Film Photography: 3 Helpful Apps

Film Photography  •  Photography Tips

Digital photography comes with many advantages. Whether it’s the ability to instantly preview our results, the liberty to post-process images at our own convenience or the opportunity to change ISO with the push of a button, everything is a luxury in comparison to the old days of analog photography. But diehard film photographers don’t have to miss out on the technological advancements, thanks to a slew of new apps geared to those who prefer the authentic look of classic film. In today’s video, photographer Kyle McDougall shares his experiences with three of the go-to apps that he uses for his film photography:

In this video, McDougall talks specifically about the following three paid apps that you can use on either your iPhone or Android device:

• Viewfinder Preview
• Massive Dev Chart
• Reciprocity Timer

If you find yourself shooting with different film stocks, formats and lenses, you will find Viewfinder Preview quite handy. By feeding the aforementioned variables into the app, you can get a real-time preview of how the image will come out. The app also has a film-simulation mode that helps you visualize your results instantly by emulating different film stocks.

If you’re into developing your own black and white images, you’ll definitely love what Massive Dev Chart has to offer. The app combines an advanced multi-step darkroom timer with an offline copy of the world’s largest database of black and white film development times. Give this app a shot to get consistent results with your black and white photography.

Normally there is a reciprocal relationship between light intensity and exposure time, but typically, when exposure times get up to about one second or longer, this relationship breaks down. This is the so-called “Schwarzschild effect”, and longer exposures are required to compensate for this, or you’ll risk underexposing your negative. Each film has different characteristics, and the Reciprocity Timer app will make your life easier by calculating the exposure time to use based on the film and the metered exposure time. This app supports a wide range of film stocks and lets you take into account variables such as ND and polarizer filters.

What apps do you use to add value to your film photography workflow? Let us know in the comments.