*NEW* iPhone / iPad app color corrects LED light in real-time

[seahostler]

Hey everyone,

 

I wanted to reach out about a project I've been working on for some time now. Blue and actinic light from LEDs has been ruining my reef aquarium photography for a long time. Probably since LEDs became popular. I actually think it's one of the biggest problems with our hobby online. Everyone is sharing this brilliant pics but they're all so blueeee and either you have to spend a ton of time tweaking the hue and saturation of each photography (with mixed results) or you just post away. I love the idea of using DSLR and shooting in RAW to get your levels just right, but I just don't always feel like getting all my gear out and then doing all the adjusting in post. 

 

So, with that, I'd like to introduce the Aquarium Camera App (iPhone/iPad and Android I'm working on). I developed it to color correct the actinic light on your corals from LEDs in real-time. Most importantly, it works it's magic on the sensor BEFORE your iphone/ipad has a chance to compress the image and permanently mess up your tank photos. It works with video or photos and I think it's just what our hobby has needed. 

 

Version 1.0 had some great feedback and ReefBuilders.com said it was "...an essential tool for the reef tank photography". But a got a lot of aquarists emailing me saying that the blue light correction wasn't quite powerful enough. I went back to the drawing board (quadrupled the lines of code) and just this week released version 2.0 after getting 170 reef hobbiests to test it on every popular LED light we could muster: AI Prime's, Radions, Kessils, Coralife, etc. A few even got some good results when the whites were almost completely off. It's MADNESS!!! haha

 

It's now live, and I've love a few of you to check it out as really this is something I feel like our hobby has needed for some time now. You can sign up for beta testing or download it off the store.

All proceeds will go to the beers bought during "the making of" and if there's anything leftover, hopefully a couple frags (looking at you WWC).

Edited October 22, 2017 by seahostler
Added become a beta tester or download so that people didn't think i was actually trying to make money off this app without first being a sponsor.

[burtbollinger]

looking forward to trying the new version...

[seahostler]

@burtbollinger Sweeeet. If you don't mind, shoot your results you here. Still collecting feedback and making small tweaks.

[HarryPotter]

15 minutes ago, seahostler said:

@burtbollinger Sweeeet. If you don't mind, shoot your results you here. Still collecting feedback and making small tweaks.

 

Are you a sponsor of NanoReef? If not, why are you advertising here?  @Christopher Marks

[schgr.cube]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

 

Are you a sponsor of NanoReef? If not, why are you advertising here?  @Christopher Marks

Agreed. It’s a cool idea, but if it isn’t a free app, you have to pay to play here. Everyone else does. 

[HarryPotter]

22 minutes ago, schgr.cube said:

Agreed. It’s a cool idea, but if it isn’t a free app, you have to pay to play here. Everyone else does. 

 

Especially just join the page and advertise. Tagged a mod, he's online, guess if he doesn't like it he can delete it. 

[burtbollinger]

works much better than last time...will post a video i took with it shortly....80/20 blues dominant on a nanobox duo.  usually requires a gel

 

edit:  

 

[seahostler]

@burtbollinger Oh nice! Thanks for posting a video. Nobody has shown me a video yet. 

 

@HarryPotter the beta is free (sign up on website) and i've already given it away to over 200 aquarists.
Either way, I hit up @Christopher Marks about sponsorship.

 

Just so we're clear, I'm trying to be helpful, here. It would cost you more to buy a frag plug than to get his app and I can assure you my hundred odd hours of work that went into this app aren't going to turn a profit. Also, I joined the forums back in 2015 and have been promoting nano-reef since it's inception back in 2001. I think it's perfectly reasonable to be a reader until you have something to actually contribute to the nano-reef forums.

[GaryR1984]

Interesting, seems like a nice idea. Just submitted for a future beta run. You should post this on our local forums in Chicago, they could use the help. lol

[schgr.cube]

53 minutes ago, seahostler said:

@burtbollinger Oh nice! Thanks for posting a video. Nobody has shown me a video yet. 

 

@HarryPotter the beta is free (sign up on website) and i've already given it away to over 200 aquarists.
Either way, I hit up @Christopher Marks about sponsorship.

 

Just so we're clear, I'm trying to be helpful, here. It would cost you more to buy a frag plug than to get his app and I can assure you my hundred odd hours of work that went into this app aren't going to turn a profit. Also, I joined the forums back in 2015 and have been promoting nano-reef since it's inception back in 2001. I think it's perfectly reasonable to be a reader until you have something to actually contribute to the nano-reef forums.

