Not all photo editing apps are about filters, Nception is a reality-changing app that can bend time and space, read on for my review of this app. Though really meant for video, I use Nception mostly for photos, where it can bend and fold elements of the photo into one another, a kaleidoscope-type effect, for abstract edits, though I like it best when you can’t quite tell what’s going on.
Create surreal Inception-like videos by choosing from a collection of reality distortion effects and color looks added in real-time. Or take captivating stills using the same effects and looks, both in standard or square format. You’ll be surprised how easy and inspiring it is!
You have seen this look, not only with Inception but Spider-Man: No Way Home and so forth. There are 33 reality-bending distortion effects in Nception, while you don’t need that many, it's nice trying them out and finding which ones work best. Architecture shots work particularly well with Nception, you can create your own buildings combining different elements or go further and turn them into spaceships! Go wild with different types of shots, as you get a feel for what the app can do.
The app has lots of different features, when you open it, it goes straight into Video mode, you can pick the effect and start recording with a real-time preview of the distortion, or go to Photo mode which is similar but just for taking stills, all straight in the app. I mostly just go to the Import section instead and bring in photos from my Camera Roll, you can do the same for videos. You can then try the different distortion effects and save them to the Camera Roll. There is a My Nceptions section, to see all of your work.
Here is what the editing interface looks like, the symbols are the different effects, while the box at the top is to change the shot into a square format and the colour icon, brings up 36 colour looks, which again is more than you'll need but it's all there.
Nception is free to download and use, the app dates back to 2018 and has been maintained with several updates. To get all the effects and tools it's a few quid, which is great value, with no subscriptions. The only thing the app doesn't do is it's not optimized for iPad, so isn't suited for a bigger canvas, which would have been nice.
If you get into the app, you'll find you want to try different compositions and what you can create with them. Try for a cinematic look, crop the images sometimes, so it's not so obvious what's gone on, or a quick bit of TouchRetouch to break some of the symmetry are a few tips. Like RNI Aerochrome, it's not an app you'll use all the time but when the mood takes you, you can create something different and when it works best, the results can be really quite striking, so I do recommend trying out the app. Check my Instagram and you'll see plenty of more examples amongst my recent posts!
Thanks for reading, that's two blog posts in two days, hopefully, there are of interest, I have been meaning to write about Nception for some time. If you want more reviews of iPhone Photography apps, please consider subscribing to the site, it's free and new posts will be sent straight to your inbox!