From my iPhone to the world

On the road...

2012-02-13T12:25:00.000+13:00

Snapped out the window during a trip north (no, I wasn't driving) this scene shows some effects of the iPhone's 'rolling shutter'. The upright post on the left has been captured as leaning due to the progressive way the scene is saved during exposure.
Cropped and 'clarified' with Camera+.

Snap

2012-02-09T14:49:00.001+13:00

Our daughter has just started photography class at high school and unlike her older sister, she will be using a digital camera. I think they may have boarded up the darkrooms...
This shot of Victoria holding her camera was taken on my camera and then photographed with the iPhone. It was then adjusted with Photogene2 - a rather clever app that I got specifically to add information into the metadata of my photos.

Bugging out

2012-02-05T23:13:00.001+13:00

I don't know whether this VW owner was actually packed for a sporty weekend away or whether they just loaded it up with things as props, but it looked pretty good.
Tweaked in PhotoForge 2.

The party's over...

2012-01-27T15:00:00.001+13:00

After a fun-filled week in Golden Bay, South Island, the family and I returned to Wellington on the evening ferry.
This shot, as we were about to leave Marlborough Sounds was treated with a 'spot' filter in the app RetroGram.

Get the message!

2012-01-26T17:06:00.000+13:00

The Mussel Inn near Takaka does a good chowder, but if you yak on your phone it may get nailed to the post.
This shot was very pink from the sunlight coming through a red sunshade do I converted it to black & white using Photo fx.

Make my day

2012-01-22T21:39:00.001+13:00

Cruising around the remote upper South Island we had a moment of excitement when spotting this classy caravan of caffeine consumption.
It's been parked up at various events and locations around Wellington for a few years so it was a complete surprise to see it at Collingwood... but wonderful to get a sublime coffee fix (of Sublime Coffee).
** also shown in the 'Frametastic' posting.

Photo safari

2012-01-20T23:48:00.000+13:00

Using the app Frametastic I grabbed a few images from my photo-wandering today.
Although the iPhone screen tends to pick up unwanted reflections in the sun, as long as the brightness is up high enough the screen makes a surprisingly good viewfinder for general photography.

Photo with flare

2012-01-19T23:38:00.001+13:00

I thought this hanging shell ornament in the setting sun was bound to make an interesting image.
This hasn't been edited at all, the iPhone 4 has a tendency to flare quite strongly with a light source in the frame but this time the flare has taken on a flower-like pattern.

Day trippin'

2012-01-18T14:15:00.000+13:00

Dropped off the scooter for a service in town so hopped on the bus home.
Kinda liked the colours and composition of this, so no editing at all.

Acting cool

2012-01-18T08:51:00.000+13:00

"Go ahead.... make my day" - this guy was taunting the poor mouse - pretending to take no notice, but pouncing as soon as it moved away.
Cropped and graduated with PhotoForge2.

Summer in the city

2012-01-11T21:41:00.001+13:00

Trying out yet another app on the iPhone - 'Frametastic'.
There are a few options of layout, frame colour, shape & background, plus it allows you to organise a printed card to be posted (very old-school).

On the red carpet...

2012-01-09T00:16:00.000+13:00

The local 'Christmas Trees' are shedding their decorative crimson flowers and colouring much of the landscape beneath.
I ran this image through one of my old stand-by editing apps - The Best Camera.

Boo!

2012-01-02T15:06:00.002+13:00

Ah, holiday spirit on the streets of Wellington.
This image didn't really need any treatment, but I imported it into Snapseed and tweaked it with a couple of filters and a border.... just cos'.

The party's just begun...

2012-01-02T14:48:00.001+13:00

So we've had Christmas and we've had New Year's Eve - time to crack into a brand new calendar/diary/notebook and take down the decorations. Exciting.
This shot was cropped and given a bit of 'fill flash' with the Camera + app.

Follow the star

2011-12-26T23:32:00.001+13:00

The decorations will be coming down soon, but this local house with it's simple light show worked well.
Imported into Instagram & given the lomo-fi treatment.

Baubles

2011-12-24T22:42:00.001+13:00

These Christmassy decorations are hanging from a chandelier and the image was treated with a couple of filters from an app called Pixlromatic. Awkward name for a app, but it has a pretty impressive set of options - and it was free.
Merry Christmas - keep shooting images with that iPhone.

