The New York Times recently ran a story titled “How to Photograph Fireworks Like a Pro.” Writing about the proliferation of phones as cameras, the author notes that “smartphone cameras, because of their design, are not capable of multisecond exposure times. There are, however, apps that let you simulate this behavior by automatically merging multiple (shorter) exposures into a single image. Slow Shutter Cam is a popular and effective app for iPhones. And the most recent Android phones — like Google’s Nexus and Pixel, LG devices and Samsung Galaxy models — have a long exposure feature built into the native camera app.”
After reading this article, as an iPhone user, I immediately downloaded the Slow Shutter Cam app. It set me back $1.99 but to me it’s well worth the cost if it makes my photos that much better. Slow Shutter Cam has been around since 2010 and, according to the description in the App Store, it was nominated in 2010 and 2011 as the “Best App Ever Award – Best Photo App.” It allows users to capture a variety of amazing slow shutter-speed effects that you probably only thought you could get with a DSLR. Slow Shutter Cam offers three capture modes to capture unique images:
- Motion Blur: Equivalent to the shutter priority mode on a DSLR, the Motion Blur mode is perfect for creating ghost images, waterfall effects or suggesting movement in your photographs by adding a blur.
- Light Trail: The Light Trail mode allows you to ‘paint’ with light, show car light trails and fireworks or capture any other moving light in a unique way. Unlike shooting with a DSLR and being tied to specific rigid settings to obtain good results, the Light Trail mode takes care of the essentials, letting your creativity soar!
- Low Light: In low light conditions, this capture mode allows the camera to accumulate every photon of light hitting the sensor. The longer the shutter speed, the more light it will accumulate. You can even fine-tune the result using the exposure compensation slider to achieve the exact effect you want!
With Slow Shutter Cam on your iPhone you get the features of a DSLR camera with the convenience of a device that you can drop in your pocket and take with you wherever you go.