Good to know about the beta being free, but that wasn’t really specified in the original post. I like the idea, and will sign up for the beta or buy it if it seems worth it. I would definitely try to become a sponsor though, as most reef forums will want you to be a sponsor if you are going to plug your product on them. 

 

Thanks for the clarification. 

[el_ote]

very cool. i can't wait for the android version! 

[hinnenkm]

I just signed up to test the beta version as well - this seems like a really neat idea and great that you've come up with it!

[seahostler]

Sweeeet. I just added you guys this morning to the test group. See if you can get a few shots before your dawn is full effect. I think that's the most powerful use of the app. It'll do the blue/white mix pretty easily during mid-day. 

[HarryPotter]

5 minutes ago, seahostler said:

Sweeeet. I just added you guys this morning to the test group. See if you can get a few shots before your dawn is full effect. I think that's the most powerful use of the app. It'll do the blue/white mix pretty easily during mid-day. 

 

I also downloaded it- I didn't know it was a beta test. I thought you were advertising for the $1.99 app. I usually use iPhoto after to reset the white balance based on my sand, but ill see how this does!

[seahostler]

@HarryPotter all good. I didn’t specify originally in the post which was an over site. The app is out there but still in beta as I’m trying to collect as much feedback as I can. It’s tough because everyone has completely different light setups and photo needs. Even this bigger sample size testing now likely won’t cover all the use cases. Appreciate you signing up and looking forward to getting feedback!

[shaneandjohn]

I purchased the app and played with it a little bit last night. I run a heavy blue spectrum and have been searching for an easy way to take quick photos. I do have a nice DSLR, but am most always to lazy to use it. I have purchased other items to assist with photos , at a much higher price. Attached is a photo using the app.

 I think this app is well worth the $1.99 I paid for it ?

 

[seahostler]

Hey @shaneandjohn thanks for the download and share! Fantastic photo! Is that under your AI Hyrdra's?
Shoot me a note if you want to get in on the beta testing crew. Getting some great feedback in there just on little tweaks at this point to the app.

[shaneandjohn]

@seahostler  Yes, all my photos are under Hydra 26 lighting.  I am a reefer who snaps photos of my livestock, so I will let others who are most likely more experienced in photography comment on beta testing. Not to sure if I would be any help to you.

[HarryPotter]

So it seems to help some but is not nearly as effective as setting the white balance to the sand, which makes everything very representative. 

 

 This is under T5's. 

Without app:

 

 

With app:

 

 

Without app:

 

 

 

 

 

 

With app: 

 

But neither is as good as setting the white balance to the sand on iPhoto, so I don't know.  

[seahostler]

11 minutes ago, HarryPotter said:

So it seems to help some but is not nearly as effective as setting the white balance to the sand, which makes everything very representative. 

 

 This is under T5's. 

Without app:

 

 

With app:

 

 

Without app:

 

 

 

 

 

 

With app: 

 

But neither is as good as setting the white balance to the sand on iPhoto, so I don't know.  

Thanks for posting these!

Hmm, is your yellow to blue light slider all the way to the left?

Also, trying equalizing your RGB a little better. When they are the same level you get more white light. 

Maybe post screenshots of your settings and I could take a peak. 

 

[SeaFurn]

I run the 12W ABi Tuna Blue PAR38 bulb on my bowl and that is popular with others with pico tanks and some in the current pico contest. It's a very blue light and very frustrating to get good photos with.

I'd be glad to join the beta testing crew from the PAR38 angle. Let me know if you do. 

 

[Christopher Marks]

This could really help out a lot of hobbyists improve their smartphone photography!

 

@seahostler would it be possible to allow a user to set a white balance point by touching a point in the viewfinder? Something for advanced users.

[seahostler]

52 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

I run the 12W ABi Tuna Blue PAR38 bulb on my bowl and that is popular with others with pico tanks and some in the current pico contest. It's a very blue light and very frustrating to get good photos with.

I'd be glad to join the beta testing crew from the PAR38 angle. Let me know if you do. 

 

That's a good idea! Right now the app will allow you to manually max out the color temperature to the max the phone can handle. Sometimes, that's not enough enough which is why you can go further with the new color sliders.

[seahostler]

@HarryPotter I just got another T5 sample via email that has a nice balance. Check out here. I'll see what values they were using. 

[HarryPotter]

4 minutes ago, seahostler said:

@HarryPotter I just got another T5 sample via email that has a nice balance. Check out here. I'll see what values they were using. 

 

Were they under just blues or a balanced spectrum? That looks good