How to Capture Photos with Vintage, B&W, Film Scratch Effects

With rapid advances in technology, photography on mobile devices has also been rapidly advancing from mere photo-snapping to photography tasks as complex as photo editing and adding effects on pictures. It’s really convenient to take pictures and, at the same time, edit your pictures right on your mobile phone.

With an Android phone, for example, there are apps that perform basic tasks and that include user-customizable settings for such things as white balance, saturation, and the like. And, then, there are apps that not only enable you to snap photos like a digital camera would but also to capture photos as if they were captured from old-school, classic cameras. The Retro Camera app, which is aptly named, is one such app.

The Retro Camera app lets you capture photos and add special effects that were popular a few decades ago (and are still popular these days). The photo effects that the app lets you apply to your photos can give your photos that classic, retro look. With 5 sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch, and cross processing effects, Retro Camera can give your snapshots that “off-the-hip analog look.”

When using the app, you can take a trip down memory lane with 5 retro cameras to choose from, with each one bringing a set of effects that gives it a unique charm. You can set Retro Camera to use any of the following old-school cameras:

The Bärbl. This is a camera that originated in East Germany. It’s well-known for the natural fading with scratched film effect, as well as moderate vignetting, on the photos that the Bärbl captures.

Little Orange Box. This gets its inspiration from the camera that used to be popular among Russians. Owing to its use of plastic lenses, the camera easily lets in more light, thus resulting in strong vignetting. If you use this camera type in Retro Camera, you can also expect your photos to have scratched square film and aggressive cross processing. You can also intensify the emotion on your captured photo by snapping in black and white.

Xolaroid 2000. Your instant Polaroid camera right on your mobile device. It provides blue and green cross processing effects and timeless contrast. You can add some classic touch with its black and white effects.

Pinhole Camera. Every die-hard photography enthusiast has tried snapping photos with a pinhole camera not only because it’s fun to engage in a do-it-yourself camera but also because the pinhole camera can provide stunning, alternative effects that regular cameras can’t. This camera type on Retro Camera provides maximum vignetting and full-bleed developing.

FudgeCan. This camera is great if you want some nostalgia. Best used in outdoor settings, the FudgeCan produces photos on square film. The photos appear as if the film wasn’t stored properly or developed properly, so expect those beautiful “flaws” that make your photos look classic.

There are other apps that can let you capture photos with vintage, black and white, and film scratch effects, but as far as we are concerned, the Retro Camera app is one of the best that we’ve tried. Download Retro Camera for free from the Android Market and instantly transform your mobile phone into an old-school camera.