Archive for the ‘iphone’ Category

Palm Leaf (1/50sec at f4.5, 34mm at ISO 250)

I had a wonderful birthday weekend and I want to give a big shout out to everyone that dropped me a note wishing me a Happy Birthday.  I want to especially thank  Staci (my squeeze)  for throwing me a killer birthday party at Yak-Zie’s.  My 40’s are already looking up with such great friends, family and a killer group of readers.  I have a lot planned this year and I can’t wait to share it with all of you–  In March, I’ll be heading to New York-DC, April I’ll be traveling to India to photograph the Kumbha Mela festival,  June-July I’ll be heading out to Montana (look for a Yellowstone photography seminar announcement) and in August I’m scheduled to climb Mt. Rainier with a very close friend.    That’s if my daughter Anna’s prediction doesn’t come true…  “you’ll be using a cane any day now.”    But enough personal stuff, here’s what I have planned for all of you…

This week I plan on doing several blogs that breakdown the steps in how I go about making an image, so look for the first in the series tomorrow.  Also, in an effort to get to know my readers better next week I’ll be doing a column called “in the spotlight” where I’ll be featuring readers and their work.

The contest:  I’m going to extend February’s photo contest until the 18th and announce the winner on the 19th so keep uploading those photos to my Facebook Fan page found HERE.

I found a few cool iPhone apps so if you’re looking for a free HDR program for you iPhone then click HERE.  Or, a free crop program then click HERE.

Lastly, it’s been brought to my attention that some people have tried to comment on my site with some trouble.  I’m trying to work out the problems and hope to have it resolved in the next few days.

Until tomorrow…take care, John

Good Morning

I would like to tell you that while I was in Mexico I was taking photographs 100% of the time. But truth is I could be found on occasion enjoying my killer view of the Gulf of Mexico with my Kindle and a strong cup of coffee.  I’m really starting to fall in love with my Kindle.  The device is crazy slick.  I’m not sure why I waited so long to get one, but I really enjoyed reading all my newspapers, books and even my own blog while abroad.   I even created a protective photo skin for it using Uniqueskin.com… so you know it’s true love.  The really nice thing about an e-reader is it’s small and portable.  It was very convenient having some of my favorite e-books available for reference without having to haul around my bulky laptop.  It’s always nice to have access to such titles as   “The essential guide to Portrait Photography,”by DPS “Understanding Post Processing” by Mitchell Kanashkevich, “Digital Photography Book” by Scott Kelby, plus all of David duChemin’s e-books with just the click of a button.   Tomorrow I’m hoping to have a few photos of some crazy little spider monkeys that I photographed on a Mayan Reserve so stayed tuned.

Side note: If you have a Kindle and you’re interested in reading my blog then click HERE (Amazon charges .99 a month for delivery and if I could I would make it free but Amazon drives the bus on this one.  I have no control over the rate or I would make it free.)

Need a hand? (iPhone taken with Best Camera App)

Grumpy (iPhone taken with QuadCamera)

Clint (iPhone taken with Tilt/Shift)

Today’s post is going to be for all you iPhone users. I know, I know, not everyone has one. Trust me, I resisted getting an iPhone for a very long time. People ask me all the time what I think of my iPhone and I tell them it’s a 10 as far as the fun factor goes, but as a straight up phone it’s just a 6 (AT&T’s network needs work). But it’s hard to get everything you want in one package. What makes the iPhone my phone of choice is all the killer applications – especially the photo apps. So I thought I would rattle a few off and maybe at the end of the blog all of you can add to my list. Everyone knows I enjoy the Best Camera application by Chase Charvis, but here a few more that line my screen.

PS Mobile by Photoshop.com. This application truly is simple to use and has a great crop feature and color control.

QuadCamera. It takes one photo and stacks the images in a window box…it’s a cool effect.

Pano by debacle software. It makes great pano images. Just click a few shots and just like in Photoshop the images are aligned.

Photobuddy. I’ve mentioned this before, this slick application will give you Sun/Moon times, exposure, depth of field and more. It’s a very useful tool in the field.

If you just like to play, then check out Photostudio. This application is simply loaded – if you want the most bang for your buck this might be it. Do color correction, add textures, overlays, frames, blur…just to name a few.

Tilt/Shift by imimux. This is too much fun. I downloaded this application a few days ago and have yet to stop playing with it.

If you want to isolate color than check out Color Splash.

Eliminate or reduce camera shake with Darkroom.

AppBox pro is loaded with everyday tools, but if you ever need a bubble level for your camera then look no further because it has a built in clinometers – not to mention a flashlight to find your gear in the dark.

When I’m traveling I like to send postcards. I know, call me old fashion. But today I use the Postman application to do it. Just take a photo and enter an email address and a nice note like “wish you were here…..no really!” and send away.

This list could go on and on but instead drop me a note and tell me what you have loaded on your iPhone. And for those of you who haven’t joined the revolution, Xmas is coming.

p.s. all these applications can be downloaded at iTunes.

Wyoming Sunset (1/250 at f/14, 16mm, ISO 1250)

Landscape photographers live for what’s called  the “magic” or “golden” hour.    This  means the first or last hour of light for the day. It’s usually within this time that we capture some of our best landscape images.   Why?  Because the light is warm, soft and the shadows are dramatic.  The effect can be breathtaking.  Another reason is due to the incredible colors that are produced at that time of day or otherwise known as the  Rayleigh scattering effect.   The main issue for many of us is simply timing.  I don’t know how many times I’ve arrived a little too late, or worse yet, left a little too early.   Now everyone knows I’m a geek with my iPhone. It has a great application called Photobuddy, that has a nice built-in sunrise/sunset calculator –  not to mention some other really great tools.  If you don’t use an  iPhone, or you need a hard copy,  don’t fret, “there’s an app for that”..;)  I would recommend going to www.sunrisesunset.com and using their sunset/sunrise calculator and printing out a very simple calendar.   Never be late for a golden sunrise again, but try to eke out every last minute in the sack as possible..;)