Phoneography is the best. No matter where you go, you’ve got a camera.

Not just any camera, but a camera that lets you share your photos in that same instant with all your friends.

We love sharing tips, project ideas, apps & inspiration so much, we decided to start a whole new blog about how much We Love Phoneography!

To celebrate, we gathered our all-time fave phone photo tricks for phoneography amazingness that’ll wow your friends and your Instagram art critics.

10 Tips to Improve Your Phoneography

p.s. We’re throwing a contest today for a chance to win Cell Lenses! Follow us on our new Tumblr to see how to enter.

#1: Control Your Exposure

You can do some major change to the mood of a photo by forcing your phone to over or under-expose the scene you’re shooting.

One easy-peasy way to do this with your built-in camera app is to tap the screen in the lightest or darkest area and watch the changes that occur.

Try making three photos: One normally, one by tapping a dark area of your scene, and one by tapping the brightest area. Compare the differences!

(Our friend Joey showed us this tip on his Instagram stream! Thanks Joey!)

#2: Have Fun With Your Phone’s Flash

Your phone’s flash is made to fire right when you snap a photo, which can make the results hard to predict.

Apps like Camera+ (iPhone, 99¢) allow you to leave your flash on continuously while you set up your shot, so the results are perfect every time.

If you’re a fan of the classic toy camera look, you can easily splash some color into your phone’s flash too! Grab some Color Flash Filters and hold them in front of your camera’s flash for a filmy look that’s unpredictable & fun.

#3: Practice Symmetry

Imagine yourself as a designer for the day!

Well composed photographs often follow basic design rules, and patterns sure are pretty!

When you go out photo-shooting, be on the lookout for repeating lines, patterns, and other shapes you can use to turn your photos into art.

If you’re feeling stuck, start by collecting one specific shape; like a triangle!

#4: Pair your photos together in split-frames

Sometimes 2 (or 3, or 4…) is better than one.

Apps like Diptic (iPhone, 99¢), PicFrame (iPhone, 99¢), and WoW Camera (iPhone, free & paid version available) can help you join many photos together just like you would in a real frame!

Combine multiple photos to show action sequences, zoom in on details, and make interesting comparisons!

*For more awesome tips on how you can combine your phone photos, check out the Instagram blog.

#5: Tilt/Shift Like A Pro

Tilt/Shift is a blur effect you can apply to your phone photos that mimics the way 4×5″ film cameras focus selectively. (It has the power to make giant things look miniature, too!)

We like to think of tilt/shift as the seasoning in a recipe for a good photo: (it won’t make a bad photo good, but can ruin a good photo if you use too much.)

With TiltShift Generator, you can control the size and intensity of the blur you add, so you don’t add too much “spice” to the photo recipe at once.

A few other apps with tilt/shift features we like using: Pictureshow (iPhone, $1.99), Camera360 (Android, free & paid versions), and Snapseed (iPhone, $4.99)

#6: Cell Phone Lenses

Cell Phone Lenses are your phone’s best friend!

They’ll help you magically get closer than your eye can see (macro) and fit an entire room into one snap (fisheye.)

Incidentally, to see some of the most awesome photography on the internet, check out the #photojojomacro and #photojojofisheye tags on Instagram.

#7: The Double-Filter Trick

One of our personal favorite secret photo-editing weapons!

Filtering a photo twice can give you unexpected results – kind of like cross-processing film!

In this example, our first filter converted the original downtown photo to black & white.

Next, we ran the photo through several Instagram filters to get these different colors!

(Also try: mixing filters from different apps, adding the same filter twice, collecting light leaks from all your apps, or using ALL the Instagram filters in a row!)

*Hint: If you want to double-filter a photo with Instagram, switch your phone to airplane mode (+ wifi off) before you publish, and your phone will save the photo without adding it to your stream!

#8: HDR Camera Shake

When your phone takes a photo in HDR mode, it’s really taking several photos at once and averaging them all together to make one “perfect” picture.

Since we’re mad photo scientists, naturally we got to work playing with this feature seeing what kinds of art we could make by breaking it.

We found that if we shake the phone while making a photo in HDR mode, the results can end up looking a lot like old-school double exposures!

The same neat effect can also be seen if you use HDR mode to take photos of things moving past you quickly like cars, planes, or even cows (if you have a tripod!)

More things to try: Use HDR to photograph other cars on the road from the passenger seat, make your own phone-friendly version of camera tossing, or make eerie double-exposed ghost images of your friends!

#9: Double (or Triple!) Your Exposures In-App

Another sure-fire way to get pro results that’ll blow your viewers away is to combine multiple photos in one!

Apps like DXP (iPhone, free & paid versions available) and PhotoForge2 (iPhone, $1.99) can help you get the job done quickly & beautifully.

There are many apps that combine images, and you’ll find that they usually have many “blending modes” to choose from (overlay, multiply, soft light, etc…) We think it’s best to experiment while you work!

Keep playing with options until you find something that looks exciting to you, there are no rules in double/triple exposure photography!*whew!*

#10: Anything Can Be A Lens Filter!

One of our fav parts about Phoneography is that you don’t need tons of professional equipment to get amazing results.

While traditional cameras sport large lenses that require specific filters for experimentation, the iPhone’s camera is super tiny, and only requires a filter the size of a pinky!

What does that mean?

It means anything can be your filter!

Press your iPhone lens up against a piece of a plastic soda bottle for a free substitute to a pricey colored gel, try shooting through fabric or lace, tracing paper, 35mm slides, the possibilities are endless!

Want a set of rad lens filters that’ll always be by your side? Check out our Holga iPhone Lens dial!

Even More Tips to Try:

• Are you on Instagram? So are we! Follow our stream for weekly tips on free apps, inspiring quotes, phoneography tips, DIY projects, and more!
• Want a list of the best tried-and-true apps for iPhone? Here’s our guide.
• Android, we love you too! Here’s our guide to the best Android photo apps!
• In love with your new photos? You should be! Use our guide to printing your own Phone photos to make them into magnets, stickers, and more!

Related posts:

1. How To Make Your Cell Phone Look Like Your Favorite Camera! Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 Photographers. We’re a...
2. How to Use your Phone or Laptop as a Quick ‘n’ Dirty Softbox ~Have a cool photo product or site? Reach 250,000 photo...
3. Instagram: Share Phone Photos with Friends, In the Moment We’ll never stop...

The Holidays are over: all the eggnog has been drunk and the presents opened.

Some of you have already had coffee, grabbed your new camera and are ready for a photo challenge for the coming year.

Or maybe some of you are still in your jammies whilst Instagramming your new Angry Bird slippers.

Well, we’ve got some amazing photo projects to inspire and motivate you all!

From daily year-long endeavors to self-portraits and solargraphs, there’s a project that’ll suit your photo personality.

Photo Projects for a Snappy New Year

1. Photo Ideas for the Self-Portraitist

Are your self-portrait photos a daily habit, scheduled between having coffee & combing your hair? Or are you looking to start the habit? Well, here are some awesome examples of folks who’ve experimented with photographic self-portraiture.

• Take A Self-Portrait Everyday: Noah Kalina started taking a photo of himself since he was 19 back in 2000, and hasn’t stopped since! He posts them on his web site Noah K Everyday, and there’s also a video of all his portraits.

  If you’re wondering, “How the heck does he line himself up consistently for every picture?!” it’s cuz he uses a camera that has a flip screen to help him!



• Layer Your Self-Portraits: Who says you have to view your photos one portrait at a time?

  For part of his grad project, Tiemen Rapati took clickflashwhirr’s portraits and did some Photoshop layering magic that put all 500 portraits in one!

