Cutting the cord

This iPhone behind-the-scenes snap is all about wireless. Where I once would have had a USB cable going from the camera to a laptop computer and a sync cord going to my flash unit, I now use the camera's built-in wi-fi to send images to an iPad for the client to check (on the small table) and a radio transmitter on the camera to fire and control power settings on the flash units. So much more convenient and safer than having trip hazards on set.

Italian Edit

Just for a change I've decided to post this short video clip which is a combination of 2 short scenes shot on the iPhone 5 and a Dean Martin classic.
These were imported into the iMovie app on the iPhone, edited together and exported via email straight from the app.
The iMovie app (plus some other Apple productivity apps) are available for free for iDevices purchased after Sept 2013.

Harbour View

A cloudy seaside scene that was enhanced a little with a '70's filter plus a gritty frame courtesy of the Camera+ app.
The makers of this app do not seem to rest - they are often updating the look and functionality of the app.

Morning Drama

I decided to see what this sky image could become with a bit of work in the iPhone app Snapseed.
There are a host of adjustments that can be made within the app, and it's very easy to take it too far, so I worked mainly on the saturation and contrast.

Afternoon light

Low and warm - the late afternoon sun casts a light that photographers love.
Always keep your iPhone at the ready.

Apple Process

This shot from beside a prison wall was sent from my iPhone to my iPad via Airdrop and then edited in the native Photos app - cropped and given a filter called Noir, before uploading to the blog.

Into the sun

I remember reading the guidelines that used to come with Kodak film and being told to keep the sun behind you for the best light on your subject. Well I tend to break that guideline rather often - shooting into the sun can give a beautiful and interesting light to photographs.

Taste of Italy

On a recent brief visit to the Amalfi Coast I found plenty of photographic opportunities. I mainly used either my Canon DSLR (as I was there on an assignment), but I also used a compact Canon S120 quite a bit as it is able to shoot a RAW file. Of course I did shoot with the iPhone 5 too, and this typical lunch image was filtered in the new version of my old favourite CameraBag app.

Weather

Surprisingly this is an Auckland rather than a Wellington scene (it can get windy and wet in most places).
I used Snapseed to edit this shot - it takes some getting used to, but it's a great retouching app.

Urban Transport

Yes, I've been neglecting this blog somewhat... Instagram has been hogging my iPhone snapping love.
I must try and spread the pixels more evenly.
This Auckland over-bridge image was put through HDR FX Pro to bring a little more tone and colour to the sky.

Variation

An early morning view across Wellington Harbour. Here's the original image, plus the same shot after it was imported into the Instagram app, cropped and a filter applied.

 

 

Rocker

Local playground - late evening.

Once again this was given the Instagram treatment.

Travel Bites

On a recent family holiday I used both my Canon DSLR & the iPhone for various image capturing duties.
Of course the iPhone was wonderfully simple to use for sharing moments with others - mostly via Instagram, although I also used iMessage and email.
These shots were all treated with a filter or two in Instagram.

Fix up

Another grab shot while driving (hard to resist a nice sunrise).
I imported this shot into VSCOcam and cropped it, straightened it and tweaked the colours.

Drink?

I'm not sure whether this is actually an old advertising sign or a modern reproduction, but it has the right feel for displaying outside one of Wellington's long-time established eateries.
The image was processed in Instagram (colours, selective focus and border).

Rather Dashing Dash

This old Buick gives the driver a pretty impressive automotive experience. No obscure flashing LED lights here!
With this image I played around with a few settings in the toolbox of VSCOcam (rather than applying any of the many filter combos). I haven't used this app since a much earlier version was available and was impressed.

Looking South

Twilight is such a magical time for photography.
This image, from Wellington's Mt Victoria, was given a wee boost in saturation and contrast with the app Snapseed.

The Approach

Stalking planes at the end of an airport can be a lot of fun, and turn up some images that can be quite different from most day to day scenes.
I used the iPhoto app to straighten and crop this image, plus give a vignette effect.

Airport scene

An early morning trip to the airport was a good opportunity to shove the iPhone through a gap in the security fence.
The water effect and some filtration was done with an app called Reflection. As with some of the free photography apps available, this one only seems to save a fairly low-res copy of the edited image.

Mosaic

Without any scale reference this could be a courtyard... or the top of a table (which is what it is).
The image was put through the hoops with Instagram - it's surprising how addictive it can be when you're part of the social network of photo sharing.

Writers hand

Detail of a statue dedicated to Katherine Mansfield in Wellington.
The app Tilt Shift was used to add emphasis to the hand and help give the shot more depth.

