Unless I am taking a quick shot to show someone a random item, I never simply use my iPhone camera app and a raw photo. Every image taken is run through some application to reach my desired outcome. The iPhone has truly become a wonderful platform for amateur photographers. I think my love for photography stems from a young age when my father was into it and we even had a dark room at our print shop business. I can still smell the peculiar scent of the chemicals and see the red lights. The entire process always intrigued me. The developers of my favorite photo app, Hipstamatic, have another offering called SwankoLab that brings those golden days in the dark room to the iPhone. Let’s take a look.
The creators of the Hipstamatic are super stoked to present their digital darkroom kit: SwankoLab. It’s a loving recreation of the pre-digital era classic – the darkroom of yesterday today.
Complete with smells of photo chemistry and sounds of mad science being made, your SwankoLab comes with everything you need to turn any image into a retro misprinted masterpiece. Choose chemicals, process photos, and experiment. You’re the artist / chemist / creative genius– have fun!
SwankoLab includes:
? Eight magical photo-altering chemicals
? A formula book to store your favorite chemical recipes
? An embossed development tray
? A hand-engraved mahogany box to store all your photo supplies and printsWhat’s new
? Uncle Stu is back at it again in the chemical lab, with four new ones brewed up for your developing pleasure!
– Rockin’ Robin Color Booster
– Haze
– Insty-Tex Cool
– Queen’s Vignette – Black
? New live-preview mode, for easier chemical mixing (plus tap-and-hold to preview a chemical before pouring it)
? Facebook sharing bug fixes
SwankoLab allows photos to be taken directly from the app or loaded from the photo album. I prefer to load from my album so I always have a clean version to revert back to. The lab consists of wood finish with a shelf of chemicals and the tray to develop in. To use a chemical, tap and watch it pour or drop in the solution. There is a limited number of units that can be used and the photo will reflect the changes that will occur as a preview.
Once the chemical makeup is just right, tap the “On” switch on the right to develop the photo. The tray is actually seen with the photo as it develops. Tilting the phone in any direction will send the photo floating to the side of the tray. When the photo is done, it will hang to dry just like we used to do in the dark room. From here, save, share or delete the photo or look at the chemical formula just used. If the formula was good, you can also save and name it to be used again. Formulas can be reached by tapping the book with the F on the lower left of the screen. There are several samples there to try out first.
The best way to understand how each chemical affects the photos is to just use them. After a few uses, you will get an idea what each of them do and have some great looking images.
SwankoLab is a cool way to tweak and create edited photos in any style imaginable. The app is intuitive and easy to use as well as beautiful. Added animations make mixing chemicals seem like you are standing in the dark room. If only the developers could send smells through the iPhone! I used my beautiful family from our football picture day photos as my model. It is a tough time of the year for them with me working many hours and seven days a week. I could not be in this profession without them! Go get SwankoLab here in the app store on sale for $.99.
What I like: So many options to mix and match chemicals to reach different photo styles. The app is beautifully designed.
What could be improved: I would like to see a guide for the chemicals as well as a button to delete the last chemical used.
We are all feeling the financial pinch! Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. Nothing over $.99.
Current App Bargains
POCO Camera- Amazing Shooting
On sale from $2.99 for free.
Features:
1?Build-in lens: 4-lens, 2-lens, Collage, Miniature, Classic Lens and GIF-lens. Advanced features of DSLR like separate focus and exposure also including..2?Easy editing: You can edit your photo by processing color, using special effects, frames and so on. There are more than 40 kinds of PS function, especially suit for those who loves photographing, recording life, snapshot, LOMO, or anything else.
3?Advanced PS mode: Basic on more than 40 kinds of PS function, you can also edit photo by yourself. Endlessness outcome of PS can satisfy any requirement.
4?GIF video: You can also use this lens to make creative dynamic photography.
5?Photo Collage: Shake Collage, Free Collage, Image Snitching can satisfy your demand for photo editing, and this function can make your sharing to SNS more attractive.
6? Multi-Platform Sharing: One clicks to share your photo to Facebook?Twitter?Tumblr?Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, QQ Zone, RenRen and POCO. What’s more, @ and # function make the share easier!
WowFX
New app introductory price of $.99.
WowFX Insane Features:
Over 100 Photo Realistic Effects
(Fire, Explosions, Water, Lights, Smoke, Tornado, Clouds, So Much More…)
Scale & Rotate
Stack Effects One on Top of the Other
Set Opacity for Each Effect
Save to Camera Roll
Share to Instagram and more!
Add Filters for a Perfect Finish!
Bombshells: Hell’s Belles
New app currently free
FAST-PACED AERIAL COMBAT
Bombshells will take you directly to the danger zone with unique environments, devious enemies, and ridiculous weapons!GUNS, LOTS OF GUNS
There are over 200 awesome planes, cannons, and missile launchers to try out. Fine tune your arsenal to dominate the skies!CALLING ALL WINGMEN!
Use your GameCenter friends as wingmen to cover your six in epic boss battlesREQUEST SUPPLY DROPS FOR RARE ITEMS
Need that extra edge? Request a supply drop for a chance to win rare and crazy-powerful items!ONLINE MULTIPLAYER
Battle your friends online in the furiously-paced combat of the Arena Deathmatch mode!
