Skip to main content

Turn your smartphone pictures into unique 3D worlds with Matter

turn smartphone pictures unique 3d worlds matter iphone ipad
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Photo editing apps for mobile devices are all the same, right? They let you do crops, edit the brightness and contrast, alter the colors, and sometimes apply filters. But there are some that go beyond the basic tools, allowing you to capture photos with a unique twist, and one of them is called Matter.

Matter is an iOS photo manipulation app that lets your create fantastic 3D worlds within your iPhone or iPad pics. It lets you choose from a number of different geometrical shapes that you can put into your pictures, which interacts with the world in the original photo. You can add realistic reflections, translucency effects, shadows, and even short video clips.

But you’re not limited to adding basic three-dimensional shapes into photos of landscapes, cities, or the like. By letting your creativity roam free and combining Matter with other photo editing apps, you can create fantastic worlds of all kinds that look like they’re straight out of a science-fiction movie, an 80’s LP cover, or a scene of a mystery role-playing game.

Matter_iPhone
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is how it works. First, you choose a picture that you’d like to enhance by inserting a 3D object. Next, you pick an object that you can freely position inside the picture. You can mask away portions of the object to make it interact with what’s inside your picture – the ground, the sky, buildings, people…whatever.

Then, you can add shadows, reflections, and/or translucency effect to make it look like the object (or objects) was really there when you took the photo. If you don’t want to use any of your own pictures, there’s also a gallery of background images free for all Matter users. And if you need some inspiration, take a look at what other users did with Matter on Instagram.

Matter for iOS devices is available on iTunes for $2.

Editors' Recommendations

Felix Esser
Felix is a freelance tech journalist with a strong focus on photography. Based out of central Germany, he contributes to…
How to hide photos on an Android phone or tablet
Google Photos

While today's best Android phones are quite secure as long as they remain locked with a passcode or biometrics like a fingerprint, by default those features only protect the front door. If someone picks up your phone while it's unlocked, there aren't typically any barriers that will keep them out of exploring everything from your contacts and emails to your photos.

This can be particularly challenging when it comes to photos, since those are the things we like to show off the most from our phones. We've likely all had those moments when we want to show a friend or co-worker a funny cat meme, so we hand over our phone and trust that they won't swipe right and see the photo of the hairy mole that we sent to our doctor that morning.

Read more
Best Sony A7 III deals: Save $300 on the full frame mirrorless camera
Sony A7 III

Sony A7 III Daven Mathies/Digital Trends / .

Even if you have one of the best camera phones at the moment, if you're a photography fanatic, you're probably feeling the burn for something new and exciting. For example, the Sony A7 III line is like none other in the world of handheld cameras and you can find several cameras in that line on sale right now at Best Buy. Here, we round up the best deals in the sale, then analyze how buying a Sony Alpha A7 III looks at the moment.
Today's best Sony A7 III deals

Read more
How to use (almost) any camera as a webcam for Zoom and more
how to use any camera as a web cam v2 00 58 01 still007

Cameras, even those in phones, brag about megapixels and lens specifications -- but laptops? Not so much. There’s a reason computer companies don’t say much about the webcams that come built into the bezels of their screens. Most of these cameras are low-quality, with tiny sensors and cheap lenses. Sure, they work for basic videoconferencing, but they aren’t very impressive and certainly leave us wanting something more.

While you could just buy a stand-alone webcam that connects over USB, to really take production value up a notch, you can opt for a DSLR or mirrorless camera. You’ll need a few workarounds to get this type of camera to be recognized as a webcam by your computer, but the trouble is worth it for the higher resolution, much better low-light performance, and cinematic background blur.

Read more