Cocktails

I'm not usually a fan of shooting 'pre-filtered' images but I was trying out the real-time effects in the native iOS 7 camera app. It's good to be able to see the effects on your chosen composition before shooting... but generally I think I'll stick with applying filters to existing images.
This was shot with the 'Transfer' filter.

Fire in the Sky

There's just something about interesting sunsets and sunrises that makes them ideal for photography.
This was a fairly dramatic sky with mostly dark clouds except the area of the sun - no editing.

Season's colours

The native NZ Christmas tree is blooming up & down the country as we enter into another summer.
I used the Apple photo app 'auto enhance' to add some saturation to the colours in this shot.

Calorie high

Another snack, another snap - this time edited with the native Apple photo app. There aren't very many options, but most images only really need cropping and a bit of a colour tweak.

Looking up

The twilight hours are really stretching out now that we're into December.
This shot was put through the 'chrome' filter in Camera Awesome.

Cloudscape

I had to find a place to stop the car so I could jump out and grab a few shots of these dramatic looking clouds.
I did amp up the contrast somewhat in Snapseed... but not any more than I would have done in the darkroom.

Harking back

Cute cafe message. I did notice that I was getting a good 4G signal so you could cope quite happily without wifi.
This was shot with the recently downloaded iOS 7 on my iPhone 5 - I held the shutter button as I walked past the sign and then edited the shot on the phone.
I do hope that Apple make the 'burst mode' an option rather than on all the time like at present. I prefer to hold my finger on the shutter button and release it to take the shot as it seems easier to hold the phone steady that way.

Make believe

Props for a war film give the look of much activity to the normally very quiet Seatoun Wharf. Instagram again!

Tasty Treat

These may not be the most attractive looking seafood around, but whitebait are such a tasty seasonal morsal.
Instagram - lofi filter.

Classic Hardware

Yep, that's a film camera! Olympus OM1 with a Zuiko lens - it's great to see some old-school photographic gear still being used.
This shot was given the selective focus treatment with the Tilt Shift app.

Shaking the bucket...

..for those that shake. A big thanks to those Wellingtonians who were big-hearted enough to donate to Parkinson's NZ during their street appeal.
Once again given the Instagram treatment.

Take off

Some of Wellington's eclectic architecture given the 'drama' treatment in Snapseed.

Artistic Access

This stairway is in a charming old building built as a photographers studio but now houses two art galleries.
Filtered via Instagram, but not my usual 'Lo-fi'. I used 'Brannan' this time.

What the...?!

This huge wall looks pretty damn amazing. Sharks are cool any time, but this wacky collection kind of shocked me when I noticed them.
Given a little bit of Instagram treatment.

Seafood Extravaganza

A good friend was visiting Wellington and knows how to obtain the best kai moana. He is planning on sharing his excellent local knowledge in a dive magazine so requested some images to support the article.
Rather than reach for the DSLR I opted for the a clean background, some nice side lighting and the iPhone. Cropped and edited with the Camera+ app.

Auto Graveyard

I had a fascinating walk around a 'self help' wreckers yard (no shoes no entry). You take the bits off the cars and pay on your way out.
I recently updated my PS Express app so decided to give it a try. They have added many more options from what used to be on offer and given it the iOS 7 look.

Down in the woods

Well, on the suburbs actually. These two guys are outside the Weta Cave in Wellington, fresh from their efforts to sack on dwarves.
Imported into Camera Awesome and given a rather distressed look.

Spring Springing

Our oak tree is recognising the change of season by popping out some fresh green leaves.
Having been taken towards the sun, this shot had some lens flare and was lacking in contrast. I used the standard Apple editing tool in the photos app to 'auto-enhance' the image.

Gumtree Moonrise

This shot was taken almost an hour after sunset. The iPhone set itself to 1600 ISO to keep the shutter speed as short as possible and there's certainly a good deal of noise visible in the sky.
No editing at all for this image, but I did tap on the area of the moon on the screen to bias the exposure towards a darker setting than it otherwise would have been.

You so siri

I tend to use the 'personal assistant' known as Siri on the iPhone occasionally for dictation purposes. I can use it to write a text message quickly or keep notes but it also works well for setting an alarm on the phone and other things.
Sometimes Siri has some clever or funny responses to commands which can be fun.

From the garden

I haven't photographed anything in the garden for quite some time but with the arrival of spring it seems fitting to include some plant life.
This shot was initially captured with the HDR mode switched on (to help with the contrast) and then imported into Instagram.

Where's the seat?

It seems that they build trials bikes pretty slim these days. This was at a club event in the Akatarawas and I gave the image a minor tweak in Snapseed.

Sharp defence

A gorse bush is well protected from most invaders but a dried gorse bush is even more dangerous.
This shot was given a treatment called Britout in the app qbro.