I rarely review products unless they have a very specific appeal to me and feel my experiences may help others. Spectre is an iPhone application I have been testing whilst traveling and has enabled the capture of images I would have otherwise overlooked.

What Spectre does

Spectre is one of many iOS applications that facilitate long exposure photography on mobile devices. What sets it apart is the addition of AI stabilization software that intelligently analyzing a scene to differentiate static and moving elements. For the photographer this can remove the need of a tripod in exposures where camera shake would present an issue.

Suggested uses

Spectre shines in long exposure scenarios where a tripod would typically be a requirement, such as captures of waterfalls, vehicle light trails at night and the removal of people moving through an image. The software can additionally be used for other types of creative long exposure effects.

Testing

A family trip to Oregon and its stunning waterfalls provided a perfect opportunity to both learn and test the application. The software interface is very intuitive, with the free version allowing an option of taking an exposure of up to 3 seconds (expanding to 30 seconds following a $4:99 upgrade).

A ‘STABLE’ display allows the user to help provide the software the best possible chance of negating camera shake. The sharpness of static elements is somewhat reliant on the operator remaining reasonably stable, typical strategies of supporting the body against a sturdy object and/or holding the breath during exposure will go a long way to ensuring sharp outcomes.

Once a scene is composed and exposure time selected (3 seconds for free version, selections of up to 30 secs with the PRO upgrade) it is simply a matter of pressing a large green button to start the exposure and using the ‘STABLE’ indication to help create a sharp image.

During testing it was discovered that the time could be aborted at any point within the exposure. This is extremely useful - as the image is displayed as it builds a longer exposure time can be selected and cut short as desired results are achieved.

Results

The following images show a comparison between an image captured with the native iPhone app and a similar viewpoint captured with a longer exposure. It is important to remember that all images were taken hand-held. Noting the length of exposure, I feel Spectre does a remarkable job of maintaining the sharpness of static elements as the silky flow of the moving water is being captured.

Click on images to open full size & format

Other results

Here are a few other examples worthy of note.

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Conclusion

I have to say that the Spectre app exceeded my expectations. After taking many long exposure images of waterfalls and the like using a bulky tripod (and DSLR) the results from this app are truly remarkable. The app really comes into its own when traveling without bulky equipment and gives a more professional touch to images of flowing water etc.

It should be stated that results carry the same challenges as long exposure issues using a tripod - any movement of ‘static’ elements within the frame (be that leaves swaying in the breeze, movement in a posed subject etc) will produce a corresponding softening in focus. This is not an issue with the software ut the nature of long exposure photography in general.

I would strongly recommend this software to any iPhone user who wishes to take long exposure images without the expense or inconvenience of a tripod. The free version (available on the Apple app store) should satisfy most initial needs, with the upgrade to the Pro version available should longer exposures be desired.

A quick overview of the app follows.