The best things in life are (almost) free.

I have a rule for myself that I typically only install free apps on my beloved iPhone. It would be too easy for me ignore the fact that lots of it’s-only-99-cents add up. HOWEVER, one of the apps that I love, and don’t mind having spent money on is the camera app, Hipstamatic. The app is a reasonable $1.99 (at the moment…I think I paid a  little bit more) which included several different lenses, film and flashes. You can also buy additional lenses, film, flashes and cases (which I typically don’t bother with). Most are meant to have an old school quality – as if you had just unearthed some polaroids from that-box-in-the-basement that we all seem to have. One of the best features is that when scrolling through the pictures on the app it will tell you what film, lens and flash were used so you can save your favorite combinations and reuse those combos again and again. Here are some sample of the same scene shot with different film and lenses.

Here is a shot of the crescent moon at sunrise over an open field taken with the standard iPhone camera. The following are all taken with the Hipstamatic app…

This is with the GSQUAD lens and Ina’s 1982 film. No flash.

This is with the John S lens and Kodot XGrizzled film. No flash.

This last one is the Jane lens and AO BW film.

I love the grainy imperfect quality of the pictures, and, as I discussed in my  last post about photography, the aspect I most appreciate about photography in general is the many ways that you can play with it. With this app, I get to play without having to buy multiple films and shoot a whole role in one way.  I have always said that I won’t ever get rid of my film cameras, but I am grateful for this era of digital photography and that it’s affordability makes it more accessible to anyone who wants to use it as an artistic medium. And who am I kidding, I also love the immediate gratification:)