It’s a great time to be a film photographer today because you get the best of both worlds. You can enjoy the slow process and nostalgic vibe of film and the convenience of digital tools to complement it. Among these modern tools are various apps that may help film photographers streamline their workflow and get better results. But with all the apps available out there, it can be overwhelming to find out which ones are truly useful.
In the video above, Canadian film photographer Kyle McDougall shares his three go-to apps. Viewfinder Preview (iOS), as its name indicates, allows you to preview the framing for any camera and lens combination. It’s meant to help you save time prepping your gear to get the framing that you want. Massive Dev Chart (iOS/Android) is one of the most popular apps for home developing, hence a staple in many film photographers’ toolkit. Finally, there’s Reciprocity Timer (iOS) which gives you calculations to compensate for reciprocity failure for different film stocks. It’s especially useful for shooting in low light or at night, which often requires long exposures.
While these apps are paid and mostly iOS only, there are certainly other options out there that could fit your needs, device and budget. Join the Photofocus Community now if you haven’t yet, so you can ask your fellow film photographers for their recommendations in the group discussions!
