part of it

[Dennis Bishop]

Last April, my iPhone and I were walking along one of our routes when it wanted to stop and take some photos. I, of course, complied. Somewhat reluctantly, it agreed to let me do the processing.





iPhone 5s, PureShot camera app, a single exposure (no HDR this time!!!), ISO 100, f/2.2, 1/400 sec (+1/3 exposure compensation)

processing highlights

• rotated 90 degrees clockwise for composition
• Topaz Simplify -- saved watercolor preset, as usual. However, instead of Normal, the blend mode was Darker Color, and it was masked from the darker areas.
• Alien Skin Snap Art, Silver Efex for conversion to black & white, Fractalius, and more Topaz Simplify were the additional plug-ins.
• Photo Filter adjustment layer (Cooling)
• a lot of textures -- Shadowhouse, 2 Jai Johnsons, Flypaper, Photomorphis, Belle Fleur
• Orange was copied from the base layer using Select>Color Range and pasted onto a new layer at the top of the stack.
• The border was made by expanding the canvas, stamping the existing layers and placing the result at the bottom of the layer stack. That layer was then expanded to fill the canvas, blurred, and its midtones were lightened with a Levels adjustment layer.

[Diane Miller]

Very nice! I'm glad it let you participate!!

[Wendy Kates]

I like the diagonal composition, and the abstract look...I had to stare at it for a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at! I know it's been suggested before but it would be great if you created a video of your processing workflow.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, you and your iPhone do wonderful work

[Hazel Grant]

Is your iPhone now your carry-around camera when you don't want to carry the big dslr?

[Dennis Bishop]

Hazel, I'm going to answer that in the same way Tim Grey does in his eNewsletter.

Dennis' Quick Answer:

Yes.


More Detail:

A few years ago, I realized I was missing shots because I didn't have a camera with me. The turning point was a gorgeous sky I saw from inside the car. Determined not to have that happen again, I reluctantly purchased a compact camera. It does a reasonable job, and I've taken it on trips when traveling by plane. However, I wasn't carrying it around with me at least in part because I avoid leaving electronic things in the car for fear they'll be damaged if the temperature rises too high. (It may seem surprising that the exception to that is when traveling with my good camera gear. However, I keep it in a Pelican case that's covered with two layers I bought at a fabric store. The first is fluffy filled fabric designed for the inside of a comforter. The second is a curtain liner with a reflective metallic coating. It's worked successfully for years in all kinds of weather.)

About a year and a half ago, my cell phone's battery wasn't holding the charge, so it was time to replace it. I wasn't at all convinced that I'd be happy with a cell phone camera, but it seemed like that'd be way better than no camera at all. For the most part, I've been happy with the results. It's with me when I leave the house. Not only that, but -- even with popping the auxiliary lenses on and off -- it's easy to use when I'm with non-photographers. I'm still searching for the right photo apps. In fact, I downloaded a new HDR one last night and hope to try it out today. The focus with the one I'd been using isn't consistent, and the native iPhone one focuses just fine but falls short in some other areas.

[Diane Miller]

I'd love to hear of your explorations into some of the different camera apps. I have several but rarely use any but the standard one, because I just don't have enough experience with them. And I'm rarely pleased with what I get.

[Dennis Bishop]

I'd love to hear of your explorations into some of the different camera apps. I have several but rarely use any but the standard one, because I just don't have enough experience with them. And I'm rarely pleased with what I get.

Diane -- and anyone else who might be interested -- this looks like a great day to try some iPhone apps. It's cool, the sun is strong, the breeze is calm, and the leaf colors are beautiful. I'm going to focus on HDRs, of course, but will no doubt comment on some other things related to the apps (or no app). I'll attach my comments to the next image I post (not the one from last night, Oct 22).