Shutter Scout Photo Assistant

Steven J Smith

In-app purchases

About this app

Know when to head out. Have a shot in mind when you get there.

Shutter Scout helps landscape and night-sky photographers choose a shooting window before loading the car. Bring weather, moonlight, aurora conditions and the timing of the light into one photography planner.

Made by photographers, backed by science. Created by a Pacific Northwest photographer, Shutter Scout combines weather forecasts, Sun and Moon calculations, and NOAA space-weather data with practical guidance for the field.

START WITH THE OUTING
Get the free Today overview, then explore the detailed forecasts and planning tools with Shutter Scout Pro. Compare your saved locations, inspect the conditions behind a score and decide which spot fits the photograph you want to make.

FIND A CLEARER SKY
Explore cloud cover, radar, satellite imagery and smoke layers in Sky Cover. Follow changes over time and check the forecast around your planned shoot instead of relying on a single weather icon.

PLAN MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY
Check darkness, moonlight and Milky Way timing. Use the map planner to explore Sun, Moon and Milky Way directions around a location, and build your composition before dark.

FOLLOW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Read NOAA aurora and solar-wind data together, including Kp, wind speed and Bz. Understand the signals alongside your local sky conditions before setting out to photograph the aurora.

LOOK FOR PROMISING LIGHT
Emberlight brings sunrise and sunset forecasts to your shooting spots. Compare light potential, golden hour, blue hour and twilight to help choose when to set up.

TAKE THE PLAN INTO THE FIELD
Check coastal tide predictions where supported, save the places you photograph and use the photography Field Guide and red-light tool. Optional alerts can help you follow changing conditions.

FREE TO START. PRO FOR DEEPER PLANNING.
The Today overview and Field Guide are free. Detailed forecasts, Sky Cover, the Night Sky Suite, Emberlight and Aurora Command require Shutter Scout Pro. Choose a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Current prices and any eligible trial offers are shown in the app before purchase.

Forecasts and scores are planning estimates, not guarantees of clear skies, sunset color or visible aurora. Data coverage and freshness vary by location and source; live forecasts need an internet connection. Check local conditions and official safety guidance before heading out.

Questions about your next shoot or the app? Contact [e-mail].

What’s new

Today's Insight no longer invents a date. The on-device writer now knows what day it is, is told never to say so, and any lead that names a year or runs long is replaced by the plain field brief.