Percolator 2.0 Just Released~ New Textures~Filters~and Opacitiy

Capture: Hipstamatic: Process: Percolator2.0: Iris Color Sense~masked: PerfectPhoto~sharpen

When I first saw this app in its original design I really enjoyed it. It had fun settings, but I always wanted some opacity adjustments..well voila in 2.0 there are some cool adjustments. I was notified today that the app had gone live and I wanted to see what the new enhancements would do so, I spent a few moments (hours) today working the new updates with some images already on my camera roll. The one thing I didn't take time to do was right down all the settings I used to get the effects so I am sorry I can't share those with you...but just play you will discover some great combo's between new texture options, opacity and effects its just fabulous! I was reminded though that it is a 3 mp image file when using a traditional format like the piano below. However I successfully blended back the saved file from Percolator 2.0 with the original larger file in ImageBlender and the result was the larger of the two files blended beautifully with the Percolator file. We will have to put increased resolution on our next request when they get to making another upgrade,  but for now this is fine. It handles resolution on square images better at 2048 x 2048 but shrinks a large iPhone 4 file image from 1936 x 2592 (a 5mp file) to1528 x 2048 (a 3.1mp file). No reason not to work with Percolator,  as you can always do a blend back with a large file, adjust opacity and blend mode in ImageBlender if you need a larger file. This file size manipulation resulted in a 13.1MB file on the piano below. Have some fun and play with the new improved Percolator App........

Capture: BracketMode Process: TrueHDR: Percolator 2.0: ImageBlender: PerfectPhoto~sharpen

Capture 6x7: Process: PhotoWizard~crack texture: Percolator 2.0 Stars

Relax... 6x7: Snapseed:FX PhotoStudio

Capture: 6 x 7 Processed: SnapSeed: FX PhotoStudio

  When I worked in retail really long hours and I needed to relax once I got home, I made a hot tub of water, lit some candles, fixed a little Amaretto drink and climbed in. Well, last night I needed a little relaxation. I love the way the candle light danced on the bathroom walls and hardware, casting deep shadows and always thought it would make a cool shot. But, I never made the shot because it would have just been too much trouble with the big camera...so last night, as I filled a tub of hot water and I made some iPhone shots! Call me crazy! All shot and processed on the iPhone! (no I didn't process them in the tub!)
Check out my new iPhone Workshops on January 20 and 28 at Mac Business Solutions in Gaithersburg, Maryland

Capture: 6x7 Processing: LensLight; CrossProcess: FX PhotoStudio: ScratchCam

Now that my holiday decorations outside are done I have to get out and test the Gymbl..I have had for a while!

PhotoStudio~ Percolator~ 6x6

Last week I made a run to Longwood. When I ran through the Tropical Room the leaves of the ground vegetation caught my eye. So I made some shots with the iPhone app 6x6. PhotoStudio is an app that I don't usually go to right away for processing, but I wanted to challenge myself to work with it and explore more of what it can do. What I found was that I really like the masking and erasing feature for effects. Its very easy to work with and you can see the effects while masking. I used that process extensively on the first two of these leaf images.
I also received notice this week that the fun app Percolator will be updated soon with more choices. Coincidentally I had just made an image with percolator after running it through PhotoStudio. I hope you can join me on Saturday March 10 and June 9th at Horizon Photography Workshops for my one day iPhoneography Workshop.

Rt 15 Barn~Snapseed 100Cameras

Capture: BracketMode Process: TrueHDR, 100 Cameras, LensLight, Snapseed, Crop'n'Frame.

This barn has caught my eye every time I travel up and down Rt 15 in Virginia. The last time I went by was on my way home from the Nature Visions Photography weekend at George Mason University. I did not stop that day because I just wanted to get home but I promised myself the next time I went by, I would. So this past Saturday I traveled down Rt 15 to my niece's house for our family Thanksgiving dinner. I stopped! I grabbed a few shots with BracketMode..handheld. Then a man came over and asked me why I was taking pictures of the barn. I said, it's cute! He laughed and he said OK, I thought he was going to ask me to delete the files or confiscate my iPhone..
I had some downtime that day and processed one of the images. 100 Cameras rendered the square format.  Today I processed another shot..exploring some processing options in Snapseed. I really like Snapseed.....fun textures, and effects as well as some real great basic processing.