Beachy

2011-12-21T21:11:00.001+13:00

Early morning light has been taken to extremes with a bit of filter overload. I imported this shot into Foto fx app and applied about 4 layers of haze/tone/focus, etc. errr.... just because I could.

Monsters in the garden

2011-12-10T00:54:00.002+13:00

I don't know where this huge dragonfly came from, but I'm sure it was a long way from home - I don't think I've even seen a normal sized dragonfly in Miramar. The thing was quite awe inspiring and could have been a piece of garden sculpture.
This shot was cropped, treated and framed in Camera+.

Overseeing the bay

2011-12-07T14:55:00.000+13:00

This South American totem sits beside Lyall Bay and gives a fairly exotic look to this slice of Wellington.
I treated this shot with a few different filters & effects courtesy of the app Snapseed (a very comprehensive editing tool, as recommended by www.robertcatto.com).

Salads of Summer

2011-12-02T16:08:00.000+13:00

There's just something about all those colours and textures glistening in the sun that always seems to have me reaching for a camera just before grabbing a fork.
This shot was imported into Instagram before being uploading here.

Getting close

2011-11-26T23:37:00.001+13:00

A local of Karaka Bay, who happens to direct a film or two, has had coloured lights adorning this rather impressive pine tree for the last few years. Recently the lights seem to have been replaced with a brighter and more vibrant set (possibly LED lights). They certainly brighten up the bay.
The iPhone 4 does a fairly good job of very low-light situations and I've added a selective focus effect in Camera+.

She's a mod

2011-11-15T22:05:00.000+13:00

Dropping off our daughter at high school made me realise that I really should get myself a cool jacket... or at least a green anorak for when I'm on the scooter.
Another 'Camera +' edited photo.

mmm...bacon!

2011-11-04T12:41:00.002+13:00

OK, maybe the T-shirt is exaggerating slightly but this guy is obviously aroused by the thought of sizzling bacon.
The photo was put through the Holga filter in CameraBag.

Is it art...?

2011-10-31T22:06:00.001+13:00

Well, it was at the Dowse Art Museum (as it's now called), but this was a wall outside the gallery, on a Saturday morning... so I'm guessing this was just a Friday night trophy left behind.
The photo was treated with 'Tilt Shift' app and then the 'CameraBag' app.

Ice, ice, baby

2011-10-24T21:32:00.001+13:00

A temporary ice rink that's been set up on Wellington's waterfront has been incredibly popular. I've watched people zooming around over a couple of weekends and I've been impressed with how skilled many of the skaters are - very few tragedies.
This shot was run through CameraBag and given the Holga look.

Sound Pattern

2011-10-18T13:56:00.001+13:00

This display at The Dowse gallery is a bit of audio-visual ingenuity. A long handled feather duster is supplied so people can run around knocking the bamboo chimes and create their own soundtrack.
I put this shot thru' Pro HDR to increase the detail in the shadows.

Technology shuffle

2011-10-06T16:28:00.001+13:00

I've been huddled near the glow of my computer this rainy afternoon, printing some images of people dressed in gear from the 1800's, photographed on a digital camera, toned in the computer to look 'old school', sent wirelessly to an inkjet printer sitting next to an old illuminated sign from the 1950's. Of course this image was shot on a new-fangled phone/camera and manipulated within the phone to also look retro... as someone discussed recently - soon it will be hard to identify which era photographs were taken in.

From above

2011-09-29T14:09:00.001+13:00

An interesting vase of flowers always makes for a good photographic subject. These peonies were given the classic SX-70 look with Polarize on the iPhone.

mmm... pudding...

2011-09-26T16:48:00.000+13:00

When Stephanie couldn't find the right recipe amongst her notes and photocopies out came the iPhone. A quick Google and there was a glorious-sounding sticky date pudding recipe. Yes, an iPad would have been better, but the desert would have tasted the same.
Image cropped and given the 'Helga' treatment in CameraBag app.

Low tide

2011-09-22T14:25:00.002+12:00

Another shot taken at Lyall Bay Beach on a calm morning recently. The shot was imported into Cool FX and given a 'bleach warm' effect.

Secret code

2011-09-19T20:46:00.001+12:00

I found this message on a local beach - clear enough for any NZ'ers, but probably obscure for any others - "kia kaha AB's" = "forever strong All Blacks".
I edited the shot with Fotoforge - rotated, as I'd held the phone flat to shoot straight down it was in the wrong orientation, and then I gave it the 'gothic' treatment.

