Downtown

I've been capturing video with my DSLR more frequently and really enjoying the convenience of an external monitor. The camera I'm using doesn't have a fold out screen so there are times when I've been jammed up against a wall or needing to shoot from a low angle, so using a monitor allows the action details and focus to be viewed comfortably. In this case I'm using an Android phone with the DSLR Controller app to view & control camera operations.

...and 2nd prize goes to...

Yep, Wgtn City Gallery were recently running a competition on Instagram in conjunction with NZ Photo Forum and I managed to take out the second spot with this image of two boys on Courtenay Place (a re-edit of an older iPhone photo).
That's the stylish tote bag that I won - I would have rather liked to win the Photo Forum book that went to the winner.

Urban Poppy Fields

A belated ANZAC blog post - the aftermath of Wellington celebrations.
The photo was edited within the native Photos app - auto-enhanced and then the Transfer filter was applied.

From little acorns

This shot was made in the ProShot app as the native camera was giving the scene a blueish cast. I set a manual white balance and later imported the image into Snapseed to crop and slightly edit the overall look of the shot. (iPhone 6)

Hunting

We seem to have a garden that is very popular for Monarch butterflies in late summer so I often chase them with a camera.
I've discovered that they seem less likely to take flight if I'm not directly behind the camera - so I've been putting the iPhone into a bracket on the end of an aluminium painters pole (a giant selfie stick) and using a Bluetooth shutter release.
This has been allowing me to get up close to the creature for stills or video (check out a slo-mo clip on my Instagram feed).
This shot was edited slightly in Camera+ (clarity and vignette) - crop shown to check detail.

Keyboard Extras

Chatting to a friend today about some recent changes to keyboard behaviour on a Mac led me to discover an iOS-like feature that operates under Yosemite - hold down on various keys to give access to accents, etc.(maybe it's been there for a while?).
This led me to check whether my iPhone carrying friend (owner since 3GS) was aware of the press & hold iOS keyboard options... he wasn't - how about you?
To access various URL suffixes in Mail or Safari: hold on the full stop key and slide your finger to the one you want, then release.
To use letter/character accents and special characters: hold on the desired base character (vowels, etc), slide and release.
A different currency symbol: hold on that $ key.

New Year, new phone

I've been happily using an iPhone 5 for over 2 years and have nothing but praise for the functionality of the overall device and quality of the camera.
For various, unrelated, reasons I bought an iPhone 6 and am so far very impressed with the handset and the improvements worked into the camera. Yes, still 8 Mpx, but along with sensor tweaks, new software and a faster processor - the camera is excellent.
I'm surprised at the level of detail and nice bokeh in this fairly ordinary snap.

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.