The digital camera has taken a back seat since the smartphone has made an additional forray into the camera and video market. You don't need another camera if you already have a smartphone to fulfil this function.

The Samsung galaxy S4 (13-megapixel) and Apple Inc's iPhone 5 (8 megapixel) have high-end mega pixel cameras, providing exceptional clarity and depth. The neat thing about the smartphone is that you no longer need to be a professional photographer to get good pictures. Almost anyone above the age of 18 can create a Flickr, Google+ or Picasa account and start creating your own photo library.

There might still be some traditional camera enthusiasts that say the SLR digital camera is the way to go and programs like Photoshop or Picasa album tool are key to generating striking images. There's some truth in that but convenience goes a long way in photography

That may be true with special colour parameters like splash colour, tilt shift, and other advanced editing features that one could not attempt on a phone. While it is true that there are fewer editing software on the Android platform which is mostly used on Google Nexus or Samsung Galaxy devices, developers are still coming up with new apps that continue to wow photographers. Apple Inc's iPhone offers considerable advanced features in the photography apps category.

With traditional film photographers switching to digital cameras, editing plays a bigger role in shooting special occasions like weddings, barmhitzvas and school events. The right colour, tone, and striking composition all appeal to the visual stimulus and it is no surprise that high-end phones outfitted with handheld convenient cameras offer an advantage.

The smartphone has replaced many of our accessories that take up space in our pockets and purses. Another fantastic deal for writers, facebook bloggers and journalists is that having a smartphone gives you instant access to photos. You can upload them to your site of choice to document a news post or email it to a news publisher.

Although Android developers seem to be working on uniquely functional apps for images, iPhone apps already have experience in the photo market. You might be able to do all kinds of absurd effects that was at one time only possible with a PC seriously packed with imaging software that took up a lot of space.

If you're a photo freak, have and you have Apple Inc's ios-iPhone, then these apps will astound you :

iOS-iPhone adjustable focus tools for iPhone 5 - Lytro, FocusTwist

The Lytro camera might sound like something futuristic and in a sense it is because smartphones are improving functionality quickly. This exciting app on an iPhone lets you change the focus after you have taken a photo - that was impossible to do when print film cameras was around. It works by snapping the background of a photo and switching it into to the main area of focus. This can also be done with the foreground, which can be switched into focus by tapping on it. This works well when you create blurred images for artistic use in online magazines.

FocusTwist lets you do the same thing for $2, since Apple Inc apps on the iTunes store have a price tag on them, unlike android markets that also have free applications. The difference between the Lytro and FocusTwist is that the latter uses a series of images having different foci - these are taken in a time frame of a few seconds.

Splash colour apps for the iPhone, iPhone 5

There is something sifnificantly appealing about photos used with Splash colour. This photo app works with just one colour while the rest of the image background is black and white or grey, which is unsaturated. Splash colour makes this look easy, when photo enthusiasts used layering and masking techniques to get the same results using PC applications like Photoshop.

If you're into image modification art, an inexpensive splash colour app that works well is Color Splash which costs a $1.

What is Tilt Shift in iPhone Special Effects Photography?

Tilt Shift is the special effect used by photo editors to create a change in perspective. A tilt shift lens enables you to make a miniature version of a photograph. For example, you have a picture of your home, and you could convert this into a dollhouse, and cars can be transformed into toys.

In case you're wondering how this is achieved, you might remember the "all important" rule on apertures and depth of field which you first came across in print film photography, way back in time. This is exactly what is used to create a tilt shift and some smartphones have very expensive lenses that allow users to change the depth of field.

How do you Create Tilt Shift on the iPhone, iPhone5?

You can create TiltShift images using your iPhone for $2. The application allows you to take a photo or retrieve one from the photo album and modify the depth of field by fooling around with the blurring and sharpness functions. The tool enables you to become an expert in tilt-shifting' by manipulating the technique in numerous photographs that it provides.

How to create trendy HDR Photos (high dynamic range) on Apple's iPhone, iPhone 5?

A recent trend in image-creation has been HDR photos. This phenomenon began with multi-shots of an image run through a photo-editing program. This would result in striking images that would be difficult to reproduce in film or digital cameras.

The iPhone now has a feature called HDR mode. All you need to do is tap HDR mode in Options, under Camera apps. You can switch on the HDR function on and try it out.

The Pro HDR is an enhanced version and produces better results by taking an overexposed and underexposed image, combining the two to form a high degree of detail and colour.

Seamless Levitating "in the air" iPhone Photography

Some specialized photo editing features are a little to hi-tech even for the iPhone. And one of these has to be levitation. Think about creating a photo where you have a person floating in air, sort of like in the movie 'Superman.' In Photoshop, this might take hours to do and there is a chance that it still might not look right.

But if you want to levitate someone in your picture, there's an app for that and it's called Levitagram, It costs $2 on Apple Inc's iTunes and you can defy gravity in your photos by taking two photos and combining them. The first would be the "floating" subject pushed up in your view finder and a second one with the subject removed.