Did you know nearly 70% of the U.S. population owns a smartphone? One of the many perks of smartphones is that they have professional-level cameras built-in, yet are still small enough to slip into your pocket. They have virtually eliminated the need to lug around heavy (and expensive!) equipment, and have turned us all into semi-pro photographers.
Need proof? Just look at the number of selfies in your news feed (on average, more than one million selfies are taken worldwide daily). And while these pictures look great on your screen, there are great apps that can transform your digital photos into stunning pieces of wall art!
Check out the top 10 smartphone apps that will make you feel like a professional photographer in no time at all:
#1. Prisma
Prisma is a simple but brilliant app that can turn a picture into a dramatic portrait or modern painting instantly. Free for both iOS and Android, the app uses AI (artificial intelligence) and neural networks to manipulate colors and shadows to transform your photos into real pieces of art.
When you think of the hundreds of dollars you’ll save by creating the perfect wall art for your home yourself, Prisma is your new best friend. What’s more, you can also apply these filters to any short video on your smartphone.
#2. PhotoSquared
Speaking of wall art, did you know that achieving the perfect look for your walls is ridiculously easy? With PhotoSquared, simply select the photos already stored on your smartphone, make some minor touchups to get the look just right, and send them to print via the app. Your photos will be shipped to you on perfect photo board prints, ready to be displayed right away.
To top it off, these smart prints are frameless and need no nails. A special adhesive on the back allows you to create your awesome wall art fast and easy, without any help (or hammers). PhotoSquared is the new name for DIY photography.
#3. ProCamera
Compatible with iOS devices, ProCamera will not only help you produce great photography, it will make you feel like a master photographer. Your first view through the camera lens will offer a plethora of superimposed information, including activated flash and exposure levels.
Worry less about blurry images with an anti-shake feature that will help you steady your hand before activating the shutter. You can even select the compression to apply to the final saved picture to get a professional-looking outcome every time. Who said you can’t be a pro at everything you do?
#4. Camera FV-5
If you want similar features for your Android phone as ProCamera for iOS, then look no further than the Camera FV-5. It too gives the feeling of looking through a single-lens reflex camera and provides an assortment of DSLR-like manual controls, making you feel like a pro.
Features like burst-mode shooting, a live histogram, time-lapse imagery and more allow you to take consistently excellent photos. The Professional Camera application offers options like time-controlled picture series and stunning time lapses, features that will appeal to both professional photographers and amateurs alike. Be stunned by the beauty of your shots. Every time.
#5 – Snapseed
Snapseed is a professional photo editor developed by Google that allows users to edit photos with ease. Rated as one of the top apps for smartphones, this photo app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. An autocorrect function allows fast and fabulous changes in the color, contrast, brightness, texture and tone of your pictures. With numerous filters and effects to choose from and easy online upload, Snapseed works as a complete photo app.
New features include improved grain quality, facial detection, improved menu structure, precise control over brightness levels, added ability to force line breaks, and full RAW support for manufacturer file formats. Now you can have that perfect shot, even when it isn’t.
#6. Instagram
Instagram hardly needs an introduction. One of the fastest growing social platforms of this age, Instagram is also an amazing photo app. This user-friendly and multi-functional tool has quickly become the preferred photo editing app for users around the globe. Taking pictures, adding filters (both custom and standard), using its “selective focus dropper” and applying special effects is a breeze.
Since Instagram also acts as a leading social network, you can easily post and share your photos, too. Plus, it also allows for easy integration with Facebook and Twitter, making it simple to manage photographs and posts across platforms. Enjoy social media images like never before with Instagram.
#7. 360 Panorama
It’s easy to take dramatic panoramic shots with the help of 360 Panorama. Available for both iOS and Android phones, the app offers perfect output in real time. In other words, all you have to do is tap the screen and pan your device; you will see your panoramic shot unfold as every incoming frame is processed in real time.
When you’re finished, simply save and share via email or any social media channel. And if you weren’t already, this exciting photographic experience will make you a photography fan as you churn out pictures that look as impressive as any SLR photo. Say goodbye to wait time and hello to an immersive, 360-view.
#8. Simply B&W app
In a sea of images, Simply B&W helps yours stand out with dramatic black and white photos. Simply take your color shots and use the app’s filter and slider sections to add grain, tweak or alter the brightness and contrast of your photos.
Free for iOS, it has built-in black-and-white presets like Standard, Tri-X or T-Max; a polarizer along with five colored filters; and an IR (or infrared) filter. It also offers an integrated workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Creative Cloud, a real plus for graphic designers.
#9. PhotoGrid
Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8, PhotoGrid is designed to further enhance your photos on Instagram. The app allows users to create a variety of collages in different modes, frames or grids. All you have to do is shake your phone to rearrange the photos. It seriously can’t get easier than this.
While its primary purpose is to enhance Instagram images, once ready, they can easily be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. With fun add-ons like decorative backgrounds and fonts, easy text insertions, and stickers, it’s become very popular with younger users.
#10. PhotoScan
This smart app from Google is the perfect app to restore all your old photos by essentially turning your smartphone into a photo scanner. All you have to do is position the phone's camera over a white dot and wait for four dots to appear onscreen. Move the phone around until each of the dots is aligned around a white circle and, voila! You’ll be able to capture a perfect scan in no time at all.
It’s super easy to capture composite images of printed photos without the usual glare, especially for those images on mounted frames. The app also offers easy image optimization for color, sharpness, edits and crops before you save it. Rediscover and reframe your old memories.
These 10 apps offer a complete photo toolbox previously only available on complex (and heavy) SLR cameras or to professional graphic designers in Photoshop. Now, if you own a smartphone you can take amazing photos, and all it takes is an app to transform your awesome pictures into a professional portfolio you’d be proud to show off in an art gallery, on your Facebook wall, or in a PhotoSquared display on your actual wall!