Tag Archives: mobile photography

Clarity Goes Pro In The New Updated Camera+

Camera+ is an app I jump to when I need to do a quick tune of a photo. The app has a large group of filters, that can be layered and each can have their level of application adjusted. As well, there are non filter tuning options, frames and rotate. One of the best known Camera+ enhancements is the Clarify tool. Apply the feature to sharpen colors and brighten dark areas… sort of a clean HDR solution without going full HDR.
01 Camera Plus iPhone
The adjusters for filters more descriptive now via icons and colorization in the slider.
02 Camera Plus iPhone
In addition to the Scenes, Crops, Filters and Frames in now ‘The Lab’ option. Some of the options Camera+ already had like Rotate are in this group now. Also, is the addition of more Power adjustment. This is where Clarify Pro lives, along with DuoTone, SoftFocus and FilmGrain.
03 Camera Plus iPhone
04 Camera Plus iPhone
Depending on the enhancement, there are different and possibly multiple sliders to get the impact to the level the user is looking for. As the Camera+ slider is moved, a percentage number appears above the line (disappearing when the slider movement is stopped).  Notice the other options in the tuning group are available to jump to via the micro icons along the bottom of the page, no need to go back to the overview screen.
05 Camera Plus iPhone
The filter pages still show the different filters applied to the image. The thumbnails look larger and easier to see the photo impact. ‘I heart Analog’ and ‘Hollywood’ are still extra charge filter groups. While Camera+ isn’t a ‘photoshop’ of iPhone, it is an app that adds a bit to any iPhone photo.
06 Camera Plus iPhone

iPhone Black and White Photography has gotten better with Hueless

Show of hands, how many readers remember my mentioning an app I have been using (reviewed) for Black and White photography with the iPhone. The important part to the joy of taking the Black and White photos was that the shots are done from the start without color rather than running filters later.

A downside I mentioned was that the ‘viewfinder’ on the iPhone screen showed the subject in color, with the resulting image being Black and White. So, your not seeing what you will get, must like looking through a film camera’s physical view finder.

A iPhone Camera app I just found that solves my request for ‘see what you will get’ viewing is Hueless. The app has it’s positives and negatives, but as a app for seeing and taking Black and White photos with my iPhone, it’s a winner!

When you launch Hueless, your ready to start snapping shots. Tapping the screen will give you a focus ring. Around the outer edge of the screen (works in portrait and landscape views) is some tuning options, which can be hidden if you want a clean viewfinder screen. The screen shot below is all of the tuning options showing. The ‘half circle’ can be tapped to run through colors like yellow and green filters, this helps when dealing with a color item you want parts to show strong or week. Next is the ‘show grid’, front/back camera chooser and flash control. Down the left is a slider for tuning the exposure. The only complaint is that front/back camera choose, why wasn’t the iPhone’s standard icon art get used?

When you snap a photo, they are saved to the ‘camera’ roll graphic along the bottom of the page. Tapping the image, opens a new page, the app thinks a bit then your given a screen with three icons: A camera icon to return to photo taking, a Photo Library link to see the images to choose, and a share button to share images with friends on Instagram, Twitter and attach to an email.

The need to step through the iPhone’s photo library confuses me, but the process of taking the picture from the start makes Hueless a fun app I will be using a lot.

Finally a Fish Eye lens for my iPhone that I can actually use!

Watch out… the tunnel walk ways, bridges, old buildings and dense forests will never been the same. At lease, not the same through the eye of my iPhone camera.

I have gone through fish eye options both software and physical hardware. There is some acceptable software available and that is what I have had to be using. The problem with the Fish Eye lenses I have tested on my iPhone (yes, I bought all of them, ugh!) has presented me with a variety of issues. Mostly the problem is because I have a thin vinyl protective skin on the back of my iPhone. It protects the iPhone glass face and it has a fun design I did that makes my iPhone mine in a crowd of millions of iPhones.

The hardware played with so far has included lenses that attached via a small magnetic ring that stuck to the iPhone… which covered up the flash all of the time. There was the full case version that would have been ‘okish’ if the lens could be removed from the case, instead it was full case on/off. One of my favorite is the Olloclip… very nicely made with three lens options to use… issue being is that it is a precision fit around a bare iPhone with too close of tolerances to allow a fit over the back skin. I actually made a template to use for cutting out the corner of the iPhone skin just so I could use the Olloclip, I’ll post that up shortly for you to use if you have the same challenge.

Enter, the  Gizmon Clip-On Fish Eye. Simple design, why didn’t I think of it?!! The folks at the Four Corner Store Web site offer three versions. The Fish Eye, I’m covering here… The Polarizer, which I will review after I play enough to know it for a review, and the 3 Image Mirage… not my sort of thing.

Each of the Gizmon Clip-On lenses come individually packaged. The lenses are attached to the clip so you will be carrying as many full units as you need with you, not just a clip and lenses. That is fine, the lens/clip is reasonably small enough to toss into any bag. The clip slides easily over the iPhone edge, judging by the extra area in the loop, it should work over the edge of most tighter fitting cases. The pressure ‘finger’ of the clip does rest on the iPhone’s screen but since it is plastic, it doesn’t confuse the screen thinking it’s a finger. The design means that it will work on my iPhone 4s, along with my iPad and my friend’s older iPhone 3Gs too.

The lens is easy on/off. I found that for best alignment of the lens over the camera, rather than looking through the iPhone screen, I flip the iPhone over and look through the lens to encircle the camera. The larger outside diameter of the lens is working well for clearer images than I experienced with other options. I’ll do a head:head between this and the Olloclip and report back. Meanwhile, pretty happy with my purchase for easy of use.

All-in-one iPhone camera app ProCamera on sale for 99 cents today…

I have covered ProCamera a few times in the past, running through features and their updates. The app is one of a couple ‘pro’ camera apps I use on my iPhone when shooting around town since it is so quick to adjust the settings to zero in on the shot I’m looking for.

ProCamera lets you fine tune just about every feature: Stability, self timer, expert mode (focus/exposure separate, RapidFire, HighSpeed mode, enhanced photo zoom, Date stamp, Auto Save, Fullscreen Trigger, video focus, video zoom, video preview, use the volume as trigger, geo tagging, system sounds, quick flick album…. wait, there is more… there is ‘Advanced Options’ too!! Green mode, Direct Photo/Video Toggle, Calibrate Virtual Horizon and Copyright exif. ProCamera, it’s all about taking photos with your iPhone your way… and it’s on sale!