ShootLight

Creator & Developer · 2026 ·1 week

Built a PWA for photographers with real-time golden hour tracking, weather alerts, and offline support

Overview

ShootLight is a progressive web app that helps photographers find the best lighting conditions for outdoor shoots.

The Problem

Photographers waste time checking multiple apps for weather, golden hour timing, and location conditions. No single tool combines geolocation-aware lighting predictions with push notifications.

Constraints

Must work offline for remote locations
Push notifications without native app stores
Accurate sunrise/sunset and golden hour calculations
Built entirely with AI assistance

Approach

Built as a PWA from the start for offline-first capability. Integrated weather API for real-time conditions, built custom golden hour calculator, and used service workers for offline caching. Push notifications deliver alerts when optimal shooting conditions approach.

Key Decisions

PWA over native mobile app

Reasoning

PWA eliminates app store barriers, works across platforms, and supports offline caching. Service workers provide push notifications without native code.

Alternatives Considered

React Native app
Flutter cross-platform app

Offline-first architecture

Reasoning

Photographers often shoot in areas with poor connectivity. Cache weather data and golden hour predictions locally for offline access.

Alternatives Considered

Online-only with loading states
Skeleton UI with retry logic

Tech Stack

React
TypeScript
PWA
Service Workers
Weather API
Geolocation API

Impact

Cross-platform

Coverage

Full support

Offline

The PWA approach means photographers can check conditions from anywhere, even without signal. Push notifications eliminate the need to constantly refresh weather apps.

Key Learnings

PWAs are a viable alternative to native apps for utility tools
Service worker caching requires careful invalidation strategy
Geolocation + weather data creates genuinely useful context-aware apps