A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about taking better photos with your iPhone, but sometimes, the camera in your pocket just isn't going to cut it. That doesn't mean you should leave that handy little device at home, though (as IF!). There are some fantastic iPhone apps that can help you to step up your “big camera” photography game in double time.
1. Camera Sim
Learn the exposure triangle and the effects of focal length and distance on depth of field with the Camera Sim app.
If you are having trouble wrapping your head around the exposure triangle and what is affected by of the settings on your DSLR, try downloading an app called Camera Sim. It shows a simple scene, with some foreground and background objects and an element of motion. You can select different camera settings and see how it would render the scene, by replicating exposure, depth of field, motion and noise. It will also suggest different scenarios, and then you select your settings, snap a “photo” of the moving scene and it will tell you how well you did and offer tips on how you could improve your settings for next time. The app has several example photos of the same scene, at different focal lengths and you can even play with the distance from the camera to the subject and see how that will affect your depth of field and field of view. It is difficult to explain, but if you learn better from visual examples and performing tasks than by reading about a subject, then this might really help you make a leap of understanding. The app is about $2, but there is also a free version online that you can play around with.
