There is a brand new mobile application called "Top Photo Spots" I believe you really ought to give a try. Just as a side-note, I'm on the board of the company who commissioned this application to be built... so you need to take my enthusiasm with that in mind.

If you ever travel, or are simply looking for what photos others are taking near a location, this new mobile application (currently only for iOS and Android devices) is really cool.

You type in a search term and Top Photo Spots finds the most "interesting" images matching that term within a certain distance of your current location (or from a pin you've dropped on a map). It's using Flickr's API in order to do all of this. It even has a feature to give you the driving directions from one photo to another.

For me, this app is really great because I do a lot of traveling in areas that I am not familiar with and it just kills me to find out that I missed a really cool place to photograph. Also it can give you insight into really cool photo locations and angles that you might know exist in an area you're familiar with. Usually when I get to travel I pick up all the travel guides and do my research on the internet.
I used Top Photo Spots when we drove from Nikiski Alaska down here to Austin Texas, it was so nice not to have to dig through tons of travel guides and being able to pull out my phone and check areas we were coming to soon?... that was awesome.

The best part? It's only $1.99! I think most of the photography apps I've paid for are in the $7 to $10 range so this is a steal.

Apple Store Link to Top Photo Spots http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/top-photo-spots/id542394881?mt=8&ls=1

The Android Link to Top Photo Spots http://goo.gl/pBt79

Let me know what you think. And IF you love it, PLEASE leave a quick rating and description in the iStore or Android Store! We are also setting up a Flickr group for those who would like to have their images showcased on the app. I'll have more information on that later.

The app has been designed to allow the user to find top photo locations nearby – or at a specified location that they plan to visit in the future. It uses the internal GPS embedded in your smart phone and will show you where some top photos have been taken nearby. It also will supply you with direction - via onscreen mapping – from your current location to the photo locations that you choose. On top of that, once you find a photo (and location) nearby that interests you, the app will tell you what the weather forecast is for the location – as well as sunrise and sunset times. Finally, if the photo you’ve chosen is one that you’d like to utilize for more information about how the shot was set up – such as aperture or shutter speed – the app will allow you to access EXIF information about the photo.

So, if you find yourself in a part of the city or country that you’re not familiar with – you can utilize the app to give you some instant ideas about things you might want to photograph in the area. Or, if you’re planning a trip – say to Grand Teton National Park – in the future, the app will allow you to check out some of the top photos of the area and save them as favorites so you can plan your photo trip in advance.