Computational Photography Guide for ElectroSpotmatic and Spotmatic Magic

Overview

ElectroSpotmatic includes powerful computational photography features that work directly in-camera. Capture sequences of images and the app automatically processes them to create enhanced results with extended dynamic range, motion removal, focus stacking, and more.

This guide covers all available computational photography features and how to use them in ElectroSpotmatic.

You can download test images for use with SpotmaticMagic from: Google Drive  

Available Features

ElectroSpotmatic supports the following computational photography features:

1. Image Alignment - Automatically aligns image sequences (used by all features)
2. Motion Removal - Remove moving objects from image sequences
3. Natural HDR - Merge exposure-bracketed images with natural tone mapping
4. Vibrant HDR - Merge exposure-bracketed images with vibrant tone mapping
5. Focus Stacking - Combine images at different focus distances for extended depth of field
6. Astrophotography Stacking - Stack multiple astro images to reduce noise
7. Motion Blur - Create artistic motion effects with motion-aware masking
8. Long Exposure - Night photography and star trails with simple averaging

Quick Reference

Feature Comparison

Feature	Minimum Images	Best For	Processing Time	Tripod Required
Image Alignment	2	Compensating camera movement	Fast	Recommended
Motion Removal	3	Removing people, vehicles	Medium	Essential
Natural HDR	3	Natural-looking HDR	Medium	Recommended
Vibrant HDR	5	Dramatic HDR	Slow	Recommended
Focus Stacking	3	Macro, extended DOF	Medium	Essential
Astrophotography Stacking	2	Noise reduction in astro	Slow	Essential
Motion Blur	7	Artistic motion effects	Slow	Essential
Long Exposure	2	Star trails, night photography	Medium	Essential

When to Use Each Feature

Image Alignment

• Automatically used by all features
• Compensates for camera movement between frames
• Configure in iOS Settings app

Motion Removal

• Use when: You want to remove people, vehicles, or moving objects
• Best for: Architectural photography, landmark shots
• Capture: 5-7 frames with 1-2 second intervals

Natural HDR

• Use when: You want extended dynamic range with natural look
• Best for: Landscapes, architecture, everyday photography
• Capture: 5 brackets at ±1 EV spacing

Vibrant HDR

• Use when: You want dramatic, punchy HDR results
• Best for: Sunsets, cityscapes, creative photography
• Capture: 7 brackets at ±2 EV spacing

Focus Stacking

• Use when: You need more depth of field than a single exposure
• Best for: Macro photography, close-up work, product photography
• Capture: 5-7 images covering focus range

Astrophotography Stacking

• Use when: You want to reduce noise in astrophotography
• Best for: Deep sky objects, star fields, Milky Way
• Capture: 10-30+ light frames with calibration frames

Motion Blur

• Use when: You want artistic motion effects with motion-aware masking
• Best for: Light streaks, flowing water, action photography, daytime motion effects
• Capture: 7, 11, or 15 images (rapid capture)

Long Exposure

• Use when: You want star trails or extended night exposures
• Best for: Star trails, night sky, astrophotography, night photography
• Capture: 10-30+ images over desired duration

Getting Started

Basic Workflow

1. Enable Feature: Tap the exposure control ring and enable the desired feature
2. Configure Settings: Adjust frame count, exposure range, or other settings (optional)
3. Set Up Shot: Mount on tripod, frame composition
4. Capture: Press shutter button - ElectroSpotmatic captures sequence automatically
5. Processing: App automatically processes and saves result to Photos library

General Best Practices

1. Use a Tripod: Most features require a stable camera position
2. Consistent Settings: Keep ISO, aperture, and white balance consistent (except HDR where exposure varies)
3. Sufficient Frames: More frames generally produce better results
4. Proper Exposure: Ensure images are properly exposed
5. Static Scenes: Avoid moving objects unless using motion removal

Feature Details

Image Alignment

Purpose: Automatically compensates for camera movement (used by all features)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Image Alignment Algorithm

Options:

• Vision Framework (recommended): Fast, reliable, memory-efficient
• IC-LM: High-precision for complex transformations
• Metal ECC: Experimental

See: Image Alignment Documentation

Motion Removal

Purpose: Remove moving objects from image sequences

Capture: 5-7 frames with 1-2 second intervals

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Motion Removal Algorithm

See: Motion Removal Documentation

Natural HDR

Purpose: Merge exposure brackets with natural tone mapping

Capture: 5 brackets at ±1 EV spacing (automatic)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → HDR Workflow (Natural)

See: Natural HDR Documentation

Vibrant HDR

Purpose: Merge exposure brackets with vibrant tone mapping

Capture: 7 brackets at ±2 EV spacing (automatic)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → HDR Workflow (Vibrant)

