About ShutterTime

Hi, I'm Ilia. Photographer & builder.

Based in Melbourne, Australia, I spend my weekends chasing light along the Great Ocean Road, through the misty forests of the Dandenong Ranges, and across Victoria's rugged coastline. Whether it's a 4am start for sunrise at the Twelve Apostles or waiting for the perfect storm clouds over a windswept beach, I'm always planning the next shoot.

I built ShutterTime because I was exhausted. Every shoot meant juggling five different apps: checking hourly weather forecasts, cross-referencing tide charts, calculating golden hour times, tracking moon phases, and trying to remember which conditions work best at each of my 400+ saved locations. After years of wishing someone would solve this problem, I finally decided to build the tool myself.

Chasing light across landscapes

There's something magical about being in the right place at the right time -- watching the sky explode with color during golden hour, capturing the Milky Way arching over a remote coastline, or finding that perfect misty morning in a forest.

I'm drawn to landscape photography, seascapes, and astrophotography. The kind of photography where conditions aren't just nice-to-have -- they're everything.

And while I often shoot solo, some of my best memories are sharing the experience -- discovering a new spot through a fellow photographer, or planning a sunrise session with friends and actually having everyone show up at the right time.

The endless app juggling act

Every shoot started the same way: open the weather app, check the tide chart, fire up a sun calculator, look at moon phases, check cloud forecasts... by the time I'd pieced it all together, I'd already wasted 30 minutes.

And the worst part? Sometimes I'd drive an hour to a location only to realize the conditions weren't right for that particular spot. Different locations need different conditions -- but keeping track of what works where was a nightmare.

Years of thinking, then building

ShutterTime didn't happen overnight. It was years of frustration, failed attempts with spreadsheets, and one day finally deciding to just build it.

2016 -- The obsession begins

I started seriously cataloging photography locations. Over the years, I added 400+ spots to Google Maps -- each with notes about what conditions work best, what time of year to visit, tide requirements. It became an obsession.

2018 -- "There has to be a better way"

After yet another missed opportunity because I didn't realize low tide would expose ugly rocks at my favorite seascape location, I started thinking about what a unified tool could look like. Google Maps notes weren't cutting it.

2019-2022 -- Failed attempts with manual tracking

I tried spreadsheets. I tried note-taking apps. I even tried calendar reminders. Nothing worked because conditions change constantly, and manual tracking can't keep up with 400+ locations.

2023 -- The idea that wouldn't go away

Every frustrating shoot planning session reminded me of this problem. The idea kept growing -- what if one app could score all my locations based on my specific conditions for each spot?

2025 -- "I'll just build it myself"

Finally, I decided to stop waiting for someone else to solve this problem. I had the technical skills. I understood the domain. It was time to build the tool I'd been dreaming about for nearly a decade.

Now -- ShutterTime is here and growing

Now I use ShutterTime for every shoot. All 400+ locations imported, each with custom conditions. But the best part? I'm discovering spots I never knew existed through other photographers, and sharing plans makes group shoots effortless. No more app juggling. No more missed opportunities. Just better photography, together.

Built by a photographer, for photographers

ShutterTime isn't built by a team that thinks photography is about point-and-shoot snapshots. It's built by someone who's stood in the cold at 4am waiting for the right light, who's checked tide tables obsessively, who understands why "mostly cloudy" matters differently at sunrise than at sunset.

Every feature exists because I needed it. Every condition type was added because it mattered for a real shoot. This is the tool I use every week to plan my own photography.

Real photographer needs

Every feature solves a problem I've personally experienced in the field.

No corporate bloat

Built lean and focused. No features exist just to tick boxes on a marketing sheet.

Photographer-first design

The interface is built around how photographers actually think about shoots.

Actively developed

I use this every week, so I'm constantly improving it based on real-world use.

Growing together

Share your favorite spots, discover new ones from local photographers, and plan shoots with friends.

Ready to simplify your shoot planning?

Join me and other photographers who've traded app-juggling for intelligent planning. Start free and see how ShutterTime can transform your workflow.