6 best photography apps

Load up on high-quality apps for capturing, correcting and perfecting images on your phone

Darkr (iOS)

Mobile images can look somewhat clinical, especially when they are converted to black and white. The Darkr app enables you to harness traditional black and white film effects, such as grain and contrast, to add further mood and drama to your photos. The app features a range of tools such as Stripes, which enables you to see test strips of your image that show the results of different exposure settings. Darkr also enables you to take photos as if you were using a traditional large format camera, getting you in the right mood. From $0.99 (£0.75), analogueapp.com

Camera MX (Android)

Packed with features that make capturing images easy, Camera MX may not be aimed at the serious photographer but, with innovative features such as the tap-and-hold live capture, you’ll find smartphone photography a lot of fun when using it. Camera MX also enables you to capture shots that would otherwise be impossible: using Shoot the Past, for example, you can catch the moment with multiple shots recorded before you press the shutter button. Just scroll back to pick the optimum shot. From free, magix.com

Adobe Lightroom CC (iOS/Android)

Lightroom CC is the go-to app for photographers, and there are specific versions available for phones and tablets. This app is more akin to the darkrooms of old, enabling you to enhance rather than manipulate your images. The feature set in the mobile version has advanced tools such as tone curves, contrast and colour correction, and some enhancement tools. The app also connects with your Creative Cloud subscription, giving you plenty of options for working across multiple platforms. From free, adobe.com

Snapseed (iOS/Android)

This is the ultimate photographer’s toolkit, with plenty of effects and filters to help you transform the look and style of your images. Snapseed was originally developed as an app version of the incredibly successful Photoshop plugin Nik Software, and it has now taken on a life of its own, featuring advanced photo-enhancement tools, including tone curves, that give you unprecedented control over your JPEG and raw files (many phones now shoot the latter). Free, facebook.com/snapseed

VSCO (iOS/Android)

If you’re looking to push your photography skills to the next level, the VSCO app is essential for your smartphone. VSCO features a wide selection of looks and effects that can be applied to your images, including ways to mimic traditional film stock such as ILFORD HP5. And that’s not all: because the application was devised by ‘creators’, it has a serious edge with tips, tricks and tutorials available to you. There’s even the option to get your images curated. With a yearly subscription costing less than £20, it’s worth checking out. From free, vsco.co

Halide Camera (iOS)

Camera apps have evolved tenfold in recent years, and the Halide camera app is one of many that offers full manual control over your smartphone’s camera. This particular app has won over pros thanks to its slick, no-fuss and gimmick-free design. The Halide app also stands apart from the others due to the robust set of features it provides, including manual focus and exposure, as well as manual focus control and peaking. Halide also serves up raw file capture, so you get everything at the best possible quality. $5.99 (£5.99), halide.cam