Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Yes, that’s right, it’s finally coming. Photoshop is to become an iPad app. Apple’s dream of turning the iPad Pro into a desktop replacement is potentially about to become a little more true thanks to a report from Bloomberg today. All I can say is, it’s about time!
Camera+ is one of my favourite iOS apps. It’s almost certainly the one I’ve used the most during the time that I owned iPhones. Whenever I got a new one, it was the first thing I’d install to replace the stock camera app that comes with iOS. It offers a level of control that the native app just can’t (or at least, doesn’t) offer while still offering “easy mode” options for when you want a quick snap.
Launched almost 8 years ago, it’s become one of the most popular 3rd party camera apps out there for iOS. Now they’ve launched a completely new and overhauled Camera+ 2. It’s been “reimagined and rewritten from the ground up” to help optimise efficiency and add new features. It offers improved dual camera support, built-in raw & depth editing, new sharing options and a “Smile Mode”.
We’ve seen AI used for grouping photos before. A new app named Nude does it too – but it’s focused on the “naughty” photos. If you have any NSFW images on your mobile device, this app promises to automate the process of finding them and hiding them from prying eyes.
According to the description, the app will analyze your camera roll to detect sensitive material. It will then be imported to the app and deleted from your camera roll and iCloud. So, letting an app inspect your private photos, what could possibly go wrong?
The DXO One has proven to be very popular amongst its users. Almost everybody who owns one recommends them. The problem until now, though, is that only iPhone users can take advantage of them. That’s all about to change, though, as DXO have announced that the DXO One is to come in a new Android flavour.
They’ve also expanded their accessories list, adding a new battery pack for extended life. The software has also seen an update to perfect Facebok Live Multi-cam streaming. The new software also adds new 4K timelapse features.
Augmented reality has mostly been a bit of a gimmick so far. To put dinosaurs on your desk, or help guide you around a city. It’s very cool, but still mostly just a gimmick. Now that the hype of augmented reality has started to die down a little, though, things are looking up. It has made some pretty great strides over the last couple of years. Particularly in fields such as healthcare.
Now, though, filmmakers are starting to see some benefit from augmented reality, too. A new app, Blocker allows you to block out your scenes based on what the camera sees, enhanced by 3D models. The app, in real time, tracks the models to the scene, allowing you to work out your angles and shots, while at a location, in advance of the shoot.
Google have released a new version of Snapseed with a drastically overhauled user interface. Version 2.18 is available for both iOS and Android. You know Snapseed, it’s the reason Google bought Nik Software. A company which offered a fantastic suite of desktop tools Google then abandoned.
They say that the new user interface is designed for faster editing and a more efficient workflow. All of the usual features are still there, and a new perspective correction feature has also been added. The new, brighter look is getting some mixed reactions, though. Many aren’t happy about the new, bright grey and white background. I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of it myself.
It’s said that the truth is often stranger than fiction. I’m not entirely sure about that, although it can be far more hilarious. In this example of a man who’s confident in his words, we have a sports reporter talking about the light levels on the cricket field. It can become difficult see the red ball when it starts to get dark. So, light meters are often used to measure the light levels. If it’s below a certain amount, the game is called.
To illustrate his point, he pulls out his “light meter” to take a reading and show the viewer. Unfortunately, his “meter” was an iPhone running the calculator app. It showed a “reading” of 6.5, which indicated that it was getting rather dark.
Vic Gundotra, Google’s former Senior Vice President, recently published quite a passionate praise of the iPhone 7’s camera. He didn’t just call it the killer of DSLR, but also pointed out advantages of the iOS over Android. Not something you’d expect from a former Google’s SVP, right?
As the number of photos we take grows, the more space we need for storage. Apple has launched HEIF and HEVC, formats that could save you up to 50% of storage for photos and videos. They’ve launched it for the camera in iOS 11, and it’s supposed to replace JPEG and allow you to shoot twice as much photos without compromising the image quality.
When it was announced that Triggertrap would be winding down its business, many users expressed concern. What would happen to the apps? Will they be updated? Or will the hardware they’ve bought and paid for suddenly become useless? The common suggestion was to make it open source.
A couple of weeks ago we reported that the Triggertrap Mobile dongle had indeed been made open source hardware. Now, they’ve followed along with the software. The Triggertrap apps for both iOS and Android have now been released. They’re completely open source and available on Github (iOS / Android).
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page
