App to shoot perfectly aligned photos
July 4, 2020 1:00 PM Subscribe
I want to shoot before/after photos and have the elements in the photo perfectly line up without having to do any post production. Is there an iPhone app that will show me a ghosted-back version of a previous photo in my library so that I can align the new photo visually before taking it?
I have tried this with Giffer, which does almost what I want, but I can't see any way to export a single image I've taken. There's gotta be an app that does this and I've seen plenty of overlay and superimposing apps, but those all seem to be for photos that are already in your library. I want to shoot a NEW photo that matches the composition of an existing photo. And yes, I am aware of tripods, but that requires too much planning, and often the photos will be days/weeks/months apart. Any ideas?
I have tried this with Giffer, which does almost what I want, but I can't see any way to export a single image I've taken. There's gotta be an app that does this and I've seen plenty of overlay and superimposing apps, but those all seem to be for photos that are already in your library. I want to shoot a NEW photo that matches the composition of an existing photo. And yes, I am aware of tripods, but that requires too much planning, and often the photos will be days/weeks/months apart. Any ideas?
This reddit thread seems to ask the same question.
Seems like what you should search for is apps with a "before and after" feature. Can't vouch for any of them, but hope this points you in the right direction.
posted by multivalent at 1:25 PM on July 4, 2020
Seems like what you should search for is apps with a "before and after" feature. Can't vouch for any of them, but hope this points you in the right direction.
posted by multivalent at 1:25 PM on July 4, 2020
Don’t have an app but have dealt with this before, and the most helpful technique I can share is being aware of exactly where you are standing when taking the first photo. Mark it in a plan, have someone take a picture of your setup, etc.
Once you’ve done that you just need to make sure you’re using the same photo and lens, and then line up the corners with where they were in the first photo.
posted by q*ben at 2:57 PM on July 4, 2020
Once you’ve done that you just need to make sure you’re using the same photo and lens, and then line up the corners with where they were in the first photo.
posted by q*ben at 2:57 PM on July 4, 2020
Stop motion apps offer this feature, sometimes called “onion-skin”.
posted by lucasks at 3:23 PM on July 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by lucasks at 3:23 PM on July 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I use Everyday every day to do this. More time-lapse than before/after but it HS a very nice ghost image of the last frame taken.
posted by Maecenas at 5:43 PM on July 4, 2020
posted by Maecenas at 5:43 PM on July 4, 2020
Response by poster: Ok, we’re getting somewhere with stop motion and onion skin. However, I want something that can onion skin a photo from my photo library, not just one taken from inside the app, and something that can export a still photo back to my library.
posted by oxisos at 5:57 PM on July 4, 2020
posted by oxisos at 5:57 PM on July 4, 2020
I believe Stop Motion Studio can do this -- I can't remember if the exporting options offer .jpg or some other non video format but if not, you could always take a screen shot and then it would be in your photo library.
posted by jeffmilner at 8:26 PM on July 4, 2020
posted by jeffmilner at 8:26 PM on July 4, 2020
If you can set things up right the best app would be a tripod. Lock down the phone/camera, use tape to mark positions on the floor.
posted by sammyo at 11:01 PM on July 4, 2020
posted by sammyo at 11:01 PM on July 4, 2020
You can import a photo from your library into Stop Motion Studio (I just did).
You can then use Export All Images to send out the individual images in your 'movie'.
posted by birdsquared at 11:12 PM on July 4, 2020
You can then use Export All Images to send out the individual images in your 'movie'.
posted by birdsquared at 11:12 PM on July 4, 2020
https://opencamera.org.uk/ has a "ghost image" option which does what you want (oops, android only)
posted by Sophont at 11:19 PM on July 4, 2020
posted by Sophont at 11:19 PM on July 4, 2020
Response by poster: I tried both iMotion and Stop Motion Studio. (paid versions) iMotion has image import & onion skinning, but a very unintuitive interface and also doesn't let me use the same resolution of my original shot, making it impossible to line up the photos. Stop Motion Studio has image import & onion skinning, and a better interface, but also suffers from the aforementioned resolution discrepancy, and I can't seem to export still images in anything other than a zip file. I'd to be able to easily save images back to my photo library. I'm still searching!
posted by oxisos at 1:46 PM on July 5, 2020
posted by oxisos at 1:46 PM on July 5, 2020
I just tested, and I see what you are saying about resolution issues with Stop Motion Studio (though if you take your original photo in landscape mode, it is not too challenging to line up new photos).
If you select your movie, and select Export All Images, and then select your Camera Roll, all the images get exported as individual photos.
As a workaround until you find a full resolution solution.
posted by birdsquared at 8:39 PM on July 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you select your movie, and select Export All Images, and then select your Camera Roll, all the images get exported as individual photos.
As a workaround until you find a full resolution solution.
posted by birdsquared at 8:39 PM on July 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by bink at 1:04 PM on July 4, 2020