My Favorite Phone Apps That Help Make Me A Better Photographer (7 total)

in #photography7 years ago (edited)

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Today I would like to share my favorite phone apps that help make me a better photographer. There are many choices out there for both Android and iPhones and I've tried a lot of them. This is simply a list of the apps that I like best and use often. Please note, I have always been an Android user but some of these are available for both operating systems. I would also love to know what apps are your favorites for being a more productive photographer, please let me know in the comments.

Most of my photography is done outdoors, even when I shoot real estate photos, there are always exteriors shots needed. The first app I always check is Weather Underground. Here in the Tahoe area mountains, weather forecasts are often wrong or change at the last minute. Weather Underground always has the most accurate forecasts for me compared to other apps I've used. This is available for both Android and iPhones HERE.

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The second app I often check, especially when I want to shoot a sunset or a sunrise is My Sunset. I really love that this app is free and works great without the paid upgrades. It has a color coded map similar to Sky Fire (a popular similar app) and it also has a chart that I can quickly check to get an idea of what the chance of good color is. The accuracy has been pretty good and I don't use it's competitors any more. The Android app can be found HERE and the iPhone version is HERE.

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This next app is a simple and free app I've had installed for quite some time. There are many ways to quickly check what time the sun and moon will be rising and setting but I find the SunMoon app to be very quick and easy to read. I believe it is only available on Android HERE. iPhone users, what is your favorite way to check that info?

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Plan It is my favorite app in this list. It is $9.99 but is totally worth it and there is no subscription fees. This app is loaded with features to help plan your photo shoot. I really like it for seeing where the sun and moon will be positioned in the sky, at what time. It can also help you find where the Milky Way will be. The rainbow position feature is another one I use often in certain times of the year. This app gets two screenshots because it's that cool. It is available for both Android and iPhones HERE

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Once I'm out at a landscape location waiting for the moon or sun to rise, I like to use Sky Maps to see where they will rise. Most people use the app to point at the sky in order to figure out what star, planet, or constellation they are looking at but I like to point it below the horizon to "see" where the moon actually is before it rises. This helps me line up a good composition to catch the moon right as it starts to show it's self. It also works with the sun but you can usually tell it's position by the amount of light in an area of the horizon. This app appears to only be available for Android HERE but SkyView seems to be a good alternative for iPhone users.

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Camera Connect is a Canon app that helps connect my Canon 5Dsr to my phone. I can preview images on my phone and also download them so I can post them quickly on social media if I want to. This app is incredibly useful when I have my camera in an underwater housing and I'm trying to shoot over/under type shots where half the lens is under water. It makes it easier to compose and take a shot without me having to submerge my hand in the chilly waters around here. I'm not going to bother posting a link to where it can be downloaded but if your camera has the ability to be controlled by your phone, I would highly recommend giving it a try sometime.

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When I shoot family snapshots or selfies, I just use the phone's built in camera app. But... I don't stop there. Rarely does the phone capture a photo that couldn't use a little editing and touch up. Good old Photoshop to the rescue, the free Photoshop Express is by far my favorite app for making phone photos look better. It has all the basic adjustments that I use in the full desktop version of Photoshop and there are many instagram like filters if you want to have some easy fun getting a unique look to your shots. Photoshop Express is available for both Android and iPhones HERE

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There are other apps I will occasionally use but those 7 are the ones I use most often and that I really appreciate having installed. I was a landscape photographer in the film days, before smart phones were around and it used to take a lot longer to research the type of info available in your pocket now. This technology is truly appreciated and really helps me be a more efficient and better photographer.

I would love to hear from you, what are your favorite photography related apps that you use on a regular basis?

Hopefully this information was helpful. Thank you for looking and reading!

Scott Thompson
Scott Shots Photography
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I'm Speaking At The Las Vegas Steemit Creators Conference! April 13-15

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Thanks for sharing. I have used some of these, but added My Sunset to try out. Sun Seeker is another one worth a try for sun & moon positions.

Glad you like the info @hornetnz, hopefully My Sunset will work out great for you. Thank you for letting me know about Sun Seeker, that one looks pretty cool, might have to give it a try.

Excellent info! I'll be giving a few of these a try.

Happy to hear that @sendit! Hopefully they will work out great for you.

I did not know about the existence of such applications. Will definitely take note

Happy to be of help @solnishko! They are some good ones...

I expected Stellarium app for stars and constellation, but sky view is fine too. :D

Stellarium looks pretty sweet! But I'm cheap and rarely pay for apps... Thank you for the suggestion @microslavrc!

:D
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Haha! I would tell you that I used to be into pirating big time, a long time ago but these days I pay up when I want a program or app. However I would also say, really???

You can try it for free and if you are satisfied with app, you should buy it. That is how i do.

That's the way to do it. And I do like the idea of trying it...

Very good to know info! Especially for
me, I'm not that familiar with phone stuff :-)
Thank you very much @scottshots for all the
knowledge you been putting up!
Very helpful for everyone 👍

Glad to know you like the info @shasta! That alone made writing this post worth the time. Cheers!

Oh, and thank you for the resteem!!!

Most welcome! :-)

weather underground, my sunset, plantIt, sky maps, camera connect, photoshop express all need when you have either a camera 🎥. I haven't heard of the photogrid, and snap photo. They are also good for low earners coz they are free to get.

Photogrid is another one that I use on occasion, especially when posting on instagram. Snap photo looks like a fun one. Free is good. Thank you!

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Thank you @tanisha1, glad you liked it.

Tons of great information here! Thank you for joining our discord!

Glad you like the info @dynamicgreentk! And happy to be a part of your discord now.

Oh, and thank you for the resteem!

It's awesome that you're sharing some of your favorite apps that make life easier for a photographer! We can all benefit from upgrading our experience.

What I've seen so far of your works is really impressive! I can tell you really love what you do.

I super excited to meet you at the Creators Conference. Maybe you'll have a few photographs to add to our art space? YES!

Thank you again @everlove! Glad you like the app list. And super happy you like my work. Looking forward to meeting you too and the garden of eden crew. You guys all seem to have something special going on there. I dabble in organic gardening, sustainable living, and bushcraft fun but you guys are living it!

I'd be honored to bring a few pieces to hang at the art space. Thank you and will do. See you in Vegas!!!

We indeed are living it--FULL ON IMMERSION - breathing it with every breath!

We're blessed with this divine opportunity to connect--I have no doubt we'll make the most of it in Vegas. Grateful you will bring some of your creations to grace our space.

That's awesome. Thank you again @everlove! Trying to figure out what images to print up for the event now...

@scottshots!! You're handing out pearls over here! I downloaded the Photoshop Express app- I didn't realize it was free. I'm looking forward to learning some photo lessons from you! I'm about Noob Level 107 when it comes to my camera!

Hey, at least you're using your camera and having fun! That's what it's really all about. Glad the app list helped you out. Looking forward to helping you and everyone out more during the Creators Conference. Cheers!!!

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