Wandering

Photo Walk for Exercise, Fairview Heights, Illinois

"Hope I can find my way home!"

While on my Photo Walks for Exercise, I have begun collecting a pictorial record of the various signs I pass along the way. Here's my first entry.

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 and transferred to the iPad via the Photo Transfer app. I used iPhoto to soften the original background image and apply a black and white filter to the final composite.

ArtStudio was used to trim the signs from the respective photos. The signs were individually layered and merged with the background image in Superimpose.

ScratchCam HD added the final filter color effects.

UFOooo!

Photo Walk for Exercise, Moody Park on Longacre, Fairview Heights, Illinois

While walking through the park late one night, I was startled by an unexpected noise. While reaching for my trusty iPhone 4, I spun around just in time to witness, what I can only explain as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this rotating disc pictured in the photo. And, no, the disc is not one of those soon to be unidentified objects that folks my age call a CD.

(Disclaimer: Actually, it wasn't late at night. I'm usually in bed shortly after dark. And, some "slight" post-processing might have been involved.)

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 and transferred to the iPad via the Photo Transfer app. I used iPhoto to crop, adjust contrast, add spot lightening and darkening, and select a black and white filter.

Snapseed was used to add additional spot lightening and darkening, along with the tilt-shift and center focus filters. ArtStudio was selected to provide brush strokes and spot blurring effects.

I returned to iPhoto to further adjust the black and white filter, and finished with TouchRetouch HD to clone grass in the foreground.

This second photo is the original, unprocessed image.

Wrath

Photo Walk for Exercise, Swansea, Illinois

With our extremely hot and dry summer, the news is filled with stories highlighting the low yield expected with this year's crop. As I saw this corn field while walking, I reflected on the ramifications.

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 and transferred to the iPad via Photo Stream. Using iPhoto, I added a black and white filter and adjusted the contrast.

Majestic

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 4

O'Fallon City Park, O'Fallon, Illinois

This majestic tree stands in the O'Fallon, IL city park. The angle I tried to capture placed the sun directly in the photo, so I decided to use it to my advantage. Being extremely uncertain regarding the amount and type of post-processing I prefer, I am experimenting with the various photo apps downloaded to my iPad. 

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 and transferred to the iPad via Photo Stream. Using iPhoto, I added a black and white filter, followed by making high and low contrast copies. The copies were layered and slighted adjusted in Blender, prior to adding a ScratchCam filter for the final color and texture.

Seesaw

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 4

O'Fallon City Park, O'Fallon, Illinois

I'm assuming I can call this a seesaw, although this contraption, which I expected to snort and blow smoke, looks nothing like the wooden planks used during my youth.

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 and transferred to the iPad via Photo Stream. First, I added a filter with the Glaze app and then processed with iPhoto for contrast and color saturation.

1860

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 3

Pleasant Ridge Park, Fairview Heights, IL.

The front door of the Kinsella family home, circa 1860, stands ever vigil in Pleasant Ridge Park. This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 with the native camera app and processed in iPhoto on the iPad.

Aged

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 3

Pleasant Ridge Park, Fairview Heights, IL.

After all the "hot" weather we've had this summer, a few brown leaves remain clinging to this otherwise barren tree. This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4 with the native camera app and processed in iPhoto on the iPad.

Far

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 2

Rock Springs Park, O'Fallon, Illinois

This totally iOS photo was captured on an iPhone 4, transferred to the iPad with the Photo Transfer app and processed with iPhoto.

. . . Steady!

Photo Walk for Exercise, Day 2

Rock Springs Park, O'Fallon, Illinois

This totally iOS photo was taken with an iPhone 4, transferred to iPad with the Photo Transfer app and processed with iPhoto.

Using Mobile Camera as Excuse to Exercise

"Shade!"

If you enjoy taking photos on a daily basis, such as with Instagram, why not try to turn your quest for the perfect picture into a secret exercise program. Today, I decided to commit to such a program, and, hopefully, putting my plan in writing will help me stick to the routine.

Today's photo walk for exercise (Day 1) was at Longacre Park, Fairview Heights, Il.


For this photo I used the iPhone 4 and native camera app. The Photo Transfer app was used to copy the picture to my iPad for contrast processing with iPhoto.

Hopefully, Day 2 tomorrow!

 

Daisies at the Market

Here are two totally iPad photos taken in a Tallinn, Estonia flower market. Both were processed from the original by using iPhoto for color saturation.

This photo has the iPhoto oil paint filter applied.

 

 

A Glaze app paint filter has been applied to this photo.

 

 

My most frequently used iPad apps

I've fallen into the "app trap!" I'm trying to claw my way out by spending less time reading reviews and downloading the "perfect" app, but I keep sliding backwards at an alarming rate.

In reality, when morning's light provides clarity, I'm back using the 10-or-so apps that remain on my iPad's tray (thank goodness for folders). Oh, an occasional stray app might find it's way into the multitasking pane, but a quick home button double tap, hold and delete can chase it back to some buried folder.

Quickly, here's my "Most Frequently Used" downloads:

Used most often: iPhoto, Pages, Flipboard, Downcast, Google+, The Weather Channel, TuneIn Radio, TouchRetouch HD and Artista Oil HD.

Trusted, but not as utilized: Pro HDR, AutoStitch, Superimpose, Photo Transfer and SiriusXM.

Recent downloads eagerly waiting to make the list: Blogsy and Glaze.

Ok, here's your chance to fuel my desire to spend hours reading app reviews. "What are your favorite apps?"

 

Testing Blogsy and Posts on iPad

I've downloaded the Blogsy and Posts blogging apps on my iPad. I'm going to give both a spin for the next couple of weeks before deciding if either of these will make the final cut as my permanent blogging app. At the current time, I'm maintaining multiple blogs on Blogger, Tumblr and Jux.

Right off the bat, Posts only supports Wordpress and Blogger, so I will be a bit limited with my experience with Posts.

Jux on the iPad is limited to posting with Safari and limitations are obvious at this point.

Blogsy has allowed me to set up my accounts on Blogger, Tumblr, Flickr, Picasa and YouTube, along with access to the iPad photo folders.

This post was accomplished using Blogsy. First impression: pretty slick!

Well, I'll keep posting my experiences, so stay tuned!

First iPad photo using Glaze app

I just finished my first totally iPad photo using the Glaze app recommended by +Teri Lou Dantzler.

Glaze allows you to add painting filter effects to your photo. The app offers preset filters and a workshop mode where you can create and save your unique filter effects.

My thoughts on the latest Apple rumors

• I don't want a larger iPhone. The current size fits quite nicely in my pocket.
• I'm happy with the current Apple TV connection method. Please continue to allow me to connect to any TV I wish. I don't want an all-in-one TV.
• About the iPad mini. Hit a sweet spot in the consumer price market and go for it.
• Keep the product line reasonably uncluttered from fringe offerings, limit upgrade options to a minimum, and empower the user through great customer service. 

Someone once said, "Determine what you do better than anyone else and make it better. Don't get weighed down by trying to be everything to everyone."

Copenhagen Canal Photo Workflow

Here's the process used to create this totally iPad photo.

The original photo was shot out a bus window as we stopped along a Copenhagen street. The photo is marked to highlight the areas to be removed from the original. I used ArtStudio to circle the target areas.

To begin the post-processing, the original photo was opened in TouchRetouch HD to remove the man, wires and shadows, and TV antennas.

Then I used iPhoto to enhance the overall color and selectively saturate the water’s color to the right of the frame and the lamp’s globe to the left.


The final photo "Copenhagen from the Bus" was processed with ArtistaOil HD and may be seen on RonStephenson.com.