2. A Photo Project For the Family Guy or Gal

Got a fantastic family who’s pictures you just can’t snap enough?

Take photos of each family member once a year as a unique way to capture your family’s “growth” like photographer Diego Goldberg did in “The Arrow of Time.”

Mr. Goldberg has been taking a picture of his whole family once every June 17th since 1976!

See the full photographic family timeline here.

3. Daily Photo Ideas for the Camera-Shy

Perhaps you’re a photographer whose personality is like that of an eager yet timid woodland squirrel—you’re nuts about photography, but you quickly scurry away to hide whenever anybody tries to snap a pic of you.

Well, here are projects within your natural comfort zone!

• Take Daily Photos of Where You’re Standing: The hashtag for this photo group says it all— #fromwhereistand!

  Take a cue from Holly—aka the soupatraveler—and her own set of #fromwhereistand pictures, titled “Good Morning”!

  She made the photo-taking work with her daily morning habit, in which she enjoys a cup of coffee in her garden—a consistency that you’ll see in her set!



• Take Daily Photos of Your Favorite Lunch or Hang-out Spot: Have a place you like to lunch at or hang out on a daily or frequent basis?

  Take photos of the place or setting over a period of time & seasons, like Paul Octavius did in his “Same Hill, Different Day” series!

  This delightful project captures a hill in Chicago in different seasons, hosting a variety of activities, from kite festivals to Ghana soccer players at practice!

4. 365 for the iPhoneographer

Do you tote around an iPhone, or did you just get one for Christmas?

Get Photo365—this app makes it super easy to keep track of your first (or third!) photo 365 project!

The Photo365 app lets you take photos directly from your camera or your camera roll, and you get the option of seeing all your daily pics in a handy monthly view!

5. A DIY Project for the Patient, Film Enthusiast

Are the above photo project ideas just not hands-enough for ya?

Well then, we challenge you with capturing your own solargraph this year!

A solar-whaaaa?

A solargraph is basically the photo that results from a pinhole camera that’s designed for a six-month-long exposure!

Get the deets on how to make one yourself with Ilya’s handy tutorial here!

Solargraph featured was taken in Germany, a collaboration between Robert Fosbury & Tarja Trygg.

Take Your Year Further

• Starting your first 365 photo project and feeling a little iffy on commitment? Get some encouragement & helpful tips from Taylor Knight’s Project 365 post.
• The beautiful & touching photo collage featured above is from Karin Stack’s “Hair Stories,” in which she documents her hair growth following chemo.
• Hey parents! Keep a photographic track of your cute kid’s growth & make a great video from all the photos like JAMagicFilms did with Natalie!
• Check out “A History of the Sky”, a calming year-long time lapse video on the sky!
• Videos not your thing? Make a coffee table book from all of your photos using Blurb or Shutterfly. The Creative Mama has some neat tips on how to make your photos book-ready!

Related posts:

1. Project 1976: Making a Photo History of the Year You Were Born ~Have a cool photo product or site? Reach 270,000 photo...
2. Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way People will often say that their whole lives flashed before...
3. World Photography Day — Ideas & Inspiration to Celebrate All Things Photo Do you remember the first time you held a camera?...

Holiday. Photo. Time.

Three innocent little words that when strung together can cause much anxiety in parents around the globe.

To reduce the stress and end up with photos that really capture the true spirit of your family, we nabbed professional kid photographer and author of Click!, Rachel Devine.

Rachel’s neatly rolled up her top notch advice in this guide that’ll last you straight through your eggnog supply and into next year!

Top 10 Tips for Photographing Kids

THINK!

The best way to avoid the tired old holiday portraits is to think about your shot and what the holiday truly means to your family.

Capture holiday traditions that are unique and make sure that your little family’s personalities are represented.

These are images of your kids, so show them how they really are. Tell their story.

Christmas Eve in Australia with my three kids looks Just. Like. This.

PREPARE!

Get things set up BEFORE* you bring the child into the photo session.

This is essential as children have extremely short expiration dates on their patience for picture taking. Don’t waste any time on getting your settings and exposure right.

*Never leave little kids alone in or around water…make sure your camera is with you before running the bath!

BREATHE!

The holidays can be chaotic. Don’t forget to breathe!

If the quest for a perfect holiday photo is stressing you out, forget the special posed portrait and go back through the last year’s worth of images and pull a few that represent how your children have grown and changed through the months.

Presenting the photos together in chronological order on the front of a card will be like a visual update for the year. Remember those annual Christmas letters from the long lost aunt? Like that, but in pictures.

SMILE!

Make your heart smile and hand the camera over to your kids.

Let them record what the holidays mean to them and get a different perspective of your world.

If you don’t want to actually put the fancy camera in their hands, let them direct the process and help come up with ideas for the outfits everyone is to wear and location.

Make sure you put a little note in there to say “Styled by Child’s Name and Age” so your friends don’t think you have completely lost your mind.

Research!

If you really want to do something with a holiday theme, look around your town for places that remind you of the season.

This Christmas tree farm was our little way of getting an “American Christmas” here in our new home in Australia.

Push!

Force yourself out of the formal posed rut and aim to capture a beautiful moments that happen in daily life.

Here, the light in the guest room was so lovely that a simple game of wrestling came out gorgeous.

If you want it more controlled than daily life, but still relaxed, set the kids up on the bed with a favorite holiday story book and capture them reading it all together.

Look!

Try interesting angles and look at your subject from above, below, through and even under things in their environment.

PRACTICE!

Practice what you say, I mean.

If you say just one more photo, respect the kids and just take one more photo!

It is so important to keep the photo shoots with children happy and light. The energy you give out is what you will get back and what will be captured in your camera!

REFINE!

Did you get a great shot during the year, but the clothes did not match or the background was too busy?

Convert your color shots to black and white to simplify the look and unify all the mismatched details!

REACH!

Whether you are the crafty sort and can create your own cards, or choose from the multiple printing companies out there, don’t forget to share your memories with others.

This day and age, you can save some money and a trees by sending out digital cards to your loved ones.

Turning your photos into gifts, creating photo books, notebooks and even printing and framing will make someone smile.

Rachel Devine is a commercial kid photographer and American ex-pat based out of Australia. She runs a photo blog Sesame Ellis and teaches people how to take better photos in online classes and live workshops.

Check out her books: Click! How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids and Beyond Snapshots (coming in March 2012).

Related posts:

1. 10 Tips for Being a Greener Photographer   This Photojojo made possible by... Lensbabies are Frankenstein-esque lenses...
2. Halloween Photo Tips — Our Ghoulish Guide to Scary Snaps How can you not love a holiday that encourages you...
3. 9 Tips for Breaking into Photojournalism New in the Photojojo forum: One of you kids is...

Like instant film and harem pants, GIFs are making quite the comeback.

They may have had an awkward start back in their earlier days, but now GIFs are easier to craft and looking better than ever thanks to lasers, smart phones, and good old fashioned creativity.

We found the raddest and baddest ways to make and show off GIFs from real-life GIF zoetropes to making your phone’s background animated.

Creepy dancing Ally McBeal baby, step aside. There are new GIFs in town.

How to Kick Your GIFs Up a Notch

Main image credit: GIF Shop

1. History of the GIF

Short for Graphics Interchange Format, the GIF came out in the late eighties as a bitmap image format that was able to support animation.

Like the adolescent years, many of the earlier GIFs were animated awkwardly and sometimes spastically.

Yet their ability to capture animation captured our own beating hearts by providing us the means to make a more dynamic kind of photo or illustration.

