Can a professional photographer really use an iPhone to help them improve their photography? While the Apple App Store has dozens of pages of apps directly related to photography, here’s a look at some of the top apps that can actually be of benefit to the true professional.
DSLR Camera Remote
If you’re going to try out one app, this should be the one. The DSLR Camera Remote app put out by onOne Software is designed to let you wirelessly trigger a digital SLR from your iPhone.
The DSLR Camera Remote app isn’t cheap – $2 for the lite version, $20 for the professional version – but it does come with a ton of features to help you with your photography. Not only can you control the shutter remotely, you can also control camera setting remotely, including your shutter speed, aperture, white balance and ISO. You can also view the images you’ve just taken right on your iPhone without having to run back to your camera. (And yes, it works with the iPod Touch as well.)
Best Camera
If you head to TheBestCamera website, a quote near the top by Wired says it all: “The best camera is the one you have with you. And – possibly – the best camera software designer is a photographer.”
Developed by photographer Chase Jarvis, Best Camera allows you to edit and share your photos in a simple way. With over two dozen filters to choose from, find the one that fits your situation, or stack several together to capture the best image possible. Choose from the standard filters you might expect, such as contrast or vignette, or try something new with the jewel or candy filters.
Then once you have your images, sharing them is a snap. Share your image instantly with sites like Facebook or Twitter. Or share them with the BestCamera community. Either way, this is one app perfect for today’s photographer.
Ifolio
What good is your online portfolio if you can’t share it with anyone, any time? That’s the concept behind Ifolio. Design and display your portfolio using Ifolio’s application. Include your contact information (such as name, email, website link, etc) and start adding photographs. Ifolio makes it easy to view on the iPhone, and makes it easy to get your contact information with a click of a button.
Ifolio also gives the viewer the option of tagging an artist for their favorites list. As a portfolio increases in popularity, you’ll move up the list – meaning more views for your portfolio.
And best of all – this is a free application.
PhotoBuddy
The PhotoBuddy application is an all around photo assistant. It has a variety of features, including:
- Calculate sunrise/sunset and moon phases
- Measure distances with the built in camera
- Calculate exposure changes
- Calculate depth of field
- Find the maximum distance a flash can light using a given aperture/ISO
- A bulb timer allowing you to take long exposures shots (up to 13 hours) with your iPhone camera
And PhotoBuddy will also save all of your settings, making it easy to take out and use again and again.
I know there are dozens more out there. Which are your favorites?