15 years ago we foresaw the convergence of cameras, smartphones and mobility. Today smartphones offer an unprecedented level of photo and video possibilities, which rival many of the digital SLRs of just a few years ago.
The iPhone 6 brings some breakthrough technologies to photographers and filmmakers. In this post we look at some of the recent tools to turn your phone into a pro tool.
Whether you’re an intrepid traveler, moonlight blogger or small business, you can use these tools to create visually inspiring stories.
Apps for Filmmaking on iPhone
1. Movie Pro
Movie Pro lets you define up to 5 preset modes for shooting video. This app extends the power of your iPhone camera, allowing you to take well-above 60 frame-per-second video, at high definition. The app even lets you control the zoom speed for slow transitions to super fast zoom. Visit the app.
2. iMovie
iMovie is remarkable. It’s simple enough to use on your iPhone, while being powerful enough to create some truly amazing videos. Add video filters, music and transitions to make your images pop. Free now with the latest iOS 8 version, or under $10 for iOS 7, it’s my go to app for quick video editing. Visit the app.
3. Video Grade
iMovie comes with some pre-loaded filters to sharpen the images in your videos. If you want some added flexibility to tune your movies though, Video Grade is a must have. The app allows you to adjust contrast, lift sharpness, change vibrance, add vignettes and a suite of other features. You can even see a preview of your changes against the original video, like in the image shown here. Visit the app.
4. Hyperlapse
Realased recently by Instagram, Hyperlapse allows you to record sections of video and then speed this video up from 2 to 16 times. The result is to create dramatic time lapse videos. Because Hyperlapse includes some smart processing to ease wobbles and connect video frames, Hyperlapse produces very smooth video effects, even when handholding your iPhone. As this video from The Verge shows, you can even retain the current speed of footage, and take advantage of just the image stabilization features of Hyperlapse. Visit the app.
Accessories for Filmmaking on iPhone
5. Olloclip:
Olloclip adds new possibilities to iPhone’s inbuilt lens, giving you another four lens options, so you can shoot in any situation. Included with Olloclip is a wide angle, a fish eye, a 10x macro lens and a 15x macro lens. I used to travel with a DSLR with multiple lenses. While the DSLR produced stunning images, its bulk disrupted spontaneous shots and it was complicated to switch over lenses to get features like wide-angles. I’ve been impressed by the versatility the Olloclip and the speed of changing lenses (which is done by either flipping Olloclip or rotating off one of the two larger lenses, to reach the macro lens) is tough to beat. Visit Olloclip.
6. Gorilla Grip
Sometimes when shooting on iPhone, you need to steady the camera. Whether it’s shooting a time-series video or taking a group selfie, for under $20 Gorilla Grip is a simple addition to your toolkit to keep your iPhone steady. What’s more it’s light and small which makes it ultra-portable for travel.
7. iStablizer Dolly
A step up from a tripod, you can now add stability and movement to your videos with the iStablizer Dolly. Simply attach your smartphone to the dolly, and it’s four wheel system will give you forward or circular movement. With iStablizer Dolly, you can create cinematic videos and panning shots using your iPhone. Visit iStablizer.
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Image Source: Omar Jordan Fawahl, iPhone 6+ Camera Bump, flickr.com/photos/omarjordanf/15231892287/
