PhotoPills

I don’t remember what led me to purchase this app. I’m not a big time photographer, the only cameras I own are my iPhone, iPad, and a GoPro. However this app has helped me take incredible pictures that I would never have imagined using the tools within. From calculating quick time lapse intervals, best times to take pictures of my flower garden, helpful information on the position of the sun to help you get the best shadows and lighting. This app has made me a better photographer. I was using it this morning planning a quick shot of a park near me that has a beautiful cliff and realized how useful this app is and how without thinking I go to it. I don’t remember purchasing it, I don’t remember what it cost. But whatever it was it’s worth it enough to interrupt my photography planning session to leave a review. Great stuff!!

I had originally been using a cheap ($3) app that had a bare bones version of the sun tracker. But I got frustrated by that app’s poor design and heard a few photographers mention PhotoPills. Spent the $10 and have already used it to plan & execute some amazing astrophotos of the Milky Way. There are so many features and tools packed into there it’s crazy, yet the UI is super intuitive and easy to use. All of that takes a lot of work, $10 is an absolute steal! Think about this: if this app was somehow converted into a standalone gadget, you’d find photography stores selling it for $100, minimum. The planner tool is amazing, with the ability to view a map and layer on the precise positions of the sun, moon, Milky Way galactic center (& arm), various meteor showers, eclipses, custom calculated shadow lengths for objects of any height at any elevation. And that’s just one “pill”! There are a bunch of other “pills” such as the time lapse calculator tool, depth of field, and more.

I never knew how valuable this app was until I tried capturing the Perseids Meteor shower last August. I could follow the moon, sunset, Milky Way and Meteors all within a few hours of each other while preparing for my photoshoot up in the high peaks that evening August 12th. The augmented reality feature was super easy to use and I was able to track the meteors around the clock. I had a load of fun especially discovering that the Milky Way would be right above us and I could plan on taking an image of it with all the meteors I planned to capture. PhotoPills Academy has helped me find answers about photography that I could not find anywhere else. The interviews with other astrophotographers are also extremely helpful and mind opening. The PhotoPills planner is a ‘must have’ if you want to capture a gorgeous sunset, moon shot and/or the milky way in any location by planning ahead and knowing exactly when the sunset, moon or Milky Way will be positioning in the sky or the horizon. Thank you PhotoPills!!!