Important #11

2011-09-15T17:46:00.000+12:00

They're pretty serious about where people park at one of the city churches... that eleventh commandment must be obeyed! They even have a 'smite zone' where you may be struck by lightening for parking there.
This shot was given the 'toy camera' treatment with Camera+.

Blue moon

2011-09-12T08:39:00.000+12:00

This shot of the old court building in Wellington shows how well the iPhone 4 handles low-light situations.
The camera has adjusted the white-balance for the tungsten light source of the building, which has caused the colder colour of the moon to shift towards blue.

Grab shot

2011-09-08T22:16:00.001+12:00

I noticed this guy in the rear vision mirror, seemingly drifting up the road behind me. I grabbed the iPhone & snapped this quick shot of a YikeBike whizzing past ( http://www.yikebike.com ).
It'll be interesting to see if they become more popular than the Segway - this one certainly seemed much louder than a Segway.

Sign of the times

2011-09-05T20:22:00.000+12:00

Wellington has sprouted a new 'Hollywood-style' sign to greet new arrivals to the airport. This one is supposed to be temporary - for the duration of the Rugby World Cup and the debate of the virtues of putting up a 'Wellywood' sign.
While stopped on my scooter to snap this photo, I had two people remark to me that this was better than 'Wellywood'.
Pretty good dynamic range from the iPhone 4 camera, although you probably can't quite make out that the sign is made of corrugated iron.

Country charm

2011-09-05T11:17:00.000+12:00

There are still plenty of character-filled buildings up and down New Zealand, playing a part in community life. This lovely old hall is in Ohariu Valley just outside Wellington.
I used the Best Camera app to knock back the colour and give the shot a more timeless feel.

The tide is high...

2011-08-31T13:19:00.001+12:00

Yes, it does bring to mind a certain Blondie song, and it does allude to flooding in the States, but this is a boat house (converted for living accommodation) in Evans Bay.
A much-photographed icon, this is my first image posted from my iPhone 4 (yeah, just before the iPhone 5 hits the shelves!). This was shot with HDR (high dynamic range) set to 'on', which brought in some tone to the sky.
Loving the camera in the new phone.

Wacky Wellington Weather

2011-08-16T20:21:00.001+12:00

We've had an interesting couple of days, with sleet, hail and snow hitting the Capital. This isn't strange for some parts of the country, but Wellington hasn't had this kind of weather for 50 years.
Seeing people step outside to watch snowflakes with a huge smile on their faces is so funny - it's just such an unknown experience for Wellingtonians.

Lift or stairs?

2011-08-12T11:50:00.002+12:00

In some buildings it's not really an option to take the stairs, but I'm often pleasantly surprised when I do opt to use my legs - many of Wellington's buildings have really attractive stairways.
This shot was tweaked a bit with the app Photoforge2 (detail increased in the shadows and a slight soft focus effect).

...aaaand it's gone

2011-08-08T21:13:00.001+12:00

A pretty amazing cloudless day gives way to a pretty amazing cloudless evening. Snowy peaks of the South Island are just visible behind the distant hill line towards the left.

Winter sun

2011-08-08T10:45:00.001+12:00

Wellington is having a pretty mild winter so far.... long may it last. I haven't been inspired to shoot much on the iPhone lately, so I decided to take a few snaps while heading down our driveway. Using the Hipstamatic App is kind of frustrating, but it's also interesting in an old-school way - you don't quite know what your image will be like until after you've 'processed' the shot.

Location, location

2011-07-28T23:21:00.002+12:00

Great spot for a time-lapse sequence - views of Wellington CBD, the harbour and Lower Hutt. Now, to the editing suite...

Spot news

2011-07-24T10:55:00.002+12:00

Driving through the suburb of Kilbirnie a couple of nights ago I was drawn to the flashing lights of 5 fire appliances. There was a small fire in some sheds behind the shops which didn't seem to take too long to put out.
Yet another occasion when I was out with only one camera... the iPhone. The 3GS doesn't handle low light conditions too well - perhaps the iPhone 5 will be a worthwhile investment for the citizen reporters out there...?

Rain forest

2011-07-14T17:13:00.001+12:00

Well, rain garden really.... but some of the weeds are rather forest-like.
This shot was taken after a downpour and then given the 'blue tone' treatment with the app Film LAB.

New clique?