See: Vibrant HDR Documentation

Focus Stacking

Purpose: Combine images at different focus distances

Capture: 5-7 images covering focus range (automatic focus adjustment)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Focus Stacking Algorithm

See: Focus Stacking Documentation

Astrophotography Stacking

Purpose: Reduce noise in astrophotography images

Capture: 10-30+ light frames with optional calibration frames

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Star Detection Threshold

See: Astrophotography Stacking Documentation

Motion Blur

Purpose: Create artistic motion effects with motion-aware masking

Capture: 7, 11, or 15 images (rapid capture)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Motion Blur Averaging Method, Motion Sensitivity, Mask Strength

See: Motion Blur Documentation

Long Exposure

Purpose: Night photography and star trails with simple averaging

Capture: 10-30+ images over desired duration (automatic interval)

Configuration: iOS Settings → ElectroSpotmatic → Long Exposure Averaging Method

See: Long Exposure Documentation

Settings Configuration

All computational photography features can be configured in the iOS Settings app:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad
2. Scroll down and tap ElectroSpotmatic
3. Find the relevant settings:
   • Image Alignment Algorithm: How images are aligned
   • Motion Removal Algorithm: Motion removal method
   • HDR Workflow: Natural or Vibrant
   • Focus Stacking Algorithm: Focus stacking method
   • Star Detection Threshold: For astrophotography
   • Motion Blur Averaging Method: Mean or weighted averaging
   • Motion Sensitivity: Motion detection threshold
   • Mask Strength: Motion-aware masking intensity
   • Long Exposure Averaging Method: Mean or weighted

Changes take effect for all future captures.

Processing Times

Processing times vary by feature, frame count, and image resolution:

• Image Alignment: Fast (~10-30 seconds)
• Motion Removal: Medium (~1-3 minutes for 7 frames)
• Natural HDR: Medium (~2-3 minutes for 5 brackets)
• Vibrant HDR: Slow (~4-6 minutes for 7 brackets)
• Focus Stacking: Medium (~2-4 minutes for 5 frames)
• Astrophotography Stacking: Slow (~3-15 minutes for 10-30 frames)
• Motion Blur: Slow (~2-4 minutes for 11 frames with motion detection)
• Long Exposure: Medium (~1-6 minutes for 10-30 frames)

Processing happens automatically after capture. Progress is shown in the processing indicator.

Spotmatic Magic

Spotmatic Magic is a companion app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that lets you reprocess any sequence of images using the same computational photography algorithms available in ElectroSpotmatic. You can use images captured with ElectroSpotmatic, or with any other camera.

Workflow

1. Capture your image sequence: Use a tripod to keep the camera steady while capturing your sequence of images. A stable camera position is essential for alignment and all computational photography features.
2. Save the images: Transfer your images to a folder on your device, or save them to your Photos library. Spotmatic Magic can import from either location.
3. Select your images: Open Spotmatic Magic and choose a folder or select images from your Photo Library. The app discovers all supported image files, including RAW formats.
4. Choose an algorithm and process: Select the desired computational photography algorithm — Image Alignment, Motion Removal, Natural HDR, Vibrant HDR, Focus Stacking, Astrophotography Stacking, Motion Blur, or Long Exposure — configure its parameters, and process the images.

Supported Platforms

• iPhone and iPad: Available on the App Store. Supports folder selection and Photo Library import.
• Mac: Available on the Mac App Store. Supports folder selection and Photo Library import.

Tips

• All of the same algorithms and configuration options available in ElectroSpotmatic are available in Spotmatic Magic.
• Use Spotmatic Magic to experiment with different algorithm settings — try different tone mapping styles for HDR, or different stacking methods for focus stacking.
• Spotmatic Magic supports RAW image formats from all major camera manufacturers, so you can process sequences from any camera — not just ElectroSpotmatic.
• On Mac, use the Help → Spotmatic Magic Documentation menu for quick access to this guide.

Common Questions

Q: Can I use multiple features together?
A: Some features can be combined (e.g., motion removal + HDR), but typically you use one feature per capture sequence.

Q: How do I know which feature to use?
A: See the "When to Use Each Feature" section above, or read the individual feature documentation.

Q: Do I need a tripod?
A: Highly recommended for most features, essential for motion removal, focus stacking, and astrophotography.

Q: How long does processing take?
A: See "Processing Times" section above. Processing happens automatically after capture.

Q: Can I adjust settings after capture?
A: No, settings must be configured before capture. Algorithm preferences can be changed in iOS Settings.

Q: What if processing fails?
A: Check troubleshooting sections in individual feature documentation. Common issues: insufficient frames, camera movement, poor alignment.

Last updated: 2025-01-27