Whether you are just going to the shops, or backpacking across Australia, *the best camera really is the one that you have with you**, and that is my iPhone ... and lets face it, you don't really want to take your brand new DSLR camera with expensive lens to the beach now do you?! So here's my roundup of best apps for travel photography.

Word of warning - no tacky effect-based apps here

I've been through a shedload of photography apps, and this is a round-up of what works for me. This isn't a blog post on an exploration of the next 'cool' effect / filter / border / retro-ify / shove-it-in-a-circle / whack-a-donk-on-it styles of photo-app! There's plenty of other blog posts out there - it's about producing good photography that will age with you, and ones that won't be out of date this time next year, plus functional / usable apps that are a godsend when travelling abroad without your computer!

My DSLR is by no means redundant , but in addition to highly staged studio and location portraiture, i equally love opportunistic photographs, random stuff, behind the scenes nonsense and ultimately outside work, family snaps. After all, you want to remember the moment, not critique yourself on sharpness and colour noise!

So, here's my round up of my favourite selection of photography related apps for use on iPhone (and Android in most cases). Not all are cameras, some are free, and some are paid for. FYI - i am no-way affiliated with any of the products, nor are there any affiliate links. I've also included some of my pics that demonstrate the app in mention.

*bastardised quote from Chase Jarvis

1. Hipstamatic

Great app, costs a few pence here and there but great fun. What you get is a retro styled camera with a variety of lens options and frames/borders that add that real vintage feel to your pics. Hipstamatic was way further ahead of facebook and instagram with the whole 'filter' thang. The quality of the pics is sooo much better that those on instagram, being sharper, higher clarity. In addition you can organise prints and order real analogue prints via there store. There are a few extra bells and whistles now, but the base unit is the same. The sharing options are pretty awesome too, linking nicely to instagram / tumblr / flickr etc.

Top tip: try to stick to a neutral, not-too-heavy effect with your images. I kept it simple with the 'blanko' film and a straight forward lens. Great for vivd colours and strong sunshine.

http://hipstamatic.com/ [slideshow]

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2. CP Pro (Camera Plus Pro) [£1.49]

Leave the default camera on your iPhone alone and get your head around this powerful camera and video app. Seriously impressed with this bit of kit, it features: Auto white balance (and lock), focus lock, anti-shake, timer, filters, exposure control (by simply scrubbing over area you want to expose for), burst mode, tags (great for like me when you are part taking photos for one of your blogs at a later date), geotags, big button mode (turning your screen into a button - great for covert street photography) and great sharing tools.

View on itunes

3. By Post [Free + cost per card]

Forget buying postcards that you'll never send, you need 'by post'. buy credits (approx £1 per postcard) and upload your pic and message and guess what, it gets transformed into a real (yes, real) postcard. It even uses your contacts / address book. Its as simple as that!

http://www.bypost.com/

Model above: Masubi

4. Instagram [Free]

Not really much i need to say about this one. I always see it as the glue between networks. It is one of, if not the best way to share, not for photographic quality but for social reasons. The quality of images is ok, but doesn't compare in clarity to other apps like Hipstamatic or flickr, and it is mildly infuriating that it only shares the smaller version of the photo to flickr, but, lets not get down on facebook's bastard son, it is a great way to engage and build an audience.

http://www.instagram.com [slideshow]

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5. Diptic

Slice, dice and mix match those pics into multi-montage diptychs and beyond. Its a great tool for creating photo-stories and when you don't want to flood your feed with 4 - 6 images of a similar thing.

Without a doubt, over the last couple of years this has been the app that people have asked me the most about.

Top tip - if you are a full-time image maker (photographer, designer etc) its a great way to remind people that you also take 'proper' pics. haha

http://www.dipticapp.com/ [slideshow]

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6. Filterstorm

This is genuinely like Photoshop in your pocket. A little tricky getting to know your way around, but when you do, the power is immense. Curves, saturation, levels, spot removal, text, automations ... literally all the tools you'd come to expect from photoshop and the inclusion of layers for more complex mashups. Alot of iPhone photo/artists swear by this tool. Great for complex artistry and simple edits and watermarking.

http://filterstorm.com/

Above, behind the scenes shot of Charlotte Church with processing by Filterstorm. Feb 2013.

