With over 400,000 (yes, that’s four hundred THOUSAND) apps in the iTunes app store it’s tough, if not totally impossible to weed through all the junk and find the best photography apps. Sure, the top selling charts are a pretty good indication of what’s hot and what’s not, but even so there are a lot of factors to take into consideration before purchasing. That’s not to mention that as a photographer you’ve probably got a workflow or a “style” in which you shoot. Perhaps you brought that workflow over from your digital camera, but it’s more likely that you’ve created a new workflow for taking photos on the iPhone given the benefits and limitations of the phone. So what apps are best for you?  

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<div><a title="i phone, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wodkawarrior/3647004592/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="640" height="426" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/iphonephotographyapps.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>i phone</em>
Photo by Dennis Fischer</p>
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iPhone photography apps are generally separated into four different categories: Shoot, Edit, Share or All-in-one. In most cases an app that would be classified as a shooting app also has elements of other types of apps. In fact, to remain competitive most apps include many features from all four categories. So with all this choice, and crossover between the types of photography apps – how do you choose the ones that will be most useful to you? 

<strong>Shooting apps</strong> are designed to work with the images that you capture within the app, or to change the way you shoot photos on the iPhone. They may include several different shooting options or they may be single purpose. This also includes apps that take photos on a time lapse sequence, panoramic photos or HDR photos (for those who want to go beyond the iPhone 4's unimpressive HDR feature).  
 
<strong>Editing suites</strong>, or <strong>effect editing apps</strong> are often a collection of adjustments, filters, and sets of effects to edit the photos that already exist on the phone. These apps are like Photoshop for your phone – heck there’s even a Photoshop Express app! 

<strong>Sharing apps</strong> do just that – share the photos that you take and edit on your iPhone. 

And finally, as the name suggests, <strong>All-in-one apps</strong> combine all of the shooting and editing functions into one package. 

Depending on your iPhone photography style, you may be a single-function app person or you may favor the all-in-one. But let’s face it, a full to bursting collection of apps is inevitable for fans of iPhone photography. The good folks at iTunes have a special knack for making new apps so appealing that we just have to download them…it’s only $0.59 right? All those $0.59's add up people! Take it from someone who knows! 

<h4>With that in mind, here are a few things to consider when purchasing your next photography apps:</h4> 
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<li>Does the app do something new and different to the other apps you are using? It’s worth taking note of what apps you have, and taking a second look at the interface or instructions again to see if the apps you already have meet your needs.</li>
<li>Does the app help overcome the limitations of the iPhone in terms of your shooting style? Perhaps you like to shoot with the native camera app but use an editing suite to enhance your photos. In that case, purchasing an all-in-one camera app just for the effects is a bit of a waste. Why not find a better editing suite instead?</li>
<li>Does the app make you a better photographer? What tips, tricks or techniques can you learn from using the app, if any?</li>
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<h4>Other factors to consider before buying the app:</h4> 
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<li>Stability of the app. What do other users say? Are there any reviews or feedback you can use to make an informed decision. </li>
<li>User interface. Is the app easy to navigate and simple to use? If you can, do a bit of research before hitting that INSTALL button as there’s nothing worse than paying for an app that is more complicated than it needs to be!</li>
<li>Cost. Do the features of the app measure up to the cost? Are there several add-on features to be purchased within the app to make it fully functional?</li>
</ul>
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