The latest entry in our classic app series brought a pro camera app to the masses – and helped everyone focus on capturing the perfect shot.
What was Obscura?
A thoughtfully designed camera app that combined a slick, user-friendly interface with advanced manual controls that made it an ideal fit for photographers who wanted more creative input without overbearing complexity.
Why was it a classic?
From the start, Obscura blended hints and echoes of real-world camera hardware with digital finesse. It struck a rare balance between accessibility, design, and precision.
Where is it now?
Now in its fourth major revision, Obscura continues to evolve under its original creator, staying fresh while retaining the spirit that made it a standout app back in 2015.
Visit the Obscura website or get Obscura (free + IAP) from the App Store.
The current version of Obscura for iPhone.
Q&A: a brief history of Obscura
We speak to Obscura creator Ben McCarthy about how their app came to life and what’s next for the camera app that helped redefine what iPhone photography could be.
What’s your background and interest in photography?
My dad is a professional photographer. I grew up around cameras and would often spend afternoons at his studio while he worked. We both share a love for the intersection of technology and creativity.
How did digital photography impact you?
It’s really all I’ve ever known. I do have fond – but distant – memories of the darkroom at my dad’s old studio. But my first camera was a Canon 60D, which I got just before I turned 16. I immediately set it to manual, carried it everywhere, and never looked back. I love the convenience of digital – but also want to be in control and minimize the decisions any camera makes on my behalf.
Obscura has always had a great sense of design. Version 2’s thumb wheels recalled real-world camera interfaces.
Why did you create a camera app?
I studied graphic design, was interested in user interfaces, and had imagined I’d end up designing software someone else would build. But a web design module made me realize I found writing code intuitive and enjoyable. So I downloaded Xcode, taught myself through online resources and trial and error, and muddled through my first app, Agile, in about three months. It was a simple whack-a-mole game.
WWDC 2014 happened around that time and introduced the first manual camera APIs. Before that, third-party camera apps couldn’t do much to stand out from Apple’s Camera. But with iOS 8, you could manually set focus, ISO, and shutter speed. Better still, Apple seemed to have no interest in using these features in its own app. That felt like the perfect opportunity for my next project.
What did you feel Obscura 1.0 had to include?
Like many indie developers, I built an app to scratch my own itch. iPhone cameras were getting really good, but I was frustrated by the lack of control. Apple’s Camera let you adjust exposure, but it could reset unpredictably if you moved your phone. I wanted a camera app that respected my decisions, and that’s what I set out to build.
Around the same time, Instagram removed a popular filter called Gotham, and there was an impassioned plea to bring it back. I started looking at how to replicate it in Obscura and realized filters could be another way my app could stand out from Camera.
Design has always been core to Obscura. What guided your approach?
It’s always been closely tied to iPhone hardware. Obscura 2, with its thumbwheels, was designed with the larger screens of the iPhone 6/6 Plus in mind. By the time it launched, iPhones had multiple rear cameras, which drove Obscura 3’s design.
Some of my early choices stand the test of time. Keeping controls towards the bottom of the screen is a favorite. Designing for ergonomics is always important, but camera apps tend to be used in more varied contexts. Email apps would probably work quite differently if you had to use them in a crowded bar with your arm extended over your head and a drink in your other hand! Being able to adjust focus or exposure without changing your grip can make or break a shot.
Never afraid to change, Obscura further evolved for version 3.
Ten years is a long time for any app. Why does Obscura endure?
Humans are visual creatures, driven to communicate visually. From cave paintings and Renaissance art to Hollywood blockbusters and photos of brunch, we want others to see what we see, from the magnificent to the mundane.
As Apple exec Phil Schiller loved to point out, the iPhone is the most popular camera in the world. But as you get more into photography, you might find yourself bumping up against the limitations of Apple’s Camera app and asking why it doesn’t work the way you want it to. Obscura has always been for those people.
From a practical standpoint – and it’s something I arrived at entirely accidentally – photography is a hobby people spend serious money on. If you’re spending thousands of dollars on camera bodies, lenses, tripods, bags, and straps, a few bucks for a camera app to use when you don’t want to carry all your gear isn’t a tough sell.
So my advice to anyone starting out as an indie developer is to build an app that caters to your most expensive hobby!
What’s next for Obscura?
After years of very unstable income, I switched Obscura to a subscription model, which has been a tremendous improvement. Reducing that stress has given me room to explore new ideas, like Ketchup and Croissant, and to consult for other developers.
Throughout, I’ve worked on the next rewrite of Obscura, which I’d hoped to launch for the app’s 10th anniversary in July. But it’s not quite ready.
However, I do have something new to share. As part of the rewrite, I built a tool to create and tweak filters visually rather than writing them all in code. That little demo quickly grew in ambition and polish to the point I felt it deserved to be its own app.
So I’m excited to announce Obscura Studio, a photo editing app for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Keep an eye out for it this summer on the App Store.