B_P_2015_04_

aPril 2015 Better PhotograPhy

49

TEsT

You can control

focus and exposure

together by a single

or an individual tap by

tapping on two different

parts of the screen.

For lovers of the

black and white

medium there is

no better app to

be bought.

AT A gLAncE

spEcificaTions iOS 5.0 or later, Rs. 120

wHaT wE likE Shows the effects of B&W filters live

wHaT wE dislikE A few features like grain and vignetting could be useful

wHy buy iT? To enjoy a minimalistic camera app designed for B&W photography

FInAL RATIngS 89%

fEaTurEs Adequate controls, separate exposure and focus lock 22/25

pErforMancE Can save lossless TIFFS, no lag 26/30

EasE of usE Simple intuitive interface 32/35

spEEd & rEsponsiVEnEss Quick and instant 9/10

This image was

processed using

the 600 Series

Film pack, which

recreates classic

Polaroid film.

Using the Hueless

The app has a simple layout and a few basic

controls. You can select one of the five filters

or go for the regular monochrome look

with the No Filter option. There is also a

slider for exposure and a few flash options—

Flash, Auto, Lamp. Manual controls and

options for adding grain (there is a High ISO

mode) and vignetting are missing.

On screen you get to see the effects of

your choices in real time before you shoot

the image. If you feel like the screen is too

cluttered with options, you can just tap on

the H button in the bottom left corner and

get rid of all the settings

choosing the correct Filter

To explain the way each filter works, let’s

take the example of using the Blue filter.

Imagine a picturesque landscape with a

vivid blue sky before you. Once you have

the filter selected, an intensity slider pops

up. If you reduce the slider to zero, the blue

sky will darken up. On the other hand, if you

increase the intensity to 100, it will cause

the sky to go near white. Each filter effects its

corresponding colour in a similar fashion.

However, what makes choosing these

filters more fun is the effect that they have on

other colours in the image. The Yellow filter

gives pleasing skin tones. Red can be used

to get rather dramatic dark skies. Green is

useful when you want to turn foliage white.

Why Buy the App?

For one, it shows you the effects of the

filter in real time rather than adding it later

on. It also lets you shoot lossless TIFFs.

However, the main reason to buy the app is

because it is quite addictive in its simplicity.

The longer it remains on your phone,

the more you will want to shoot in B&W.

To quote one of my favourite photographers

today, Richard Koci Hernandez, “This is

certainly the app that Ansel Adams would

have on his homescreen.”

To access the contrast

slider though, you need

to tap the exposure

button a second time.

I wish that had been up

front as it took me a

while to figure out.