Cameras on cell phones became the norm around 2003. Actually, according to Wikipedia, camera phones outsold digital  cameras in 2003. Since then, cameras have made their way in to just about every single cellular phone, smartphone, tablet, and even other digital devices like Nintendo’s GameBoy line and Apple’s Ipod Touch. On smartphones  especially, lens and sensor technology for the cameras on phones followed closely behind that of digital cameras to the point where Nokia released a 12 megapixel camera on its N8 smartphone this year. It isn’t enough for a phone to be able to snap pictures and video anymore, the devices now feature apps allowing for artistic, photoshop-like effects on the fly.

Paper Camera is exactly what Dr. 2011 ordered for his patients who no longer felt the WOW effects of 5, 8, 10 and even 12 megapxel camera phones. With this app, everything you see is seconds away from looking like it came out of a Indie girl’s scrapbook, or Diablo Cody movie intro. Look at the picture above. That is what it looks like to frame up a shot in Paper Camera: the white, paper-like background fills all the unused screen real estate; left and right arrows on the top right allow the user to cycle through the list of effects; a big camera button to take your shot, and the green menu button that will take you to your gallery. Also, you’ll note the sliders and refresh button to the right of the view-window. Those sliders allow the user to customize any shot he or she wishes. If you completely mess up the levels, you can just click the little refresh wheel to take you back to something more familiar. Underneath the view-window is displayed the current effect setting.

Here are a few of the pictures I took with Paper Camera, with various filter settings. My favorite is the first picture you see. In that one, I felt the effects made a real difference and added something to the photo. That isn’t to say the other effects filters felt superfluous or gaudy, they just seemed more like a novelty, a fun and entertaining novelty. The app is extremely easy to use: if you can use your phone’s camera app, you can use Paper Camera. It’s actually probably even a little easier than your phone’s normal camera app. If you’d like to compare how different effects handle lighting, look at my last two pictures. The one with the lattice-work supports was taken with the effect called Granny’s paper. The one below it was taken in the same spot at the same time with the same amount of light, but the sketchup effect soaks up much more light. T

Paper Camera is a great app and I’d say its even worth the $1.99 you’ll pay if you buy it today. At the very least, you can upload the cutest and most artistic cat pictures ever to your photo blog

-Patrick