01.
Goal
As a landscape photographer myself, I wanted a polished, top-notch and easy-to-use tool for calculating exposure times under different conditions. Together with an iOS developer, we created an application that has been in the App Store for 12 years and has built a strong user base.
The app features seven handy calculators along with several extra features. The current version is the third major update, based on user needs and the latest iOS trends.
02.
Key features
The app is designed to calculate exposure times in situations where the camera’s light meter is completely useless, such as shooting in complete darkness with a long exposure, using a very dense ND filter, or capturing star trails.
The app features a unified calculator interface that differs only in input parameters, with the result of all seven calculators being exposure time. The result can be used immediately by starting a timer or saved for later. The timer runs in the background and will notify the user when the exposure is complete.
03.
Sets and equipment
One of the key features of the app is the ability to create predefined user sets and reuse them in calculations. This saves time, as users don’t need to re-enter the same parameters repeatedly.
Each element in the database is more than just a set of parameters for calculations (such as sensor size and base ISO values for cameras or focal length and f-number for lenses). I have added detailed information and a beautiful image for every element.
Users appreciate this feature so much that some even use the app to create a database of their own equipment.
04.
Themes
The dark theme was one of the first features added based on feedback from real users.
The initial default theme was too bright for nighttime use, so I introduced a second, dark theme. At the time, the dark theme was ahead of the mobile app market, so I had to come up with more than just a simple on/off switch. We also implemented an option to automatically enable the dark theme based on the time of day.
05.
App evolution
Since the first version was released in the App Store on September 24, 2013, many iPhones and iOS versions have come and gone. Screen sizes and resolutions have increased, new features like 3D Touch, widgets, and Apple Watch support have emerged, and the app has continuously evolved to stay relevant and up to date while remaining recognizable.
The app has undergone three major design iterations based on visual trends – starting with skeuomorphism in the first version, transitioning to a flatter design in the second, and following modern design patterns in the third while retaining depth in buttons and other interface elements.
Over the years, the app has set a trend for photography apps, influencing even major brands, which have adopted and reused the design patterns I originally introduced.
06.
Visual language
The app’s visual language has evolved from the skeuomorphic first version to one that closely follows iOS design principles. One of the key design innovations is the horizontal value selector. Originally introduced in the first version of the app, I have since used it extensively in both personal and commercial projects. This control has also been widely adopted by other designers, and today, many apps (especially apps for photographers) in the App Store use a similar value selection mechanism.
I have also designed a detailed set of icons for the app, which is periodically updated with new ones for added features and evolves with each version.
07.
Equipment database
One of the key ideas of the app from the very beginning was a database of cameras and lenses, each represented with a detailed icon at a consistent scale. From the first version, I established a foundation and a quality standard that I have maintained ever since.
Currently, the app’s database includes 347 cameras and 733 lenses from 15 different brands, each with detailed specifications.
08.
Outcome
As of now, the app is nearly 12 years old and has been installed on 11,000 devices. Over this time, I have received a huge number of emails with feedback and feature requests. This experience has given me invaluable insights into user support and mobile app marketing.
The Manual Exposure app is available in Apple App Store.
