The best Photography Apps for Android

From Lifehacker

Cameraphones have come a long way, but you have options beyond point, shoot, and pray to get a great shot. Our favorite photo-related apps for Android snap great shots, add quality effects, edit and share images, and otherwise improve your mobile-photo game.

Camera 360

Camera360 is a camera replacement app that covers a wide variety of camera effects not offered in the stock shooter. HDR-style enhancements, black-and-white shooting, sepia and aging effects for different time periods, high-contrast reverse stock, tilt-shift effects, and so many more. Photo geeks can also shoot with grids, selective focus (on hardware that supports it), set delays, and otherwise make their Android feel more like a feature-loaded point-and-shoot. (Free, $4 for a Pro version with more unlocked effects). [AppBrain]

Adobe Photoshop Express

It's easier to edit and touch up photos on larger screens, but if you want to share something before you get a chance to sync to your desktop—and the pic could use just a little straightening, cropping, lighting balance, or other effects—load it up in Photoshop Express first. It's surprisingly well-stocked for a free app from the Photoshop makers, and it's tailored for making quick fixes with your fingers. (Free) [Homepage] [AppBrain]

Vignette

Vignette combines a great camera, loaded with shooting effects, with a huge variety of post-shot photo effects. Vignette's specialty is framing your shots, along with adding artistic aging, lighting, and other effects that match its namesake. Beyond that, the camera mode also offers some neat tricks, like tapping the screen to shoot and a "fast shot" mode with no recovery or preview time. Recommended if you can't choose between a good shooting app and a great effects tool. (Free, $3.90-ish official version unlocks more effects and frames) [Homepage] [AppBrain]

PicSay

PicSay can do subtle, general edits to your photo's saturation, tint, and the like, but that's not what you use it for. It's an instant markup tool for adding speech balloons, color pops, distortions, lightsabers—stuff that's goofy, fun, and impossible not to forward to your friends. (Free, $4.70 Pro app adds features) [Homepage] [AppBrain]

AndroPan

As you might imagine, AndroPan takes photos that you've taken in a side-by-side series and stitches them into one big panoramic shot. The output varies by phone model, and those that can fine-tune their lighting and exposure settings (mostly to turn off automatic adjustments) will get the best results. Still, even with just your basic smartphone camera, AndroPan gives you a much wider perspective from a very small lens. Image via Panoramio. (Free) [Homepage] [AppBrain]

Retro Camera

If you've ever looked at an ancient plastic camera in a thrift store or attic and though, "Boy, I wish I could shoot with that," Retro Camera should be your next free download. You get five classic old-school camera styles to shoot with, and the shots you take (through a stylized viewfinder) are customized to look as though you developed that camera's film. It's basically a Hipstamatic for Android. (Free, $3 Pro version removes ads) [Homepage] [AppBrain]

3D Gallery

Honestly, this app might be a total knock-off of Google's stock 3D photo browsing application for modern Android phones. But we can't entirely shy away from pointing to it, because Google's Gallery is the best around for Android phones, yet so few have it, due to the custom apps HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and other Android makers insist on installing, even if better alternatives exist. You get a nice view of all your photos, pinch-to-zoom expansion of photo folders, easy selection and sharing, and built-in wallpaper setting. If you approve its connection, 3D Gallery also makes short work of bulk uploading to Picasa, just like Google's own gallery app. Grab it while it's there, because, well, Google might take notice. [AppBrain]

Pixelpipe

If you're shooting stills and video not just for yourself, but for a few different content spots—a Flickr account, a blog, a Twitter stream, and so on—you need Pixelpipe. Shoot your photo with whatever camera app you like, then head into Pixelpipe to send it on its way to all your different media outlets. Pixelpipe supports over 110 services, including personal use apps like Evernote and Dropbox, and video outlets like Vimeo. You'll need to create an account at Pixelpipe's web siteto get all that access, but it seems really convenient once you're past the setup. (Free) [Homepage] [AppBrain]