Photography with Flare

Shooting towards the sun is often a good test of a lens (or how clean a lens is) and the 5 certainly handles the extremes rather well, with good contrast away from the flare. 

There's been a lot of talk of purple flare with the new iPhone camera, and although there's certainly evidence of it happening, it doesn't seem a major issue at all. 

Witness For The Defence

Grabbing a park in town is often a tricky affair. This time I was in a zone just outside a timed bus clearway... but the electronic meter wouldn't accept any money and seemed to have been programmed for the wrong zone. Luckily there was a helpful warden nearby who agreed that he'd be a witness (luckily I didn't get towed).

Another instance where always having a camera with you can be a big timesaver.

I used the Photo fx app to pixelate the warden's face and number.

More than a Zephyr

Wellington (and the country) has been buffeted by pretty severe winds over the last few days. This kinetic sculpture, titled 'Zephyrometer', sways in the slightest breeze but it rarely gets pushed this far.
I imported this image into Photo fx and added a grey grad to the blank sky, got rid of some background haze and cooled down the colour temperature.

First Job

A few days ago I needed a few images to post online of items to sell... so of course it was time to reach for the iPhone 5 (fitting for this classic piece of Apple hardware and the iBook under it).
Due to the odd angle I had the camera at, the gyroscope was fooled and the image displayed upside down, so I used the native photo app editing tools to rotate the image, save it, and then send it to the auction site and this blog.

Twilight Sailing

This driftwood structure made an interesting frame to the Interislander Ferry leaving Wellington harbour.
I increased the saturation of this shot slightly using Snapseed.

Show time

The foyer of Embassy Theatre just before another screening of a little movie called The Hobbit.
Cropped and given the retro look with an app called Retrogram.

Security Ports

Loving the overall speed improvements of the '5' over the iPhone 4. It may have been that my 4 had been 'clogged' with dozens of apps that I hardly ever used, or that it had been Jailbroken and had quite a few tweaks applied (I do miss them...), but I guess it's mostly the faster processor and more RAM that means the '5' is able to access the camera quicker and apply changes to images almost instantly.
This image was worked on in Camera+.

Gelato Weather

Wellington's waterfront was teaming with tourists and locals enjoying the sunshine today... they say you can't beat Wellington on a good day, and today was a very good day.
This shot was taken in a busy gelato shop and filtered with the first iPhone photo app (I think) that I used on an iPhone 3G - CameraBag. Nice to see it still provides a good edit and works really quickly on the '5'.

Afternoon Rosé

A difficult decision today - do I post a photograph of my coffee or my glass of wine?
This shot was treated with a filter called 'Brownie - Dark' in the app Ttv PS.

Beach collage

A quick wander around the beach with the new iPhone - the camera manages to capture great dynamic range and good colour depth.
These few quick snaps were put together in the Mixel app.

Urban Panorama

I've used numerous panorama apps for my earlier generations of iPhones - some have been simpler than others But the new panorama function of the iPhone 5 is just so easy it's tempting to use it all the time.
Most of these types of images are made of static landscape views, which it's most suited to. You can see some visual anomalies that can happen with moving subjects, as I'm panning the camera while people are walking.

Whole New World

Well, how about 'New Year, New iPhone'. Yep, am getting to grips (happily) with an iPhone 5 - loving the capability of the camera, the taller screen and the speed of the processor.
This image was made using the new panorama function to shoot a 'short' panno at Oriental Bay.

The night before

Small rooms in the Big House

On a prime piece of real estate overlooking Wellington's harbour there is an old prison that has just ceased operating. They held an open day for the public to get an insight into what it was like behind the brick wall and razor wire - it was actually so popular that they extended it for a second day.
This photo was given a filter called 'retrodrops' in the Retrogram app.

Above and beyond...

A few months back I checked out a very enjoyable New Zealand made western feature film - Good for Nothing - and pre-ordered a copy of the DVD.
I had heard that it was about to be released but was given a very pleasant surprise when the director of the film ambled up our driveway and handed over a beautifully wrapped & wax stamped copy of the DVD... such service!
A benefit of living in the hub of Wellington's movie district.
This 'pack shot' was given the rustic treatment with Camera+

Guy Fawkes Night

I was fortunate to have a superb ring-side view of Wellington's fireworks show on the harbour (not only a great view, but great food and company).
I took quite a few photos with my DSLR and then got out the iPhone to try out an app called Slow Shutter. It allows you to choose a variety of shutter speeds that aren't normally accessible with the standard camera - this was shot at 1 second and then given a boost with the 'drama' filter in Snapseed.

