Take A Round-The-World Odyssey With: 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic
50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic ($4.99) by National Geographic Society is a must-have magazine app for anyone who loves photography, or wants to get a better view of the world.
It is also the best offering from the National Geographic Society for iOS to date.
The 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic app is a beautiful collection of the best photos from the vast archives of the National Geographic Society, which go back to 1888.
The pictures were selected by Chris Johns, the Editor-in-Chief of the Magazine, and cover everything from culture to wildlife to science.
Don’t be misled by the modest title, read the subtitle in the app too: “The 50 Greatest Photographs and the stories behind them.”
You get a lot more than just the 50 images to enjoy within the pages of this virtual magazine.
On top of the spectacular photographs the app is jam-packed with extra features.
Some of the features include: a video introduction from Johns; photographer biographies; background information on the photos; videos; additional photo galleries; and interactive maps and timelines
There is even a “your shot” gallery, updated daily, featuring the best photographs from readers.
Navigation through the app is a breeze. A tap brings up a scroll bar with thumbnails for easy steering through the photos and features.
There are two drop-down menus; one a quick index, the other has columns that show all the extra features attached to each specific shot.
There is an e-mail option, and you can post your favorites to Facebook from within the app.
The App also contains a comprehensive two-page navigation guide to introduce you to all the options. It’s a very nice touch.
Speaking of nice touches, the National Geographic Society editors must have looked at user reviews for other popular photography and art apps.
They took almost everything they learned into account.
There are no text boxes to cover the actual photographs, and you have total control over which images and features you want to see.
You can even order prints or a framed copy of all 50 photos in-app.
There are a few additional options that would be appreciated in an update.
I would love to be able to really see the fine detail of the photographs with a pinch or tap-to-zoom feature.
Also, it would be nice to be able to save photos directly to the iPad photo album, or set them as wallpaper from within the app.
If you love fine photography and want to see the world in vivid color and detail, 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic is a phenomenal choice. Get it, it’s one virtual magazine you will go back to time and again.
