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Top Five Photo Apps – Photo App Lounge – By MaryJane Sarvis

Welcome to our Top Five Photo Apps – Photo App Lounge section of theappwhisperer.com. This is an area on our site where we ask highly accomplished mobile photographers what their top five photo apps are and why.

We recently published the Top Five Photo Apps as recommended by Yannick Brice , Cedric Blanchon, Irene Sneddon, our Columnist and Award Winning Mobile Artist Sarah Jarrett as well as Louise Fryer, Lisa Waddell, Davide Capponi, Ali Jardine, Clint Cline, Elaina Wilcox, France Freeman, Tess Gomm, Lola Mitchell, Vivi, Em Kachouro, Laetitia Harnie-Coussau’s Top Five Photo Apps including accompanying images demonstrating these selections, if you missed those, please go here.

Today, we are featuring MaryJane Sarvis, we have featured many of MaryJane’s wonderful images within our Flickr Group Showcases, she is an incredibly talented and creative photographer/artist and we’ve been lucky enough to interview her too – if you missed our Day In The Life Interview with MaryJane, please go here. Not only that, MaryJane writes the most beautiful creative tutorials, that we’ve published here – some of which have been featured over at our linked site, dpreview.com – see here.

We’re truly delighted to publish this article today, featuring MaryJane’sTop Five Photo Apps, we’re sure you’re going to enjoy this a lot, over to your MaryJane (foreword by Joanne Carter).

 

Number One – Procreate

photo

 

If Procreate is open, I’m a very happy artist. I use it constantly, from touch-ups to complete creations. My favorite use is to build collages and paint with the amazing brushes, including the ones it’s allowed me to make myself. It’s incredibly powerful and well worth the time it takes to learn all aspects. The new update brings selection tools with cut/paste possibilities and it’s just wonderful.

$4.99/£2.99/download

Number Two – Snapseed

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My go-to editor. After a shoot I check every good image and do a basic edit in Snapseed. They then go into a possible folder for continuing on to further apps. It’s habit but I also find it to be the best app for really seeing the image clearly and quickly. I occasionally play with the Vintage filters or Retrolux to get a feel for what the image might do.

Free/download

Number Three – iColorama

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iColorama has moved up on my list. It’s really quite a suite. It covers the widest range of FX possibilities. I’m also finding functions which seem like hidden treasures. It took me a while to get used to the masking system but now that I’m comfortable there and I use it to apply many effects from subtle to large impact. It’s nice to know there are constant updates coming with treats to look forward to as well.

$1.99/£1.49/download

Number Four – Hipstamatic (and Oggl)

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It was my first app and I still use it to shoot daily. I do use other shooters but I will always use it as my go-to. I’m loving using Oggl as checking the lens film combos is fabulous. I’ve been working on my basic photography skills for the past 3-4 months. It’s been great to go back to my iPhone beginnings and the purity of just the lens/film only is welcome simplicity.

Hipstamatic/$1.99/£1.49/download
Oggl/Free/download

Number Five – Repix

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Though a new comer I just love this app. It’s got some wonderful tools, a great UI and it satisfies the painter in me. I am hoping the updates keep coming. The more basic sort of brushes appeal to me. I’m not as interested in some of the stronger FX and decorative brushes. I think I’ve just tapped the surface in how useful it will be.

Free/download

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MaryJane graduated from Bennington College majoring in painting, printmaking and ceramics. Growing up with a passion for Matisse and the many other colorists who involved textiles in their paintings, she chose to continue her evolution as an artist by developing methods of applying paint and dye to silks and velvets. Along with designing for a few major labels beginning in 1986, she grew her own fine art couture business. Her work is in many collections in the USA and the UK. She’s been featured in several publications including Ornament Magazine and has been involved in numerous shows and exhibits over a 25 year career. She’s best known for her knowledge and command of color. Always enjoying photography for both business and pleasure, MaryJane discovered the IOS system of editing and shooting with an iPhone in 2010. Thus began a whole new investigation into color imagery. Documenting the beauty of nature and Vermont, then editing to achieve the look of old oil paintings and textural color studies became a whole new fascination. She has also done a series taking 19th century wood engravings of women and collaged them with photos of her own fabrics. MaryJane feels that although this new realm of expression is in its infancy both personally and in the Art world, there is an excitement and depth that’s palpable. She plans to continue to develop new series including more abstracts and mixed media works on paper. MaryJane lives with her daughter, an up and coming artist/photographer, and cat on top of a high hill in Vermont, USA. They have a beautiful studio on their land.

13 Comments

    • MaryJane Sarvis

      Thanks Catherine! Now we have Leonardo too! Plus I’ve been glued to Decim8 and Tangent lately. We come and go but the biggies are always the best. (biggies?)

    • MaryJane Sarvis

      Thank you! I agree, it’s been wonderful here on theappwhisperer.

    • MaryJane Sarvis

      It was so hard to pick 5, after the first couple. Decim8 should be there, and…and…:-; Thanks Kim!

  • David Graham

    Another great list. Thanks. You say that it took a while to figure out how to work with iColorama’s masks. Well, I still haven’t figured them out, despite trying to follow along on a couple tutorials. It just baffles & frustrates me. If anyone knows of good, basic how-tos on using iColorama, I’d be very grateful. It’s a wonderful app, & people produce beautiful work with it, but I find the interface very, very confusing–and I’ve almost given up trying to figure it out…
    .

    • MaryJane Sarvis

      I totally understand. It was a breakthrough when I finally got it. I’ll speak to Joanne. I’d like to attempt a step by step with icolorama. (For dummies, because I’m one). There are still some mysteries to me too. Thank you!

  • Maria Gjonaj

    This is wonderful, MJ! Like Kim, I knew your 1st would be procreate;-) I also enjoyed getting to know more about your evolution as an artist in your bio.

  • Maryjane Sarvis

    I apologize everybody! My daughter broke yet another iPhone and since she’s on my account I somehow lost many contacts plus the email acct. associated with this. I’m all back now. Funny how these things happen with our tech. Makes your life easier until….