Bring Your Still Images To Life With The Plotagraph App’s Smooth Moves

August 8, 2017

By Theano Nikitas

Screenshot by Theano Nikitas

Cinemagraphs—whether made via Flixel or Adobe Photoshop—are, to put it simply, very cool. But you need video footage to create these hybrid pictures. Last year, Plotagraph released its intriguing (and first-of-its-kind) software that creates animated still photographs. It can be pricey for the full desktop version ($30/month), but there are also $20/month and free membership options.

With the recent addition of a Plotagraph iPad/iPhone app (with the promise of an Android version coming soon), this app gives you plenty of options to create some cool animated still images right on your iOS device. And, right now, it’s 50 percent off, costing a mere $5. We don’t know how long this introductory price will last, so it’s best to download it soon.

The app is super easy to use—in fact, I created a Plotagraph of this kite surfer in less time than it took to save it as an MP4 video to the Camera Roll on my iPhone 6s.

Basic tools include the ability to animate parts of an image by tapping or dragging your finger across the area you want animated. You can also mask off areas and choose anchor points, delineating which parts of the image remain static. You can erase or delete any stray points and crop the image, then save it for sharing as an MP4 or animated GIF (I prefer the former) to your Camera Roll.

My example may be a little rough around the edges (I should have animated some of the waves behind the kite surfer too), but it does show you what a first try looks like in under a minute without any prior experience. There are plenty of examples on the Plotagraph site to inspire, and I’m sure you’ll quickly find ways to add your own creative touch to images.

Related Articles:

Staying Animated: How to Embrace the Cinemagraph

How Do You Light and Edit a Cinemagraph, Anyway?

CreativeLive Video Tutorial: Cinemagraphs: From Start to Finish