Wednesday 20 August 2014

The Photographers Ephemeris (TPE) App

The Photographers Ephemeris (TPE)

Today, not many of us DON’T walk around with a mobile phone that does more than just be a phone. We can read emails, shop online, play games, play music, make videos, and of course take photos or selfies.
This list can go on and on, but finding an App that actually does something for photographers that use an external camera, is something that is getting better.

The Sun and Moon
Here's the thing, you find this great location that over looks a city or landscape that you think would make a great image for a sunrise or sunset, or maybe you would like to capture the full-moon on the horizon. But how do you know what time on a certain day the sun or moon will be there and will it be in the right location?
You could take pot luck and drive back on and evening or get up before dawn to find out, but what then if its all been in vain and you've struck out and it won't happen at that point of reference, your not going to be happy at wasting time and effort.

TPE
This is one of the very best apps you could possibly buy for your phone, the Photographers Ephemeris. You don't even have to go to the location as you can look over the map or do a search on the road or point that your interested in and just drop a pin. Straight away it will show you the sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset. And even have realtime of which direction the sun or moon currently is. It comes with a compass to show your direction in comparison to where the sun or moon will fall at a certain time of day or evening. You can go to a date in the month to see not just what time sunrise or sunset will be but the positioning will reflect the change of date.
You can save locations, so you can go back at a later date or time of year, you can view the area in so many map types as there are many to choose from. Its all there in one app for where ever you are in the world or looking to go to.

Desktop Version






















Screenshot of desktop version

This version is just as useful and is free to use as its web based. you get the same info and you can bookmark references from your search.

There are so many times when your photographing a landscape, you think the location might have a great sunset or sunrise. So with the phone app, you have all the info at your finger tips, no more trying to predict where and when.

If there was one thing that I wished it did, would be to sync with my iPad or laptop, maybe this is something for the future releases.


Thanks for reading, AndyD

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