2011-07-11T11:25:00.004+12:00

I noticed this sticker on a car recently and wondered about the need to be 'categorised'. I guess we all like hanging out with like-minded people, but a lot of people fall into many different groups... how many bumper stickers could we all have?

Ash Wednesday

2011-07-07T17:05:00.001+12:00

Ok, I'm not actually sure if the Chilean volcano ash cloud is still hanging around, but last night's sunset seemed a little more colourful than we usually get at this time of the year.
No apps were used for this image, although I shot some different exposure settings by tapping on different areas of the screen to bias the exposure from light to dark.

Work THIS out

2011-06-30T22:15:00.001+12:00

This Rubiks Cube is hanging near a couple of art galleries in Auckland. A cool and bold sculpture that's about 1 & half metres across.
I gave this image a bit of a treatment with one of the dozen or so photo apps on my phone... but I can't remember which app I used!

Clinging on

2011-06-26T15:51:00.001+12:00

The last few remaining leaves are hanging in there on our oak tree. I think they've usually all fallen by now, but we haven't had a windy winter so far.
I haven't used the Instagram app for quite a while, so that was the one I chose for this image. This was treated with the 'lomofi' filter.

Morning clean-up...

2011-06-20T19:52:00.001+12:00

A damp Monday morning in Parnell, Auckland, has a feeling of "goodbye weekend, here's a fresh start to the week".

This was shot with the Hipstamatic app, but it took me about 6 shots to get the framing I wanted - the tiny viewfinder just doesn't correspond to the image captured. Maybe there's an option to fix that... or maybe it's about creating art..?!

Crazy lights

2011-06-15T08:57:00.000+12:00

While in town one evening recently, I decided to try out one of those apps that I thought sounded useful, but had tucked away in a folder on the iPhone and not got around to using.
Called Slowshutter, it gives the 'effect' of using a slow shutter speed on a regular camera (something the standard software doesn't do). It seems to work as it should and combined with the rainbow effect from the Adobe Photoshop app it ended up looking pretty much like this...

Early birds

2011-06-09T21:51:00.000+12:00

A beautiful morning on the harbour. Seagulls on Seatoun Wharf given a bit of treatment in the multi-faceted image app Fotoforge2.

Cafe cool

2011-06-03T21:11:00.002+12:00

There's a great little cafe in Wellington that is just that extra bit cool for using an iPad as their cash register.
As you can see, they haven't changed to an iPad 2 yet - I guess they'd need to also change their stylish mounting bracket. It seems that transactions are being wirelessly transmitted to a server and I suppose they plug in a charging cable occasionally (there's space between the bracket on the right) . Nice.

The round house

2011-06-01T21:49:00.001+12:00

Had a great drive through some rolling green countryside and ended up at a classic coastal lighthouse at sunset. This is Cape Palliser lighthouse in the Wairarapa, perched up 250 steps (gasp...) on a cliff above some fairly hostile waters.
This shot was given the 'Lolo' treatment in the app Camerabag.

She's got legs...

2011-05-20T12:12:00.002+12:00

While being involved in a TV commercial for pantyhose I grabbed this snap on the iPhone. I liked how incongruous it was to be wearing a bunched-up dressing gown while also wearing a skimpy skirt (it was a cold day).
This shot was treated with 'clarity' and 'magic hour' filters in the app Camera+.

Don't look up

2011-05-14T01:28:00.000+12:00

Well, I spent a few hours only looking up... shooting a new sign being put on top of a building.
This camera was locked off to shoot a time-lapse sequence, note the hi-tech gaffer tape blocking light from entering the eyepiece (some cameras have an internal blind to do this).
I used the 'Best Camera' app to crop this iPhone shot and put a dark vignette in the corners.

Mid city art

2011-05-01T15:41:00.000+12:00

This stainless steel sculpture in the heart of Wellington's retail sector is quite a visually dramatic piece. I think it relates to braille letters on a grand scale.
I decided to go a bit old-school-arty with it and gave it a monochrome filter/white border treatment with the app Camerabag.

Apt message

2011-04-24T15:37:00.001+12:00

Not wanting to promote any sort of religious message here, but I shot this sign while travelling through Taranaki last week.
I'd just spent an emotionally charged evening discussing my opinions on a septum piercing with our teenage daughter, so this notice seemed rather appropriate.
Filtered with 'So Emo' from the Camera+ app (also rather appropriate).

