AstroShader: An Innovative Astrophotography App
AstroShader is a free astrophotography app designed for iPhone users. Developed by George Cherry, this app offers a unique approach to capturing, stacking, and editing astrophotography images. Unlike traditional workflows, AstroShader aligns and stacks images in real-time during the capture process, eliminating the need to transfer images to a computer for separate alignment and stacking.
To capture an image, simply secure your iPhone on a stand, tripod, or telescope mount, or even lean it on a rock. Zoom in on the stars and manually set the focus. Adjust the exposure time, ISO, and white balance settings to your preference. You can also specify the number of exposures to be automatically aligned and stacked.
AstroShader provides a range of editing tools to enhance your captured images. You can calibrate your images directly within the app, eliminating the need for calibration frames. Fine tonal adjustments can be made using the five histogram curves available. Additionally, there are three sharpen layers with customizable radius and intensity settings, offering precise control over image sharpening. Other editing options include brightness enhancement, saturation adjustment, black point modification, temperature and tint control.
AstroShader supports multiple save formats, including HEIF, PNG, JPEG, and TIFF, allowing you to choose the format that best suits your needs. This app also offers the convenience of opening existing images for editing, eliminating the need for a new image capture.
With its innovative approach and comprehensive set of features, AstroShader is a valuable tool for astrophotography enthusiasts. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, this app provides a seamless and efficient workflow for capturing and editing stunning astrophotography images.
