Best iPhone and iPad photography apps
HPR-Solutions Longtime Exposure Calculator
Longtime Exposure Calculator
Price: Free of charge/ Available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Long-exposure photography fanatics will know that an ND filter can be crucial when it comes to extending exposure time for those all-crucial open shutter shots.
Longtime Exposure Calculator by HPR-Solutions is a free of charge iPhone, iPad and iPod touch app that enables you to dial in a projected shutter speed to one column and then ‘add’ an ND filter as graded in both f/stops and filter names (eg three stop or ND8) in the other column. The app then calculates the adjusted exposure.
Even though it is, in part, feasible to TTL meter with an ND filter attached to the front of a camera’s lens, the results won’t always be accurate, and there is a point where points get so dark that it’s not feasible – particularly with in-vogue super-dense filters. Getting an off-camera calculation strategy such as this makes it quick and simple to figure out exposures without having so a lot as needing to put those brain cells into overdrive although scrawling workings-out on paper.
The Longtime Exposure Calculator app has exposure in-put values that range from 30 seconds to 1/8,000th of a second, which encompasses the range of even a skilled DSLR.
The ND filters list is detailed too, covering from ND2 (1 cease) all the way down to ND1,000,000 (20 stops) and even puts in useful references for filter stacking, such as ’2x ND8′ or ‘ND2 + ND3′ to boost that connection with reality.
A range of filter types that could be dragged and dropped to produce customised user stacks would improve the app, though this could complicate things for the more casual user.
On the downside, this app is not going to be especially valuable to film users, because it doesn’t take into account film kinds or reciprocity failure (which varies depending on which film you are utilizing).
The app also resets when it is exited (even with iOS 4), which means you’ll have to keep in mind the given exposure value. And, seeing as that can range from 1/8,000th of a second all the way up to a year, there could be a lot to remember if you have a lot of filters.
Verdict
Hey, it really is a free app, so it is hard to complain. Longtime Exposure Calculator performs a calculation process, and it does it nicely.
TappyTaps Geotag Images Pro
Geotag Photos Pro
Value: £2.49/ Available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Geotagging is the approach of adding latitudinal and longitudinal geographic info to an image’s metadata, and has seen a sharp rise in reputation of late.
In part, this rise in reputation due to the number of GPS-enabled smartphones and other connected devices. Yet there are really couple of cameras with such technologies, and there is not a single GPS-enabled DSLR (granted the Sony A55 and Alpha 77 may possibly be half-exceptions, but there SLTs).
Whilst there are other dedicated GPS accessories to add to your camera, the prospective expense incurred from adding these can be extortionate – Nikon’s GP-1 module, for example, retails for just below £200.
As a workaround, why not download Geotag Photos Pro to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch?
Geotag Pictures Pro an app designed to track your location and then make the information offered to apply to external (ie not the iPhone’s camera) pictures. The app can track your existing location making use of GPS and, assuming the telephone and camera’s occasions and dates match (this is important), the Geotag Photographs Pro desktop personal computer software program makes it simple to connect the phone’s GPX file (located via iTunes) to your folder of images.
Accuracy settings decide whether new tags are created for each and every 10m by means of to 1km of movement, and the Autologging feature can add a new GPS location upon every movement or once each hour – it is up to you.
A free of charge ‘Lite’ version of the app is available, albeit without having Autologging enabled (bar a cost-free eight-hour trial).
Verdict
It really is a shame there is no way to directly sync the phone to the camera itself, as a devoted GPS accessory will immediately sync information to a shot. This is a slower workaround but, even though applying the metadata to pictures could take a few much more clicks than a dedicated GPS accessory, it really is a procedure that can operate in a matter of seconds.
Think of it this way – those extra couple of clicks could save you hundreds of pounds. That’s none too bad in our books. We were tempted to award it 5 stars based on expense alone.
Viewpoint Photography DOFMaster
DOFMaster
Value £1.49/ Available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
DOFMaster is targeted at greater-finish photographers seeking to calculate depth of field in photographs on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
The app is in a position to calculate the hyperfocal distance – that is the closest distance a lens can concentrate on an object although preserving acceptable sharpness to infinity – based on the kind of camera and lens combination being used.
Diverse sensor sizes and focal lengths will pronounce depth of field in diverse methods, and for landscape photographers with concentrate-depth window lenses, this is often an essential tool to ensure accurate manual focus is produced for the sharpest and most resolute final shots.
To calculate hyperfocal distance in your head is no mean feat. Break down the mathematical equation into approximate English and hyperfocal distance equals ((focal length squared) divided by (aperture value multiplied by the circle of confusion limit)) plus focal length. Thankfully, there is an app for that!
DOFMaster has a decent adequate array of cameras listed in its Format list, although rather than extensively listing every single and each and every camera model, the brands tend to be generalised by sensor size.
Film, DSLRs, Cinematography and Circle of Confusion (by inches or millimetres) are the 4 principal divisions. For compact cameras, the Compact Digital selection is vague given the variance in sensor sizes – even though there are 1/2-inch and two/three-inch sizes offered in the ‘Cinematography’ bracket.