Flying High

2011-04-15T23:07:00.001+12:00

Had a very enjoyable buzz around Wellington this week with Helipro. While sitting next to TJ in the front seat with my big camera, this photo was taken with an iPhone from the back seat.

Google Gaiety

2011-04-12T09:19:00.001+12:00

Turns out that a simple search on the word Askew (or Tilt) turns up a suitably angled page of results.
This slightly lopsided hilarity happens with an iPhone, and, I presume, an iPod Touch and iPad.... maybe other mobile devices also (can anyone confirm?).

Costa del Welly

2011-04-06T13:42:00.001+12:00

A quick photo taken while riding along the waterfront.
Once again I used the app Camera+ on the iPhone to crop the photo, as well as using the new 'Clarity' setting to lighten shadows.

What, no engine!

2011-04-04T17:23:00.000+12:00

We've had some lovely calm days in Wellington recently and have been out on a bicycle for the first time in years (it seems I did remember how).
In my tradition of taking pictures while driving/scooting/riding - here's a snap.

Rockin' Roxy

2011-03-30T20:26:00.000+13:00

Miramar has been graced with a rather stunning movie theatre - totally revamped from when it last ran flicks about 50 years ago.
The opening tonight was a glittering affair with vintage cars and beautifully dressed guests - so I gave this shot a bit of an olde worlde look with Camera+.

Jeepers Creepers

2011-03-30T10:59:00.001+13:00

After huge anticipation the parcel was delivered, labeled simply "black suede/cheetah fur". Oh, yeah, one very happy daughter now walking 2 inches taller.
This shot was given the cartoon treatment with an app called Halftone.

Quatro verde

2011-03-29T14:24:00.000+13:00

I haven't used some of the multi-image apps I have on the iPhone for quite a while so I wandered up to the herb garden for a study in green.
This image was shot with the app Molopix. There are options for style of layout, whether it shoots each frame automatically or manually, and whether it puts a white or black border around the images... but that's about all it does.

Playing for real

2011-03-21T23:50:00.001+13:00

I spent a very enjoyable day at a shooting range in the Wairarapa on Saturday. There was a competition on for people involved in Cowboy Action Shooting, so I took my 'proper' camera along to try and get an image for my portfolio.
These cowboys and cowgirls dress up in 'wild west' outfits and use firearms of that era in shooting stages that have a feel of a Clint Eastwood movie. The guns are all real .45's or .44-40's etc., but are mostly modern reproductions.
For this image I used Camera+ to lighten the shadows, add a warmth to the colour, crop the shot and put a border around it.

Big moon arisin'

2011-03-20T13:41:00.001+13:00

After helping our daughter move in to a tidy wee Newtown flat, I took a moment to capture the scene lit by lunar glow. Apparently the moon was closer to the Earth last night than it has been for decades - rather a nice show.
I resisted the temptation to edit this too heavily, but just cropped it with Photoshop Express.

Early rays

2011-03-15T21:48:00.002+13:00

While photographing a racing yacht I ended up being at a local beach, strangely, before breakfast.
A chance to shoot a few pics with the iPhone and then try the new photo sharing app Instagram that all the cool kids are using. It has some good looking preset filters with funky names... but is very geared towards sharing your images with the Instagram community....which I am now part of...

High times

2011-03-07T23:20:00.002+13:00

Coincidently I've been working on two assignments recently that have involved cranes. The first was photographing the changing of signage on a very tall building and the second was a round-the-world race yacht having it's broken mast removed.
This was the crane that was used to lift the mast onto dry land - I used a filter called 'Ansel' in Camera+ which converted the shot to black & white, and then I used a slider to put some colour back into the image.

Blue skies

2011-03-02T23:24:00.001+13:00

This shot was taken while clambering around some buildings looking for a vantage point to set up my main camera. The simple blue/white/grey colour palette appealed to me, so I just cropped it to a square with Photoshop Express and uploaded it here.

Zen and the art of...

2011-02-18T19:18:00.001+13:00

...motorcycle maintenance.
Well, scooter actually - I had a problem - it refused to accelerate at all... it would start and idle, but as soon as I tried to move off, the engine would die.
Not knowing a whole lot about mechanics, but surmising it was a carburettor problem, I started to strip it down to get to the internals. Not an easy task... but finally got all the bits off... and then it was suggested to me that the standard operating procedure for two-stroke engine problems was to rev the guts out of it. Worth a try. It seemed to rev OK without me sitting on it, so I put it on the centrestand and cranked it up. Seemed to clear the problem. Tried riding it... all good. Whew, I don't know why it worked, but any fix is a good fix, so I put it all back together and off round the bays to test it out.