Like Batman. With kittens. Awww.

GIF via this isn’t happiness.

2. Hey iPhone, you GIF?

Your iPhone can GIF thanks to some neat apps, like:

• GIF Shop – Lets you edit and loop your GIFS with neat features like onion skinning, which helps you line up different shots.

• Giffer – Has a cool photo picker that lets you select more than one photo at a time.

• Loopcam – This one’s free! It’s a stripped-down app that lets you make GIFs from photos quick and easy.

• Figgif – Lets you make a GIF from video you record on your phone.

Android users: As of now, we haven’t found stellar GIF apps for Android, but we’ll update here if any better ones pop up!

3. The Cinemagraph: The Glorified GIF

If early GIFs are comparable to the awkward adolescent years, then cinemagraphs are GIFs in their most golden age—sleek and très chic.

First introduced by the talented team of photographer Jaime Beck and motion designer Kevin Burg, these sophisticated GIFs took the web world by storm, eliciting oooo’s and aah’s from fascinated viewers.

Get inspired by Beck and Burg’s cinematic creations, and then get right into making your with our cinemagraph tutorial!

4. GIF up your iPhone screen!

For you iRebels rockin’ jailbroken iPhones, show off more of that dissident spirit by GIF-ing up your lockscreen.

With some patience and this custom lockscreen tutorial, an animated iPhone lockscreen will soon be yours to rock and roll.

Warning to tech n00bs—this requires quite some tinkering to work, so proceed with caution and extra patience!

5. The Real World: GIF edition

Wait, you mean, GIFs aren’t limited to viewing just on the computer screen?

Nope—thanks to Greg Borenstein & Scott Wayne Indiana, the creative folks who make GIF zoetropes at Physical GIFs!

Physical GIFs are based on the persistence of vision: when a series of frames moving quickly is perceived as one moving image by your eyes and brain.

Each frame of a GIF is carved by lasers out of plexiglass, and then the frames are animated with the use of a spinning disc and a strobe light. See one in action in this video!

They’ve recently reached their fundraising goal on Kickstarter, so expect to see some real-time GIFs proudly displayed on some lucky coffee tables soon!

6. Turn Videos into GIFs!

Wanna make a GIF from a section of your favorite YouTube video, or your own video files? GIF ‘em right up with the following converter sites:

• GIFsoup – The chicken soup for your digital soul, GIFsoup basically helps you turn your own YouTube videos into a GIF!
• Bender Converter – This nifty converter can make GIFs from a plethora of sites, including YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook!

GIF created from video featuring Raoul Ortega and filmed by David McClymonds.

GIF me more

• Have Photoshop or Gimp but never GIF-ed before? Learn how to make ‘em in Photoshop and in Gimp.
• No Photoshop? No worries! GIFninja is here to save the day. As is Picasion and Gickr! These are just three examples of free GIF makers available for you to use on the interwebz.
• Not only can your GIFs move, they can wiggle and look 3D, too. Make your own wiggle 3D GIF—like David Fitzsimmon’s GIF above!
• Fruits can get their GIF on, too—check out these amazing animated MRI fruit scans created by MRI technologist Andy Ellison!
• Made an awesome GIF and dying to share it to the world? Upload your pixel-moving masterpieces to your own blog, or have ‘em join the GIF party! Did your cat star in your GIF? There’s a page to showcase your cat’s animated antics, too!

Thanks to David Fitzsimmon’s for the Wiggle 3D photo! Check out his rad animal photo book Curious Critters, too!

Related posts:

1. 10 Totally New Ways to Play with Instagram Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3. Instagram is your...
2. The Ultimate Guide to Photo Shadow Play: 30 Ways to Show Shadows Some Love Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3  In Photo 101...
3. Photo Toys: Don’t Play with Your Food, Play with Your Photos Hurly proved an important point in Episode 9 when he...

While we love taking photos on land, and sometimes high up in the sky, we can’t resist the magic that takes place underwater.

Real life Nemos, free floating props, and fashionable mermaids show us that underwater is the place to be!

Get a camera that can work in a (extremely) wet environment, and dive in to capture and
conquer the wonders of the water world.

Here‘s our top 15 list of uh-mazingly easy tips to get your feet wet in underwater photography.

15 Ultimate Underwater Photography Tips

p.s. Work with us! Photojojo’s hiring both in and outside of San Francisco. Seeking web developers, product buyers & sourcers, photographers, and writers.

Photos: Main + guitar by Sarah Lee; bubble close up by Sasha Leahovcenco

What To Shoot With Underwater

Underwater photography isn’t just for pros with ginormous budgets. Underwater cameras are actually really accessible!

You can find single-use disposable underwater cameras or better yet reusable ones like the Reusable Underwater Film Camera.

Digital underwater cameras are also great since you get to instantly see your photos.

You can always protect the DSLR you already own with an underwater housing system. These range from $80 upwards, but some camera shops rent these out. iPhone housing systems are also being made for underwater iPhoneography.

1. Shoot in Safe Waters

A swimming pool is a great place to spend hours with your camera, because there aren’t any
unpredictable, strong under currents or aggressive marinelife with sharp teeth to worry about.

When you plunge into the ocean, lakes, and rivers just remember to always be aware of your surroundings and the limit to your swimming abilties.

2. Have Enough Light

The best time to shoot underwater are on bright afternoons when sunlight travels intensely and aplenty in the water.

When conditions aren’t in your favor (and you’re swimming in deep, gloomy waters) use flash or artificial light to bring out colors and take away shadows.

If your camera doesn’t have built-in flash or your built-in flash isn’t strong enough, use an external flash or bring in an underwater strobe. These are pretty affordable to rent at around $40.

To avoid illuminating particles between you and the subject (known as backscatter which shows up as white spots) position your external flash at an angle towards the lens.

3. Stay at the Surface

Sometimes the coolest water effects are found right at the top.

Play with sunbeams, surface reflections, and backlit texture.

You can also split your frame in half by revealing half of the world below water and half of it above.

4. Get Close

Closeness may be something we’re uncomfortable with on land, but those boundaries blur when we’re in the water.

Getting in close to your subject gives you crazy-awesome details like when you’re photographing endangered water species or the slimy threads of backlit algae. If you’re able to get your hands on a DSLR casing, try experimenting with macro lenses.

When you’re not shooting with a macro lens, practice composition by filling in your entire frame with your underwater subjects.

5. Get Acrobatic

One of the best things about being underwater is floating. It’s as if we’re defying gravity.

The next time you dive in, set your camera to a high shutter speed and have your friends tumble in after you while you wait below them with your camera. You’ll catch them mid-dive in unexpected positions that end up looking like an aquatic ballet.

6. Make Bubbles

Bubbles are a great way to create interest in a photo, and also a fun excuse to splash water in your friend’s face.

Experiment with hard plastic straws or water guns, too!

7. Bring in Props

Common swimming pool toys are fun and all, but household items like books, an umbrella, or even a bicycle seem more fitting (or not) underwater.

Elena Kalis is a great example of a photographer using props to create whimsical and stunning portraits.

8. PRACTICE YOUR SHOT BEFORE YOU TAKE It

Discuss your plan and have your subject practice first above water and then one or two times below water.

It’s less tiring for everyone, especially since holding your breath and doggy paddling is involved!

9. Wear light clothing

If you’re photographing others in costume, make sure to keep in mind that when clothes are wet, they make it harder to swim.

Clothes that we’ve found to be most swim friendly are nightgowns, leggings, sundresses, shirt, ties, and spandex.

Hint: The tighter the clothing the less resistance you’ll have to move freely underwater.