Capture: BracketMode Process: TrueHDR, Snapseed

Capture: BracketMode  Process: TrueHDR, Snapseed

Night Shooting with the iPhone 4

Capture: SlowShutter Process: Blender, Noir

Sunday I met a few photographers from the Baltimore Camera Club downtown in the rain to do some shooting. I was really feeling lazy and left the DSLR in the car, but I did take my Joby tripod and my iPhone. The light rail was my first stop. I waited with my umbrella for a train to come by using Slow Shutter to see what image effects I could create with the iPhone. I wrapped the Joby around a handrail right by the train and waited.The shot above is a blend of a straight shot while the train was stopped and an 8 second exposure as the train pulled away, blended in Image Blender.

Capture: Hipstamatic: Process: Noir, Crop'n'Frame

Under a street light I found some graffiti, the word Cloud had been painted on it, I wonder if they had the Apple Cloud in mind? So I made a shot with Hipstamatic. I am also very excited to announce that I have been scheduled by Horizon Photography Workshops for two day long workshops with the iPhone! They will be a blast working with the participants on the iPhone, doing some shooting and processing together with a few cool apps. If you are interested I have posted a link on the sidebar or you can click here. The Creative "i" iPhone Workshop with Karen Messick.

Capture: Hipstamatic: Process, VintageScene, Noir, Snapseed

The Mount Royal area of the city is charming with old wrought iron and brick walkways. I loved the way the light from the streetlamps lit up this space.

Capture: 6 x 6 Process: Noir, Snapseed, Crop'n'Frame

New App 6x7

Capture:6x7 Process: Photoforge2 ~ Diffuse: VintageScene~ toned vignette: BadCamera~inner border and texture:Iris~color Sense~ replace color in maple leaves: ImageBlender~Blend Layers: Juxtaposer~ selective masking: Crop'n'Frame ~ Frame: Impression~Signature

Having been a fan of the app 6x6, I thought I would give 6x7 a try. The developer of 6x6 e-mailed me the other day announcing the launch of his new app 6x7.  I love this app too! I tried it out in my outdoor studio, my patio table. I love it for the white background. I stopped and picked up some Ginko leaves the other day and made a few shots of them on the table. I also have a Japanese Red Maple in my garden and the leaves had started to show their wonderful red fall color.  I combined the two leaves and made a few shots. Processing images on the iPhone is limitless in combos and creativity! These are a few images from one shot I made with the 6x7 app.

Capture: 6x7 Process: PhotoForge2~texture~brightness: SnapSeed ~ inner border: Crop'n'Frame~ frame: Impression~ signature.

Capture: 6x7 Process: TinyPlanet: Juxtaposer: PicGrunger ~texture: Crop'n'Frame

Christmas is near: Apps~AutoPainter:BracketMode: Phonto: Crop'n'Frame:Snapseed

This weekend I was busy making two presentations at Nature Visions in Virginia. It was a fabulous, well attended photography event. My Lensbaby workshop was so much fun helping folks see in a different way and actually use the demo units Lensbaby sent for the event. My iPhone photography presentation was also sold out and I had some very hungry to know photographers, with lots of great questions. On the way home I decided to take the scenic Rt 15 out of Leesburg, stopping at one of my favorite home decor stores "On A Whim". They have some wonderful hand stained furniture and home accessories. I snapped a few shots of some of their displays and merchandise that I liked. I left with some great holiday potpourri. When I finally got home I processed a few with the Holidays in mind.

The images here were captured with BracketMode: Processed in True HDR: Apped with AutoPainter~Benson: then blended in Image Blender. All the lettering was done with an app called Phonto. I kept the processing fairly consistent as I wanted to create a collection with the same feeling.

The snow in this image was added using a free app called Magic Snow~its a small resolution app, but blended back with the original it works just fine for an artistic look, but you can see the difference in the clarity as a result of the small file blend..compared with the image below.

In this image I also had to apply some darkening at the top of the image and I chose Tiffen FX color grad to get the toning I wanted in the top of the image.