Smartphones and tablets have dramatically changed the way we interact with the world around us. For a subject like photography smartphone apps have made it much quicker and easier than ever before to do things like check the weather, check sunrise and sunset times, consult maps and much more. And if you’re a landscape photographer there’s an app that will completely revolutionise the way you approach new locations both at home and abroad: The Photographer’s Ephemeris.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris app is available on iOS and Android, and there’s even a free desktop version that can be accessed on your computer or using the web browser on your smart device. While with the latter you can use The Photographer’s Ephemeris perfectly well, the interface and overall experience is streamlined when using the app. So, what exactly is it?
The app and browser-based app are tools that help you to plan most aspects of an outdoor shoot by supplying detailed information on how light falls at any given time of day – for any location on earth. Pinpoint a position and the app will display sunrise and sunset times alongside the direction of the light on the map using coloured lines. It’s the perfect way to familiarise yourself with a new location.
This kind of functionality is incredibly useful, not only for sunrise and sunset times and directions, but the app also displays moonset, moon phase and the different phases of twilight including Nautical, Astro and Civil. Whether you shoot landscapes, cityscapes or astrophotography, The Photographer’s Ephemeris is one of the most comprehensive and useful smartphone apps available for outdoor photographers.
