Sony Visual Story app for event photographers updated, now compatible with video content

Sony has announced the newest version of its Visual Story mobile application, bringing the software to version 2.0, adding compatibility with video content and more.

The mobile app is designed for professional event photographers, allowing them to deliver content to clients immediately following an event. Visual Story includes gallery creation tools, artificial intelligence (AI) assistance to select the best images from a set easily, and web delivery. With the latest update, photographers can now deliver video content in addition to still images. Sony writes, 'Visual Story is the perfect tool to deliver an excellent experience for all types of clients and use cases that require immediate delivery, including weddings, corporate events, school activities, sports, and family gatherings.'

Within Visual Story 2.0, users can transfer video files from Sony A7S III, A1 and FX3 cameras to the app, where the video files can easily be trimmed and then uploaded. Even during the event, people can view an expanding gallery in real-time. Of course, after the event, a client can view the gallery, too.

There's more to version 2.0 than video compatibility. The new version now lets users select and import photos via an SD card reader and USB mass storage connection if the network connection at the event is not strong enough. Photographers can connect directly to an Apple SD card reader, allowing for quick and easy image selection and import to the Visual Story app.

Another connectivity improvement is automatic reconnection if the connection between your smartphone and camera is temporarily lost. Further, the number of setting options that users can copy from the smartphone to the camera via Bluetooth has been expanded.

Taking into consideration user feedback, Sony has made additional improvements, including optimized import destination settings, reducing the required steps to create a Story Gallery, displaying an original file name in a Story Gallery, supporting individual photo and video downloads in a Story Gallery, increasing Live Gallery expiration time for up to 24 hours, and adding background color options to a Story Gallery.

Of course, Visual Story 2.0 includes many of the same features as the app's original release. Visual Story allows photographers to automatically apply their own edit presets or fixed presets, reducing the time required to edit images on the fly. Visual Story includes numerous basic editing functions, including exposure, white balance, contrast, and H/S/L adjustments.

To make final processing and delivery easier, ratings and selections made when creating a gallery within Visual Story can be downloaded to your computer as an XMP file. Photographers can also embed a logo, social media information and more directly onto their images within the gallery, allowing for easier branding and marketing at an event. You can view an overview video of the original Visual Story release below.

Sony Visual Story version 2.0 is available to download now for free from the Apple App Store. Visual Story is compatible with select Sony cameras, including the A7C, A7 III, A7R IV, A7S III, A9, A9 II, A1 and FX3. Cameras from other manufacturers may also be compatible if they support the FTP transfer function.

While Visual Story is free to download and use, additional options are available for paid subscribers. There are Free, Basic ($20/month) and Power ($50/month) tiers available, all of which are free for the first month. The paid tiers include additional cloud storage, more maximum projects, additional gallery deliveries, additional gallery images and videos and more Live Gallery creation options. For full details, click here.