Lens focal lengths range from 3mm to 1200mm, and aperture values from f/1.-f/64 will encompass all but pinhole photographers, even though the Focus box can accept seemingly infinite values by feet, inches, metres or centimetres.
Verdict
DOFMaster may possibly not be in a position to take on board characteristics of distinct lenses, but the criteria it does provide gives a decent overview of what knowledgeable photographers will be seeking for.
Specific to high-finish photographers, you will discover you get a lot of use from this app if you’re one of them.
RoadTour OutDoors Excellent Britain
OutDoors Fantastic Britain
Price £1.99/ Offered for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
OutDoors Great Britain by RoadTour, with national parks Ordnance Survey maps, is an ideal app for walkers and hikers, with an obvious overlap for landscape photographers looking for known walking routes all through the UK.
The fundamental £1.99 app comes with a pre-loaded 1:250K map of Excellent Britain, but for 1:50k scale Ordnance Survey downloads you can spend anything from nothing (for 1 or two maps only) up to £29.99 (for a full county, which is around 600MB of data).
The National Park OS map fees £11.99, whilst regional maps for the South East England and North East England price £9.99.
Where this app beats conventional mapping is in its tie-in to your iPhone’s GPS. It is possible to track your precise location, and even create your own routes in genuine time.
Far better nonetheless, head to everytrail.com and it is achievable to download other users’ GPX files to import maps from fellow walkers, although you’ll nonetheless want the (spend-for) scale map download for that associated area to reap the positive aspects at a decent, close-up scale.
Without having the need to have for an web connection (Wi-Fi and 3G will make no odds to performance, due to the fact they’re not utilised), as soon as the map information is downloaded it really is prepared to go.
Verdict
Despite the accuracy of OS Maps (we’re talking the standard Ordnance Survey with keys and interest points – not the paved roadways of Google Maps), there is not a distinct photographic angle right here. Teaming up with fellow photographers to share photos, places and routes is some thing that can, in portion, be accomplished with no requiring an app in the very first instance.
It really is a beneficial app for landscape photographers regardless of whether they are planning a shoot, out with a camera or reviewing and keywording pictures.
Crookneck Consulting The Photographer’s Ephemeris
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
Value £5.99/ Available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
The Photographer’s Ephemeris by Crookneck Consulting will be a godsend of an app for forward-thinking landscape photographers who want to organise photo shoots based on when and where light will fall.
At its most simple, the app for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Macs or PCs uses Google Maps to show projections of sun and moon rise and set paths. But it can do so for any date and time of year, down to the nearest minute.
This can generate an accurate map of exactly where light will fall and at what time, all wrapped up in a visual package where you can zoom in anyplace around the globe (well, anywhere that Google Maps has been) to view simple maps or actual terrain.
But that’s not all, and here’s exactly where the app gets that bit more advanced: Knowing that objects can simply fall in the way of the light’s path, Ephemeris also takes on board altitude.
By acknowledging your present (or projected future) position, a secondary drop pin can be placed onto surrounding objects to assess their height in relation to the sun or moon and whether light will be blocked. If it does, then you may want to tweak the clock and/or location to function out when you really should be at your chosen location for the greatest achievable results – which means it’s achievable to calculate when to be at your destination.
Verdict
There is extremely small wrong with The Photographer’s Ephemeris. The only tweak we’d like to see created is for a far more social build – one exactly where it would be achievable to share your excellent location and times with fellow app users, and attach associated photographs to bring on a more visual linkage of shots taken in specific locations.
On occasion, Google Maps’ terrain view won’t zoom in to a desirable level either, but that is outside of the app’s control. Otherwise we’re extremely impressed with this outstanding app on our iPad 2, in spite of the reality the desktop version for Mac and Computer can be downloaded for free of charge.
Future Publishing Teach Your self Photoshop
Teach Yourself Photoshop
Price £11.99/ Available for iPad
Teach Yourself Photoshop does what it says on the tin. Less interactive and very significantly video tutorial-based, the app is far far more accessible than a DVD approach since it can run appropriate alongside your computer on an iPad whilst you imitate processes onscreen.
It is even feasible to download the pictures utilised in the tutorial to your laptop or computer (not to the tablet, even so, since the Zip format isn’t compatible) in order to really feel far more immersed in the editing processes taking location.
With 10 main categories each broken down into six videos (that’s 60 videos and hours of tuition) the bite-sized chunks are straightforward to digest and it’s straightforward to pause or rewind sections to pinpoint specific frames, really should you ever require a speedy refresher.
George Cairns’ narration is clear, easy to follow and never ever patronising. He talks by means of the basics at a Photoshop Components level, to raw processing in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), up to much more advanced tactics in the most recent Photoshop CS5.
Complete subject titles contain Photo Editing Basics, Acquiring Began With Raw, Boost Exposure, Master Selections, Get To Grips With Layers, Retouch Your Pictures, Solve Frequent Troubles, Black and White Created Effortless, Digital Darkroom Effects and Organising Your Pictures.
Verdict
The videos show good high quality reproductions of the Adobe software, even though the occasional cutaway does look over-compressed from time to time.
If you want a taster of what the app is like, then the initial chapter of videos are accessible online to give you an thought of what’s on offer you.
We like it, but there are much more interactive approaches available elsewhere – this is more DVD-like than other apps.