I Don't Go Anywhere Without This Tool!

Landscape photographers tend to love their gear, gadgets and gizmos. Of course, there's the big stuff beyond the camera, like tripods and bags or backpacks. Then there are those smaller beloved accessories like filters, intervalometers and other tiny tools of the trade.

If you ask any photographer, they are bound to have an opinion about what helps them capture that perfect photo. If you stop me and ask my opinion on my favourite gear, you'd better grab a coffee because that conversation will likely last a cup! 

However, there is one tool that I never want to leave behind as I head off to adventure in the wild world of landscape photography, and this is PhotoPills.   

This APP is so good and worth the minimal investment.

Wondering what's so special about this APP? Here's a small glimpse into how this single APP will help you capture that perfect landscape photo. 

• I'm a big proponent of planning in landscape photography. Yes, I realize a photographer cannot plan everything, and mother nature has the final say, but I can plan for things like sunrise, blue hour, sunset, twilight, moonrise and set and even the rising of the Milky Way core. Photopills not only tell me these critical times but plots positions of elements like the sun, moon and Milky Way onto a specific location map so I can be sure to be in place for that image I've been dreaming about creating. 

In fact, the image below is the perfect example of planning with PhotoPills. I've wanted to capture a photo of the Milky Way for some time now at this location. Using PhotoPills, I determined the exact placement and time for Milky Way core visibility. Then, all I needed was a little weather luck with a clear night sky, and my plan came to life! 

^{ISO 6400, 24mm, f2.8, 20 seconds (15 stacked images and 10 dark frames)}

• Photopills also makes more challenging concepts like determining the depth of field in an image, hyperfocal distance, exposure value equivalents, exposure time for spot stars and star trailing and time-lapse calculations a breeze. I usually do not want to think about math formulas when immersed in a landscape scene. Instead, I want all my energy to be focused on capturing my dream image!  
• Another of my favourite features inside the PhotoPills APP is the augmented reality and night augmented reality functions that superimpose events like the sun, moon, and Milky Way path. This takes the guesswork out of positioning and has me ready when that sun breaches the horizon or the moon hits the side of a mountain and displays that burst of light.  

So if you've been looking for a landscape photography assistant who'll help you capture that long-sought-after images that you never seem to get right, this little APP might be your answer! Check it out! CLICK HERE to discover this helpful APP.