A few new Apps in Town: Rays and Dynamic Light

ArtistaSketch layered with original HDR image captured with BracketMode, processed in TrueHDR, and PhotoForge for effects.

These two apps are fabulous for certain effects. Rays, drops "Rays" into your image and you have the ability to move them where you want, adjust the opacity, lengthen or shorten and choose a color. Pretty cool stuff, the app even puts shadows in where they would actually fall, if in fact the "Rays" really existed. Notice the light falling on the steps above and the shadows from the column...they were as a result of "Rays" app. These are just a few images I have made since I downloaded the Rays app.

Zoom effect applied to image before adding in Rays.

The image above also has Dynamic light applied to it to generate an image with the "Orton" effect.
There are other settings in Dynamic light which "pop" your images.  Give em a try for only .99 cents they are a deal!

The Magic Bus......Hipstamatic: Tejas Lens: Dream Canvas Film: PicGrunger

Hipstamatic Tejas and Dream Canvas

Today I introduced myself as an "iPhone Photographer" to a shop owner....now that's a thought...but I didn't know how else to say it....I have been meeting a student every Tuesday for some private tutoring in Severna Park, MD.  Because of this I have traveled over the Key Bridge a few times in the last few weeks through the industrial side of town. The scenes intrigue me with venting pipe stacks and abandoned industry buildings, shipyards, gas tanks and railroads. So last week I got off the highway to explore before crossing over the bridge on the way back home. While driving around last week, I saw this little auto repair shop with some old VW's in front of it, but was heading home and did not stop. Today, I stopped and asked George if it was OK to make some images. He was most obliging. The Old Red VW bus caught my eye! In the 70's I had a friend with a VW bus and well they were the vehicle of choice for the "Hippie" generation, this one still bore an aging Love~Peace bumper sticker. It wasn't going anywhere, all the tires were flat and it appeared to be just sitting in the lot. Maybe it was junked there because it was too expensive to fix, like my Jetta. Now VW has a new prototype in the works to bring back the "Bus." Check it out here The New BUS.

BracketMode App  used here.

BracketMode app used here

Hipstamatic: Tejas Lens Dream Canvas Film: PicGrunger Processing effect.

And I had to shoot the bug too!

Hipsta Chuncky Lens and The Cars

I chose to shoot some images with the Hipstamatic App with the Chunky Lens and Kodot XGrizzled film for the "look" it would add to the images of the rusting cars.
I also maintained a consistent processing here with the PicGrunger app.

 

 

 

This image was made with the John S Lens and Inas 1969 Film in the Hipstamatic App

The next two shots were made with the Tejas Lens and Pistal Film choices in the Hipstamatic app.

 

 It was a fun day looking at the old cars and shooting these images.

Hipstamatic: Salvadore 84 Lens, Dream Canvas Film at the Car Farm

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting the "Car Farm" with Don Rosenberger and Bob Lott. It was a beautifully sunny and warm 65 degree day. I have seen images from this location for the past couple years from other photographers and was very happy when Don invited me to shoot there. It's not open to anyone so special arrangements have to be made. Don lives in Virginia and visits often, so he has a special contact with the owners.
I took a break from working with the "Big" camera and tripod and walked around looking at the rusting cars...and made some images as I walked with the iPhone. For the images here I was shooting with the Hipstamatic and the Salvadore Lens, a crazy lens selection that creates interesting images. I thought it would be fun to see what it would do with the details I was shooting on the old cars. Now I have to get to work on the "Big" Camera images.

TiltShiftGen: MonoPhix

Went to Longwood yesterday and in the afternoon, after lunch, I went back to the conservatory to make some iPhone images with the idea of processing them with TiltShiftGen~ the selective focus app. Actually I felt better about the  images I made with the iPhone than I did with the "big" camera.

When I returned home I worked on a couple images and applied the selective focus areas. Then I got caught up watching the amazing images from Japan: an unimaginable disaster and tragedy...So I did not finish them off. Today was a terrific day, I spent the day attending the John Barclay~Tony Sweet seminar, at Goucher College, sponsored by the Baltimore Camera Club.
When I got home tonight I finished these off in Crop'n'Frame for the borders and signature. The opening image was made using the app Diptic, to arrange the images.

BonJour: Grungetastic: LoMob: Vintage Scene

Capture: True HDR App: Processed: Vintage Scene: LoMob: Crop'n'Frame: Impression

Its been a busy couple of weeks....my classes started at Hopkins again, I met with the accountant to get taxes done, hosted a dinner party, been working on some lecture preparation..sold a car..had a spot of early skin cancer taken off my leg...held some private tutoring sessions, made some prints...and have been sick with a nagging cough since I came back from Longwood two weeks ago....whew, but last night I had the pleasure of meeting a neighbor and her daughter for a lovely seafood crepe dinner and dessert at a little cafe called BonJour. Now I am sorry to say I had not been there before, but every Thursday night I pass the little place at Falls Road and Lake Avenue on the way to Camera Club, and I think how cute it is painted purple on the outside, but never stopped to check it out. I arrived a little early and enjoyed a yummy latte while the owners prepped for their crepe evening. I also took the opportunity to make some iPhone images while enjoying the latte. The place feels just like a little French Cafe. The Chef Owner Gerard is French and bakes all the pastries. While I was waiting the little distressed mirror topped cafe tables were catching my eye as well as the small wrought iron cafe chairs, so I made a few iPhone images. I also used the Photo Transfer app to move these images from the iPhone to my laptop wirelessly... pretty cool stuff! Now I have some more images for my iPhone presentation on May 2 in Tyson's Corner, I'll be showing images, talking about the apps I use and how to use the iPhone for creative imaging.

Grungetastic was used here to create the effect.

True HDR Capture App: Vintage Scene App: LoMob App

Bonjour..

Well it was another Thursday night and I met Carolyn and her daughter Stephannie at Bonjour in Mt. Washington for a delightful crepe dinner of smoked salmon, and a complimentary glass of wine. Oh and a strawberry crepe for dessert! Bonjour is just yummy! Its a good thing maybe I didn't discover until now....I took home a sticky bun, and I have to say it was the best!The desserts displayed are just over the top beautiful to look at through the display case.

I was showing Stephanie how to use the iPhone camera and made a few shots while sitting at the table of a wine glass and processed it in Bad Camera.

It rained like crazy all night last night and all day today and when I left Bonjour I drove past the street where camera club normally meets on Thursday night, but it was blocked off due to flooding..so no camera club tonight...

I was working all day today on my presentation on iPhoneography for Penn Camera and played around with TiltShiftGen...checking out it's functionality and options for creativity. The camera takes a straight shot then asks you if you want to use it. If you confirm yes, then a group of adjustment sliders appear where you can adjust, focus points and out of focus areas, blur amount and location, vignette, color sat, brightness and contrast.
I like it very much and find you can get somewhat of a Lensbaby look from it. The shot here is of an antique doll in my den...a willing subject. ; - ) Notice the areas of sharpness on her face and then the blur around the face....as a result of the settings I chose in TiltShiftGen.