When you go on vacation or even a short getaway, you probably want to find the best spots for taking photos. I know I do. Well, there’s now an app that helps you do it no matter where in the world you are.
NoFilter is a new app that helps photographers and travelers to discover the best photo locations, whether they’re across the world or even just in their neighborhood. It merges Google Maps, photography, and social networking, and it’s a pretty interesting concept.
The first thing that pops to mind is that NoFilter is like Google Maps, but tailored specifically for photographers. On Google Maps you can also add photos of places to the map for others to find, or see those that other people published. But this one offers a little more. Also, photography is the primary focus here, which we can’t tell about Google Maps.
The goal of NoFilter is to show actual spots in their real beauty, with no filter or additional elements to misguide the users. This is why it has a huge back-office system where a moderation team collects, curates, and moderates every photo to match the set standards. A NoFilter spokesperson tells us that the curation team spends around 20 minutes on each photo before uploading it on the app. They want to make sure that it meets the criteria, that it’s worth the user’s time, but also that it’s perfectly positioned on the map.
When you download the app and create an account, there are several things you can do. You can explore the world map and search for photogenic places anywhere. You can upload your own photos of the places you’ve visited, or of your own hometown. Other than posting and discovering photos, you can also use NoFilter to follow other photographers. This way, you can see the work of specific photographers in one place.
NoFilter is made for both iOS and Android, it’s available in 15 languages, and it’s completely free. If you’re active in the community, you can even get awarded. Right now there is a catalog of more than 7,000 spots around the world, and around 100 more are added every week.
I have downloaded the app to play with it a little, and it seems pretty simple to use. It’s fast and very intuitive, I quickly found my way around. The only potential problem I see is hordes of Instagrammers swarming over particularly interesting places. It wouldn’t be the first time, and sadly it has its consequences. Sharing photo locations is a double-edged sword, as it’s revealing them to great photographers and true nature lovers – but also to those mindless, disrespectful visitors.
But hey, let us be that in that first group. I’d say NoFilter is for those who want to share information and wonderful photos, but also respect nature and the locations they visit. Those who are kind to the environment, who respect nature and people, follow the rules, stay safe, and keep others safe too. Those who enjoy traveling and photo-tours without disturbing anyone and anything. So, if you’re in this group, make sure to download NoFilter and discover new, exciting places wherever you go. Some of them might be just around the corner.
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