Create REAL HDR photos with PureShot version 2.0

Recently updated to version 2.0, my number 1 camera replacement app PureShot, now supports exposure bracketing. Whilst this update includes much more than just the 3-shot exposure bracket option (see full list below), it is this option, and this option alone that has exited me. Why? Well, this new feature opens up the world of real HDR to the iPhoneographer. Whilst there are other apps out there that create HDR images directly on the iPhone, these are generally created from just 2 images, whereas, PureShot captures 3. Now I know PureShot can't create its own HDR images, but with the aid of plugins like Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro 2 for Aperture or LightRoom, and a tripod like the JOBY GripTight Micro Stand, you can create impressive and more controllable HDR images on your computer, as my samples below show.

Above: Both photos were taken with PureShot and with the aid of a JOBY GripTight Micro Stand, before being processed by Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro 2 plugin for Aperture.

If you don't have access to the above applications, then you could try Mobile HDR. Mobile HDR is a universal app for your iDevice that lets you create HDR images from 3 photos, using the apps multilevel HDR processing engine. One thing you should note about Mobile HDR, and that is, the results can be a bit hit and miss with the alignment of the 3 frames.

Mobile HDR is available from the App Store, priced at £2.49/$3.99/€3.19, and features…

• three (3) frames multilevel HDR processing engine
• automatic and manual ghosts removal
• composition filters (Natural, Vignette, Dynamic, Vibrant, Sky Map™)
• anisotropic alignment for handheld HDR shooting
• HDR enhancement (tone mapping)
• post-processing color adjustment
• adjustable parameters
• automatic reference image detection
• 16 Mpx (and more) compatible

So, back to PureShot, and here is what's new and improved in version 2.0.

• The menu system has been redesigned for greater speed
• New background saving hugely extends the shot buffer
• New 3-shot burst and 3-shot exposure bracket options
• Maximize viewfinder for iPhone and iPod touch with 3.5-inch screens
• Loads of performance and efficiency tweaks
• Much, much more...

PureShot is available from the App Store priced at £1.49/$1.99/€1.59

App update: Shoot 35mm crop style photos with PureShot version 1.2

PureShot [App Store Link] from developer Mike Hardaker has just been updated to version 1.2, and with it comes one of my requested features, that old school, 35mm film style 3:2 crop ratio. This new crop, (which is perfect for printing 6x4 prints) joins the apps standard 4:3 and square 1:1 ratios, is easily selected by another one of the apps new features, the on-camera crop selection button.

In addition to these new features, there are some general performance tweaks, an updated user guide, and the southern hemisphere on-screen GPS errors have been fixed.

My Shot: A bit of Olde England

Whilst on a recent business trip I captured the following two scenes with my iPhone 5, using jag.gr's PureShot camera app [App Store Link], before applying some subtle effects with my current favourite editing app, VSCO Cam [App Store Link].

Above: Both photos were taken using PureShot and edited with VSCO Cam #5, +1 grain and +1 vignette.Above: The before shots.

PureShot, the photographers app

As many of you know, my number 1 camera replacement app has been 645 PRO from developer Mike Hardaker. I even wrote about how I used the app, in a post titled "645 PRO: my settings up close and personal". In that post, I wrote about how I exclusively shot with 645 PRO in "Q-Mode", with high quality JPEG on, and all the other bells and whistles off. It turned out that I wasn't the only person who liked to shot high quality JPEGs or TIFFs in this "quick mode" [Q-Mode], so Mike set about creating a new simpler and streamlined app, which has just been release, and is called PureShot.

Built around 645 PRO, PureShot offers:

• A choice of HI_Quality JPEG, MAX-Quality JPEG or dRAW TIFF output*
• A choice of standard multi-zone or (positionable) spot-metering
• Configurable tap-to-focus. Set-and-lock, or simply define the point-of-interest
• Standard 4:3 or square 1:1 image ratio
• A "soft" shutter release button that can be configured just how you want it to be
• Comprehensive on-screen information
• Real-time ISO, shutter-speed and GPS readouts, with optional Ev100, Dynamic Ev, luminance or illuminance reading
• A choice of four real-time histogram options
• Night mode, for real extended shutter speeds of up to 1 sec
• Quality-optimized 6X digital zoom 
• Direct integration with other apps, including Dropbox and image editors
• A comprehensive in-app User Guide
• Much, much more!

From day one, I was lucky enough to be part of the beta testing group, and from day one, PureShot replaced 645 PRO on my iPhone 4 (and now iPhone 5). The app is just like using 645 PRO in Q-Mode, but with less knobs and dials on the display.

Above: Taken with PureShot on my iPhone 4

PureShot and me: Just like 645 PRO, I have my preferred settings for PureShot, which are…

• Image quality: MAX-Quality JPEG
• Format: Standard 4:3
• Shutter settings: Release shutter after AF/AE-L = Lift only
• Copyright: All Rights Reserved

When shooting with PureShot, I have spot metering on, and all other display options off. This keeps everything clean and simple, which when combined with the option to take a photo when lifting my finger off the shutter, makes capturing that moment quick and easy.

PureShot is an app for photographers, and is now my number 1 camera replacement app. If you liked the sound of 645 PRO with its high quality JPEG/TIFF options, but were put off by the apps UI, then PureShot [App Store Link], priced at £1.49/$1.99/€1.59, and with a cleaner interface, may be the app for you.

* The term "developed RAW"—dRAW—is used to describe a TIFF image that has had no in-app post-processing applied and, critically, no JPEG compression at any stage.