10. Shoot Up or Across

Most of the time we’re photographing water, we shoot from above down into the water. Being underwater lets you get as low as you want to dive!

This lets you shoot up at your subject or directly across from it.

When you shoot upwards you can even catch awesome backlighting (yay sunbeams!).

5 More Too-Amazing Ideas

• Shoot in the rain. Grab your cam for a rainstorm to get those double-dare-you-to-jump-in-that-huge-puddle shots.
• Have a pool party. Invite your friends over and take the pool party to another level!
• Waterslide portraits! The next time you’re going down a twisty waterslide, shoot a self portrait (old school style, at an arm’s length away) or wait at the bottom and catch your friends’ funny faces.
• Take a shower! Use a shower curtain as a backdrop, and you’ve got an indoor rainstorm photobooth. Or simply set up a home studio in your bath tub for water play shots, like high speed exploding water balloons.
• Tag along with a surfer (or any other water athlete!) to get photos of them riding waves.

Photo credit: 1 Jen May Pastores, 2 Marina Miller, 3, 5, 7, and 9 Sarah Lee, 4 Sasha Leahovcenco, 8 Kitfox Valentin, 10 Anna Kim, Surfer by Aaron Rideout

Related posts:

1. How to Shoot Underwater Photos with a Vintage Camera Is that cool looking vintage camera you found at the...
2. The Underwater Digi Cam — Take Your Camera Swimming! Taking your camera to the beach is like giving your...
3. 11 Tips for Sparkling Fireworks Photos Here in the States, we celebrate our independence every 4th...

Photography doesn’t have to be all about fancy gadgets and technology. (Though sometimes it’s more fun that way.)

Like a master chef or Jackie Chan in a bar fight, it’s all about knowing what to do with whatever you have on hand.

If you just want some great-looking product shots for your Etsy shop, or tutorial photos for that Instructable you’re writing, you only need a simple home studio.

If you’ve got a tripod, a flash and a window, you’re more than halfway there already. Read on for how to make an inexpensive, so-simple-it’s-practically-zen photo setup.

The 5 Things You Need to Make a Studio

p.s. We’re hiring in and out of San Francisco: web developers, photographers, product buyers and sourcers, and writers!

p.p.s. Enter our Twitter challenge for a chance to be featured on the Photojojo Tumblr! Plus, congrats to Jenni Kowal for winning our weekly Facebook challenge!

Really? Only 5 Things?

Yeah! All you really need is a tripod, a window, a flash, a background and a bounce card.

Sure, you could get fancy studio gear, but why spend money when you don’t have to? You get the same results and nobody ever sees what’s outside the shot.

Here are the basics:

• Set up near the window
• Position the camera on the tripod
• Use the flash as a secondary light
• Make the background either interesting or inconspicuous
• Fill in shadows with the bounce card

Don’t have a flash or a tripod? That’s OK, you can still manage. Keep reading.

1: The Window

Set up your studio area as close to a window as you can. Just use the top of whatever furniture is handy, be it table, dresser or even a chair.

The window will be your main source of light. If the light is too bright or harsh, white curtains will diffuse and soften it. If you have no curtains, shoot at a time of day when your window gets less direct sunlight.

Position the studio area so the light hits it from one side. Sidelight looks nicer than shooting into the light or with your back to it.

2: The Tripod

There are two reasons to use a tripod.

1. It lets you take advantage of the window light by using longer exposures, and
2. it allows better control of how you set up the shot.

Once you get your light, background and fill set up, you won’t want to keep having to adjust the camera angle and where you’re standing. Use the tripod so your mind is free to do other things.

Don’t have a tripod? Get one, they’re cheap! You can make do by propping your camera up on a stack of books, or setting your shutter speed to 1/60th or faster so you can shoot handheld.

But seriously: get one. Even a cheap little tabletop one is totally useful and awesome.

3: The Flash

The main thing your flash needs to have is a movable swiveling head. Those white plastic diffuser caps are good to have too.

Use the flash to fill in the shadows cast by the window light. Swivel it around to bounce off the walls or ceiling until you get a look you like.

We generally default to firing the flash directly behind us; it fills in nicely without creating ugly glare or highlights.

Don’t have a flash unit? Make a film canister flash diffuser, or get one o’ them on-camera flash bouncers.

(p.s. If you want to know anything (ANYTHING) about lighting with flash, check out Strobist’s Lighting 101. We <3 that guy. We totally hope he's a millionaire by now.)

5: The Bounce Card

Bounce cards are the cheapest, most useful piece of photo equipment you can get.

Use a piece of white mat board, or tape a piece of copy paper to a piece of cardboard. Done.

Prop the card up next to the side of the object, just outside the shot. (Pick up a couple of L-brackets at the hardware store to use as supports.)

Adjust the angle until the reflection from the card lightens the shadows. It’s the simplest trick there is, but it makes a huge difference in how good your photos look.

You can make brighter bounce cards by wrapping a piece of tinfoil around a piece of cardboard. Keep a white card and a foil card around, and you’ll never fret about shadows again.

4: The Background

Backgrounds: interesting or inconspicuous? Depends on what else is happening in the shot, but a mix of the two is always a good bet.

We keep a stash of colored art paper to use as backgrounds–the 19×25 sheets you get at the art supply store.

They’re relatively cheap, they come in billions of colors, and they make a good-looking but unobtrusive background.

If the item you’re shooting is very small, try placing it on an old book or map. It adds interest, but if you keep the depth-of-field shallow enough it won’t be distracting.

Tips for Shooting

• Don’t forget to white balance, especially if you’re using a colored background. Use a coffee cup lid as a DIY white balancer!
• If you like the look you get from window light, you don’t need to use flash. Just tip in a bounce card to fill the shadows and go nuts.
• Want more tips on shooting small? Check out our guide to shooting for eBay, Etsy & Instructables!

Related posts:

1. Five Things You Can Make Out of a Film Canister Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2 ~Have a cool photo...
2. Bring Lost Cameras Home with a Digital Summoning Spell ~Reach 270,000 photo fans Oh no, you just lost your...
3. Reduce, Reuse, Diffuse: Make Your Own Flash Diffuser from an Old Film Container Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2 This Photojojo made possible...

Have you ever wondered what Photojojo’s deepest dreams and desires are?

What does Photojojo think about in the wee hours of the night?

Maybe you’ve just wondered how to make the best DIY home studio or which DSLR is hot right now.

We went to Twitter to ask Photojojo fans what question you would ask us if you could.

Here are our answers! Amit, Jen, Billy, Kiran, Kelly, Julieanne, Laurel…

See the faces behind the names along with our expert photo and DIY advice!

[Have a question? Ask us!]

Our Answers to Your Questions

p.s. Wanna work with us? We’re hiring in and outside of San Francisco. Seeking web developers, product buyers and sourcers, photographers, and writers!

p.p.s. Come eat pizza and photo walk with us!

Laurel

Laurel is the customer service overlord at Photojojo. Her interests include neon Skittles and personalizing each and every Photojojo order with a miniature dino.

Q: @bubblegumzee I need to set up a cheap, easy product photography shoot…any tips?

A: My favorite lighting kit in the whole galaxy is the sun. Just head outside.

If it’s a very bright day, find an evenly lit spot in the shade. If it’s overcast you’re good to go anywhere. Tape a piece of paper to a wall/tree/flower-pot to make a seamless backdrop.

With a well shot product photo, you could even sell that half of a day old donut you never finished (coming soon to the Photojojo Shop! …or not).

Q: @thecannibal14 50mm 1.8 or 18-200 3.5-5.6?