Ready for action

There are a couple of houses in our neighbourhood that really get into the 'spirit' of Halloween and put a lot of effort into decorating their places.
This shot was taken just on dusk and edited to give some more detail and colour into the scene with the Camera+ app.

Small but perfectly formed

This cute little fella (a Pygmy Marmoset) is only about 10cm tall and looks like wind-up toy. There are about 4 of them in a glassed off enclosure in the cafe of Wellington's Zoo - very entertaining.
I used a couple of filters in my 'go-to' photo app, Camera+, to give the shot a bit more punch and warmth.

Retro Eatery, Retro Image

Another cool place to eat & drink on Cuba Street - El Matador. This place has been given a distressed look and propped with lots of Spanish/Latino artefacts.
The photo was put through the Retrogram app, which seemed fitting.

Big News

Yep, another variation on the iPhone has landed.... and, no, I don't own one... yet.
This shot was taken with my iPhone 4 in a Telecom store and treated with the Halftone app.
The phone itself was very fast at launching apps, scrolling through pages and shooting photos. In fact the camera improvements over the '4' are almost enough reason for me to want to upgrade... I have rarely used my point-and-shoot camera since getting an iPhone, so the device has become a very important event recorder.

First blooms

I liberated this native kowhai tree seedling from a life in a cold dark gulley and planted it on a reasonably sunny slope in Miramar.
It's been looked after as badly as the rest of the trees around it, but despite that, after about 4 years it's finally flowered for the first time. Not many blooms and much later than most, but great to see these intense yellow flowers.
The shot was given a few tweaks with the app Snapseed.

Sunset landing

When I saw this dramatic sky and a plane approaching I stopped my scooter, grabbed out my iPhone and shot this frame.
The best method of actually taking the photo (I find) is to place a finger on the camera icon (shutter button) and lift it off to take the shot. This is not only steadier than tapping on the phone, but it is usually very responsive when trying to capture peak action.
This image was cropped and enhanced with Camera+.

Tasty Design

We were given a bag of coffee beans recently which almost look too good to open. Maybe we'll just put it on a shelf like a piece of artwork...?!
Straight shot from iPhone - no editing.

All dressed up

Having been along to a Canon photographic roadshow I picked up a couple of pieces of merchandise... and this transfer adds a bit of pizzaz to my laptop.
The photo was given a touch of 'clarity' and 'toy camera' in Camera+.

Low light is alright

While shooting some video of a performance I grabbed a couple of iPhone images of what I was doing. I'm still surprised by how well the 'ancient' iPhone 4 manages to handle low-light situations.
It certainly requires more care than in brighter conditions and I always place my finger on the 'shutter' icon, hold steady then release my finger, rather than tapping on the icon to take the shot (much harder to hold the phone steady that way).

Sign Time-lapse

I finally got an edited version of the time-lapse online. Although it was shot with Canon DSLR's, the final title frame was shot with my iPhone.
New Wellington Sign - July 2012 from Mike Clare on Vimeo.

Where are we?

I spent a good chunk of a day with a camera set up to record a time-lapse of a new sign being installed on a hill near Wellington's airport.
Of course I also took a few shots with the iPhone - this image was cropped and given a 'fashion' filter in Camera+.

Shades of Banksy

A local graffiti artist seems to be paying homage to the famous Banksy with this stencil piece. I didn't get a chance to see if the the QR code leads anywhere but I'll have to check it out.
Cropped, tinted & given a border with Camera+.

Must be good...

A cheeky name for some makeup - for those times when you need it!
This shot was given the Instagram treatment which seemed to work. Sometimes square pictures can be clean and simple but also have a boldness that other shaped images lack.

Wheels and water

A beautiful winters morning and a walk along the promenade at Lyall Bay. There is a fairly strong following of these classic Japanese bicycles in the Capital - a great way to get around.
Un-retouched photo, straight from the iPhone.

Kindly vandals

We've had some rather cool days lately so it's nice to know that there are some radical guerrilla handcraft vandals out there who are considerate towards the Capital's statues.
I ran this photo through a couple of filters in Camera Awesome.

Evening glow

There's usually something photogenic going on along the waterfront - particularly around dusk.
The panoramic nature of the scene lent itself very well to using the 6x17 format crop in the 645 Pro app. I later made a few adjustments to the image with the app Snapseed (one of the only apps I have that allow for localised adjustments).

Winter colour

Downtown Wellington is often pretty drab at this time of the year, but it's usually not hard to find a few splashes of colour.
Unedited shot - straight from the phone.

