Panoramic Perfection: 3 Apps That Will Give You the Best 3D Picture Effects

Looking to make your photos stand out?

With over 95 million photos uploaded to Instagram every day, there’s some seriously healthy competition to get your photography noticed in the real world.

That’s why you need to be bold and inventive with the types of photos you create. Why settle for a panorama shot when you could start creating photos with 3D picture effects instead?

With VR heading towards the mainstream, it’s time to start experimenting with 3D photos. Here are three of the best 3D photography apps for your smartphone or tablet.

3D Picture Effects: How Do They Work?

Imagine you’ve just taken a panorama shot. It’s a great shot if you’re looking to record a photo that takes in everything in your surroundings, but it’s still just a photo. 

You’re still looking at it on a phone, a camera, or on a printed photograph, like every other photo. What if you could bring your photos to life?

The whole purpose of a 3D picture app is to create 3D experiences, either on your phone or with a virtual reality headset, which allows you to see everything in a photo.

That includes things that might be hidden in a typical photo, like what’s behind the subject of a photo, or behind the photographer!

Google Cardboard Camera for Android and iOS

One of the best 3D photo effect apps for beginners to work with is Google’s Cardboard Camera app, available for Android and iOS.

The app is designed to help you create 3D experiences you can then experience with a Google Cardboard headset which, as it’s made of (you guessed it) cardboard, will only cost you $15.

You take a 360-degree panorama shot of your surroundings using the app, and it converts that into a 3D experience for your cardboard headset. You can even record sounds to match, making it a truly immersive experience.  

PopPic for iOS

Not interested in the VR hype? Don’t worry, there are other apps for 3D photos out there. One of the best 3D apps for iPhone and other iOS devices is PopPic.

Unlike the Cardboard Camera app, you don’t need to take panorama shots and you don’t need to worry about VR headsets of any kind. It takes any typical photo shot and lets you manipulate it to give you a 3D picture effect.

You can manipulate the depth and focus of your photo, as well as add motion effects, to help you give you 3D effects in an otherwise typical photo.

Fyuse for Android and iOS

You don’t want it to be difficult to create 3D photos, and you don’t want to have to spend all day tweaking them to look good. With Fyuse, you don’t have to.

You’re creating interactive experiences with the Fyuse camera app. When you create a photo, you can swipe or tilt your screen to see the position within the picture change. 

The experience is almost like taking a picture and video at the same time. If you want to use your photos outside of the app, you can export them as videos or GIFs, or as an iOS live photo.

These kinds of shots will look amazing on your social media feeds, but don’t forget, there are other kinds of picture effects you can work with. Check out these 6 camera apps for Instagram to see what you come up with.

Choose the Best Effects App for You

If you want to take advantage of 3D in your photos, choose the right 3D picture effects app to suit what it is you’re trying to create.

Google’s Cardboard Camera app is perfect for those who want a realistic, VR-style experience without an expensive headset. If you’re not interested in VR, PopPic and PopPic will both give you a 3D-style photo with little effort.

Got the itch to start snapping some pics? Don’t forget to check out our other photography articles for ideas and tips to get you started!