iPhoneography

Shift review: randomize filter effects with precision adjustments

By now, you probably have your favorite go-to filter app. There are enough of them in the App Store that, no matter what your preference is, there is probably an app that suits your needs.

Shift is a photo filter app that may make you rethink whether or not you’ve found the right one. First, you shuffle premade filters in a random selection. Then, tweak the filter you like best to make it perfect. We’ve got a full app review of Shift for you today.

The best Photo apps of 2014

Sometimes, I feel sorry for educated photographers that spent thousands of dollars and years of their lives studying the subject in school. Since mobile devices have advanced in camera technology, we are all taking pro-quality pictures of our cats every day.

We love iPhone photography so much around here that we have an entire section dedicated to it. So, we take new apps in the category pretty seriously. We sat down with the new releases for 2014 and decided which ones stand out for their awesome features. Then, we voted on the best. Below is a list of the winner, runner-ups, and the best all-time photography app.

Good deal: 65% off 6-piece iPhone photo lens kit

If you’re an avid iPhone photographer, and find that the handset’s tiny lens just isn’t cutting it anymore, there is a number of add-on lens kits to choose from. TRNDlabs makes one of those kits, and it’s being heavily discounted right now by deals site Stack Social.

They’re calling it the “The New Age Smartphone Photo Kit,” and it includes pretty much everything you’d need to take great photographs. There is a variety of lenses, a carrying case, a tripod, and best of all, it’s all compatible with the larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Olloclip introduces 4-in-1 camera lens for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Popular mobile device accessory maker Olloclip introduced a new product today for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. It’s a 4-in-1 photo lens kit, designed exclusively for Apple’s two latest handsets, that includes fisheye, wide-angle, 10x and 15x lenses.

The new Olloclip brings about some new features as well. For the first time ever, all four lenses work with both the iSight and FaceTime cameras, and thanks to a new customizable pendant, it can be clipped to a backpack, lanyard or key ring.

Take control of your camera with Manual

With the introduction of iOS 8 came new developer APIs allowing apps to have exacting control of several camera adjustments, including exposure, focus, and shutter speed. Manual is a photography app that implements these new freedoms in a beautiful package, granting users full control of their photos.

I went hands-on with Manual for a few days, venturing into my highly “unphotogenic” yard in an attempt to gather a few decent shots with both Manual and iOS’s stock Camera for comparison to see exactly how much of an advantage the ability to manually adjust camera settings can give.

Skew: a new photo app that lets you fix crooked lines and poorly aimed shots

I will be the first to admit that I am terrible at noticing lines and angles when I snap pictures. I even use the stock Camera app’s grid feature, but I don’t think about the Golden Ratio when trying to get a picture of my cat doing something funny.

Skew is a photo editing app that lets you fix those minor mistakes after the fact. Not only can you straighten angled lines by rotating the image, but you can also “skew” the photo so that objects in the picture are straight.

PHHHOTO lets you take moving pictures you can share with all your friends

By now, most people have an Instagram or Vine account. Even if you don’t, you probably use Facebook or Twitter to share pictures with friends and family. Frankly, I’m getting bored with all of these sedentary images. I want my pictures to move.

PHHHOTO might be called the next-generation of photography-based social networking. Instead of plain, non-moving snapshots of your trip to the fair, you can create one-second animated GIFs to share with the world. We took the app for a test spin and have a review of PHHHOTO for you today…

Truefilm is a comprehensive photo editing app with unique features

Though there is a ton of camera apps on the App Store, one recent addition caught my eye: Truefilm. This app is a spin on your normal photo editing app with filters, basic controls, and frames, however, the app offers a couple features I’ve never seen implemented in a mobile photo editing app, such as version tracking. Read my full Truefilm review to see if it’s worth your $0.99.

Matter will turn your photos into geometric artwork

The makers of Tangent and Fragment are back with their newest geometric overlay app. If you have a soft spot for prismatic photo effects that integrate right in with the subject matter, Pixite’s latest submission to the genre is right up your alley.

Matters is a geometric overlay photo effects app that lets you create stunning pieces of photographic art that can be turned into moving pictures. We’ve got a hands-on app review of Matter for you here…

This is the coolest iPhone photography you’ll see this week

We’re big fans of iPhone photography here at iDB. Whether we’re sharing simple tips or powerful apps, at the end of the day, we just want you to have the tools to become a better photographer, or at least learn a couple things along the way.

Those of you who are in search of a creative boost might find inspiration in these photos by French photographer François Dourlen, who has been mixing movie characters with real life situation, resulting in what might very well be the most original photos you’ll see this week…

Mextures 2.0 comes with new features including full photo editing, shared formulas and more

Last May, we took a look at Mextures and found it to be one of the best filter apps for adding subtle effects and layered textures to your photos. The app uses “Formulas” that are similar to what you might see in a photographer’s dark room. Mextures has also made an appearance on a multitude of our photography-related app lists, and was named photo app of 2013 by Apple.

Today, Mextures received a major update with a plethora of new features, including formula sharing, photo editing, new Formulas, and more. The app also received a user interface redesign and is now faster than ever at processing and exporting images…

iPhone photos metadata

How to view iPhone photos metadata

Metadata can list various information about your photos. If some of this metadata can be input by the photographer himself, other metadata is written automatically by your iPhone as you shoot a photo. This tutorial will show you how to view the metadata of your iPhone photos, including EXIF and GPS data.