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Learn how VIEWFINDR works. Here we explain how the VIEWFINDR user interface works. If you are looking for a tutorial on how to use VIEWFINDR in practice as a planning tool, please read the following note.
Tutorial for weather parameters and data
To understand the data in VIEWFINDR, each parameter you can display on the map has its own detailed tutorial. You can call up this tutorial at any time by clicking the green button at the top right of the map view. An individual tutorial for the respective parameter will then open. With this tutorial you will learn how to use the data in practice.
Please do not interpret the data on your own! Nobody can do this. Data always needs a context. Therefore, take a look at the tutorial for each parameter and read it in detail.
User interface tutorial
In der VIEWFINDR-App gibt es ein sogenanntes „in-app-tutorial“, dieses führt dich für einen schnellen Start durch alle Relevanten Funktionen der Benutzeroberfläche. Wenn du dieses Tutorial verpasst hast, dann kannst du es jeder Zeit wieder reaktivieren!
Gehe hierzu auf den „i“-Button unten rechts, dort findest du eine Schaltfläche, die das Tutorial wieder aktiviert. Immer, wenn du einen neuen Bereich der App betrittst, wird dir das Tutorial kurz alle Schaltflächen erklären.
Suchst du hingegen etwas Bestimmtes, so kannst du weiter unten in der Dokumentation suchen.
The heart of VIEWFINDR. Here you will find all the data and features that make your life as a landscape photographer easier. The data you find here is the reason why VIEWFINDR is worth the monthly subscription.
At the top left you can select different data sources. Available are:
The weather model for Central Europe. It has a local resolution of 2.8km. A “pixel” of the weather model is 2.8km x 2.8km. Structures that are smaller (valleys, mountain peaks) are replaced by an average value. This weather model covers Central Europe. The data are therefore geographically limited. It extends 24h into the future. An update takes place every 3h.
The weather model for Central Europe. It has a local resolution of 7km. A “pixel” of the weather model is 7km x 7km. Structures that are smaller (valleys, mountain peaks) are replaced by a mean value. This weather model covers Central Europe. The data is therefore geographically limited. It extends 72h into the future. An update takes place every 3h. This weather model completely covers the area of “Central Europe (2.8km, 24h)”.
After the data source you have to choose which data you want to see. VIEWFINDR provides a large number of different parameters.
In order to understand the data, you must look at the tutorial for each parameter. It is not possible to understand VIEWFINDR without tutorials. The time required for the tutorials is extremely small compared to the effort you would have to make to acquire the same knowledge from other sources. Each parameter has an individual tutorial in the top right-hand corner that you must read.
At the top of the screen you will find a layer symbol. With this you can select different background maps. Note: Different parameters can be seen better or worse on different background maps. If you have difficulties reading the data, use a different background map in our landscape photography app.
The time shows you when the data was updated or when it was calculated. As long as the display is green, you have the latest data. If the indicator turns yellow, restart the app. Sometimes the cache does not update. If this does not help, check the app again 1 hour later.
At the bottom right, you select the time at which you want a forecast. Forecasts that refer to sunrise or sunset are given a date and a small symbol. The time changes in the course of the year. VIEWFINDR takes this into account, of course.
You can see the times in a bar at the top of the map. These always refer to the centre of the screen.
To see the map better, you can use the “i” symbol in the toolbar.
For landscape photographers it is particularly important to know the current direction of the sun. You can activate the tool for this with the symbol of the small sun. You may already now this feature from another landscape photography app.
At the top right of the map you can select which photo spots you want to see. There are various filters available.
Only add photo spots that are really useful to other photographers. Only add photo spots if you can share enough information about them. You can add a photo spot by pressing on the map in the right place.
To understand the data in VIEWFINDR, each parameter you can display on the map of our landscape photography app has its own detailed tutorial. You can access this tutorial at any time by clicking the green button at the top right of the map view.
Please do not interpret the data on your own! Nobody can do this. Data always needs a context. Therefore, take a look at the tutorial for each parameter and read it in detail.
The data is visualised by a colour overlay on the map. You read the colour value at a location and translate it with the scale into an understandable numerical value. Any inaccuracies during the reading are intentional and signal that there is uncertainty in any prediction.
If you have great difficulty reading the data, it helps to choose a different background map. For example, “Satellite” is good for exploring photo spots, but bad for reading data. Use the “Layers” icon to adjust the background map.
Some weather parameters have special tools that help you with planning. These appear in the toolbar and are explained in the respective tutorial.
The newsfeed and other social media aspects will be further developed in the future. At the moment we are focusing on more and better data and planning tools. The newsfeed serves the purpose of showing you new photo spots and angles in your surroundings.
This is where all new photos and new photo spots in your chosen area appear. On your profile, you can customise the region to which your newsfeed refers. To do this, visit your profile. Go to “Edit profile” and select a new “Home area”. The newsfeed is chronological and comapred to Instagram, our landscape photography app does not have an algorithm
All new photos and photo spots from photographers you follow or are friends with appear here. It does not take into account whether they are in the vicinity.
The newsfeed is not intended to present your photo to humanity in an incoherent way. Please use other platforms for this purpose. The photos in VIEWFINDR serve a purpose: they help other photographers with their planning. You are therefore not sharing your photo for yourself, but to help others.
To create a new photo spot, press and hold your finger on the map at the location where you want to upload a photo spot.
You can find your friends and current friend requests in the newsfeed of our landscape photography app.
In our landscape photography app we call photo spots by the name “Views” as we see them more as data points. Here you will find all information about photo spots. A view is a photo spot that has been linked to VIEWFINDR data. It is used to plan your photo tours and was created by another photographer.
For a photo spot, everyone is allowed to upload a photo that they have taken at that location. This way you can see the effect of a place at different times of the year and in different weather conditions. You can swipe left and right to see different photos.
On the “bar” icon at the top you can change how the photos are sorted. The photo in first place is always the photo of the photographer who created the photo spot.
You can edit a photo spot you have created on the “pencil” icon and make various adjustments. You cannot edit the GPS coordinates or the angle of view. If you make a mistake, you must delete the photo spot and create it again.
You can upload a maximum of 3 photos to a photo spot in our landscape photography app. You can delete photos on the “bin” icon. You can only delete a photo spot if no other user has uploaded a photo to the photo spot yet!
On the “bookmark” symbol, you mark photo spots that you would like to visit. These get a bookmark symbol on the map so that you can find them again more easily.
You can only upload your photo to existing photo spots. You can do this by using the “Add photo” icon at the top right.
In order for us to be able to sort the views, they must be seriously rated by all users. The creator of the photo spot will not see your rating. Judge how valuable this photo spot is for the community. This will help to take you to the most beautiful places later on. Poorly rated photo spots will be deleted without comment.
So please rate our views to make the app better!
A very important evaluation! This is how we judge whether a photo spot may remain in VIEWFINDR. A photo spot that destroys nature will be deleted without comment. You can read more about this here.
Each view is associated with weather conditions that may occur with regular frequency at that photo spot. This allows you to plan for the conditions in which you can visit the photo spot. You can find many photo spots with our landscape photography app.
In the photo spot data, you can find various information that will help you with your planning. You can find this information by scrolling down on a view.
This map shows you the angle of view indicated by the creator of the photo spot. It always refers to photo no. 1/X in the selection of photos. Other photos of the photo spot may have different angles. On the mini-map you can see whether the sun is currently in the photo spot’s angle of view, or whether the photo spot is more suitable at another time of year.