A: Go with the fixed fifty! You’ll have to use your feet instead of your fingers to zoom, but the beautifully big aperture is totally worth it. I love that lens.

Jen

Jen is Photojojo’s store manager extraordinaire. Jen finds all the best photo goodies for the Shop! She also trains her cat Fuji to fetch film from the photo lab.

Q: @LizaDuron I want to know what techniques I can do to make the light leaks/expired film effect on my new 35mm film.

A: Open the back of the camera just slightly to expose the film, then shut it really quick! There are probably better ways, I usually just do this on accident. Also, I’ve never done this, but I hear you can put new film in the oven to give it an expired look.

Q: @jollygeek What are various ways to become inspired to go out and shoot?

A: Movies and colors inspire me. So does the ocean. I also try and check out other photographer’s stuff on Flickr or Tumblr often. It’s inspiring to see what other people are doing.

Q: @boodles64 If you could suggest one thing to start learning for a new photog, what would it be? I’m overwhelmed with settings!

A: Pick up a simple point and shoot film camera like our Ultra Wide and Slim or our Double Shot Camera. They both just have one button and take awesome looking photos. In fact, the Ultra Wide and Slim was what got me into shooting film (the beginning of an addiction).

Q: @originaljahn What would be a good beginner film camera to purchase to begin to affiliate myself with medium format film photography

A: I bought a Lomo Lubitel from eBay just for this purpose. You can find them for under $100 there usually.

Q: @karljohnston I’ve always wondered; where did you come up with the name “photojojo?”

A: Amit came up with the idea, he thought it just sounded cool. I would have to agree.

Amit

Amit is the George Washington of Photojojo. He’s the founding father of this whole thing! (BTW Amit also comes in pixel form.)

Q: @pepperjess The best tiny digital point-and-shoot, one that rivals some DSLRs? Any suggestions?

A: Go with the Canon S95. It’s the same size as their popular Elph-like compact cameras but has a much larger sensor — the same one as the Canon G12.

That means you get much better low-light pics than other compacts. And it’s got full-manual controls with a ring around the lens you can use to adjust aperture, shutter speed, or exposure compensation. Fits in your pocket, takes excellent photos.

If you can bear something a little larger, you’ll get closer to DSLR performance with a Micro 4/3rds camera from Panasonic or Olympus. I’m a huge fan of the GF-1 (discontinued) but the updated version the GF-2 isn’t bad, either. The 20mm pancake lens is sharp and excellent. (If you can wait a couple months, the GF-3 is rumored to be just around the bend.)

Q: @mkoux Where can I get the best burger in NYC?

A: Shake Shack! Their cheese-filled shroom burger is the best veggie burger I’ve ever had, but I hear the regular burgers are pretty amazing, too. :)

Lisbeth

Lisbeth is editor at Photojojo, and she is writing these very words (mind melt). If it were a toss-up between shaving her head and playing with cameras, she’d pick the cameras.

Q: @pepperjess Do you have any DIY ideas for what to do with undeveloped/blank polaroid/photos? Seems a waste to trash them

A: Yeah!! Here are some ideas:

• Turn them into frames! Paste another photo on top and use it as a cool Polaroid frame. Kinda like our Polaroid Postcards.
• Draw on them! Check out Elia‘s, daaams’, and Dan‘s Polaroid drawings. Also, have you heard of Homemade Polaroid?
• Use them as reusable to-do lists that you can stick on your fridge. Just grab a dry erase marker. Here’s a tutorial on how to turn your instant prints into to-do lists.
• Turn them into postcards! Find a paint marker to write on black and then put a stamp on the back. You can send it in the mail without an envelope! [Note: This was Jen's idea!]

Q: @thejennydipo I want to know what lenses to rent/buy to take pictures of babies!!

A: My fave portrait lenses are a fixed 50mm lens (I use Canon, but nifty fifties come in all brands) and Canon’s 24-70mm lens and 85mm lens. Tamron also has sweet telephoto lenses in the same range. The 50mm is just the right angle — not too wide and not too telephoto, so there’s minimal distortion in the image.

The 24-70mm and 85mm are a little bit longer, so they capture shallow depth of field beautifully (good for bokeh!). When you shoot with a shallow depth of field, people (or any subject) really pop since the background gets all out of focus. Babies and other humans look pretty darn great through these!

BTW, the 50mm is affordable enough to buy. The 24-70mm and 85mm are a little pricier, so you might try renting those before deciding to get them.

Billy

Billy‘s a customer service ninja. Is he in the store inbox now? Maybe he’s in the chat! One never knows where Billy may be, but one thing is certain: he probably knows the answer to your question.

Q: @wendyh777 Explain aperture in 140 characters or less

A: Small aperture (bigger number) = more depth of field, less light for exposure. Large aperture (smaller number) = less depth, more light.

Q: @pebble8 Why is it that some cameras are more fun to use (eg m9 or nikon d300) than others? What’s the difference that makes the difference?

A: You make the difference! Not every camera is a good fit for everyone, so keep looking until you find one that is juuuusssst right (channel your inner Goldilocks).

Q: @boodles64 If you could suggest one thing to start learning for a new photog, what would it be? I’m overwhelmed with settings!

A: Enroll in a drawing class (really!). I took a figure drawing class in art school and it provided a great insight into space, form and light, three super important elements for photography. Plus it’s a ton of fun!

Kelly

Kelly writes many of Photojojo’s DIY favorites (she even co-wrote The Photojojo Book!). She eats DIY projects for breakfast, but not before she drizzles rainbow sprinkles on top.

Q: @joshua_cobb Where are the best places to take photos?

A: Anywhere you’ve never been before, because you see differently when you’re in an unfamiliar place.

You notice details more, and ordinary things pop out if you’ve never encountered them before.

I also like taking a camera along when I’m hanging out in my own neighborhood with friends from out of town. They notice things that I’ve forgotten about because I see them every day.

Kiran

Kiran‘s a Photojojo PR and customer BFF. Sometimes Kiran dresses up like a zombie for fun, but just because he’s undead doesn’t mean he doesn’t kick ass at what he does.

Q: @missbmarie84 In your opinion, is it the gadget or the talent behind it that makes the photo?

A: Definitely the talent.

Although gadgets today make it easier to take great photos (and that’s rad), photography is still an art. There can be a lot of thought put into shooting a single photograph, especially when it’s another person.

There’s an awesome photography book called The Contact Sheet that goes behind the scenes on some iconic photos to find out what went into making them. Making someone comfortable enough to reveal their personality is a skill of its own!

Sarah

Sarah is Photojojo’s photographer and crafty thing maker. She also writes amazing tutorials. Sarah loves rainbows, science, and dogs. She has a point there.

Q: @pepperjess Do you have any DIY ideas for what to do with undeveloped/blank polaroid/photos? Seems a waste to trash them.

A: I like to paint on mistake/blank Polaroids with acrylic paint, which you can buy at any craft store. It dries really fast and also comes off easily while it’s still wet if you make mistakes.

I also once used my blank and undeveloped Polaroids to make a calendar with fotoclips. I still use it!

Q: @boodles64 If you could suggest one thing to start learning for a new photog, what would it be? I’m overwhelmed with settings!

A: Put your camera in aperture priority (AP) mode. This will allow you to adjust the aperture to whichever setting you want, and the camera will adjust the shutter speed to make a correct exposure.

It’s my favorite of all the automatic modes, because it gives you a lot of creative control with depth of field (which is what the aperture controls.)

Q: @wendyh777 Explain aperture in 140 characters or less

A: Light sneaks into your camera through an aperture. If small (f/22), it makes a sharper image. If large (f/2.8), focus is more selective.

