New App Review: FreezePaint!

• App Name: FreezePaint www.freezepaintapp.com
• Developer: Ron Brinkmann
• System and gear requirements: Any iPhone or iPod touch with a camera running iOS 4.2 or newer. Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad.
• Cost: Introductory .99¢, then $2.99

Being a budding photographer, I am always listening to and watching podcasts on the subject. One of my favorite shows is "This Week in Photo" or TWIP. TWIP is hosted by Frederick Van Johnson. The show is always interesting and informative. Along with Frederick, there are a few recurring guests on the show, including Ron Brinkmann. At the end of the show, each guest shares a "pick of the week" with the listeners.

At the end of one of the recent shows, Mr. Brinkmann shared that he had been working on a new iOS app that was recently released called FreezePaint. FreezePaint promises a new kind of photography and it delivers!

When you first open the app, the initial screen welcomes you to FreezePaint and gives brief instruction on how to use the app and save/share pictures. Each button along the bottom edge of screen in labeled. 

The initial screen is closed with a tap to the screen. The i-device camera is now active and you are ready to start using the app. The Welcome screen can easily be brought back up by tapping the question mark in the bottom row of icons.

There are two ways to use the app. The first is to frame the picture you wish to manipulate and tap the Freeze or Clear All button and choose Freeze All. The next step is to use your finger and "erase" a portion of the picture you wish to replace with another image. The best way to describe what happens is that a little "window" appears in your current image where you have just erased. Using the i-device camera, find your next image by looking through the little window and then choose Freeze again by tapping on the Freeze button and choosing Freeze All.  In the example below I took a picture of my Airedale calendar (Yes, I have an Airedale Terrier named Rocky and I think he's the greatest), erased the head of one of the Airedales in the photo and replaced it with Rocky's photo.

Rocky is the one on the right

In the next example, I froze an image of an old Coca-Cola mirror, erased Coca-Cola and replaced it with another product, Swiffer. 

The other way to use FreezePaint is basically the opposite of the above manner.  Frame the image you want to use and draw on the portion you want to save.  Once you draw on the portion you want to save, lift your finger and the app saves that portion of the image.  Then frame the portion you just saved over another subject and tap the Freeze or Clear All button and choose Freeze All.  You now have a new image.

You can erase or save portions of images multiple times for the same image. I believe you are only limited by the size of the i-device screen. I was able to copy 40 different portions of an image and then stopped.

I know what you're thinking, "What can I do with these cool new images I'm making?" Well, if you are not happy with the image, tap the Freeze or Clear All button and choose, you guessed it, Clear All. To save an image to your i-device camera roll, tap the save/share icon. The app automatically saves the image.  

All of the "required" social features are built into the app. Once you've saved a image to the camera roll, you can tap the save/share icon to share the image on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or email.  

The last icon is the configure icon. Tapping on this icon brings up the configure menu to set the flash either Auto, On or Off. You can also change the brush size with a slider in this menu. 

I think there are lot of interesting images that can be made with this app. It's also a lot of fun. I've changed lips and ears of portraits that we have hanging on the walls in our house and it's pretty funny.  But I'm sure there are other uses for the apps that I have yet to explore. You are only limited by your imagination. There are plenty of neat images on the FreezePaint website for you to explore. The app is currently .99¢ in the Apple App Store for a limited time before the price increases to $2.99. I suggest that you get the app before the price increase. It's a lot of fun and will give you hours of enjoyment.