Finding a creative place...inspiration...light and subject

Captured Hipstamatic: Jane Lens Blanko Film No Flash: Processed Snapseed. Glaze, ImageBlender Soft Light

When I find myself at the beach, I find more time for creativity and time to explore processes and subjects on my iPhone. When I view other photographer's images I get ideas...that I can interpret in my own way. The hydrangea images were inspired by a fellow photographer Sue. She posted on her FaceBook page a beautiful shot of her hydrangeas in a ball jar that was simple and finely processed. So.... while I was at the beach with a little time on my hands...I gathered a few hydrangeas and put them in a blue vase and began to play...but it was late in the evening and I had no natural light. I was trying to get something out of the Hipstamatic flash even trying to diffuse the light but didn't come up with anything I found acceptable. However the next morning the hydrangea vase was on the breakfast table and as I looked out to the back porch in the soft shade I thought, perfect light! So I took the hydrangea vase out on the table and made a few shots. Then began to process one or two until I came upon an image I liked. What could be more classic in art than flowers in a vase? All the painters had their version~ VanGogh~Sunflowers Renoir~Garden Flowers ~ Cezanne ~ Chagall they all did a vase of flowers....a classic subject. By no means am I saying these images are worthy of that fine group of painters! but I was very happy with the results! Give it a try!

Captured:Hipsamatic Jane Lens and Blanko Film, No flash Processed: Snapseed: Glaze: Mextures: ImageBlender Golden Evening Light

Later that evening the light was bright on the back porch but not direct, it was the golden hour, so I took the vase out once again and made another slightly different composition. The golden light made the frosted glass table glow golden, and I enhanced the glow with a filter from Mextures.

Captured: Hipstamatic Jane Lens and Blanko Film no flash Processed: Snapseed: Tangled FX; Glaze: IimageBlender

While I was making the composition of the hydrangeas in the vase, I noticed how lovely the petals looked in the evening light and composed a shot looking down on the flower heads. Then experimented with different processes to bring out the beauty in the petals.

Koloid ~ New App

Quinn Abbey shot with Hipstamatic Salvador 84 Lens and Inas 1969, Processed in Koloid

When I was in Ireland with Peter Cox on tour with my photo group, Peter suggested a new app Koloid. It had just launched on June 2. I am always up for a new app..so I downloaded it, tried it out and said it had potential, but I would like the app to allow you to import photos from your camera roll instead of having to shoot with the app. I wrote a note to the developer and ...so today it came to be! They still have some work to do...but there are a few options which are cool. Cropping works best with a square format image like Hipstamatic or 6x6 but also works with 6x7. If you shoot a full 2x3 orientation app like Camera Plus be prepared to throw or crop some away. Also it works best with Vertical orientation images instead of landscape. When I first saw the results of the app they reminded me of the images my dad had taken with his camera during WWII. The developer's site says it was..
"Inspired by 19th Century collodian photography." I love this app for the unique look and the fun interactive developing process...Call me crazy. I selected a few images from Ireland to process. I applied no other processing to the images here so you could see the results of what I achieved with the app.

Google's Advance Voice Search Comes to Chrome

Recently Google added advanced voice search to the Chrome browser. Google's advance voice search feature was previously only available for Android and iOS, but is now available on Mac and Windows. The feature is similar to Apple's Siri ,but works on your computer as well as mobile devices. To access the feature, navigate to Google using the Chrome browser and press the microphone icon to the right of the search bar. Then you can search by voice and Google will speak back select results. I have found the voice recognition to be very fast and accurate. One of the most notable features for struggling spellers is that you can ask how to spell a word and then Google will speak back the correct spelling. Google will also provide spoken responses for many other queries as well. Watch the above video to learn more.

iPhone Visits Bantry, Ireland ~ Glaze ~ Snapseed ~ ImageBlender ~ Hipstamatic

During a quick stop in Bantry in the "pissing" rain, as the Irish say...I had some iPhone fun! With my umbrella in hand I made a quick run through the side streets and harbor front. All these shots were made using the Olloclip, fisheye lens mounted on the iPhone 5. I loved the distortion I could achieve and using the fisheye allowed me to express an element of humor in the images. It was not easy shooting as the rain was quite wind blown and I had to keep wiping the Olloclip lens off with the very handy microfiber sac the clip comes in. It would have been impossible to use a "big camera" in the windblown rain!
The opening image was a happy accident, as I was holding the umbrella with my chin while grabbing a shot, I inadvertently caught my umbrella and arm in the shot. When I posted it on FB asking for opinions, people liked it! So there it is...my view from under the umbrella.

All the images here were captured using Hipstamatic, Jane Lens and Inas 1969 film. The processing was all done with Glaze, Snapseed and Image Blender to add in different iterations, masking and blending to get the final effect. To maximize Glaze processing, I engage the tool feature in the app to come up with really different looks from the standard effects and I have bought all the in app looks which expands the options for different effects. Yes maybe I am a frustrated painter! I wanted to keep this look going and used it through out the trip in different towns and on objects. Join me on August 10 at Union Station in Washington, DC for an iPhone class sponsored by Capital Photography Center. Click here for more info and registration.... Or join me at Horizon Photography Workshsops in Chesapeake City, Maryland for an all day iPhone Class on July 13, Click here for more information and registration.

