Only two months after the previous release, Version 2.4 of the Daily Maui Photo App for iOS is ready for download in the App Store.
The primary feature update in this release is one I’m very excited about – the ability to showcase Maui images from other photographers!
More on that in a moment, but first, here’s the official list of updates in the latest version.
Version 2.4 Updates
- Added ability to display photos from other photographers.
- New Photographer Profile view to see more info about photographers sharing their Maui photos.
- New Photos by Photographer view to see most recent photos from a given photographer.
- Added Submit Your Photos page to the Menu options to learn more about submitting your own Maui photos.
In addition, a few updates for the iPad version, as well.
- Added Satellite view option to Map screen.
- Added full screen option to Map screen to hide photos and explore the island map and surrounding areas.
Sharing the Magic of Maui
Now, back to the exciting feature – showcasing photos from other photographers.
To start with, I actually created a new website for handling photo submissions, and it’s My Daily Maui Photo. It’s another WordPress site, but I’ve customized it a bit to make the user registration process more (non-WordPress) user friendly, as well as to accept uploads from users.
In the future, I have plans to add more submission options as well, such as importing from Flickr, Facebook and Instagram, adding mobile uploads from the App, etc. but for now, this is where to go.
Credit Where Credit is Due
As a photographer myself, I can truly relate to the concerns others have about their photos being used.
For that reason, I’ve taken deliberate steps to make sure attribution of these photos is given everywhere they’re shown, especially in the iOS app. You can see some examples here.
Secondly, I wanted to help answer the “what’s in it for me” question, and as far as the App goes, I feel like the new Photographer Profile screens in the App help answer.
Photographer Screen, iPhone Version
Photographer View, iPad Version
On the submission site, the user gets to fill out a user profile with all the details they want to share on the screens above.
For their Social Media info, each identity shown in the screenshots above are actually buttons that will open their profiles in the respective Apps (if installed) on the user’s device.
That means, users of the Daily Maui Photo App are just a tap away from viewing more information about the photographer, and the photographers are that much closer to building out their social media fan base.
More to Come
As I mentioned, I’m pretty excited about being able to showcase new photos from other photographers, and I hope this begins a brand new era in engagement and community around the Daily Maui Photo brand.
In the meantime, I’ll be working on a few things behind the scenes to improve the workflow I have for taking submissions and getting them prepped for the App. Also, I have two (maybe three) other Apps still on the drawing board – one of which could benefit greatly from this community-based sharing of photos.
As I currently only do this in my spare time, that all might take longer than I’d like, but it’s still fun nonetheless.
So, enjoy the App updates, and if you’re a Maui fan like me with a ton of photos, please considering submitting a few as well. I’d love to see your favorites.
Mahalo,
– Kris
