Multimedia

Confessions of an Instagram-aholic: 7 Snap-worthy Photo Apps

By Nicole Zeichick | Jul 28, 2012

You don't have to be a tech whiz to enjoy the latest applications for your hand-held device. Personally, I am addicted to the popular photo app, Instagram. If I'm not snapping this morning's brunch, then I'm most likely posting an old photo for "Throwback Thursdays." Applications like Instagram, in conjunction with social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, are allowing more people to share unforgettable moments with everyone! With all our phones have to offer these days it's no wonder we never put 'em down. Here are seven innovative, fun, silly, absurd, and all around ridiculous photo apps that will enhance any memory.

BrainSnap:
BrainSnap, created by Patrick Sean Gibson, is the newest photo app to launch this summer with its July 11th release. In just two weeks BrainSnap has already earned 6,000+ downloads! A Bay Area native, Gibson grew up in Sonoma before hitting the streets of SF. He refers to himself as a "magician" or a specialist of "visual illusions," and refers to the app as an "old school sticker booth," which is reflected in the app's vintage graphics. BrainSnap highlights city life through the lens of San Francisco's youth, with cartoonish photo inserts like pizza, do-rags, gold chains, mustaches and skateboards. Not only is this app based on the D.I.Y. cultures of skateboarding and graffiti, but the app itself was started with a mere $5 personal investment. BrainSnap distinguishes itself from other photo apps by taking everyday photos and turning them into something creative and goofy. Clip art can be incorporated into any image with a simple push of a button. This silly app is easy to use and can be shared via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Keep an eye out for BrainSnap 2.0 next month, which will feature an extensive amount of new cartoon inserts and a "Premium Pack" for $1. Don't miss out on a chance to support local talent!

Cinemagram:
Animation and photography come together in one of the most cutting-edge photo apps available today. Cinemagram, a photo app for iOS devices (and coming soon to Android), creates cines or cinemagraphs by recording 2-3 second videos and looping them over still backgrounds, thus creating a moving snapshot. Revamp simple photos by enhancing subtle movements like a piece of hair blowing in the wind or something bolder like the dancing shadows shown in the picture below. With Cinemagram not only are your photos brought to life, but images can be customized to your personal style using filter effects. You won't believe something this cool is free! Start making your own cines and let your pictures inspire you. You are the only director of this motion picture!

Photo: Cinemagram

OutMyWindow:
If you want to share your photos -- but not with the whole world -- OutMyWindow is the perfect app for you. OutMyWindow is a private social photo app launched by Warner Bros. that lets you control who has access to your photos. Avoid strangers and awkward comments by restricting permission to those you trust and know with the click of a button. This unique app allows you and your closest pals to invite each other to view albums and notifies you of any action occurring within your "window." OutMyWindow also features a timeline element that makes finding and viewing photos easy and chronological. Now you can keep it real, while keeping it private!

Juxtaposer:
Picture this: an infant's head on a monkey's body, or your pet's face on your own. The possibilities are endless with Juxtaposer, A.K.A. Photoshop for dummies. Use existing images, or take new ones and combine the two to invent new pictures. I recently used Juxtaposer to insert my face as a baby on my friend's body. Absolutely hysterical! With simple tools, this app enables you to produce the most bizarre photos you can think of. Browse exotic backdrops that you can easily insert yourself into. Haven't you always wanted to take a picture of yourself casually standing in the Sahara Desert? Nothing is impossible with Juxtaposer!

Incredibooth:
Everyone loves photo booth pictures. There's something exciting about squishing into a pint-size stall with your friends patiently awaiting the first snap... and then being completely unprepared for the ones that follow. But hey that's half the fun right? But not everyone loves scrounging for singles or is determined enough to wait in line. Well you can forget about all that now, Incredibooth bring the photo booth to you. The glory of black and white images can be yours without losing the spontaneity that make photo booths so fun to begin with. This is one of the greatest photo apps available. Download now: it's the most fun you'll have in a while, I guarantee it!

CatWang:
The name of this app is almost as ridiculous as the app itself. If you are crazy about mutant cats, and turning photos of your friends into them, then CatWang is for you. Imagine if unicorns, vampires, and cats had babies, CatWang would be the product of this bizarre combination. The ability to simply insert a unicorn horn onto my friends' faces while simultaneously surrounding them with snacks and animals never grows old. A picture is worth a thousand words, and CatWang allows you to say even more! I promise this app will have you rolling on the floor laughing with its humorous and whimsical flair that is unlike any other photo app around.

Tappi Snap:

Glamour shot studios are rapidly disappearing from our local malls. I am sure you are as disappointed about this as I am, but no need for us to fret any longer! Tappi Snap is reclaiming the epic cheesiness of semi-professional glamour photos for your cell phone. This app features vibrant frames, bubble letters, and all things harajuku and hello kitty-esque. Personalize any photo with adorable icons from the Japanese cartoon character, Tappi Bear, including sprinkled donuts, shooting stars, and of course teddy bears. Some might say this app is restricted to female users, but I know plenty of guys who are very entertained by the childish and quirky features this app offers. Reenact your tween years, by renewing your dated mall shots with Tappi Snap!

All photos by Nicole Zeichick unless otherwise noted.

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