IPhone visits Portmagee, Ireland ~ Hipstamatic ~ Olloclip ~ Glaze ~ ImageBlender

Capture Hipstamatic Lens Jane Film Inas 69: Process Artista Sketch, Glaze, Snapseed, ImageBlender

My iPhone and I, loved Ireland for its colorful architecture, curving narrow roads, and seaside towns. Portmagee is a small town in the South of Ireland. We stayed there on our photo tour with Irish Landscape photographer, Peter Cox . Portmagee is a jump point to the Great Skellig Island, one of our destination shoots with our big cameras. In between shoots and meals I explored a few streets in town with my iPhone.We had an unbelievable few days of glorious weather, blue skies, mid seventies and always a sea breeze. Join me on my next full day iPhone Photography Workshop in Chesapeake City, Delaware on July 13 Click here for  more info and registration.

Love old bikes! Capture: Hipstamatic Process: Glaze, ImageBlender, Snapseed: Accessory Olloclip fisheye

Capture Hipstamatic: Process Glaze, Snapseed, ImageBlender, PhotoWizard (Pinch/Pull, to achieve distortion in top left and lower right) Accessory: Olloclip (I had a few stray dogs barking at my heels when I captured this one at the end of town.)

Capture Hipstamatic: Process Glaze, Snapseed, ImageBlender, PhotoWizard (Pinch/Pull, to achieve distortion in lower right) Accessory: Olloclip

Capture Hipstamatic: Process Glaze, Snapseed, ImageBlender: Accessory Olloclip

The Lake Hotel Killarney ~ Hipstamatic ~ Glaze ~ Olloclip

Before I left for Ireland I came across a combination of apps and accessories I really liked. It suited my aesthetic. When I  was in The Lake Hotel in Ireland, the process evolved to include the distortion of the Olloclip. My subjects varied from umbrellas at the front door in a stand, seating arrangements, chairs to candelabras on a baby grand piano. I ran around the hotel between meals and shoots, looking for as many interesting chairs in the public spaces as I could find. This hotel is beautiful and the furniture is lovely. So my eye for interior design was on cue.
The process is simple: Shoot Hipstamatic, Inas 1969 and the Jane Lens with the Olloclip fisheye attached. Then open the image in Snapseed for adjustments to tone, saturation, sharpening selective adjustments and structure. Run the Snapseed file into Glaze and make several iterations...then combine with the original image and several of the Glaze iterations in ImageBlender. I landed on the look I liked for that specific image using this process. Join me July 13 at Horizon Photography Workshops in Chesapeake City, Md for a day long adventure in iPhone Photography! For more information Click Here

iOS 7 Accessibility Overview: What We Know Now

This year iOS accessibility did not get the prime-time attention that it did during last year's WWDC Keynote, but iOS 7 still includes many new accessibility features. When iOS 7 launches in the fall, users of all abilities will find beneficial features. iOS 7 is still in beta so Apple can always add or remove features before the final release to the public. Through the Apple Keynote and other sources a number of accessibility features have been detailed. These new features will improve on current accessibility features such as VoiceOver, Guided Access, Speech Selection, Assistive Touch, and Zoom. This post will be updated as new information becomes available on iOS 7 accessibility.

Click read more to learn about iOS 7 accessibility.

Customize Captioning

iOS 7 will also allow users customization the font and size of subtitles. Currently the subtitles are small and can be hard to read particularly on the iPhone and iPod touch. In iOS 7 the font, size, and color of subtitles can be changed.

Use Camera to Redeem iTunes Gift Card

One of the coolest features for the blind and visually impaired in iOS 7 is the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards using the devices camera. This will allow users who cannot read the small codes printed on the back of iTunes gift cards to redeem their gift cards easily without assistance. This feature originally debut on iTunes 11 on the Mac.

Siri Improvements

Along with updated Siri functionality Apple has added multiple high quality text-to-speech voices. The voices are both male and female and sound much better than the previous Siri voice. It is not clear is these new voices will be available for VoiceOver and Speak Selection or exclusive to Siri.

Switch Control

According to AppAdvice iOS 7 beta 2 also includes Switch Control. Little is known about the feature but the name suggests that iOS 7 will allow a user to control their device through switches. These switches are designed for people with physical disabilities who may only be able to activate one or two large switches. A separate post on MacRumors say that iOS 7 will allow users to control their device with head movements. From the screenshot it appears that head movement could be part of Switch Control and be used to activate a switch but it is unclear at this time. Below is a video of Switch Control.

New APIs to Help Developers Build More Accessible Apps

Last year in iOS 6 Apple included Guided Access which could put the device in a single app mode. Guided Access was targeted for users with autism. This year iOS 7 will add a Guided Access API for developers. This feature will allow developers to build apps that integrate deeply with Guided Access to give users more control of Guided Access.

iOS 7 is also reported to include new APIs to allow developers to detect blinking and smiling which could help disabled users control their device. It has also been reported on 9to5mac that Apple will include a text-to-speech API which would allow developers to easily integrate text-to-speech into their app.

iOS 7 is looking like a great release for all iOS users including users with disabilities. Apple is likely to change feature until iOS 7 is released to the public in the fall.

Reminder: Apple to Preview "The Future of iOS and OS X" Tomorrow

Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) starts Monday June 10th. At the event Apple will detail "the future of iOS and OS X." Apple is a leader in integrated accessibility with their VoiceOver screen reader and numerous other accessibility features such as Guided Access, Speak Selection, Zoom, and Assistive Touch. That being said Apple still needs to improve their accessibility features to remain a leader. New accessibility features have routinely been added to new versions of iOS. Last year, Apple added Guided Access along with other accessibility improvements. A new version of iOS is exciting not only because of the cool mainstream features but the lesser known, but no less important accessibility features that make the devices usable for so many. Make sure to visit The Assistive Technology Blog after the Keynote for all the iOS 7 and OS X accessibility news.

In the meantime check out my iOS 7 Wish List video below.