Q: @jollygeek What are various ways to become inspired to go out and shoot?

A: Look at tons of other photography! You don’t have to go out to a museum or gallery to see great photography these days, and there are so many awesome photographers online that inspire us every day when we’re looking for photos to post to our tumblr.

One of my favorite ways to get inspired and see new work is to go to a blog I like, find the one photo I like most, track down that photographer’s website, and look at all of their work.

I find so much great stuff that way that I wouldn’t have seen before, plus seeing other photographer’s portfolios always makes me excited to go out and work on my own.

Julieanne

Julieanne (or Jules!) is a tutorial writer and customer service agent. People say she looks like Scully from the X-Files. We agree. The way she knows the answer to every one of your questions is supernatural.

Q: @pepperjess For someone who doesn’t have the dough to drop on Photoshop, what is the next best alternative? or free alt? (picnic, picasa)?

A: GIMP. There is a learning curve, but it’s free and does a whole mess of Photoshoppy things.

Q @hilbelmont How does one manage to take photographs and still enjoy the moment…sometimes I struggle to.

A: This is a hard one! I’ve found a few things that have helped me (but I’m still figuring this out too).

• Have some set times when you take some photos (beginning, middle and end perhaps) and have some set times when your camera is packed in your bag and you just enjoy the moment. Switching back and forth can help you keep it in balance.
• If it’s possible to have someone else at the event who is also a photog it can really take the pressure off. Try not to be come the only photographer for your entire group of friends… if they want pictures they’ve got to help you out from time to time. If you’ve got a buddy who loves to shoot too, you can plan it out with them to switch back and forth – that way you won’t miss any photos but you’ll also get to be part of the party.
• Start shooting film. If you can’t take a bazillion photos you’ll be more selective and more engaged in what is happening.
• Know that it’s okay to not have a photo of every piece of your life. Sometimes life is just for enjoying in the moment. Don’t beat yourself up for not getting a picture of this or that. If it was something super special that you missed you can always write about it in a journal once you get home.

Liz

Liz writes many of our finest DIY tutorials. She has a magical way of making fancy projects easy to do! We think she might have a pact with a leprechaun. So magical.

Q: @jennjenn Can I be you guys when I grow up??

A: Sure! Why not? However, I still have yet to grow up, so I’ll let you know when I do. :)

Q: @howlingwolves What’s in your bag?

A: A lot! I have a rather large bag & like being prepared for anything that could happen!

• Sweet leather wallet that my parents got for me from Spain
• Keys (that always manage to get lost when I’m looking for them)
• Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm (with pomegranate oil)
• 250GB portable hard drive. I hardly go anywhere without this!
• Micron pens &/or Pilot Razor point pens
• Post-its
• 3G iPhone. Sadly, it’s quite the dinosaur nowadays. But that’s okay, I think dinosaurs are neat.
• Orbit gum in strawberry mint &/or wintermint
• Metal card case that holds all those membership cards & whatnot
• Ideas Log notebook
• Measuring tape
• Mini utility knife
• Tums
• Coldeeze
• Eyeglass repair kit—with mini screws & all
• Oil blotter sheets
• Bandaids
• Hand wipes (pet peeve of mine = greasy hands after eating fried foods. Not cool.)
• Q-tips
• Face powder
• Travel toothbrush & toothpaste
• Domo pouch that holds earphones
• Random SD cards and bonus!—an SD card reader
• A jumpdrive
• Pop-up inflatable raft—just kidding!!

On some days I also carry my dad’s old Canon AE-1 Program with a Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8 lens in my bag, too. :)

Q: @missbmarie84 In your opinion, is it the gadget or the talent behind it that makes the photo?

A: Definitely the talent. Doesn’t matter if you have the newest, swankiest, shiniest camera toy on the block, if you don’t have the eye for creativity & patience to think outside the norm, your photos won’t be anything exceptional or interesting.

Same goes with any photo-editing program; I do use Photoshop & I love Instagram, but I don’t believe the use of either (or something similiar) makes a photo particularly fabulous.

In fact, I think what makes a photo should be the thought behind it as it was being shot—how somebody composed it, what angle was used, etc., not necessarily what effects were applied to it afterwards—whether by Photoshop, Instagram, or the like.

I also don’t think you need to be able to travel the world or have access to cool places to take the most awesome or interesting photos. Check out Abelardo Morell’s “Home” series, which feature some fantastic still life photos that use no special props or settings—just everyday household objects beautifully composed and shot inside his house!

Photo credit: Kelly by Terry Chay; Kiran by Mike Brown

Related posts:

1. How Big Can I Print This Photo? — A Simple Answer, Once and for All Jiminy Cricket! We accidentally sent out a nearly empty email...
2. Take Family Portraits That Break the Rules. Because You Answer to No One. Photojojo Store goodies have been on Boing Boing, Wired, Gizmodo,...
3. Make Perfect Photo Gifts in 15 Minutes — Introducing the Photojojo DIY Photo Block Kit We’re very proud of this one. We’ve been working for...

In Photo 101 the third thing they teach you, after “remove your lens cap” and “this is a shutter button,” is to keep shadows out of your photos.

In Photojojo’s Photo 1-0-FUN, shadows are chillin’ at the cool kids’ table.

The secret to success is in knowing how to work with them. Our list-o-awesome shadow ideas can help you get started.

Learn how to make your shadows multi-colored, transform teeny props into massive monsters, or create a cinematic scene with dramatic light.

Unless you’re a Vampire, grab your shadow and head towards the light!

30 Shadow Play Ideas

p.s. Hey, Hot Shot! is choosing 1 grand prize winner to win $10,000, a solo exhibition, and representation at Jen Bekman Gallery. Deadline is 6/22, so get your hot shots in!

Photos that Go Bump in the Night

Dark shadows can be downright creepy. So get in touch with your dark side and take some frightening shadow shots.

Stage a menacing shadow creeping after your friend and give your local photo lab technician nightmares for a week!

Pro tip: the closer you are to the light source the bigger your shadow will be.

Shadow Monsters!

Another fun and easy way to make scary shadow photos is with little ol’ harmless toys.

Just put them real close to a bright lamp and get ready to defend yourself from their giant shadows!

Our toy dinos (if you’ve ever ordered from our shop you’ve got one) would work great for this!

Shadows in Technicolor!

Translucent colored objects make colored shadows… science is so cool!

Be on the lookout for colored glass, balloons, and–if you’re lucky–translucent umbrellas.

And if that isn’t cool enough, you can even put food coloring in water, throw it in the air and get colored splash shadows!

Interact with Your Shadow

With the right set up your shadow can do it’s own thing rather than just copy you.

It’s really quite simple:

• Have one friend (the Shadow) stand in front of a light source and outside of the frame
• Have another friend stand in the frame and line up with Friend #1’s shadow.

With a little bit of arranging you can make it look like Friend #1’s shadow belongs to Friend #2.

Ponder while your shadow acts out your dreams. Sing while your shadow plays shadow air guitar. Or you could always threaten your shadow with a finger gun like Bader Kamal did (but I doubt he got much money out of ‘em!)

Give Your Shadow Some Props

Your shadow is tired of watching you have all the fun.  Put a prop in the right spot and let your shadow have a go at interactng with the real world.

Pass that soccer ball to your shadow and see what happens.

Shadows also love to throw Frisbees, open doors, and climb ladders. Angie_c even caught hers trying to leave its hand prints on the wall!

(Frogmanor has a whole set of photos over at flickr proving that shadows are also good at climbing stairs!)

Hand Puppets!

