Photographer's Kit

This free camera-replacement app could be all that you need. Camera Awesome helps you compose your photos, plus it allows you to set/lock focus and exposure separately. It has a video pre-recording function, so you can capture fleeting moments in video. You get basic photo editing features plus 36 filters, textures, and frames for free. In-app purchases will allow you to unlock hundreds more, but the freebies are plenty for most of us. Sharing photos and videos to many social platforms directly from the app is easy; you can set up automatic sharing or just share with a tap.

Get great features like anti-shake stabilization, a custom self-timer, adjustable burst shooting, a “press anywhere” shutter button, and more with Frame X Frame. Legacy iPhone users should appreciate the 4X digital zoom, and everyone appreciates the awesome price of free!

If the editing features in Camera Awesome aren't enough for you, take your cuts to the next level with Snapseed. This is a real, professional grade, editing suite in your pocket. And, like the best apps, it's a heck of a lot of fun to use. Fine-tune your photos, adjust specific parts of your pics, apply filters, crop your scenes, the list goes on. Better still, if you have an iPad, you can even work with RAW photos imported from your DSLR!

This is a great, all-around editing app. It is not as feature-filled as Snapseed, but it's free, so you can’t beat the price. Unless you already have a more expensive solution, there just isn’t any reason NOT to download Adobe Photoshop Express. For quick, easy, effective photo editing, the app is great for light workloads and simple adjustments.

We've all taken a photo only to notice later that there's an unsightly obstruction affecting the scene. This app makes it easy to remove unwanted objects from your photos. Quickly remove a pimple, a trash can, a photo bomber, even an ex-spouse! Just select the undesirable area, tap "Go," and poof, the blemish is gone. Your Facebook friends will thank you.

This is one of the best, most extensive filter apps out there. With nearly 200 different effects (and regular updates bringing more all the time), the possibilities are endless. You can adjust and selectively apply each effect or combine multiple filters to add even more flair to your creative fire. Retro looks, art effects, color adjustments, special effects, overlays, and frames will all help bring out the artist in you. Plus, you can show off your results via email, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr.

The iPhone camera touts one of the best small sensors ever made, but if you really want your mobile shots to shine, you need to check out Pro HDR. Snap one photo, and several layers—all with different exposure characteristics—are captured and combined. While a simple HDR feature is included on newer iPhones, most "iPhoneographers" find it very basic and heavily lacking when it comes to features and customization. Pro HDR is a marked improvement, and its bright, breathtaking results should make even the most hardened Flickr critic stand up and cheer.

One of the most interesting photographic methods of all time, tilt-shifts usually require custom lens mounts and expensive DSLR cameras to produce professional results. And, though the real deal is completely hardware-based, your iPhone can serve up a respectable simulation with TiltShift Generator. Artfully blur backgrounds to focus everyone's attention on exactly what you want, and take high-angle shots to make your whole world look tiny.

AutoStitch is the best panorama app out there. It gives you the flexibility to take photos inside the app itself or import a series of past shots from your Camera Roll. Either way, once the pictures are loaded, the app assembles them, artfully creating an edge-to-edge masterpiece. Is your scene too big to fit in the frame? Not anymore, it isn't!

This entertaining universal app lets you artfully combine your photos into a single frame. With dozens of configurations (which can include up to five photos each), you'll really be able to tell a story with your photos. You can even add text. With tons of patterns and colors and the ability to import your own, these frames will let you truly express your creativity.

Have a ton of photos you want to put together? This app is designed to help you make such multi-photo creations. From collages to greeting cards, you can add filters, frames, stickers, speech balloons, and more to your all your pictures. Share your creations via email or directly to your choice of over a dozen different social media sites.

This popular photo-sharing platform has won numerous app awards. It really is that good. Its combination of pleasing filters and supportive community can't be beat. And it's free, too. Why are you still reading this? Go to the App Store and download Instagram right now!

What kind of app specialists would we be without mentioning Hipstamatic? It's truly the vintage toy camera of your dreams. With multiple films, flashes, and camera cases—plus more for sale in the HipstaMart—you'll always have a new outlook on life through your photos!