GeoLog – Design Philosophy

Manual Table Of Contents

Manual Overview

GeoLog is built around the understanding that great photography happens in the field, but preparation happens at home. The app’s design reflects this dual reality by optimizing each platform for where and how you’ll actually use it.

Your iPhone goes everywhere you go. It’s the device in your pocket when golden hour strikes unexpectedly, when you discover a promising location while driving, or when you’re standing at a viewpoint deciding whether to return with your full kit. GeoLog on iPhone is designed as your field companion—quick to access, responsive with one hand, and packed with every tool you need to capture location data and make critical shooting decisions in the moment.

Your iPad stays home or travels in your bag. It emerges during planning sessions, when you’re reviewing the week’s shoots, or when you’re preparing for an upcoming trip. GeoLog on iPad (GeoPad) provides the spacious canvas you need for thoughtful work—studying maps, comparing photos side by side, organizing your location library, and researching potential shooting opportunities.

This isn’t a limitation of the iPad version—it’s an intentional design decision. By focusing each platform on what it does best, GeoLog helps you work more efficiently and keeps the interface uncluttered with tools you won’t actually use in that context.

iPhone — Your Field Companion

The iPhone is where GeoLog truly lives. It’s your primary device for photography work, designed to be fast, accessible, and comprehensive when you’re actually out shooting.

In-Field Capabilities:

  • Full camera integration for capturing photos directly into locations
  • Camera viewfinder with customizable crop marks for your full-frame, mirrorless, or film camera body and lens combinations—visualize exactly what your main camera will capture to understand equipment needs for return trips
  • Real-time GPS tracking for accurate position data
  • Comprehensive photography calculators at your fingertips:
  • Exposure compensation with film reciprocity failure models for calculating long exposures with neutral density filters (supporting 40+ film stocks)
  • Built-in timer capabilities for executing precise long exposures
  • Depth of field calculator
  • Field of view calculator
  • Filter management system
  • Standalone ephemeris for planning sun and moon positions on location
  • Slate functionality for documenting shooting parameters
  • Quick location creation when you discover promising spots
  • CarPlay integration for hands-free navigation to saved locations

The iPhone version includes every feature of GeoLog because when you’re in the field, you need complete capabilities. You can’t predict when you’ll need to calculate a 3-minute exposure with a 10-stop ND filter and account for Velvia 50’s reciprocity characteristics, calculate hyperfocal distance, check sunset angles, document filter combinations, or preview how your 24mm lens will frame a scene—so everything is always available.

Optimized for One-Handed Use:
The iPhone interface prioritizes quick access and efficient workflows. Controls are positioned for thumb reach, critical information is immediately visible, and you can capture a new location or update an existing one in seconds—even while balancing camera gear.

iPad — Your Planning Studio

The iPad version transforms into your photography planning and review station. With a larger screen and the luxury of time, you can work more thoughtfully through your location library.

Planning and Organization:

  • Spacious map views for studying locations and planning routes
  • Side-by-side photo comparison for evaluating different visits
  • Comfortable browsing of location details and notes
  • Easy editing of location information and metadata
  • PDF report generation for trip planning
  • Efficient batch operations on multiple locations

What’s Different on iPad:
GeoPad intentionally omits field-specific tools that don’t make sense for planning work:

  • No camera integration (you’re not shooting with your iPad)
  • No standalone ephemeris (use specialized apps like TPE or PhotoPills for detailed planning)
  • No slate functionality (documentation happens during the shoot)
  • No real-time calculators (exposure compensation with ND filters and reciprocity, DoF, FoV are for field decisions)

Integration with Specialized Tools:
The iPad excels at coordination with other planning apps. Copy GPS coordinates directly from any location (via the blue GPS button in Location Detail) and paste them into:

  • The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE)
  • PhotoPills
  • Google Maps
  • Google Earth

This workflow lets you use best-in-class tools for detailed planning while keeping all your location data centralized in GeoLog. When you’re ready to shoot, everything syncs back to your iPhone through iCloud—your field companion has all the information you discovered during planning.

The Result:
Two devices, two roles, one seamless workflow. Plan on iPad, shoot on iPhone, sync everything through iCloud.