It seems like only yesterday when a flashlight at a slumber party meant there would soon be bunnies dancing on the wall. Or maybe it actually was yesterday…

Check out this hand puppet guide, grab your camera, and maybe with a whole lot of practice you can make a dino as cool as Anandham’s.

Shoot Silhouettes

Letting long shadows stretch past the frame of your image can make your photos look oh so deep and profound.

Back-light your subject so the shadow comes towards your camera.  It will help the image pop and can tell a powerful story.

Turn That Shadow Up-side Down

Take a photo of a crowd in the early afternoon sun. Then flip it upside-down so the shadows have real people for … well, shadows!

You can do this to your pooch too!

Shoot Subjects in Half-Shadow, Half-Light

Hiding part of your subject in shadows adds mystery and drama to your photo.

Try hiding different amounts of your subject’s face for a variety of effects. You’ll learn a lot about portrait lighting this way too.

This split-light portrait by Jorege Moreno, Jr. is a stunning example of shadow intrigue. Drama! Drama! Drama!

Give Everyday Scenes Some 3D Wow Factor

Rich and rhythmic shadows can make photographs of common places look AMAZING!

The shadow from this fence makes a flat image seem 3D.

Shadows that produce patterns can give interest to bland ground and make all your photog buddies jealous of your skillz.

Perspective Play: Long Shadows from Above

Get up above the crowds (tall buildings help) in the late afternoon. Once the sun is low enough that the shadows get nice and long you can capture some gorgeous shots from this perspective.

The subject has to depend on the shape of its shadow to explain what it is it, the effect can be quite striking!

The Anonymous Crowd

A crowd is a crowd. After awhile, crowd photos all start to look the same.

Shift your perspective and try to capture the crowd’s silhouettes instead. It’s a refreshing change when your candid street shots get in a rut.

Shadow Boxing

Since shadows don’t feel pain, they love to fight.

Let them duke it out; you’ll release all those angry feelings and there won’t be any black eyes in the morning.

A Little Shadow Lovin’

What’s more romantic than a photo of your shadows cuddling?

Pretty much nothing.

Shadow Prints without a Camera!

Have you tried out Sunprint paper yet? It’s light sensitive paper that can make a photo out of any shadow!

Cast a (very steady) shadow on a sheet then dunk it in H2O – easy peasy!

Even More Ideas!

P.S. We like to give credit where credit is due. Big thanks to Dave Bond, Ekaterina Nosenko, Natalie Villalobos, Joel “Boy_Wonder”, Carolyn Cochrane, Stefano Corso, Color de la Vida, Jason E.N., Fadzly Mubin, and procrastinatingxnipples for allowing us to use your photos under Creative Commons licenses or special permission! You guys are awesome!

Related posts:

1. Photojojo’s Ultimate Hipstamatic Guide Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 We’ve been addicted...
2. Top 20 Ultimate Ways to Use a Disposable Camera Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3. When it comes...
3. The Ultimate Guide to Time-Lapse Photography Photojojo Photo GoodiesHoliday Deadline TODAY! Today is the last day...

Nikon vs Canon, Mac vs PC, Rebecca Black vs Justin Bieber.

2-sided feuds aren’t a foreign concept considering you’re a Canon/Mac/Bieber appreciator.

When it comes to phones, you’re an Android lover.

This week, our Twitter and Facebook peeps voted on their favorite Android photo apps – apps for editing, filtering, friend-sharing, and even afternoon snacking (i.e. Pudding Cam!).

These are the top 10 crowd favorites!

Plus, as an added bonus, we rounded up apps designed to make life easier while you’re out shooting with your non-phone camera.

Whether you’re working with a gingerbread, cupcake, or a little green robot, your photo app folder is about to get real happy.

Use Your Android as a Photo Tool & Top Voted Apps

p.s. We’re throwing a Facebook giveaway today with our pals at Fracture! Fracture turns your photos into gorgeous glass prints that make snazzy wall hangings!

Your Android as a Handy Photo Tool

Let the gadget that’s always in your pocket (your phone) help you use the gadget that’s always around your neck (your camera).

In no particular order, here are a few apps that’ll make your shooting life easier and maybe even more fun.

1. Remote Your Cam – Lets you take photos with your DSLR from your phone. Adjust settings + instantly view photos on your phone.
2. Location Scout – Find filming locations from movies. Makes for cool backdrops.
3. Golden Hour – Tells you exactly when the golden hour of sunlight will be wherever you may be.
4. Color Flashlight – Turns your phone into a color flashlight – fun for light painting!
5. Wuala – Super secure way to access and edit your backed-up photo files from anywhere. Made by LaCie.
6. Bubble Level – Keeps your camera shooting straight.
7. PixelPipe – Lets you share your photos on multiple social networks at once.
8. Photometric – Pick an ISO and an F-stop and get the calculated exposure.
9. Light Meter – Uses your camera’s light sensor to calculate what your exposure should be for your (D)SLR.
10. Photography Assistant – Designed to calculate exposures + depth of field distances for SLRs. Also light meters.

Top 10 Voted Apps

These are the photo apps you guys (our Twitter and Facebook community) said are the absolute best photo apps right now.

They might even be amazing enough to convert an iPhone user! (Maybe.) Guess you’ll just have to try them out and see.

1. Vignette – Like experimenting with different films; it has 68 filters and 56 kinds of frames. Shoot with filters like Velvia and add effects like grain and soft focus. Check the options you want and shoot through the app. This is voted the #1 favorite!
2. PicSay – Consider this your go-to app when you want to adjust exposure, contrast, crop, and refine your photos with post processing in general. Get the Pro version for even more effects.
3. Retro Camera – Most like Hipstamatic. It gives your photos a vintage analog look with filters inspired by Lomo, Holga, Polaroid etc. plus other effects like film scratch, vignettes, and cross-processing.
4. Little Photo – Popular for its filters that update often and are up to 60+. Find sweet effects like adding text over your photos and creating bokeh. Also loved for being easy to use and having slick UI.
5. Picplz – Quick, good results and easy to share on multiple social networks at once. This app has filters to give your photos an artsy edge.
6. FxCamera – Lovable for its simplicity. Take a photo and add 1 of 5 effects: Fisheye, Polandroid, ToyCam, Warhol or SymmetriCam.
7. Pudding Camera – Choose what effects you want to use by scrolling through hip little film and camera icons. Lets you save in different image sizes and share on Twitter and Facebook.
8. Camera 360 – The do-it-all app, it packs 6 shooting modes, 30 effects (like selective focus and grids), tilt-shift, color-shift, and “scenery” which embeds your photo into another photo (i.e. your face is on a billboard).
9. HDR Camera – Combines 2 photos to make a single super-photo that’s evenly exposed throughout. Even lets you fine-tune the process.
10. Action Snap – A four-frame sampler! This app takes 4 photos in a row very quickly and combines them into a four-frame image – perfect for capturing fast motion.

Even More Apps to Try!

Apps that’ll make you go “whoa, I can do that?,” these are the honorable mentions.

1. A World of Photo – This is like a LIVE photo exchange. Open the app, find someone else who’s online and exchange a photo from your phone on the spot.
2. Photoshop Express- A phone version of a basic Photoshop. Make quick fixes with this one – straighten, crop, and fine-tune your pics.
3. 3D Camera – Shoots 2 photos and lets you make and share a 3D wiggle .gif.
4. Face Blender – What would your kids look like? Find out the easy way by mashing up pictures of you and your friends!
5. Mini Instax Cam – Turn your photos into Instax Mini instant photos (looks like a skinny Polaroid!).
6. Flickr Explorer – Easy (and nice lookin’) way to browse photos on Flickr – view photos on a Google Map, search keywords, and make photos your background.
7. MyCloset – Take photos of your clothing, and this app will keep track of what you’ve worn, plus suggest outfits based on weather and past outfits.
8. Mobile Hidden Camera – Shoot in stealth mode. No sound or image – just a blank screen.
9. Mytubo – Most like Instagram. Share your photos, filters optional, with friends in a live stream.

