On most days, I use my cell phone as a camera more than a phone. It’s small, lightweight, always with me, and mobile app technology can turn a so-so shot into frame-worthy art.
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Most smart phones now feature cameras that shoot in 6-megapixels or higher, providing photos with good resolution and detail. The large screens make it easy to compose a shot without holding the camera directly up to your face, which makes some dogs shy away. (My Whippet seems to hate when I point a traditional camera at her; it’s something we’re working on. I joke that she thinks it will steal her soul.)
There are countless photo editing phone apps to play with. The most popular offer a variety of filters that give photos a fun, nostalgic feel. I’ve recently become somewhat obsessed with Retro Camera (Android), Streamzoo (Android) and Instagram (iPhone and Android). Some of my favorite pictures are shots I might have otherwise deleted if not for the ability to add filtering.
“There’s no reason in the world why you can’t use your phone,” says professional photographer Julie Poole, of Julie Poole Photography in Knoxville, Tennessee. “iPhones, for example, take really good pictures. I think phones are going to replace point-and-shoot cameras. If you have an iPhone or something similar, the pictures you can get and then filter through Instagram or various other apps are wonderful. Today, there’s no reason to feel ashamed that it’s just a phone photo. Some of my favorite pictures are phone photos because I always have my phone with me.”
Printing Camera App Photos
As photo-related camera apps increase in popularity, new businesses are springing up to help users display the captured moments. Many of the apps produce square images, which are difficult to print via the local drugstore’s photo center. A quick Google search reveals a surplus of sites offering unique products to free your favorite images from the confines of your phone. For example:
-StickyGram.com – A custom printing service that offers a collection of nine images on a pre-scored magnetic sheet for $15, with free shipping.
-Blurb.com – Create a book of Instagram photos. Prices start at $10.95 for 20 photos.
-Zazzle.com – Print your favorite app-created square images as 4-inch by 4-inch photos, on professional-quality photo paper, for .10 each. Or try PostalPix.com for .30 each.
