Photo Academy £1.99
Smartphone cameras are increasingly sophisticated; crystal clear high-resolution shots can be captured, edited and uploaded to the internet on the go. Photo Academy is a must have for Smartphone users who want to improve their photography skills and track their progress.
The app features thousands of professional tips and tricks on how to get the best possible photographs, learn how to utilise shutter speeds and ISO setting and be inspired by sample photos.
Different skill levels are catered for, you can choose to start with the basics like How To Hold Your Camera or get stuck in editing your snaps. Tips are divided up between specific subject materials: animals, people, sports and travel. The written tutorials are friendly and clear, more like learning from another person than rigid step by step instructions.
You can document how good you are getting in the Shoot Diary, catalogue your photos and make note of the weather, date and time of each shot and even mark your location on a map.
Download it if you want the advice and tools to improve your phone photography skills but avoid it if you are happy with auto-mode and unimpressed by the price.
History Pin
A great free app which encourages users to explore and share the history of their current location. Just enter a postcode or place name and you will be treated to old photographs and quirky background knowledge of your surroundings. As a Brighton resident I have been treated to countless royal visits and the British Dental Association conference at the Royal Pavilion in 1889.
If you have a Google account you can pin your own old or new photos to the map, History Pin makes this really easy as you don’t have to scan in old pictures just take a picture of them on your phone and they are digitalised.
My favourite feature of the app is that you can make historical comparisons by simply holding your device up to the street, your phone will pick up on any other images of your current location and you can see how it’s changed over the years. Great for the classic ‘What was that pub called? conundrum’.
Content can be sorted into themed collections¸ the Street Party Collection is a highlight,check out West Ham’s European victory celebrations of the 60s.
Download it if you want to find out more about and contribute to a locations history, get involved and watch it grow but avoid it if you are frustrated by our ‘share everything with strangers online’ culture or if you are a know it all.
Looking forward to the launch of a new app or want to know more?
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