Locationscout Could Be Your Photography Best Friend

Locationscout is a sort of Swiss Army knife for all kinds of useful photo information. It comes in a variety of flavors: iOS, Android, and a full-featured web app.

What Does It Do?

When you open the app, you'll see a selection of countries and places to explore.

If an image catches your eye, you can tap on it, get location data, and info on the best photo spots from photographers who have been there. There's a detailed map that shows where each photo was taken, and a button so you can navigate directly to it.

The map shows the position of the sun at sunrise and sunset, along with current and forecasted weather, and some recommendations on things like crowds and parking.

Another button is marked "feeds." It shows you a real-time feed of new images coming into the app, with all the location data attached. You're welcome to attach "likes" to photos and share that with the photographer.

You also get tutorials and videos on everything from retouching landscapes to luminosity masks. The articles and videos are aimed at beginners and experienced photographers. I looked at several, and they are well put together with solid info. These extras are only on the web app, I guess assuming they are best consumed at home rather than on a small screen.

The web app will let you upload your own photos to share with others, and you're expected to add location data and whatever else you know about the place that would be helpful to other photographers.

All in all, this is a great little app that's filled with useful info for photographers. The web is great for planning, while the mobile apps are really useful when you are on your way to a location and when you get there.

The app has almost 200,000 users, so there's a wealth of information. The app was created by Manuel Becker, a Germany-based photographer with a passion for taking pictures and the technical knowledge to put the app together. It's a wonderful blend of local knowledge from photographers and a community of people who want to share great photo locations with you.

I found the most useful thing to do with Locationscout is to click on a photo in an accessible region, learn about it before I go, and set off on my journey.

The app is free, and there is also a premium version that adds an "around me" button that shows you local photo spots you may have missed, and a navigation button that will take you to where the photo was taken. I'm in Southern Arizona, and it found some photo spots I'd missed and will now explore.

The routes shown will likely be partly driving and then perhaps some walking, as contributors are encouraged to mark the exact locations of their photos. On the iOS app, Locationscout uses Apple Maps; on the Android app, it uses Google Maps.

There is a monthly plan for buying the app, but the best pricing for the app is a year-long subscription at $59.99. I think it's reasonable for all the info you are getting and the ease of use. You can find it on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The web version is at this link.

What I Like

• It's a beautifully designed app/web page that will get you using it quickly

• There are lots of users, so there are a lot of locations to look at and lust after

• The extra articles and videos are a great bonus, and they are mostly pro-level in quality

What I'd Like to See

• You can't upload photos from the mobile apps, which I think would be a big plus. The author says it's coming.

Locationscout is a great idea. There are lots of photo apps around, but Locationscout combines weather, navigation, local knowledge, photos from other users, and articles and tutorials. Highly recommended.