From time to time, I get suggestions for apps to download, or I find apps through various means. Recently, I found an app that has astounded me.
Those who read this column regularly know I'm a photographer at heart. While I prefer to shoot with a digital single-lens reflex camera (the big ones with interchangeable lenses), sometimes all I have is my smartphone. It has a decent camera, but it can't provide the creativity a full-size camera can, because you can't adjust the exposure or light settings.
where it’s @
ProShot is available for iPhone and Android smartphones and is $3.99 for each. A demo version, ProShot Demo, is available with limited abilities. More information is available at riseupgames.com/pro….
Well, actually, now you can.
I found an app called ProShot that provides some of the same settings and features on a smartphone that would be found on a full-size camera. ProShot is available for both iPhones and Android phones.
ProShot has so many features, it's hard to list all of them and hard to know where to begin. The app goes far beyond the basic camera features provided with the smartphone's software.
A dial on the right allows you to switch modes from Auto to Manual to Program (which allows adjustment of one setting while it automatically adjusts the others). It even offers two custom settings, so you can set the camera for quick shooting of a common subject.
The gem of this app is the ability to adjust the three key camera settings: exposure time, white balance and ISO (called "film speed" back in the day). This allows for a lot more creativity than can be found in the standard camera software. I loved these because I've always found the iPhone camera tended to brighten things a bit too much. While there is a way to reduce that brightness, it only works so well, sometimes leaving the photo grainy.
ProShot's ability to change the settings mean you can shoot sunsets without burning the brightest part out. I tried it out on some flowers in bright daylight. Ordinarily, the camera would burn out, or over-brighten, the white parts while keeping the rest about normal. By being able to adjust the ISO and exposure through ProShot, I got more even light and was able to produce a better photo. I also used ProShot to drop the settings so I could produce a black background around some leaves lit by the sun, giving them an isolated feel.
The setting adjustments aren't the only way this software allows for more creativity. ProShot also allows users to bracket shots, or shoot at three different exposures, for high-dynamic range (HDR) images. Light painting allows for long exposures that brighten an image as it's exposed. It even allows for time lapse photography, which combines several images taken over a long period of time into one quick video.
ProShot also does video, and the adjustments work there as well. One of the really handy features with video is the ability to touch on the screen to autofocus on a certain area and the ability to zoom in and out by moving one finger up and down on the screen. The video can be recorded at different qualities, including HD.
A nice bonus to the software is the settings information, which is displayed at the bottom of photos when the images are reviewed on the camera roll. It makes it easier to duplicate the settings later.
ProShot has many other features, such as a timer for delayed shots, a grid mode to line up shots properly and burst shooting. A small histogram on the screen lets you know if the exposure for the shot is correct.
ProShot isn't perfect. The focus didn't always respond when I tried to refocus the camera on a different subject after it already had focused. That could be a big frustration if it didn't get the focus correct on the first try.
The other issue is not everything is as intuitive as it should be. Some of the symbols and features were a bit puzzling. Luckily, the app does have a fairly detailed help menu, but it's only available by leaving the app and going to a website.
Though I wasn't able to test it, I have seen reports the app isn't optimized yet for the Samsung Galaxy S7, the latest smartphone in that series. I suspect that will change in the future, but for now, S7 owners should be warned.
Though it could use some tweaks, the ProShot app is one of the best I've seen for capturing stunning, creative images with a smartphone. It takes a bit of time to learn the interface and all of the features, but it's worth it. The app offers a lot more control over the camera than what the smartphone software alone provides.
This app was a good suggestion.
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at mljones72@me.com.
SundayMonday Business on 04/18/2016