Sometimes the timeline doesn't allow a full shoot — a price improvement needs fresh eyes today, or a coming-soon teaser has to go out tonight. For those moments, a phone and the right apps can carry a surprising amount of weight. Here's what lives on my home screen.
What an app has to do to earn a spot
Three tests: perspective correction that actually straightens verticals, selective edits so I can lift a dark corner without blowing the window, and export control so files survive MLS compression. Anything missing one of the three gets deleted.
The current starting lineup
- A RAW-capable editor for exposure and white balance — shoot RAW on the phone whenever the app allows it.
- A perspective specialist for hallways and baths, where a tilted phone ruins more frames than bad light.
- A fast object-removal tool for cords, trash bins, and the photographer's own reflection in the microwave.
- A batch exporter that renames and resizes for portal uploads in one pass.
Know the ceiling
Mobile edits are triage, not treatment. They'll save a teaser post or a same-day price drop — but for the launch gallery, brackets, a tripod, and a calibrated screen still win every time. When the stakes are highest, that's what the studio is for.