New iPhone Photo App: Live FX
Friday, March 26, 2010 at 10:59PM | Glyn Evans 
Description from the AppStore: Live FX allows you to easily create and apply thousands of unique photo effects in a new way of filter stacking/layering, using camera to preview all effect live. It has never been easier to share created filters between users - simply copy/paste a special code automatically generated for any combination of effects.
You can select up to 10 out of 30+ basic effects and save this combination as a custom effect. After that it is very easy to combine your newly created effect with any other filters in any sequence. This approach gives you a fantastic possibilities to create your own, unique photo effects.
Here is the best part - ability to copy and paste codes of created effects. Imagine you have created an amazing combination of effects and want to share it with other users. With Live FX it is easy - simply copy filter code to the clipboard to send via email or text message. You can also put a signature with that code on the image itself.
If you find on the Internet some interesting Live FX effects and corresponding codes, you can paste codes via clipboard into the app - and effects will be instantly recreated in your own app.
Live FX includes the following standard effects:
- Flash (2 kinds), Lomo, Sepia, Black&White, Inverse, Frames (light and dark, thin and wide), Vignette (dark and light) - 11
- Dichromatic effects: black + red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, purple - 8
- Trichromatic effects: black and white + red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, purple - 8
- Unique random effect generator - shake iPhone to get a new variation out of carefully selected range - 1
- Red&White&Blue - 1
- Radial Blur - highlights objects in a center by blurring other image parts - 1
- Square Crop of image center - 1
- Date stamp (Mar 30, 2010)
- Signature (©2010 My Name)
- Image size options - original (2048x1536px or 3564x3052px with wide frame), 1200, 800, 480.
Live FX also allows to:
- zoom with live effects on/off
- automatically save unprocessed original photo (with correct orientation).
- set default combination of filters.
- post photos directly to Facebook, Twitter (via TwitPic) or email (with different jpeg compressions) from within Live Fx.
A quick help reference is available within the app.
AppStore Link: Live FX - Price £1.19/$1.99
Editors comments: I was fortunate enough to be one of the beta testers of Live FX, and whilst it is not really my kind of app, with the right photo and combination of effects it can produce some really nice results, and if you want to know more, then read on.
Before I start this review, I am going to get the one complaint I have about this app out of the way, although this is a really big one. The apps key part of the interface is it effects, that are selected by tapping on the effect icon, however here is the biggie, none of the effects are labeled until you select them, and then the filter effect name will appear for a few seconds as it is being applied to your photo!!
OK, that out of the way lets get back to the review.
The App
After launching the app you are presented with the home screen, where across the very bottom you will find 4 icons...
- i - here you will find basic information about the app, and how to use it.
- Camera icon - from here you can take or open a photo.
- Arrow/export icon - here you can upload your photo to Facebook, Twitter, Email or save to the camera roll.
- Tools - here you can change the apps settings, which included saving at full-res, which is something of a rarity these days.
...and then just above these you have the effects themselves.
So having launched the app, then taken or selected a photo you can begin applying one or more effects to your photo, then crop and/or add a frame, and when done export or save. What is really nice about this whole process, is that you can build and save your own effects, so lets say you create an effect that you want to repeat over and over again, simply tap the + icon in the bottom left of the screen and your customized effect is saved for future use.
Can't decided what effect to apply, or fancy a lucky dip, then at the very end of the row of effect icons you will find a Random Effect icon, which does just that, applies random effects.
Need to quickly clear your effect, this is covered too, as in the bottom right you will see an fx icon, and tapping this, does just that, clears the effect.
A little extra something
Whilst most photo manipulation apps have the ability to take a photo from with in the app, this is a feature not everyone uses, however Live FX has a little surprise up its sleeve, "live preview". When taking a photo with the app you get a split screen view so you can see how the selected effect will look on the photo you are about to take, and this works really well.
So what do I think of Live FX?
Whilst this is not really my kind of app, it is very very capable of producing some really nice results, but is badly let down by the lack of effect labels, and it is for this reason, and this reason alone that I have given Live FX 3 stars.
If it wasn't for this lack of effect filter labels, then I would have awarded this app 4 stars!!
Glyn Evans
Review update: A feature that I missed when reviewing this app, is its ability to import and export filter combinations with other Live FX users, and thanks to SCW this is how it's done.
"This code can be copied & shared with your friends & other Live FX users. Then once you or another user are given a Filter code you can open Live FX, Load an image & then Hold the "+" for a few seconds until you get the popup to add the code from your saved clipboard you have copied from a friend. This new code will create a new Effects Filter to your favorites of the effect they made."
Glyn Evans
UPDATE 2: I have just received word that the next release of Live FX will include labels above each of the effects.
Glyn Evans
Ratings update: Following the Live FX update which now includes labels for each of the filter effects, I am now increasing my rating to 4 stars, as per my original review comments.
If you are looking for a second opinion of Live FX, then check out Marty Yawnick's review over at Life in LoFi.
Reader Comments (23)
How come this app isn't your kind of app? Seems like a wonderful app for photos, I got a code today for this and I am really love the results that are coming from it!
What did the developer say when you brought up this complaint during the beta?
@Kristin. There is nothing wrong with this app, as I said with the right photo it can produce some really nice results, however I personally prefer toy camera type apps and those that have predefined effects. That said my opinion of this app may have been slightly different if I knew what filter I was applying before applying it.