Clinging to summer

2011-02-15T15:46:00.000+13:00

Another gorgeous evening around the bay (Karaka Bay, Wellington). The ferry is heading out for a tranquil cruise to the South Island.
I added some detail into the darker areas of this shot with ProHDR.

Gratuitous border

2011-02-07T22:56:00.000+13:00

A classic coastal Pohutukawa tree that was photographed on Karaka Bay.
After adding some detail in the shadows with an app called ProHDR I gave it the sunset treatment with Camera+ and added a border called 'offset', which perhaps should be called 'overkill'.

Life in the slow lane

2011-02-04T23:57:00.001+13:00

This is a screenshot of what our home internet connection was giving last week. Slow....like dial-up slow...ouch. We had gone over our broadband allowance at home and were throttled right back in speed.
A whole family that lives on the internet had been hit even harder by teenagers being home for the holidays.
With a new broadband billing period and school hols over, it means that our web browsing experience is a lot more pleasant now.

Top hat

2011-01-31T12:43:00.001+13:00

A nice piece of graffiti in Newtown, finished off by one of the new hospital buildings. I wonder if this is what the artist had in mind when painting this piece...?
This image was cropped and sharpened with the Photoshop iPhone app.

Racing to the sunset

2011-01-22T14:00:00.001+13:00

Another of those 'I should have brought along my big camera... but at least I've got my iPhone with me' moments.
Walking along a ridge in Maupuia, Wellington, as the sun was descending into 'dramatic mode' - cropped and added saturation with Camera+.

Classy ride

2011-01-14T22:44:00.001+13:00

Spotted this well-maintained 1960 Puch 50cc scooter parked in Wellington the other day. I somehow doubt that any of the thousands of Asian machines buzzing around town will still be usable in 50 years time.
This shot was given the olde worlde look with Camera+.

Deadly Ice

2011-01-07T14:19:00.001+13:00

While others in the world are actually being burdened with really deadly ice, I've been enjoying a Christmas present that creates pistol-shaped ice blocks. Cool... very cool.
I've bumped up the colour saturation and rounded the corners with the app Camera+.

Hot Wheels

2011-01-04T15:49:00.000+13:00

OK, I don't think a Morris 1100 would make it to Jeremy Clarkson's 'Cool Wall', but this one was kinda special. From a distance it seemed to be covered in fabric, but someone had stippled the top half of the car with an interesting paint-effect.
I also gave the image an 'effect' with the appropriately named Tail Fins filter in the app Camera+.

Fishing Village

2010-12-28T17:34:00.000+13:00

Driving past Island Bay at sunset it's always hard to resist capturing the scene. On this occasion I only had the iPhone with me, so grabbed a few shots and later worked on this one with the app 'Cool FX'.

'twas the day before Christmas

2010-12-24T18:00:00.000+13:00

and all through the town there were buskers and shoppers scurrying around. The air was swirling with bright red pohutukawa needles and the sound of ringing cash registers.... aaah, Christmas in the city.

Street Decoration

2010-12-16T11:42:00.001+13:00

Yeah, the Kiwi Christmas Tree is really starting to flourish around Wellington. They seem to be flowering a bit later than usual, which is supposed to indicate a short summer... lucky I'm not superstitious.
I used Camera+ on this image (once again) - cropped to a square, black border and a slight colour boost.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-09T22:13:00.001+13:00

Things are definitely taking on a Yuletide feel in Middle Earth. This rather grand tree is in a private backyard.... but the private backyard of Peter Jackson's house!
The 'aurora' look has been caused by a manipulation called 'Purple Haze'.

Au Naturel

2010-12-07T23:06:00.001+13:00

There's something wonderfully textural and refreshing about back-lit leaves. I tried a few adjustments on this image but decided that it looked better just as the iPhone captured it!

Life's a...

2010-12-01T22:50:00.001+13:00

I think we Wellingtonian's have reached the conclusion that summer has arrived. Barbies are being lit, festive decorations are being strung, and beaches are the place to be.
This shot has been given the lens tilt effect with an app called 'Tilt Shift'.

