When it comes to shooting interiors and architecture, often we find there are a few technicalities and variables which must be overcome – lighting is a significant one! As our British weather changes pretty rapidly, sunlight also varies drastically meaning that we have to be adaptable and shoot certain spaces at specific times of the day. Playing hide and seek with sunlight is actually a big part of what we do on a daily basis! In the past this could be a little tricky to figure out but these days with the use of modern technology, it’s a little easier – as we are photographers and not meteorologists, we use the handy SunSeeker App!
What is it and who uses it?
SunSeeker is a mobile application used across the film and photography industry for a whole host of reasons. We use it when shooting either an interior space or exterior architecture in order to determine where the sun is going to be during the course of the day. Knowing where the sun is over the entire day helps us to predict our shots and decide if we want to shoot using natural sunlight or not. Sunlight can make a space look beautiful but it can also create a lot of ugly unwanted pools of light and colourcast – it’s really dependant on the type of space, the direction the windows are facing and if there are any nearby obstructions blocking the sunlight from entering. The app helps give us some choice and lets us plan the order in which we shoot our images throughout the day.
The application is compatible with IOS and Android so it can be easily downloaded to most smartphones and tablets. It provides a 3D augmented reality camera and map so you can view the solar path for each daylight hour and also shows you the hour intervals. Not only this, but it allows you to view the winter and summer solstice paths, the time of sunrise and has a built in compass. The monthly sun paths are useful as they let us know what month in the year a specific part of a building in shadow is most likely to receive direct sunlight.
Revolutionary apps like SunSeeker mean that our shoots are far more efficient than they would be otherwise, and the risk of chance is significantly reduced. With this app we have the security of knowing where sunlight will fall and at what time of the day. As light is such an important factor in the world of photography, the SunSeeker app and others like it are a necessary tool for any budding photographer.