Case Study: Sun Surveyor enables photographers to plan perfect shots through augmented-reality sun & moon visualization with Google Cloud Platform

Sun Surveyor bringing augmented reality to photographers

Sun Surveyor, founded in 2011 by photographer Adam Ratana, is a mobile app that solves a common planning problem: photographers needed to be on location at the exact date and time to see where the sun and moon would rise or set. Ratana built prediction and visualization tools into an easy-to-use iOS and Android interface so users can plan shoots in advance without traveling repeatedly.

Using Google Maps Platform (including Street View) and augmented reality, Sun Surveyor overlays the paths of the sun and moon on Street View and a camera’s live view, with support for 360° photospheres. The app helps photographers visualize ideal lighting anywhere in the world, supports commercial uses like optimizing solar-panel alignment, and has earned 500,000+ downloads—turning a hobby into a successful business.

Sun Surveyor

Adam Spector

Developer