Regardless of your composition, the lighting, and your attempts to manually adjust zoom or exposure, iPhone pictures all still have the same matte quality. They’re not boring in the sense that they aren’t vibrant or detailed, but by default in the “Standard” photo style they all use the same dull post-processing that makes certain colors pop while increasing sharpness and depth of field. They’re not bad photos by any means, and they easily manage to keep up with them latest Pixel phones and her excellent camera. And yet they are still boring. Even the different tonal value settings don’t really change the quality of the recording.
Of course there is an app for that – a lot of them, in fact. I tested the app called Mood in recent weeks. I became addicted to taking quick photos on the way to work and while walking around New York City. The app developer Alex Fox contacted me a few weeks ago after seeing me I tested the Fujifilm X100VI. The app is relatively simple. Just as Fuji’s modern shooters allow for photo simulation, such as with 35mm film analogues, Mood captures a RAW photo from the phone’s sensor before Apple’s algorithms modify it. It applies a color profile and other “cinematic effects,” including grain, chromatic aberration, fading, and halo. In summary, your photos will automatically look like they came from a scrapbook of real old-school film cameras, without many of the overused distortions or blank lighting artifacts that you get in many other artificial-physical photo apps.
Is the mood particularly lively when taking photos in spring?
Mood has proven to be one of my favorite apps for photographing budding spring blooms. In the small parks around NYU, I used the Vista filter to capture some shots of the particularly bright yellow tulips and the colorful apartment buildings, which helped to highlight the trees below. As the pink magnolia flowers stretched out their little heads to sense this month’s solar eclipse, I captured Mood’s “Apollo” filter to give the budding leaves much more yellow and bring out the color of the flowers even more. You can also set it to capture the RAW file at the same time as the modified version for direct comparison. In many cases, I actually prefer the unaltered photo to Apple’s usual post-processing.
“At first I wanted to emulate real films, but after some experimentation I found it a bit too restrictive, there wasn’t enough variety for my vision,” Fox told me via email. The app creator added that many of the filters are inspired by those that exist today. Additionally, some other “fictional” stocks like Vista are doing more to improve the greenery in the picture. You can also change how much grain is applied to the photos and adjust the hue and contrast with two simple sliders. It’s so simple that I almost wish there were a few more options to really refine the film grain and artifacts, but it also means the app is extremely easy to use for anyone with an iPhone.
Of course the app has limitations. Currently the maximum resolution is 12 MP. Even though I shoot with an iPhone 14 Pro, I can’t use the 48 MP main sensor. That’s not a terrible blow, since most shots on the latest iPhones are set to 12MP and you’ll need to manually set the iPhone camera to RAW Max settings to get high-resolution photos. Fox said he hopes to one day include 48MP shooting, perhaps even a portrait mode. When you get the app, you can try it free for seven days before being asked to spend $15 for lifetime access or pay $2 per month. That’s not extreme by many photo app standards, but it’s a consideration if you don’t think you’ll be using the app often, aside from the occasional unusual shot when the moment arises.
VSCO and RetroCam
Personally, I like far fewer apps that ask you to do all the post-processing work after the photo is taken, so high-quality apps like VSCO, which also lets you put filters over existing photos, or RetroCam, which can apply glitches and other pseudo-cinematic ones Effects in your existing gallery are not really appealing. Both are pretty good on their own, but for instant results, you’re better off using Mood or another fake movie app.
But I admit that I love the app, and sometimes it’s more fun to just experiment with different filters for the same subject than getting out my DSLR or fine-tuning on a powerful digital camera device. On the other hand, I’ve caught the old-fashioned camera bug and have also looked into other apps that make it possible
Which app is best for a disposable camera experience?
If you want more camera control, you can always enable the “Pro” features on the latest phones, and of course the iPhone 15 Pro can take 3D spatial video. Still, the fun of actual photography depends on the exact nature of each body or lens, whether it’s a DSLR camera, a mirrorless camera, a digital camera, or even a film camera. The peculiarities of each camera brand, the fine-tuning of each lens and even the sources of error make photography a pleasure. The fact that you don’t know the result of the shot before you take it makes taking photos even more enjoyable.
Prove
There are many apps that try to recreate that feeling of insecurity. Prove was one of the first and most basic artificial disposable camera apps available for iOS. It’s so easy that you literally have no options other than turning on the flash, looking at the pinhole finder, and pressing the shutter button. The app applies a thick layer of grain and film distortion to the created images and adds a fake timestamp at the bottom. Even though nostalgia tries to convince you that all photos back then were like this, it’s still a bit much, especially when you’re shooting outside.
Kamon and FIMO
There are also many imitators. Of those trying to reproduce old disposable items, this is my personal favorite arc. The app includes a variety of different “rolls” that make your photos look like they came from an old Insta camera or another old-school instant photo brand. You can set it so that each photo has a frame as if it were printed on a photo paper. Still, I find it a bit over the top and not very helpful for anything other than novelty photos. Other apps like 1998 Cam are also way too obvious, but I found it Fertilize A great middle ground, especially with the cute leatherette app UI and the relatively clean output that still includes fun timestamps. You can choose between different types of film that offer different effects on your photos. However, you need to pay a subscription to get full access to the different types.
The point is that many apps can change the way you take photos on an iPhone. Mood may be one of the better ones I’ve tried, but I advise you to try several of them and choose the one you like best. I’m by no means the arbiter of high-quality photos, but when it comes to fun, ignore the default camera app and try to be a little adventurous.