Most photographers love the outdoors. When out and about, we do more than just snapping away. We are hikers, ecologists, bird watchers, botanists, geographers, hunters and much more. And some of us are geologists.
If you are a geologist wielding an iPhone, there’s a set of geologist applications covering various U.S. states. Published by Integrity Logic, each covers one state, such as Geology CA covering California.
Each app’s data set is included, so you don’t have to be connected to use the app. The data sets are based on the GIS (geographic information system). Using the iPhone’s GPS, it enables you to navigate a state and get a much better understanding of your surroundings, identify geological formations, mines, quarries, rivers, elevation estimates and more.
Since the data set is included, downloads are bigger than your normal iPhone download.
Included in each version are 28 layers, which can be combined and re-ordered in any desired way:
- states outlines
- the complete geological map from USGS
- terrain elevation
- bathymetry (ocean depth)
- USGS quadrangles
- faults
- plate boundaries
- all earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and above
- urban areas
- counties
- township and range
- hydrology
- roads and major streets
- all train tracks
- all cities and towns
- active mines
- old mines
- volcanoes
- potassium/argon dates
- aquifers
- hydrologic units
- seismic hazard
- public lands including Indian lands
- fire history from 2001 to 2008
- UTM zones
- state plane zones
- mineral resources (including prospects and occurrences)
- named features (bays, bridges, summits, falls, etc…)
States covered: California, Washington/Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Texas, Florida and New York/New Jersey.
Price: starting at $4.99 from iTunes
Nikon recently released an educational iPhone app called Learn & Explore.
As the title suggests, the app puts quite some educational information at your fingertips. While mainly conceived as a learning app for photographers, it’s also suitable for more experienced photographers. While obviously geared towards Nikon shooters, the tips, reference and glossary also apply to photographers who use cameras other than Nikon’s.
According to Nikon, the app contains the following features:
- Images and Video: Scroll through galleries of images and view videos that both educate and inspire.
- Insights & Techniques: Learn the fundamentals of photography and get advice on shooting techniques that will help you improve your skills and take better pictures.
- Nikon World: Nikon’s quarterly print magazine is available complete with stunning images and audio slideshows from some of the top professional photographers working today.
- Photography Glossary: An easy way to find a definition for the photographic terms you’re interested in.
- Favorites: Store and retrieve your favorite images and articles for fast and easy access.
If you are connected when accessing the app, Nikon Learn & Export will access Nikon’s site for new articles and information.
Price: Free from iTunes.
Sunrise Sunset is an iPhone app that allows you to track sunrise and sunset right from your iPhone.
The app comes in three flavors:
The Sunrise Sunset LITE version allows you to track sunrise and sunset for your current location. While it is free, that is simply too limiting for me.
The regular Sunrise Sunset app adds access to a huge location database as well as keeping track of dawn, solar noon and dusk. Much better.
The PRO version also lets you track the sun position throughout the day as well as inclination and azimuth.
As a photographer, knowing dawn, sunrise, sunset and dusk is important, so their regular app is probably your first choice. However, there are other apps such as PhotoCalc (see our review) that include that kind of functionality, so you might want to check your iPhone before purchasing it. And if you need the whole enchilada, go for the PRO version. It does not seem as detailed as the Helios Sun Position Calculator, but then it’s also much more affordable.
Supported languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean
Price:
Sunrise Sunset Lite: Free,
Sunrise Sunset: $0.99,
Sunrise Sunset Pro: $1.99
Do you still shoot film, maybe with one of these great Leica cameras? Do you carry a light table with you, since you need to look at film or slides when you travel?
Now there’s an alternative to carrying a heavy light table. It’s an iPhone app called Film Light.
Select from preset film or slider templates or create your own custom template. Then put the film or slide on top of the iPhone screen to view it. Only the defined viewing area is back-lit, the rest of the iPhone screen is grayed out to prevent peripheral light interference. To resize a template simply touch anywhere in the main view, then drag while observing the screen’s center as the anchor point. Use built-in safeguards against unintentional touches via a locking mechanism for template resizing. Film Light also supports full accelerator-based rotation.
An adjustable temperature slider grants users full control over warm and cool degrees of light to maintain an accurate representation of the inherent colors of film positives.
Price: $1.99 from iTunes.
