. I hope to at least get a decent quality camera soon.
My iphone takes better pictures than my Point and Shoot camera! Also no need to download them to my laptop – so easy to edit and share on the go!
Thanks for the breakdown of the apps. Who knew you could do so much editing right from your phone? I take a lot of pictures with my iPhone but rarely remember to upload them to Instagram. That is definitely one of my blogging goals for 2014!
I love instagram – check me out craftingafairytale. I also loves photos edited with a beautiful mess. I believe there is a small premium you have to pay but it’s totally worth it!
craftingafairytale.blogspot.com
Following you now 🙂 I have A Beautiful Mess app too, but don’t remember to use it enough!
Really nice article! I’ve been on the hunt for some good photo-taking apps as of late, so I’ll have to check these out for sure. I’ve been taking a lot more photos lately with my phone, so this came just in time for me. 🙂
Hope you find it useful. The way I take photos has entirely changed since getting my iPhone – always with me and unobtrusive 🙂