Ancient superhero

2010-11-29T13:02:00.002+13:00

This modern Maori carving was photographed during a visit to Te Papa Museum - given the 'So Emo' filter in Camera+

Refreshment

2010-11-24T23:35:00.002+13:00

A handle of Tui with a dear old friend visiting Wellington. Used the app Infinicam to give the image a bit of treatment.

Moon, whale, house

2010-11-19T13:57:00.000+13:00

Twilight is often pushing the limit of my iPhone's camera, but it's also one of the nicest times to shoot pictures.
No apps were used and no animals were harmed in the making of this picture.

Vantastic

2010-11-14T16:51:00.001+13:00

There's something special about the life of a caravan. I guess it's to do with the fact that it's a portable holiday machine, like Dr Who's tardis, it could pop up anywhere.

Sundown

2010-11-12T10:18:00.000+13:00

A bit of the old lens flare as that big yellow thing sneaks down behind a Dr. Seuss tree. Loving the long evenings and distant aromas of BBQs.

A capital day

2010-11-07T23:23:00.001+13:00

Wandering around Wellington on a sunny Sunday makes it easy to see why Lonely Planet voted this the "coolest little Capital in the world" - and makes me wonder if I can squeeze any more alliteration into this post.

Fright Night

2010-10-31T12:08:00.001+13:00

A local home-owner has done well for the big night - I think they can expect a few trick or treaters tonight.
I 'treated' this shot with the very appropriate filter called So Emo.

Precioussss Internet

2010-10-28T13:29:00.001+13:00

Blatant Tolkienism in the title at a time of National joy that The Hobbit movies are to be filmed in NZ (well, lots of happy peeps in Miramar, anyway!).
So, our family of 5 has been without broadband for 24hrs now and are all feeling rather disconnected. Have got a 'thin' lifeline in the iPhone's 3G data reception... but it just ain't the same.
Please Mr Telecom Man put the plug back in!
By the way, how are we supposed to know if our service has been restored...? Oh, yeah, try resetting the modem every 10 mins... sigh...

Boy in the Bubble

2010-10-21T23:33:00.001+13:00

He seemed happy enough - trapped inside his own little world. I felt that I should have smashed the shell and let him out, but he was doing his cleaning, so I just left him to it.
I think this is one of those action/attractions that keeps people entertained along the waterfront - hire the bubble and 'walk' on the water of the nearby lagoon.

Encroaching

2010-10-14T16:32:00.001+13:00

I found this view outside Welly's new hospital and gave it a bit of the Canera+ treatment. The safety dots on the footpath almost look like someone has laid out some pills in the late-afternoon light.

Hot Wheels

2010-10-07T10:15:00.000+13:00

This little beauty was parked near a Rolls Royce at The Chocolate Fish recently - I'm not sure which car I preferred....
This shot has been tweaked in the Camera+ app.

Stretcho Photo

2010-09-29T23:31:00.001+13:00

Of course there are quite a few apps that allow panoramic images to be shot and merged together - it seems that every week my iPhone can do more and more crazy tasks.
It was a lovely day by the harbour so I used Panoramatic to experiment with this stitch-up shot. The app gives a ghost-frame of each shot taken so you can line up the next shot, plus some options when it comes to the stitching. This was a quick test, and while not perfect, it ain't bad for a phone.

Scrambled Pixels

2010-09-20T16:16:00.001+12:00

Seems I had a graphics processor meltdown in my laptop - this is NOT what my screen should have looked like (and I haven't used an image-changing iPhone app).
I discovered that this was due to fault with a batch of processors that ended up in my model MacBook Pro so the motherboard was replaced promptly with no loss of data and all for free. Happy ending to what could have been a scary and expensive story.

Brewing an image

2010-09-19T00:10:00.000+12:00

I'm not quite sure what to make of this photo app. It's called Percolator and will add a variable pop-art effect to an image, after it goes through a 'brewing' process. Most of the shots I've tried it on just look weird!

Kiwi Cuisine

2010-09-09T14:05:00.001+12:00

Looking through my 'Hipstamatic' album on the iPhone, I came across this image that I'd shot a while ago. It was captured on a clear, but cold Friday evening while heading for the dining salvation of our local 'greasy' shop.

Which witch?

2010-09-09T10:49:00.000+12:00

Some late afternoon/early spring lighting helps to give a bit of life to these cones. There has been a lot of road work being done in the neighbourhood lately.
Processed this shot thru' Camera+ once again.