Photography Apps

The right app can transform how you shoot, edit, and manage your images — and the options have never been better. This section covers photography apps across mobile and desktop, from camera control tools and on-set references to editing apps and workflow utilities. We cut through the noise to focus on what's actually useful for working photographers.

My Biggest Instagram Pet Peeve

Instagram is a really cool thing; it's chock full of amazing work that inspires. It's also a great place to connect with the people who make that work. However, when people create fake connections by following and unfollowing, I get quite annoyed. 

Matterport: The New Age of Real Estate?

Matterport is a new 3D camera that is designed to scan the interior of homes. The software stitches all of the still images together and creates a virtual tour of the home. Not a virtual tour as in a slideshow that realtors love, but one where you can actually walk through the home yourself. You can look up and down, left and right, move forward, backward, and so on.

Automatically Create 3D Models and Maps With Your Drone

I have to admit that this isn't something I had envisioned doing with a drone, but boy, is it neat. DroneDeploy allows you to autonomously create 3D models of buildings and terrain as well as 2D analyses, and the best part is that it's free. 

No More Rush To Get Back To The Computer: Invoice With Alto

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to send an invoice to a client, but you were not home? Maybe you are out on another job, shopping, hanging with family, at a friends, or in the other room watching TV. Hopefully you aren’t doing that last one, but Alto is here to help us out.

How You Can Save Locations to Photograph Later

When you get to a new place you haven’t been to before, or, even if you have been there in the past, you often see something new. It’s what travel does, it lets you see new things in new ways you haven’t seen before.

Is It Possible? Cut File Size in Half Without Losing Photo Resolution With JPEGmini

Last year I shared my method of how I export my photos for sharing with clients and social media without losing quality. While that method is proven, it was always still a pain to share a separate file for full resolution, not to mention that full resolution photos can push 20 MB a piece. Thankfully, I was introduced to an app that overcomes all of this. 

Is Instagram Introducing the Infamous 'Boosted Post'?

It's no secret that most businesses despise Facebook's current model, which has destroyed organic reach in favor of the "boosted" post. Instagram, on the other hand, has never employed such a process. That may be about to change, though. 

Save 93% on MacPhun's Creative Kit XXL Bundle

MacPhun is a popular à la carte Mac photo-editing software company that offers a variety of solutions for various editing needs. For the next week and a half, they're offering their entire suite of products for a price of $129, compared to the $2,000 that it would normally cost. Is $2,000 a little steep for all of this? Sure.

Review: Adobe Spark Puts Easy, Professional Content Creation Into Everyone’s Hands

Let me get to the point: Adobe Spark could be the company’s biggest release yet. For veteran Adobe users, it might not seem as exciting as a new Creative Cloud update; but the combination of its ease of use, ingenious functionality, and truly professional results give it the potential to aid far more people than Photoshop ever will — no, really.

Instagram's Much-Anticipated 'Insights' Analytics Look Awesome

A number of iOS and Android apps rake in huge sums of money by promising heavy Instagram users access to a multitude of account information and analytics. It's no secret that Instagram could capitalize on this in a huge way. Naturally, they don't plan on charging for the service. Instead, they're likely counting on it to boost user interaction.

'Bros on Instagram' Shows You How to Take a Perfect Portrait of the Worst Cup of Coffee

Bro, sick shot! We all know those iPhone photographers (yeah, we are looking at you, Andrew Griswold) who may sometimes take their photoshoots a little too far. The team over at AwesomenessTV perfectly captured what it's like to get a cup of coffee with an Instagram Bro. Please Bro, quit embarrassing us, and just drink your coffee.  

What Sets Sony Apart In The Video World

If you began shooting video within the last five to eight years, it's quite likely that you rode the "5D Mark II wave." Maybe you didn't own a 5D, and still don't, but that camera revolutionized the world of video production forever.

Get Ready Photographers, Instagram is About to Change Everything

I have been on Instagram for quite some time now, almost five years actually. Being a designer by day I can appreciate the simplicity they have put forward for years. The way you can snap, edit, and post a photos so quickly is astonishing to me, and to a platform that works so well. Today, they are changing it all up with a super clean logo and branding across the line of their apps.

Smartphone App ‘Fripito’ Aims to be a Location Guide for Travel Photographers

Fripito is a new mobile application made for photographers, by photographers. With many travel guides catering to the casual tourist, the creators of Fripito wanted to have a resource where professional photographers could research and plan their shoots for a specific destination, while also offering information on transportation, food, lodging, and so on. 

Tinder for Photographers and Models: Romey.co

Now, photographers and models have their own Tinder-like mobile app called Romey.co. Romey.co is a global marketplace, connecting companies, bookers, models, and photographers where everyone is empowered, and everyone wins, changing the paradigm in an industry notorious for being cutthroat.

Custom Cam: The Best Professional iPhone Camera App Yet

Videographer and photographer Daan van de Westelaken was on a quest to find the perfect camera app for his iPhone. It's one thing to have all the features you want, but it's another thing to also not have the features you don't. Frustrated, he created his own, and after using it for almost a week, I'm hooked. It's certainly a tour de Force Touch.  

More News From Instagram: Longer Videos for Users

I'm sure you're all fatiguing a bit with the Instagram news lately, but this time, it is positive. Since its introduction in June 2013, video on the social media platform has been a success, especially for advertisers. Recently, they appealed to more advertisers by switching from video "likes" to video views.

Syrp's Genie Mini Is the Best Time-Lapse Motion Control Device That'll Always Be With You

Helped by great design, marketing, and a superb product to boot, Syrp’s motorized time-lapse aid, the Genie, became incredibly popular with photographers. As the product that launched the company on Kickstarter three years ago, it was a premium offering, though. And sometimes, it’s useful to have something fantastic in a “light” version. Enter the Genie Mini. 

