APP OF THE YEAR

Spectre Camera

Capture the beauty of motion with the help of artificial intelligence.

Spectre Camera

Brilliant Long Exposures

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Ribbons of headlights curving down a freeway. Stars streaking across the night sky. Sequoias standing tall in Yosemite’s famous Mariposa Grove... without a tourist in sight.

All photos that inspire wonder – and that are extremely tough to capture.

Spectre Camera specialises in long-exposure images like these, leveraging a dizzying amount of tech to make them a snap.

Spectre Camera makes a rushing river feel anything but static.

When you tap the shutter button, the app takes not just one picture but hundreds. Then it gets to work, using machine learning, artificial intelligence and Metal graphics acceleration to blend it all into a single, perfect image.

And it happens in a blink.

Spectre Camera can take all sorts of supercool photos: luminous cityscapes, crashing waterfalls, rushing rivers. The app will even erase moving objects, like errant cars and photobombers, by keeping only the static elements in your picture. (Ever wondered how a photographer managed to remove all the people from a busy city street? This technique is probably the secret.)

Now you see them. Now you don’t. Spectre Camera clears the bustle.

Spectre Camera also helps with one of the hardest parts of long-exposure photography: holding steady. With the help of your device’s accelerometer, the app shows you if you’re moving too much and – on iPhone 8 and newer models – applies AI-driven stabilisation for a sharp finish.

Whether you’ve spent a lifetime setting up tripods or are just looking to make your social-media feed sparkle, Spectre Camera makes a dazzling technique accessible to all. You’ll see the motion and stillness around you in a whole new light.

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