Tag Archives: remote shutter

Wireless remote shutter control for the iPhone

Here is a nifty little bluetooth wireless device I saw over on PhotoJojo. It’s a small two part gadget that snaps apart to be a remove you have in your hand and a stand that activates the shutter on the iPhone’s camera. The text claims 30ft which is a pretty good distance for self shots or nature photography (a bit of food near the iPhone and snap photos of the little creatures that walk up – best to you that one of them squirrels don’t grab and run with your iPhone!).

The iPhone Shutter Remote description mentions using the stand to do stop motion photography being improved since your not touching the iPhone to snap the shots. In small print though, it reads Please note that The iPhone Shutter Remote requires the free “Belkin LiveAction App” – which to me sounds like the device requires photos be taken through a particular app. Removing the ability to use the wireless remote shutter device with apps like Frames.

 

Remote activation of the iPhone’s camera shutter

A technique I learned with my old film cameras was to snap photos with one hand holding the camera, usually so I could get a shot from up high looking down. Attempting this in the beginning with the iPhone proved to be challenging. I would miss tapping the button and this miss the shot. Then I found that the action to take an image using the iPhone was the release of the shutter button, not the pressing. Just sit my finger on the button, raise the iPhone up high and release when I wanted the shot.

It didn’t take long for the feature in camera apps to include the ability to tap anywhere on the screen to snap the photo. With iOS5 came the ability to use the + volume hardware button to snap photos. Cool feature… I just never remember to use it.

I will be covering a couple photo apps that work particularly better if your iPhone is in a tripod. Even with the iPhone in a tripod, tapping the up volume or screen can be enough to cause some garbage to be introduced into a photo shoot. Since my iPhone’s Apple headphones have a volume control, I tried snapping a photo using the + on the headphone wire… it works!! In fact, the photos snap pretty quickly using this method.