The must-have smartphone photography apps in 2021

Whether you’re keen to be featured as the Instagram Pic of the Day or you simply want to take better quality images using your smartphone device, there is a comprehensive selection of smartphone apps that can help you get there. Many of the applications available today are easy to use and can help elevate a photograph further. 

Some mobile photographers use these types of apps to access a range of editing tools, while others enjoy sampling the selection of effects some popular products provide. The fact these types of services can be utilised using the same smartphone devices we use to not only take the images but also to watch television, sample games like the Age of the Gods slot and reply to emails is quite remarkable. Innovation in this space has certainly progressed at a rapid rate, with smartphone photographers in particular able to make use of a variety of improvements. In fact, smartphone cameras have never been so good. As such, photographers are able to capture a range of different imagery and styles using highly sophisticated cameras, especially for a mobile phone. 

The apps in this space enable a photographer to get the most out of a project. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the most popular smartphone photography apps right now. All of the apps featured are available on android and iOS unless stated otherwise. 

Pixlr

A photographic editor with a selection of unique features, Pixlr is the go-to option for many smartphone photographers at the moment. The app specialises in creating montages of all of your favourite photographs, allowing you to add an array of effects, filters, and overlays to spruce up any images further, too. Once you’re done, Pixlr then boasts great shareable features, which make sharing your best work on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram a breeze. 

VSCO

A popular editing app for a while now, VSCO will help you give a more polished look to your smartphone photos with a selection of useful presets and filters. There is also a range of excellent creative tools to give your images the DIY edit they require. The app is well designed, looks slick, and is relatively easy to grasp. 

The Photographer’s Ephemeris

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is regarded by many as being the best photography app of its type. Ideal for any landscape, architecture, and astrophotographers in particular, The Photographer’s Ephemeris enables you to come up with a clear plan ahead of a shoot by focusing on the available natural light. Users can sample the app’s handy calculator, which illustrates how the light will fall on the land. If you’re keen to capture a stunning sunset, for example, then The Photographer’s Ephemeris is ideal. 

Camera+ 2

Helping you to create RAW files in manual mode while on your phone, the Camera+ 2 app is an excellent option. Users of the app can also make use of other creative modes, such as portrait, macro or slow shutter, alongside being able to access a range of handy editing tools and a selection of impressive creative filters. The app is only available on iPhone, though. 

Other popular options include Pocket Light Meter, Halide, Fused, Lens Distortions, Sun Seeker, Distressed FX, Mextures, and Tides Near Me.