Related posts:

1. What iPhoneography Apps Are Hot Right Now We’ve been wondering what photo apps the cool kids are...
2. 12 Ways to Use Your Camera as a Tool ~Have a cool photo product or site? Reach 260,000 photo...
]]> http://content.photojojo.com/tips/10-best-android-photo-apps/feed/ 0 http://content.photojojo.com/diy/ten-creative-ways-to-use-disposable-cameras/ http://content.photojojo.com/diy/ten-creative-ways-to-use-disposable-cameras/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:00:52 +0000 sarah http://content.photojojo.com/?p=17619
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3.


When it comes to photography, we like to root for the little guy.

He’s the picture taker that works hard, is easy going and is always around when you need him.

Yep, we’re talking about one of our old favorites: the disposable camera.

While we love adding filters to our phone pics and making masterpieces with our DSLRs, there’s something magical about disposable cameras we can’t forget…

They’re cheap, fun to play with and can do almost anything!

Here’s our top 20 list of didn’t-know-you-could-do-that ways to use, abuse, modify, and make the most of your disposable camera!

Top 20 Creative Ways to Use a Disposable Camera



Smack some extra exposures out of it

Our first tip started out as a simple way to get our disposable’s flash to fire, but we soon discovered something far greater.

Much to our surprise, this trick will also often force the shutter open to make a double exposure!

The process is simple:

• Charge your flash (most disposables have a button for this.)
• Hold camera in one hand, and SMACK! it down onto the palm of your other hand (lens facing out.)
• The flash will fire, and you may get a double exposure as well! (Surprises like this are part of the fun of film, after all!)

If you love something, let it go… to the park

Ever wonder what goes on around your local park when you’re not around?

Too shy to ask strangers if you can take their picture?

Bingo! We have a disposable camera solution.

Tie your disposable camera to a park bench!

Leave shooting directions for anyone who finds it, and return later to inspect the results!

Use 2 disposables to make 3D images!

Yes, Really! 3D images are made by taking two photos at the same time from slightly different angles.

So, if you tape your disposables together just right, you can use them to make a whole roll of 3D pictures for under $15!

We’ve got a full step-by-step tutorial on how-to practice this method right over here!

Flash filters!

Hold flash filters in front of your disposable’s flash for photos with an extra splash of color. (Like this awesome one from photographer meimaimaggio on flickr!)

You can also make your own flash filters by taping cellophane, colored wrappers, waxed paper, or any other experimental material to your flash!

Another easy option? Color over your flash with a permanent marker!

Lens Filters!

To completely transform your image, try making a filter for your lens!

Because disposable camera lenses are so small, its easy to make DIY filters on the cheap.

Try using colored marker on packing tape, coloring directly onto your lens, using your sunglasses or soda pop bottles, or holding a prism in front of the camera!

(We made this image with a blue filter over the lens to make everything in the picture super-duper blue.)

Make fisheye pix with cell phone lenses

We’ve always known that our fisheye cell phone lenses are champs at transforming phone pix, but we recently discovered how well they work on disposable cameras as well!

Stick the magnetic ring to your disposable’s lens, and attach the fisheye to your disposable anytime you want to take an awesome fisheye photo on film!

(Want to see examples from our India trip? Here!, You!, Go!)

Damage the film

This might sound crazy, but it can be really fun to ruin your film.

Photographer Thomas Anderson got these beautiful results just from throwing his disposable camera into a pool*. (He’s got a full set of ‘em right over here on flickr, too!)

Try leaving your disposable in the freezer, the hottest place you can find, or even poking tiny holes in your camera to intentionally cause light leaks!

Looking for more fun film damaging ideas? The damaged film group on flickr has got ya covered.

*Make sure to let your photo lab know that your film is wet. They’re going to need to dry it out before they develop it. Thanks for the tip, Alysoun!

Damage the lens

Just as you can get great results by damaging the film inside your camera, you can get out-of-this-world photos by damaging it’s lens!

This dreamy photo (by Thomas Anderson) was made by scratching up the edges of a disposable lens with a hot screwdriver!

Other fun methods you can try: Scratching your lens with steel wool or sandpaper, melting your lens with a hot tool, painting over it with nail polish, or even taking it off and flipping it around backwards!

Head over to Disposable Distortion to see more scratched, melted, painted on, and broken lens results!

Send it on a world tour

We’re totally inspired by Matthew McVickar’s disposable camera project.

He packed up his camera with special instructions for mail carriers to take pics with it along the way, then developed the results!

Say Hi to your postal workers! Then, check out the Camera Mail group on flickr.

Even more Uh-mazing ideas

Make it an all-terrain camera Pre-waterproofed disposables can cost a pretty penny, but most DIY methods will work just fine for all your adventures, from mud fighting to white water rafting. Try using several ziplock bags or any clear water/dustproof wrap and duct tape to seal up your disposable. (Seriously,This guy took a tip from the Navy Seals and waterproofed his camera with a condom!)
Make your disposable re-loadable! This tutorial from the Lomographic Society will teach you everything you need to know about how to make your disposable cam reload like an old champ.
High speed pictures! Here’s a great article from PBS that will tell you everything you need to know about how to use disposable cameras to take high speed photos of balloons popping, eggs cracking, and dinos chomping! (Hey, they’re fast chompers!)
The Disposable flash slave. Crafting your own flash slave for a fraction of the price? Yep, it’s true! We’ll point the way.
The disposable ring flash Don’t want a super pricey ringflash but also don’t have an external flash to try a ring flash adapter? This tutorial will teach you how to make a DIY ringflash with the flashes from 4 disposable cameras!
Light up a lightbulb! Whoa! As if hacking the flash wasn’t enough, this hi-tech tutorial will teach you how to rewire a disposable so that it powers a florescent light bulb!
Dig-free time capsule! Here’s our very own guide to using your disposable camera as a time capsule! Snap photos of your life now, get them developed weeks, months, or even years later!
Participate in a disposable camera exchange! Swap cameras with groups of people around the world! Swap with a group of online pals, or check out online groups like Disposable Camera Exchange!
Participate in the Disposable Memory project! The Disposable Memory project is dropping hundreds of disposable cameras all over the world (309 so far!) and posting the found images on their website as the cameras return. The best part? You can participate!
The minty strobe. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you can also make a cute little strobe light out of a mint tin and your disposable’s flash! Yum!
A new way to macro. Photographer Greg Lipscomb wrote this tutorial about how he took apart his disposable camera and used a reverse lens technique to make surprisingly close-up macro photos!

P.S. We like to give credit where credit is due. Big thanks to Thomas Anderson, meimaimaggio, and Matthew McVickar for allowing us to use your photos under Creative Commons licenses!

Related posts:

1. Turn a Disposable Camera in to a Reusable Flash Slave ~Reach 270,000 photo fansAd spots available in Jan 2010 Become...
2. The Ultimate Guide to Photo Shadow Play: 30 Ways to Show Shadows Some Love Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3  In Photo 101...
3. Photojojo’s Ultimate Hipstamatic Guide Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 We’ve been addicted...
]]> http://content.photojojo.com/diy/ten-creative-ways-to-use-disposable-cameras/feed/ 0