All about the photo filters, but craving some new tricks? These cool vintage camera apps can help you create fun, retro snaps with an old-school vibe without always defaulting to Valencia. From unique effects to mix-and-match lens and film combinations, you'll have access to hundreds of photo possibilities. To step up your smartphone snaps, check out these eight vintage camera app options.
Calling all budding fashion photographers! If you're a loyal user of the Hipstamatic camera app, here's your chance to channel your inner Mario Testino. Hipstamatic teamed up with W magazine to create the WMag FreePak — which includes the Wonder Lens, W40 film, and WMag Case — in honor of the traditionally mighty September issue.
Even better than taking your own dreamy, fashion-forward photos? The companies are hosting a photography competition to discover the next great fashion photographer — possibly you! Inspired by W's 40 years of iconic fashion shoots, they're searching for head-turning images from the mobile generation. Strike a pose and submit a photo taken with the WMag FreePak for the opportunity to be featured alongside legendary photographers in an exhibit in New York City and shoot an editorial for W's website.
Did the recent Instagram acquisition news get you down? Looking to expand your camera app lineup? We have a ton of suggestions for Instagram-like apps you should check out now, but if you've also got a soft spot for all things retro, there's 1-Bit Camera ($1). This app, which looks like it stepped out of an '80s-era Mac, snaps your pics in brilliant lo-fi quality and allows you to send them straight to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for sharing. There's even a high/low contrast tool to really punch things up, but spoiler — in true retro style, the contrast isn't that amazing. Naturally.
It's time for a new twist on photo memorabilia. With photo mugs pouring out of the cupboards, a bedtime t-shirt of last year's vacation, and a mouse pad snap from the trip to Disneyland, you've made sure to keep photo memories nearby. Push those stale souvenirs aside and turn a favorite iPhone photo into the ultimate statement piece: a temporary tattoo.
The set of 16 customizable photo tattoos for $14 through the iPhone app MoPho, make unique party favors or just let you show off your camera phone shots anytime you roll up a sleeve. To try out the MoPho tattoos for ourselves, we made a print of a recent dinosaur Instagram. Putting the tattoo on was simple; just like any ordinary temporary skin art, it applies with a damp cloth and the instructions are impeccably detailed. Once on, the tattoo cracked a bit with our skin, but actually looked better as the hours passed. We weren't expecting tattooed perfection from the temporary ink, rather exactly what it is — a quirky way to flaunt your photo talents.
Make sure your Instagram pics are tattoo perfection with these iPhone photography tips.
Love those photo-a-day videos set to music that end up showing how a person ages over time? (Like this one, which I think is the original and most recognizable.) Or, completely creeped out by them but still intrigued? Now there's an iPhone app for that! Everyday for iOS works on your camera-ready iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad 2, prompting you via push notification to take a photo of yourself every day, align it with the grids, and eventually create a time-lapse video of yourself — or your dog, or a plant, or anything else you're tracking and photographing over time.
You can publish photos or videos to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Flickr directly from the app, or set the app to upload them automatically. Download Everyday from the App Store for $2.
Check out a funny video demo after the break.
The holidays aren't just for gift giving and gorging yourself on Christmas dinner, it's also the perfect time to snap some amazing images of your family, holiday decorations, and the frightful weather. These apps can help you create interesting, unique, and fun images all season long! All under $3, you can load up your iPhone before heading off to grandmas on the cheap.
See a few more fun iPhone camera apps after the jump.
Although carrying a real camera to document your day may never go out of fashion, ditching a digital point-and-shoot for your handy iPhone camera seems to be the easiest option for geeks on the go. Snapping a few pics and sending them off to Facebook or Twitter is super easy with an Internet-connected iPhone, and you can give your images even more character with these five awesome iPhone apps.
