ShakeItPhoto by Nick Campbell is a pretty simple app that works just like the iPhone camera app, but simulates a Polaroid camera.

Perhaps you’re old enough to remember whipping out the clunky Polaroid camera for snapping instant photos and then delicately holding the film by the corner and shaking the crap out of it so it would develop faster. If not, you really missed out on a priceless point  in photography history. But fear not. ShakeItPhoto lets you relive the Polaroid experience – kind of.

ShakeItPhoto launches in similar fashion to the iPhone camera app. When the shutter opens and you focus on your picture, simply tap the camera icon. You will be prompted to use the picture or retake it. Once you have selected a photo to use, ShakeItPhoto launches into an instant film simulator complete with gradual developing before your eyes. You can “shake” your photo by shaking your iPhone and it “develops”  the image a bit faster.

There is nothing about ShakeItPhoto that your regular iPhone camera can’t do, except for simulate the Polaroid experience. It does provide sound effects that are a good rendition of that “whirring” sound common to instant cameras and the final photo is framed in that familiar white edge. The only thing that could have made ShakeItPhoto better would be the option to label the pictures with a felt tip marker across the bottom just like you did in the good old days.

ShakeItPhoto automatically saves “developed” photos to your photo library with no need to tap any additional buttons. It’s just there. Granted, you don’t get any special photo features within the app, such as adjusting the picture in frame or sending and sharing, but it does make taking pictures with your iPhone kind of fun in a bizarrely nostalgic sort of way.

ShakeItPhoto, not to be confused with the similar iPhone app ShakeIt, is available in the app store for $0.99.

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category: Photography, Worthwhile Apps