No
matter
your
composition,
the
lighting,
and
your
attempts
to
manually
set
zoom
or
exposure,
iPhone
pictures
all
still
have
the
same
dull
quality.
They
are
not
dull
in
the
sense
they’re
not
vibrant
or
detailed,
but
by
default,
with
the
“Standard”
photo
style,
they’re
all
using
the
same
obtuse
post-processing
that
blooms
certain
colors
while
boosting
the
sharpness
and
depth
of
field.
They’re
not
bad
photos
by
any
stretch,
and
they
easily
manage
to
compete
with
the
latest
Pixel
phones
and
their
excellent
camera.
And
yet,
they’re
still
boring.
Even
the
different
tonality
settings
don’t
actually
change
the
quality
of
the
shot.
Of course, there’s an app for that—quite a few, in fact. I’ve been testing out the app called Mood over the past few weeks. It’s made me addicted to snapping quick pictures on my commutes and walking around New York City. App developer Alex Fox hit me up a few weeks ago after seeing I reviewed the Fujifilm X100VI. The app is relatively simple. Just as Fuji’s modern shooters allow for photo simulations, such as 35mm film stock analogs, Mood captures a RAW photo from the phone’s sensor before Apple’s algorithms modify them. It applies a color profile and other “filmic effects” including grain, chromatic aberration, fade, and halation. To sum it up, it automatically makes your photos look like they came out of a scrapbook from real old-school film cameras without many of the overused distortion or empty light artifacts you get in many other faux-physical photo apps.
On the left was the RAW photo; on the right, photo was taken with Mood’s Vista filter Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Mood has proved to be one of my favorite apps for taking pictures of budding springtime blooms. In the small parks surrounding NYU, I snapped some shots of extra-vibrant yellow tulips and the multicolored tenement blocks with the “Vista” filter that helped give extra preference to the trees beneath. As the pink Magnolia flowers punched their little heads out to feel this month’s solar eclipse, I captured the Mood’s “Apollo” filter to add a lot more yellow to the budding leaves and further emphasize the color of the flowers. You can also set it to capture the RAW file simultaneously with the modified version to compare directly. In many cases, I even prefer the unaltered photo to Apple’s usual post-processing.
“Initially I wanted to emulate real films but after some experimentation I found it a bit too restrictive, there wasn’t enough variation for my vision,” Fox told me over email. The app creator added that many of the filters are inspired by today’s existing ones. In addition, a few other “fictional” stocks like Vista do more to enhance in-frame greenery. You can also modify how much grain is applied to the photos and adjust the tone and contrast with two simple sliders. It’s so easy I almost wish there were a few more options to fine-tune the film grain and artifacts truly, but it also means the app is extremely easy for anybody with an iPhone to get into.
Of course, the app has limitations. Currently, the maximum resolution it captures is 12 MP. Even though I’m shooting with an iPhone 14 Pro, I can’t make use of the 48 MP main sensor. It’s not a terrible blow, as most shots on the latest iPhones are set at 12 MP, and you have to manually set the iPhone camera to RAW Max settings to get those high-res photos. Fox said he hopes to integrate 48 MP capture, perhaps even a portrait mode, one day. When you get the app, you have a seven-day free trial before you’re asked to cough up $15 for lifetime access or else pay $2 a month. That’s not extreme by many photo app’s standards, but it is a consideration if you don’t think you’ll be using the app much, save for the occasional funky shot when the moment arises.
On the left was a RAW photo; on right is one with Mood’s Apollo filter. Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Personally, I’m far less fond of apps that ask you to do all the post-processing work after you take the photo, so quality apps like VSCO, which also allows you to lay filters over existing photos, or RetroCam, which can apply glitches and other pseudo-filmic effects to your existing gallery, aren’t really as appealing. Both are pretty good in their own right, but to get immediate results, you’re better off with Mood or another faux-film app.
But I’ll admit my fondness for the app, and simply experimenting with different filters on the same subject is sometimes more fun than breaking out my DSLR or fine-tuning a heavy-duty digital shooter. Then again, I’ve caught the old-school camera bug, and I’ve also been delving through more apps that make
Screenshot: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo / FIMO
If
you
want
more
camera
controls,
you
can
always
turn
on
the
‘Pro’
features
for
the
latest
phones,
and
sure,
the
iPhone
15
Pro
can
take
3D
Spatial
Video.
Still,
the
joys
of
actual
photography
come
down
to
the
precise
nature
of
every
kind
of
body
or
lens,
whether
it’s
a
DSLR,
mirrorless,
digital,
or
even
film
camera.
The
idiosyncrasies
of
each
camera
brand,
the
fine-tuning
of
each
lens,
and
even
the
points
of
failure
make
shooting
enjoyable.
Something
about
not
knowing
the
outcome
of
the
shot
before
you
take
it
adds
to
the
joy
of
photography.
There
are
plenty
of
apps
that
try
to
recreate
that
sense
of
uncertainty.
Huji
was
one
of
the
first
and
most
baseline
faux-disposable
camera
apps
available
on
iOS.
It’s
so
simple
that
you
literally
have
no
other
options
other
than
the
flash
toggle,
looking
at
the
pinhole
viewfinder,
and
hitting
the
shutter
button.
The
app
applies
a
thick
layer
of
grain
and
film
distortion
on
the
created
images
and
a
fake
timestamp
at
the
bottom.
While
nostalgia
might
try
to
convince
you
that
all
photos
were
like
that
back
then,
it’s
still
a
little
much,
especially
if
you’re
taking
photos
outside.
There are plenty of copycats as well. Of those trying to reproduce old disposables, my personal favorite is Kamon. The app includes a host of different “rolls” to make your photos appear as they came out of an old Insta camera or some other old-school instant-photo brand. You can set it so that every photo has a frame like it was printed out on photo stock. Still, I find it a little much and not very helpful for anything but novelty photos. Other apps like 1998 Cam are also far too overt, but I found FIMO a great middle ground, especially with its cute faux-leather app UI and relatively clean output that still includes fun timestamps. You have a selection of different film types that offer different effects on your photos, though you need to pay for a subscription in order to get full access to the different types.
The point is that plenty of apps can change how you take photos on an iPhone. Mood may be one of the better ones I’ve tried, but my advice is to try your hand at several and select the one you like best. I’m not the arbiter of quality photos by any stretch, but if the point is to have fun, ignore the default camera app and try to be a little adventurous.
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