Tangent Review

Many photography apps tend to do quite similar things to imagery, mostly involving applying filters to photographs. Tangent doesn't quite do that. It might involve applying new effects to an image, but through a vector art style overlay, improvements are being added to the image, rather than replacing anything.

There's a fairly simple process to follow throughout the app. Users can either import or take a photo directly from within, before opting for a specific style. Tangent offers both straight-forward and quick applications, as well as plenty of choice for those who want to adjust things individually. Shapes form the first set of choices, with circles, rectangles, triangles and plenty more, available to apply to an image. It sounds gimmicky, but it can really set off a photo nicely, giving focus to the important part of a photo. There are plenty of shapes available too, with in-app purchases provided for those who want even more choice. That's a trend that continues throughout, with plenty of additional blends and colors available at a price. Fortunately, it's always possible to preview them first.

Besides shapes, users can apply different patterns to imagery, as well as a selection of different colors for the respective changes. Individually, I doubt such effects would change much, but combined, Tangent really can make a photo excel. Crucially, such results don't look too garish or tacky, and often add a touch of class to an otherwise run-of-the-mill photo.

More typical features such as adjusting saturation or brightness aren't here and sharing is limited to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, but Tangent still feels a quite well-rounded app. The additional shapes and backgrounds are reasonably well priced, too, making it tempting to expand the collection immediately after buying. For those like myself who enjoy managing all things photo related through their iPhone, it's an ideal accompaniment to something like Instagram.