10 Photo apps you need to try now: Eyeem, Motiongraph, Afterglow

They’re not all new, they’re not all particularly exciting and we can’t guarantee they’ll replace the likes of Instagram, but if you’re feeling a bit bored of your good mates Brannan, Amaro and Rise (Instagram filters for anyone who’s not a huge app geek), then we recommend you try out some of these photo apps, whether you want to play around with filters, make your subjects move about or just make your mobile better at capturing images.

1. Eyeem

It’s one of those many, many apps that’s been dubbed “the next Instagram” at some point or another, but it is one of our favourite competitors and it’s probably because the controls and interface are just so easy to use. You can see filters (there are 14 in total) live as you take a photo (just like Instagram) by swiping left to right and then can tweak frames by swiping up and down. This means you can pair different filters up with different borders.

It’s not just about photos and locations with Eyeem either, you can add emotions and activities to your images as well, which we imagine some of you will love and others will despise.

It’s also got a very strong community feel, just like Instagram, which makes us more inclined to share images and engage with others.

For iOS, Android and Windows devices. Check out www.eyeem.com for more info and downloads.

2. Pudding

Many tech blogs refer to it as “the Instagram of Asia” because in many ways it’s very similar, take or upload a photo, add a cool filter to it (Pudding has 13) and engage with the rest of the narcissistic, image-loving community.

However, Pudding is about much more than just sharing your photos, as you can add emotions, activities and even the music you’re listening to at the time as well. In this way, it’s much more akin to Tumblr and other social networking apps than just a simple tool to tinker around with photos and show off your work.

For iOS and Android device. Check out www.pudding.to/ for more info and downloads.

3. Cinemagram

We became a little obsessed with Cinemagram last year and it’s still one of our favourite apps for creating images with moving elements, you just need to make sure you’re patient with a steady hand.

For iOS devices. Check out cinemagr.am for more info and downloads.

4. Camerabag 2

The original Camerabag app has always been popular and one of our simple editing favourites, but now the team has created a second version, which is similar to the first but with a few more filters, borders and basic tweaking options, like exposure, contrast and filter intensity.

For iOS devices. Check out nevercenter.com/camerabag/mobile/ for more info and downloads.

5. Flickr

Flickr’s photo app is one of the most comprehensive out there and looks great too, you can take photos, add some great looking apps to them and then share your creations with the slew of new people who signed up to Flickr when Instagram screwed up its terms and conditions.

Scrolling through other people’s photos is an even nicer experience than Instagram, because not only are you swiping up and down through users, you can browse left and right too between everything they’ve shared.

It’s a great option for those who love the community feel of Instagram or who already use their online Flickr account a lot already.

For iOS and Android devices. Check out flickr.com/mobile for more info and downloads.

6. Motiongraph

Sony has recently launched Motiongraph, an Android app that works in exactly the same way as Cinemagram really, just tap pieces of your image to make them move. It takes a bit of time to get the hang of it, but once you do you can create some really great, dynamic images.

For Android devices. Check out www.sonydna.com/sdna/e/products/motiongraph/index.html for more info and downloads.

7. Afterglow

A simple photo editing app, which allows you to add filters, borders and play around with light effects. A great one to have for pre-tweaking before you share your images elsewhere.

For iOS devices. Check out for afterglow-app.com/ more info and downloads.

8. Snapseed

Snapseed is a super comprehensive application, which allows you to add filters, frames and drama to your images. You can then make all kinds of tweaks, like cropping, straightening, adding tilt-shift effects and adjusting brightness.

It’s a must-have option if you take your mobile photography seriously and want more from an app than just a few filters.

For iOS and Android devices. Check out www.snapseed.com/ for more info and downloads.

9. Nightcap

Nightcap isn’t an all singing, all dancing option like many of the others, it’s been specially created to make your night shots just a little bit better and promises that they won’t be nearly as grainy or crappy as they’d normally be.

For iOS devices. Check out interealtime.com/ for more info and downloads.

10. Pureshot

Just like Nightcap, Pureshot isn’t going to replace the likes of Instagram, but it will help you take better photos with your mobile camera. You can select different file sizes, tweak exposure, white balance and focus and use a special night mode too.

For iOS devices. Check out jag.gr/pureshot/ for more info and downloads.