Ever since the dawn of photo filters, there’s been a roll-your-own contingent of artists that mix and match settings and effects for unique looks to reuse, and even share with others.
Camera 360 goes a step further to formalize that arrangement with Mix, a new mobile app for Android that concentrates on giving photography enthusiasts the tools to whip up their own flavors of special effects, both for Instagram and other social media venues.
Mix fits right in with other Android photo apps and its programmed progression and familiar controls make it seamless to learn and use. Performance was flawless on my older Samsung Galaxy running Jelly Bean.
With Mix’s collection of more than 40 textures, 10 adjustment tools and 115 filters, you can create original effects such as DSLR-like depth of field and bokeh blurring, as well as color adjustments in a programmed but open workflow. Tap the screen to see the before-after comparison.
The undo feature is immediate, but limited to a particular function, and once you’ve left a module there’s no easy navigation back. When you’re pleased with an effect, you can save it for reuse, and it will appear in your default preset menu.
The workflow mimics Instagram’s square aspect ratio, and allows easy integration with that popular app. But you can also save your photo to the Gallery and share it anywhere you want. This is good, and what would be even better is for users to have a way to share their handmade presets with others.
Right now, there are a few original settings featured on the Camera360 website detailing preset formula guides. It would be nice to be able to directly download and install the ones you like.
Mix is free and available only for Android right now. The company says an iOS version of the app is on its way, though the timetable is still unclear.
➤ Mix
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