Lucy’s post about the tintype app brought me back to what she calls the glory days of photo apps. Nowadays I only use VSCO if I edit at all when I shoot with my phone, but 10-15 years ago it was all about the apps for me as well.

I’m an Android user, and while Hipstamatic sadly has never been released for Android, there are a ton of other apps emulating film photography. It’s been several phones since I used them, so I went and downloaded the one called Vignette, just to see if it still resonated with me.

It kind of didn’t?

It’s a simple app, with the choice of a few presets (Black & White, Holga-style, Diana-style, Instant camera, Sepia, etc.), and a few settings to edit a photo once taken (add or remove frame, vignette, film grain, light leaks (they can be random), etc.).

I’ve been shooting snapshots with it for the last couple of days using the Diana-style preset, and somehow I’m not feeling it. I don’t quite know why. In one sense it feels like I’m cheating. My phone does these significant edits on my photo with little or any input from me. The edits are visually striking and well suited to autumn, but the results feel flat somehow.

Still and all, it was fun to try it out again. Next up I’ll test the Holga-style preset. As the year shifts into winter, I tend to shift towards black and white photography, and maybe Holga style can add something to the cold season.

Or maybe I should just break out the Holga and load it with film again.

Which photo apps do you use these days? Any old – or new – favourites?

~ Warmly, Jenny G.