Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Kim Komando - Daily Download



5 must-have apps for digital photos

It's almost impossible to find a phone without a camera these days. But the iPhone has an especially good one. The iPhone 3G has a two-megapixel camera. And the iPhone 3Gs packs a three-megapixel camera. That beats most other camera phones.

But, as always, the iPhone improves things through apps. With the right ones, you can easily edit and share your photos. There are even tools for serious photographers. I've found some great ones worth checking out.

Photoshop.com Mobile (Free) – Professional photo editors swear by Photoshop. That's because it has the tools to do almost anything. Clean up blemishes. Add cool effects. Insert new elements.

You can carry Photoshop on your phone for free. It doesn't have everything found in the desktop version. But it's great for editing on the go. You can tweak photos until they look just right.

ColorSplash ($2) – Making your photos pop is easier than you think. This app does one thing really well. It converts your photos into black and white. But it leaves one element in color.

Take a picture of your home. Leave only the red door in color. Or take a photo of friends. Make their bright colored shirts stand out. This makes for eye-catching photos.

Twitxr (Free) – What good are photos if you don't share them? The easiest place to do it is online. There are a number of sharing sites. They include Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Picasa.

With this app, post to any or all of them. Just select a photo, write a quick post and send it off. It's simple. That's what makes it so useful.

This History of Cameras ($1) – Photography has been evolving for centuries. This is a tour of important milestones in camera technology. Learn about the history of a dozen different photographic processes.

Then, apply them to your iPhone photos. What would your favorite shots look like as Daguerreotypes? What about dry plate? Not sure what those are? Exploration is half the fun of this app.

Focalware ($5) – Serious photographers know the importance of lighting. And natural light is often best. Sunlight changes throughout the day. Knowing the sun's position at any time can be useful. The same could be said for the moon.

But most people aren't experts at tracking celestial bodies. And depending on where you are on Earth, everything changes. Do you need to carry around a sextant? No, let this app do the calculating for you.

Cost: Free to $5
System: Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X
Download HERE

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