Room with a view

This house bus found a great place to park on Lyall Bay and view twilight over Cook Strait.
I imported the image into PhotoForge2 to crop it and increase the colour saturation.

Italian delight

Finally had the chance to sample pizza fresh from the wood-fired oven I helped install - delicious.
This late afternoon image was edited with the Camera+ app.

Seasonal Colours

Another use of Frametastic - this time to show some of the colours that are everywhere in the Wairarapa. We don't get the Autumn colours to the same extent in Wellington.

Quads-a-go-go

A weekend over at the Wairarapa coast meant that I got my first real taste of riding (driving?) a 500cc quad bike.
A lot of fun, but I can see the need to be wary of them in some situations - quite a few people have managed to crash these things.
This morning-light shot was given a bit more zing with Camera+ clarity setting.

Hospital treatment

I realised that I hadn't followed up from an earlier post regarding our son's iPod Touch that had a broken screen.
The micro-surgery went very well and everything is back to working (& looking) how it should. It was certainly a fiddly and delicate operation - one that I wouldn't like to attempt again... hopefully I won't have to.
The amazing thing is that I managed to find a replacement screen, with tools, a spare home button, a cleaning cloth and a special adhesive pad sent from China to New Zealand, all for about NZ$25.
This shot was captured with my new favourite 'Polaroid' app called ShakeItPhoto.

Real People, Real Guns

I took this quick reference shot before installing my photographic exhibit at a local gallery. These are large A2 sized prints (the images themselves weren't shot on the iPhone) and I've knocked together some rustic timber bases for them. A few nails to hold them in place and Bobs your uncle...
This shot was given some 'clarity' and a black border with Camera+.

A Ripsnortin' Good Time

While hunting through an op shop bargain bin and found this gem amongst the LP's.
There are websites devoted to similar record covers - I think this deserves a place.
The shot was cropped and desaturated using the Camera+ app.

Harvest time

Our crop of crab apples are looking ripe (well as ripe as these deceptively pretty fruit can be)... so now we've got to decide whether we need any more crab apple jelly or if there is something more interesting we can make.
This shot was enhanced with Camera+ (some warmth added to the sky colour).

Micro-surgery

A nasty fall onto a hard surface is the nightmare of all gadget-carriers. Unfortunately our son had this experience with his lovely white iPod Touch.
A hunt on the Internet soon found a replacement screen winging in from
the States... now it's time for a steady hand, some small implements and the courage to rip apart what Apple deemed to be a no-go zone.

Rolling with style

This rather gorgeous old garden roller is leaning up against a wall of Mansion House on Kawau Island.
We had a fun-filled 24 hours on the island where we were looked after very well and celebrated a friend's special birthday.
This shot was given the 'miniature' selective focus treatment and a rough border with the app Camera+.

Talented

Always best to be on the lookout for outbreaks of sarcasm.
This shot was imported into CameraBag where it was cropped to a square and tweaked.

Look up!

Kids toy meets industrial mega-machines. One of many sculptures in Wellington that embrace the wind.

Taste of Cuba

Havana Cafe & global headquarters of their coffee empire is such a cool place to hang out. It has a great cosmopolitan vibe and a classy fleet of vehicles - like this old Studebaker truck.
This image was dipped in some Tilt Shift sauce before posting.

Exposure Magic

More use of the HDR option within the iPhone's camera.
This scene at Maranui has a huge exposure range - from dimly lit cafe to seascape - but the HDR (high dynamic range) manages to grab three quick shots at different settings and combine them with software to try and show detail in the shadows and highlights. The waitress on the right shows some slight ghosting from her movement between frames.

Run in the sun

A glorious Friday afternoon at Oriental Bay sitting on my scooter watching the world go by.
This shot hasn't actually been edited by me, but I had the 'HDR' option set in the native camera app. When this is on the phone snaps 2 shots (edit: 3 shots) in quick succession and combines them to try and get the best from highlight areas and shadows - so the runner moving between the shots is ghosted in the finished image.

Reach for the sky

So, although we're technically into autumn now this little scene has a very spring feel.
I ran it through Instagram with the 'lo-fi' filter... just 'cos.

Visitor from Makara

This beauty (OK, maybe not visually beautiful) and a friend made for some delicious eating and they certainly have a unique look.
The photo was run through a new app called Camera Awesome which is chock-full of features for taking photos and has some great post-production filters to apply. The app itself is free but if you'd like extra 'filter packs' they are payable.
I love the name given to the filter used on this shot - More Cowbell (the name is based on a great comedy skit).