Episode 33: Photo Scout with Daniel Kennett
Most of us have used smartphone apps that help photographers determine sun and moon positions for spectacular outdoor images. These tools have been great scouting resources for planning shoots when moments are fleeting and camera position is critical, but they haven’t been much help when it comes to predicting the weather or reminding you to wake up and get the shot. All that changes today with the launch of Photo Scout, a new iPhone app by Daniel Kennett that can help you plan difficult photo opportunities and then prompt you to see them through. Leveraging cloud-based atmospheric and space weather forecasting services with device-based sun and moon position data, Photo Scout allows you to build photo recipes with multiple factors and then set up push notifications to alert you when your conditions are lining up. For example, if you are hoping to capture the rising full moon behind a certain skyline in clear conditions that will make that shot spectacular, Photo Scout will tell you when the moon will be where you want it, then check the weather when that moments comes, and then send you an alert so you’ll have time to get into position to capture the decisive moment. In this episode, we talk with Daniel Kennett to find out how Photo Scout came to be and what it takes to build an innovative app with complex functions. Check below for a link to download Photo Scout.
It’s worth noting that Daniel and Photo Scout are not sponsors of this podcast, but Mason and Jeff did receive early access to the app for evaluation. Our strong positive impressions of the app resulted in this episode, not any kind of sneaky financial arrangement.
Check out Photo Scout for yourself
Daniel’s company, Cascable, is launching Photo Scout exclusively in the Apple App Store.
You can search for the app there, or follow this link to learn more.
Screen Shots of Mason’s Dabbling with Photo Scout
Photo Scout has several templates you can choose from for typical outdoor photo scenarios, like great sunsets.
Using Photo Scout’s augmented reality (AR) function makes planning for shoots where the sun or moon lines up with objects simple.
Once you’ve plotted the moon or sun’s position using Photo Scout’s augmented reality (AR) features, you can adjust them using simple sliders.
You can further refine your scene by selecting specific moon phases for the event.
Once you’ve built the scene you are looking for, Photo Scout will let you know when you can expect those conditions.
One more cool feature in Photo Scout is the Instant Inspiration function, which will let you know if anything astronomically or meteorologically spectacular is likely to happen in your location in the next few days.
Some Things Are Better Left Unseen
… but if you would like to see a video version of this podcast episode, we upload a lightly-edited version to our YouTube channel. Watch the video by clicking the thumbnail below.