Instagram Announces Curated Feeds

I suppose it was inevitable. One of Instagram's most beloved features is its entirely chronological feed — no algorithm, no priority — all posts are equal. That's coming to an end, though, as the company has just announced the impending introduction of curated feeds. 

Meet the App That's 'Replacing Selfie Sticks' With Professional Photographers

Lately, I’ve noticed a huge surge in the number of emails I’ve received inquiring about my interest in partnering up with a website or app that claims to be shaping the next generation of holiday photo. One email even introduced its company’s services with a tagline of “the app that’s replacing selfie sticks.” 

A Crash Course in Video Color Grading with DaVinci Resolve

If you’ve been working with video in the last few years and are looking to take your post-production to the next level, color grading absolutely needs to be something you consider incorporating into your workflow. DaVinci Resolve is not only a powerful software for doing this, but it's base version is actually free for anyone. 

 

Snapchat vs Live Streaming & Social Media

Before I get into the meat of this article, I have to admit, I was initially very against the idea of Snapchat because I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of disposable content that disappears after 24 hours. For quite a long time, I didn’t understand how it made any sense at all compared to other social media platforms.  

Latest Lightroom Coffee Break: How to Rate Photos With Auto Advance

I don't rate my photos nearly as much as I should. And part of it has been because I've been too lazy to look this exact tip up! Thankfully, Adobe has provided us with one of their now famous under-a-minute Lightroom Coffee Break videos to quickly explain how to auto-advance as you rate your photos. This trick also works for auto-advancing while flagging photos.

The Real Secret to Winning the Instagram Lottery

Everyone wants to win the lottery. In this day and age winning the lottery can mean many things, one of which is hitting it big on social media. Creating a body of work, an brand image, and a following so massive it creates clout behind your name so high, it is easily seen by everyone as the best in the business.

CameraLends' New App Opens Easy Peer-to-Peer Gear Renting to iPhone

CameraLends has been letting gear owners rent out their gear to peers when it's not in use since its inception three years ago. Until now, everything has been done through their website. The new CameraLends iPhone app, however, lets users manage the entire rental process from the ease and mobility of their iPhones.

Why You Don't Need A Website and Probably Never Will

For years I have had the internal and professional battle to go through the motion of building a portfolio website to show off my absolute best and most recent work while also being able to allow clients to easily contact me. In today's day and age there has never been an easier way to do all of these things all in one place, for me that's Instagram and it should be for you as well.

Adobe's Explosive Profit Boost Could Help It Give Creatives the Leg Up They've Been Begging For

Adobe’s last quarter results are out, and they’re better than ever. Adobe’s Creative Cloud and media business rose 35 percent thanks to a 23 percent beat on subscriber expectations, while the company’s overall net income more than doubled from $88.1 million to a staggering $222 million. Adobe’s fourth-quarter earnings report shot its stock to all-time highs.

Pro Photo Shoot, A New App To Help Photographers Discover Talent

Have you ever had trouble finding a model, make up artist, or stylist to work with? Maybe the traditional methods of networking aren't working for you, or you are new to the area. Pro Photo Shoot is a new IOS app designed to help photographers find other industry professionals to collaborate with. 

The New and Improved Way to Quickly Transfer Photos from Your DSLR to Your iPhone

For the last few years I have found many different ways to transfer photos from my DSLR straight to my iPhone for instant editing and sharing on social channels like my Instagram page. Now, thanks to a recent update to iOS 9.2 I am able to directly connect my favorite DSLR brand to my iPhone for fast and seamless photo transfer without draining my battery with Wi-Fi. 

Fstoppers Reviews FotoClient Business Management Software For Photographers

FotoClient is a new cloud based platform which aims to be a total business management solution for photographers and studios. From lead management to invoicing FotoClient wants to tackle it all. I put it to the test at my studio to see how it performs in the real world. Starting at just $10/month, could this be the solution you are looking for? 

Storehouse Finally Brings Photo and Story Layout App to Android

Storehouse launched with much fanfare on iOS, eventually moving onto Storehouse 2.0 and Storehouse on the new Apple TV. Android users have had to be incredibly patient to get access to what is easily the best and easiest way to lay out your content into a well-designed, easily digestible format.

How to Make A Living Using Just an iPhone

Last year I profited nearly half what I made at my day job in freelance photography using nothing more than my iPhone. I've spent the last 4+ years on Instagram building a following and client base that has allowed me to vie for projects and relationships with clients to make money.

Which Mobile Photo Editor Is Right for You?

I think the only thing that has changed photography more than the invention of digital cameras is the ever-growing involvement of photography and social media. Sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr are the perfect platforms for sharing not only your work, but also behind-the-scenes images and other content that draws interest towards your brand.

New Startup Aims to Revolutionize the Way You Manage Your Photography Business

There is a new cat in town and it's roaring like a lion. PICR is a startup from Portland, Oregon that promises to make your life as a photographer easier. They have created a platform for photographers that could build a bridge between the potential consumer and the service provider. An online agent of sorts. Can they really deliver? 

VSCO Jumps Into the GIF Game With DSCO

On Thursday, Visual Supply Company (makers of the immensely popular editing app, VSCO) announced the release of DSCO, their new app for creating short, GIF-like clips. I downloaded the app and spent some time with it today. 

Snapseed Now Offers Raw Editing on Android

Snapseed, Google's ridiculously powerful and popular image editing smartphone app, just got a major upgrade for its Android users. Following up on the introduction of raw file capabilities in Android 5 last year, the app now supports editing of those files right on your phone, greatly increasing the capabilities of photographers on the go.