All about iPod Photo Apps

Well hello there!!!

I’m Michelle aka Willieburgscrapper from Brooklyn, New York!

First and foremost- HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTY!

I am so excited to get a chance to talk about one of my favorite subjects in the world- taking photos with an iPhone/iTouch. I was lucky to get an iTouch as a birthday present last year and it totally changed my creative process. When I first got my iTouch I only used the Hipstamatic app but discussions with app addicted friends got me to expand my horizons. There are a lot of great iPhone applications out for the average super busy scrapbook addict / shutterbug.

Here is a quick run down on the 4 photo related applications I use most.

I printed my absolute favorite SOG stamp on water color paper and used Oil Pastels to color her in. I blended the color with my fingers which brought me right back to first grade arts and crafts. Pastel Crayons- solutions for the Copic disabled.

Hipstamatic

Is the more expensive but visually flexible app. Downloading the basic app for 2 dollars gets you a set of filters organized into “film”, “lens” and “flash” categories which can then be mixed into different combinations to achieve different color, border and contrast effects. The flash effects can only be used by iPhones with a flash. You can then download additional effect packs for 99 cents each.

Hipstamatic allows you to share images on Facebook, Twitter and via email. There’s also a print option but I say skip it as it’s expensive. There is a much cheaper printing app (deets below). The Hipstamatic app is the best option if you don’t want a lot of different applications but want the maximum variety of filter effects to play with.

"Luz" gets to check out the Empire State Building! Hipstamatic's "Helga" lens gives it that washed out bluish tone while the "Big Up" film which adds that funky duct tape border.
Luz drinks her first Thai Iced Tea at "House of Thai" in Brooklyn. Hipstamatic's Ina's 1969 film and Instagr.am's "Lomo-fi" black border.

Instagram

Is the social networking power-house app. The variety of filter effects is limited. In fact, the new 2.0.2 version looses a favorite black and white filter of mine but you won’t miss those if you are new to the app. You can further alter images by using a tilt/shift blur effect, which is currently my favorite thing about it. Images can be emailed, posted on Facebook, Flickr or Twitter and get saved to your iPod’s hard-drive automatically- a new and much needed change. You can also share images taken with other photo apps by accessing your “camera roll” folder and choosing one to edit and send out. The big sell of this application is your ability to interact with friends and strangers alike by giving and receiving comments on each other’s photos.

Over at Lombardi's in Little Italy- that's some UM UM GOOD pizza! Instagr.am's Hudson lens lends extra exposure in the shadows and that purple/bluish tint.
Chinatown! Instagr.am's Lomo-fi lens gives this print that great black border and the warm color pop I love- this is my favorite filter.
Central Park Bridges tour! Instagr.am's Hefe filter and here you can see the "tilt/shift" blur effect when used in circular form- only Luz is in focus.

Diptic

2 dollars pays for the most powerful app of the bunch! Diptic is really a small digital scrapbook page! You choose from 19 different layouts but an extra 99 cents gets you the ability to expand the borders into rectangle format and thus load in even MORE photos per frame. You choose images from your camera roll, shoot them directly onto your “layout” or (awesomeness!!) upload them from your Flickr or Facebook accounts- no other app does that directly.

Altering the look of each image in your layout is made easy by by using the pan, rotate, mirror or zoom controls. You can also make brightness, contrast and color saturation adjustments for each image individually. That’s hands down the best thing about it! Then simply send your images directly to Instagr.am or upload directly to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and other social networking websites. Unique to this app- the ability to make High resolution exports for printing at 8 by 10 and above- something other apps don’t do at the moment.

Diptic app has 17 layout configurations but you can download many more- LOVE the rectangle in the bottom! It's perfect for titles. These images were taken using Hipstamatic's "Lucifer 5" lens then uploaded into this format using Diptic's ability to take images from my photo library. I then sent this to Instagr.am for the black "Lomo-fi" border and Tweeted to my "followers".
Another fun Diptic layout using some Hipstamatic photos that didn't make it into this post.

PostalPix

I just started using this service and right away I ran into problems. Just remember to make sure you enter your email address correctly when you sign up and look for your order confirmation email from PostalPix or you will not be able to contact customer support in case you have a problem with your order.

I panicked when the deadline for this story came and I still hadn’t received my prints so I emailed the contact on my Paypal receipt (who turned out to be the company CEO. OOPS!). Someone got back to me right away and after an 8 day wait (normal for east coast residents but shorter for those in the mid-west or west coast) I got some FANTASTIC and super cheap 4 by 4 prints. I highly recommend this service.

I order 20 different 4x4 prints for a total of 5 dollars postage included- can't beat that price people!

“I DON’T HAVE AN iPOD WITH A CAMERA!” you say. No problem! 

Your options (just a few of many)

  • Download the Flickr app for Droid powered devices
  • Go to getpaint.net and download free software developed for Windows computers by college students mentored by Microsoft. Totally safe and user friendly, this software will not work on Mac computers.
  • Create effects by uploading one of thousands of free “scripts” available on the web into Photoshop.
To make this card featuring Some Odd Girl’s “Love” sentiment stamp, I went crazy with Modge Podge, Computer Grafix transparency film and my scissors. This was shot with Hipstamatic’s Amaro filter but finished off with Instagram’s “Lomo-fi” filter to give it extra contrast and that gorgeous black border. You can check out the full project at
http://myanaloglife.blogspot.com 

So what’s the final “take away” on this baby? Go out and get creative in a whole new way! Never mind your camera- take your phone or ipod and you’ll be fine!

Chells out!

14 Comments
  • Maria Therese says:

    haha cool!!

  • Lisa says:

    Great post, Michelle! I find photography apps to be somewhat overwhelming, and you’ve given me A LOT of direction! I thought part of my problem was speaking a different language (ie: Droid, not iPhone) so I really appreciate your tips there at the end. I have an iPod Touch w/o a camera. I am waiting for my son to get into music so I can hand it down to him so mama can get a new toy! 🙂

  • Pat R says:

    You gals are always tempting me with new ways to play! Thanks for sharing!

  • Donna says:

    Way Neat Michelle, I don’t do much picture taking with my cell phone, or anything else much except my SLR Camera, but you have given me some food for thought.
    THANKS
    Donna

  • judean says:

    I always wondered what the upgrade in Diptic bought–now I know 🙂

  • Calypso says:

    This was really informational!!! Thanks for sharing all the cool apps.

    Calypso

  • Melissa says:

    Wow – great information!!! I love it – so cute!
    Hugs,
    M

  • Kimmy says:

    you rock my world with your app talk! 🙂 LOVE it. Have 3 of these… & since you recommended the last one I must get it too! 🙂 XoXo

  • KarenB says:

    Brilliant! We have an iPod Touch which the whole family shares, and this makes me realise how underutilised it is! I use some of the free camera apps but you’ve really broadened my horizons 🙂 Thank you.

  • Kristy says:

    ooo! I’m getting a droid in the next couple months and yay for app! You rock Michelle!

  • Anita Marie says:

    wow thanks for the super kool idea…cheers anita

  • Sheila says:

    Wow, I totally learned something new! Thanks for the insight.
    Sheila

  • Leah Martin says:

    Great! Now I finally know how to do the histamatic prints!

  • Jess Marin says:

    These are all great apps. Im always looking for photo apps. They can be fun and entertaining, especially on long car trips. I will def be dowloading these.
    Thanks for all the tips.
    Jess M 🙂

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