7. Slow Shutter Camera + [free]

Long exposures have never been easier. Great control and post-shoot mixing with the added benefit of a self-timer for those motion selfies!

View on itunes by Wanakamobile

8. Google Maps [Free]

Not your typical photographic app, but a great tool for using as a satnav abroad. Keep 3G costs low, quickly find your location and then knock all mobile data off - you'll be able to still navigate thanks to the in-built GPS of your iPhone.

http://www.google.co.uk/mobile/maps/

9. Geocaching [£6.99]

Get off the beaten track and find something new! Geocaching (unsure what it is? check out their intro guide here) is a great way to find unusual places away from the tourist trail, and lets face it, this makes better photographs. There's only so many shots of towns midday that anyone can handle, and the geocaching app helps you to do just this. It is like having an ordanance survey map in your pocket, with the ability to download local maps (including paths, bridle paths, cycle paths etc) - and when abroad this is invaluable. Again, wait til you have wifi or 3G and you can download the maps for offline use, and like Google Maps, you can then navigate via the internal GPS of your mobile when out on walks*.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/geocaching/id292242503?mt=8

www.geocaching.com

*obviously, don't go completely wild walking without a real map/compass. [slideshow]

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10. The iPhone Lens Dial [by Photojojo / approx £160ish]

iphone-tri-lens-pro-33fc.0000001321838141

Photo from Photojojo Not an app as such but a real bit of kit to take your iPhone to the next photographic level. Awesomely crafted out of aluminium with optical-quality coated glass lenses: Wide Angle, Fisheye, and Telephoto (plus, a bonus Macro lens on the iPhone 5 version). By having this gadget it has meant that the DSLR can stay safely in the car, which is a godsend when you are heading to the beach.

If there has been one thing that i have been glad i have bought, it has been this bit of kit. The lenses are a dream to use and really add diversity to your shots. Mix the lens with hipstamatic and/or instagram and you have a great mix. In addition the lenses work amazing with the iPhone video mode - giving you a much wider angle of capture than your normal iPhone video camera.

Visit Photojojo [slideshow]

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11. Flickr

When flickr finally brought out its own photo-app, i could have swore the photo-sharing-storage site was dead. Gladly, i was wrong and since the new app, flickr has re-invented itself to almost biblical proportions with the 1TB offering of FREE storage to anyone and everyone!

Back to the app, as you may expect this links across the networks nicely (facebook, tumblr etc). The clarity and quality of filters is great, but what it also does is upload your full size image to flickr. Very useful, if like me you use flickr as part-virtual storage and part social-network. It also allows you to manage comments, feeds, groups and everything else in the flickrverse.

If i had one resolution, it would be to use this app more, but I don't. It's almost like i forget its there.

http://mobile.yahoo.com/flickr

[update - just launched it today, and it crashed on me three times in a row, so errr, i'll still be forgetting it for a bit]

12. Dropbox

I don't mind admitting that it has taken me a while to get into dropbox, but i am a convert. With photography, what it means is that when you get wifi, you can set the app to auto-upload all your images to your dropbox. Keep an eye on progress with a handy little progress bar whilst you quaff a double expresso on the beach front. It is essentially your instant storage maker, especially when you are shooting images at approx 3-5mb each with the apps mentioned above, your invaluable space soon runs out .

www.dropbox.com

13. Whack a donk on it

Ok ok ... i found a pic whilst trawling my pics! Just one mind you ;)

What's worked for you? Got a suggestion, i'd love to hear ... leave your feedback suggestions below or get me on twitter!

Best Apps for Travel Photography 2013

1. Hipstamatic

2. CP Pro (Camera Plus Pro) [£1.49]