With regards to its rating, for me it would not have gotten a 5 star, as an app has to wow me to get a 5 star/recommended rating, and this app doesn't do that for me.
As with some past apps, my view may be a little controversial, and I am sure there will be many more who will question my opinion, which is good, as mine is only an opinion and should not always be listened to.
By the way, I'm glad you love this app :-)
@Brandon. I was getting the beta directly from the developer himself, so I had no feedback from the developer over this issue, and it was my only issue. That said, I know the other beta testers had the same issue, but I do not know the reason why it was not addressed, although looking at the UI it was probably due to space limitation on the screen.
Hi Glen!
I'm developer of Live FX. There is a label to each effect - you press a button and on a label appears. You should have emphasized during beta-test about your perceived lack of filter labels as there is no other way to fix things which beta-testers don't like (and take 1 star off for in theirs review :)
Pasting/Copying filters combo codes and live preview are the strongest selling points, I wonder what's your opinion about these features.
Cheers,
Nick
Hi Glyn ;)
"space limitation on the screen" - is the obvious reason why I decided to show label on and then slowly turn it off when you press the effect.
But 3 stars for lack of lables/ "not your type"? Did you try copying/pasting filters/ random mode/ stacking of say 7 filters at once?
Cheers,
Nick
@Nick. Thanks for the comments. The beta was provided via SCW and this was fed back to him, and as I understand this was an issue also raised by him.
As per my comment under "A little extra something", I think the live view is a great idea and well implemented, and whilst I may not have emphasized it, yes it is a key feature.
With regards to the 3/4 star rating, this from my point of view is an easy fix, add labels to the effects and the app becomes and instant 4 star app.
@Nick. As I said to Kristin, this is just my opinion, and as such should not deter people from buying this app, after all a 3 star rating app is still a good app, and many people will buy and love this app.
@Nick: I have downloaded the app and obviously still trying to discover the potential of your app. Picking up on your comment on stacking up to 7 apps, I wonder if you would consider posting a tutorial on your site showing some sample 'recipes'?
For now here is a simple how-to:
Say you want to make a combo which turns photos into sepia, adds black vignette and white frame.
1) Select Sepia filter as #1, black vignette as #2 and white (beige) frame as #3.
2) Press '+' button in the lower left corner. The combo will be saved.
3) Clear all effects with button in the lower right corner.
4) Now you can press one button with your newly created effect and sepia, vignette, frame will be applied to the image.
You can use this combo as a building block for other effects,
by selecting filters #2, 3, ...,10.
@Nick: Thanks for that. That example is pretty straight forward and others like Lomo, Black & White are similar. I am struggling more with the other colour filters which on their own tend to colour the image with one dominant tint. Are there any guiding principles on how to blend the colour filters (again thinking of your suggestion to use up to 7 filters)?
@ psikat
You can stack / layer effects (7 at a time) such as a 1. LOMO, 2, Flash II, 3, Vignette, 4. Blur, 5, Crop, 6, Randomizer (last effect on the right as you swipe all effects left to right), & 7. a Frame border.
But the true key to this app is the Randomizer feature. Load an image (or take one in "live" mode, tap the Randomizer button & lightly shake & or tilt the iPhone back & forth creating a newly made random effect. Every time you find a random mix combo that you like tap "+" & that combo will be saved to your favorites dock (the bottom row). Each of your saved combos & custom effects comes with a unique filter code. This code can be copied & shared with your friends & other Live FX users. Then once you or another user are given a Filter code you can open Live FX, Load an image & then Hold the "+" for a few seconds until you get the popup to add the code from your saved clipboard you have copied from a friend. This new code will create a new Effects Filter to your favorites of the effect they made.
I hope that helped =)
SCW
@SCW. Thanks for the tip, which I am sure you had told me about, but I had forgot and missed from my review.
@scw: much obliged!
"@SCW. Thanks for the tip, which I am sure you had told me about, but I had forgot and missed from my review."
That's what I suspected ;) Maybe yet one story about Live FX in a new light ;) ?
@Nick. It was the code sharing that I was referring to, which is a nice touch. I will add this feature in to my review, but I have no plans to re-review this app at present, as I still stand by the review I have written.
@Glyn I'm adding labels in the update, so I hope at least 4 stars are awaiting Live FX v1.0.1 ;)
@Nick. Thanks for the feedback, and I'm looking forward to the update.
@Nick. I noticed on one of your Twitter posts you mention that in the US AppStore you are getting 1 star ratings!! I would just like to say to anyone reading this comment, this app is most definitely NOT a 1 star app.
@Glyn There are three 1star reviews:
Someone with a pretentious "App Rater" name left a stunning review:
"All it does is give you 6 different colors to highlight your picture with. Wasted 2$on this garbage. Wouldn't even of been worth it for free. Don't waste your money"
jojo186
"Nothing special here... the effects are just basic coloring and don't make the pictures look any better. I sure hope for some kind of update with more features soon!"
Rava68
"Boring.. I'll wait for an update...."
I'm afraid these reviewers didn't figure out even how to scroll for more effects, let alone stacking/copying/pasting/stamping/live preview. I guess the app price should has been set to 19.99$ instead of 1.99$ :))))
I'll emphasize these features in description and the update.