Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 4:31PM | Glyn Evans Format126, the free retro camera app devised by me and developed by Chris Comair was featured on the BBC's technology program Click today.
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 2:00PM | Glyn Evans So after a long wait Format126 [AppStore Link] is finally with us, but we are not stopping at version 1.0, and have some great ideas for future releases.
Format126 version 1.1*, the next release
Chris is already working on the update to bring Format126 to version 1.1, but what will version 1.1 contain I hear you ask? well...
first and foremost are a couple of minor bug fixes*hopefully this update will be available in about 1 month
Format126 version 1.2, and beyond...
Myself and Chris have some ideas to grow Format126 in to one of the best retro camera apps for the iPhone, but our ideas for version 1.2 and beyond are currently under raps, but will be revealed when we are closer to a release.
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 1:00PM | Glyn Evans A couple of people have asked me how and why Format126 came to be, so here is my story behind the idea for the app and how we got to where we are today.
Above: The camera that started it all, the Kodak Instamatic 33The story kind of starts about 28 years ago when my parents gave me their Kodak Instamatic 33 126 format camera, which used 126 cartridge film, after they had upgraded to a new 110 format camera!! Whist I could not afford to take many photos with my new toy (my pocket money barely covered the cost of the films and processing), the photos I did take I loved them for their square format with white borders.
It was this camera, and this camera alone that sparked my interest in photography, and when I got my first summer job at the age of 14, I upgraded to/bought a Russian made Zenith E 35mm SLR camera, and from then on photography became my passion.
Jump forward about 10 years (early 1990's) and I bought myself another Russian made camera, but this time it was a medium format Lubitel 166B twin lens reflex camera that used 120 film and produced square 6cm x 6cm format negatives, and square photos were back in my life.
Fast forward to February 2009, and after buying CameraBag, my favourite photo format had arrived on my iPhone in the form of their Lolo and Helga filters, but overall CameraBag for me lacked the range of square format effects I wanted, and I was sure others felt the same.
Now lets hop forward to the present day, well actually to October 2009, where as one of the LOFI beta testers, I asked Chris Comair (the app developer) if he would be interested in developing an app that I wanted to create called Format126, that would produce square format photos with a white border. We set up a Skype call one Saturday in early October, and after a brief exchange of ideas for the app, Format126 was born.
Over the next month I came up with the filter ideas, whilst Chris created and tweaked them.
Initially there were 3 effects...
...but as the app evolved, so came 2 more B&W effects.
We then added my favourite effect from Chris' LOFI app, LOFI, and then came the effect I am really pleased with, and that was a filter that would almost bleach out all but the strongest of colours, and so ColorHint was born.
No retro toy camera app would be with out a vignette effect, and Format126 is no exception, so a subtle vignette was added. Now whilst I may like my square format photos with a white border this may not be to everybody's taste, and so the option to turn on/off the white border was also added.
Now for anyone who has tried the app, you will have noticed it is not 100% true to the 126 format, as there is an option to turn off the square format all together and create regular format photos with or without the white border. This option was suggested by Chris, as he felt that not all photos would suit the square format, and so this option was added.
Once the app had been created it was time to shoot the photo for the apps home screen (Chris did this) and then invite a small number of people to beta test it, and then in November when the app was ready it was submitted to Apple for approval, and so the then familiar waiting game began.
It had been hoped that the app would be ready for my blogs 1st Birthday, but sadly due to some minor UI problems the app was rejected and some minor tweaks were needed. Sadly due to Chris catching Swine flu, the required tweaks were delayed and so the app was resubmitted just before Christmas, and finally approved on the 28th December 2009.
So that's how an idea inspired by my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic 33, became a real app for the iPhone, but this is just the start of the journey, and in my next post I will reveal some planned features for the next and future updates to this fun retro app.
Format126 Monday, January 4, 2010 at 11:00AM | Glyn Evans If you have downloaded and are using Format126 [AppStore Link], the iPhone photo app from Glyn Evans [that's me] and Chris Comair, then why not head over to the Format126 Flickr group where there are already a growing number of great photos, and share your snaps with this growing community.
If you haven't downloaded this free app, then what are you waiting for.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 9:00AM | Glyn Evans Inspired by the 126 film format which was introduced in 1963 and associated with low-end point-and-shoot cameras, ‘Format 126’ brings that retro square format to the digital age in the form of this iPhone app.
Format 126 is easy to use, simply load or take a photo, convert it to square format and then apply any of the following effects or options.
Effects:
Neutral - Leaves the colors unaffected, allowing you to convert your photo to the square format with or without borderFilm Options:
Format126 in New iPhone Photo Apps Monday, December 28, 2009 at 9:55PM | Glyn Evans The LONG wait is over, and finally my app Format126 the square format photo app for the iPhone is here!!
Description from the AppStore: Inspired by the 126 film format which was introduced in 1963 and associated with low-end point-and-shoot cameras. Format 126 brings that retro square format to the digital age in the form of this iPhone app.
Format 126 is an easy to use app, simply load or take a photo, convert it to square format and then apply any of the following effects or options.
Effects:
Neutral - Leaves the colors unaffected, allowing you to convert your photo to the square format with or without borderOptions:
AppStore Link: Format126 - Price FREE
Format 126 - an idea by Glyn Evans, created by Chris Comair
Editors comments: For obvious reason I am not going to comment on this app, other than to say "I hope you like it".
Glyn Evans
Please note: There are reports that this app is taken longer than average to download, please stick with it, the wait will be worth it ;)
Format126 in New iPhone Photo Apps