Tag Archives: pre-effect

Expanded Instagram iPhone Photo Effects with Instagenius

Most posts to Instagram via the iPhone are quick shots that have one of the Instagram free filters applied. For me, photos usually run through Camera+, Dynamic Light, Snapseed and/or PaintFX prior to upload. These apps are easy to use but are meant for more than simply adding filters to photos.

An app I was recommended to test, Instagenius, is similar to Instagram filter application but there are lot more options. Importing an image, Instagenius starts with giving you adjusting your photos with Effects filters, tuning with Adjust, Crop, Rotate, add a Border/Frames or create a collage (collages are small resolution 612 square).

Selecting Effects results in thumbnail views of the photo with a variety of Instagram level filters applied for quick review.

Just selecting an Effect does not alter the photo. Instagenius presents a preview of how the photo would look using the effect. Swiping left/right moves through the effects. Skip adding an effect through the ‘Cancel’ button or add using ‘Apply’.

The ‘Adjust’ area also launches with thumbnails showing the adjustment applied. The list of options scroll up/down. If there are non you need to use, select the ‘Back’ button in the upper left corner to return to the Instagenius overview screen with the photo untouched.

The filters in the ‘Adjust’ area have sliders to tune the effect impact, select ‘Apply’ when done. Like the ‘Effects’ area, the app takes you back to the thumbnails of adjustments to apply another.

Selecting the ‘Done’ then ‘Instagram’ will launch Instagram with the photo loaded, ready to go through the normal steps. The images uploaded to Instagram are lower resolution than other apps that are less directed at Instagram. So while Instagenius adds more effects, the final image isn’t suited for many other uses.

 

Wow Camera for iPhone, Pro version is Free for limited time!

An app showing up for free this weekend got my attention first because of their different angle on taking pictures. Rather than depend on filters after the photo has been taken, Wow Camera Pro shows you what the image looks like with the effect they are offering.

These are chosen from the small ‘up’ arrow in the lower right corner of the app, then choosing the effect group. While the flowers I was standing in front of don’t really lend themselves to needing these effect, you get the idea. From the left arrow, Wow Camera Pro offers a pull out menu offers photo taking assistants. Once the photo is taken, there is a series of filters that can be used along with the usual crop and rotate seen on many other camera app.

Adding text (many fonts, size and colors) and text balloons is also supported, a bit of a surprise with what at first appears to be a photo filter app. I will be shooting a few shots to learn the pre-capture effects so I can ‘see’ when a shot will be best suited with one. A bit of new fun, all from a free ‘Pro’ app.