Monokrom is a pretty neat B&W conversion app for the iPhone. I uses colored filters to do the converting, so you can get some dramatic effects, just like if you were to use colored filters on your lens whilst shooting B&W film. Unlike most iPhone B&W apps, though, the range of available filters is unlimited – it uses the colors of the image itself.
The app is flat-out simple. Once you have a photo loaded in (either from the camera or from your photo library) there are just two controls. An orange puck, which you move over the image to change the color of the filter (it appears to sample from the color below the puck); and a gray puck, which you move from left to right to pick a cool or warm tint for the final B&W photos.
I’m a little confused about the sampling. I’m not sure if the resulting filter is made to match the color underneath the puck, or constructed to make the color under the puck go darker.
Either way, the results happen in real-time as you scoot around, so it’s really moot. The app is universal, too, and the iPad’s bigger screen makes the whole thing more accurate.
For quickly making dramatic B&W photos, then, Monokrom is ideal. I’m keeping it in my Photos folder on my iPhone for sure.
Source: iTunes
