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| Morning sunrise from my porch |
This morning I woke to the most beautiful sunrise and quickly grabbed my cell phone, which I already knew takes wonderful sky shots. I was on my way out the door to drive to Lake Whatcom so I could walk with the Fairhaven walkers, a six-mile out-and-back trip (3 miles each way) around the North Shore. It's a nice flat walk, and we kept up a brisk 4-mph pace.
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| Lake Whatcom |
You can see that it was cloudy enough that I didn't need to wonder if I had made the wrong decision about skydiving today. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better (it's supposed to be), but the main thing on my mind right now is my new camera app! Because of my last post, where I extolled the virtues of the HDR setting on my iPhone 4S, I received an email from
TexWisGirl sending me to another blog where I learned about a camera app called
Camera+. After reading about it and wondering how I could go wrong by spending $1.99 to give it a try, I spent some time playing around with it this morning.
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| Linda, Peggy, Judith, with Riley anxious to get going |
It has a 6x optical zoom and a whole lot of settings. The picture above was taken at the highest resolution (I won't do that any more, as it saved at over 11mb!) and I used the "clarity" filter, which wasn't the best idea because it flattened everything out. I'll get better at this. Unfortunately I saved it after applying the filter and then deleted the original. The app also has the option to focus on a specific area, so I tried this picture at the Farmers' Market of a zinnia.
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| Zinnias and dahlias |
I took lots of other pictures, but I have a great deal to learn, and I was trying all kinds of settings, some good and some not. There are also filters to turn everything magenta or lime green, but the flowers in the previous picture were really that brilliant. The out-of-focus background has a curious look to it. I'm thinking I will be hard pressed to use my Canon PowerShot for awhile; there's too much to learn with Camera+ and my iPhone! I've already had more than two bucks worth of fun.
:-)
So, take some pictures of your garden plot, if you have one this year.
ReplyDeleteThat is a spectacular shot of the sunrise! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI tried the HDR setting, but I still have to figure out the best time to use it. I don't think it's good to use it when there's too much movement. I'm going to experiment some more. I'm so happy you told me about it.
The color of those dahlias is beautiful. I would like to try that new app, but the last thing I need is something else to tinker with. I do enough of that now.
ReplyDeletegorgeous sunrise! sounds like a nice brisk walk. those dahlias absolutely pop off the screen! wow! SO glad you're having fun with that app! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter came to visit last week she bought me an iPhone as a belated birthday present. So far I know how to send messages and make phone calls. I did take 2 pictures but I have to figure out to download them or send them to an email address. There is so much to learn with this phone, that’s for sure, but I still have not learned everything on my cameras! I noticed that you wrote this post at about 4:15 pm my time, and it showed up on the side of my blog immediately. I wrote and posted mine at 3:55 my time and it still has not uploaded. That was the same thing last week, it uploaded 11 hours later. I just can’t figure out why. I write my post, check it, then go to schedule and place it on automatic, save, and push publish – and it updates on my blog but that’s all.
ReplyDeleteI have a Samsung phone, but the flash seems very weak so the photos lack clarity and brightness. Hence, I still rely on my Canon PowerShot, which seems more reliable. The photo of the flowers was simply beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOooh. I can see I am going to have to play more with the camera on my phone. Gorgeous photos - and I love the dahlias.
ReplyDeleteI knew someone would figure out how to make it zoom capable. Sure enough, there was an app for that.
ReplyDeleteLoved that sunrise.
oh your dahlias are awesome...what brilliant colors....gotta love those nice sun rises...grey clouds here all day....probably a good idea not to dive today...smiles. hope it clears up for you tomorrow....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on the new camera app. I will definitely get this one!
ReplyDelete$1.99 for an app that does all that stuff???What will happen next. How about a vocal app where you can tell the camera what you want it to do?
ReplyDeleteAnd you have done a fabulous job, too, Jan.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful you got that morning sunrise shot. It is stunning.
The App (and the camera operator) are both winners.
Love these photos, but I have always loved your photography.
I am not sure if you know that your iphone also has zoom capabilities. I have just gone to a "by the lake" wedding, everybody "dressed down", like a regular day or out at the beach - I have to say DJan, that it was the best casual wedding I have ever been a part of and yes, I did take "only" my iPhone all charged up n ready to go. Handy, fits in my pocket and used a plenty, Eh Great photos that I can now send to the Kidz and some of the silhouettes on the lake with people are way nice - I'm toutin' ma horn right aboot now, Eh, cause they turned out so nice. I love your sunrise from your balcony - too beautiful and striking colour on your Dahlias. Have a wonderful Sunday :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of the flowers! I am sure you will master the photography after some practice:)
ReplyDeleteHoly cow. Brilliant is right.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very interesting app....I just might have to try it out. Thanks for the info, and congrats on the photo of the dahlias!
ReplyDeleteOMG! Now you can zoom on your phone camera and get the glorious close up shots!! Whoohoo!!! That is really cool! I might have to see what my soon to be new phone can do when I get it. (Dagan and Leah have decided I need a new cell phone and this time I won't dig in my heels for two years--LOL!)
ReplyDeleteSome great photos; and obviously a great photographer. But, uh oh, I was thinking of getting the Samsung Galaxy. Gigihawaii, not as good?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun app and it sure does produce some decent effects. I hope you don't leave your PowerShot too far behind though. I know it's a great camera too.
ReplyDeleteI just saw where that works on an iPad too.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really fun app DJan. Your shot of the dahlia is absolutely gorgeous. When you focus on a specific spot and blur the surrounding area you are adjusting the depth of field. The app does instantly what I have to work to achieve.
ReplyDeleteMy phone camera on the new camera is just okay. I liked the crisp, clear images from my OLD phone. Will have to check out this app.
ReplyDeleteThe sunrise is beautiful D J!! And I love the gorgeous farmer market flowers...but the pink one in the center looks more like a ZINNA.
An app might give you digital zoom, but if you want optical zoom (and you do want it), search Amazon for "iphone zoom lens" or something like that. There are many clip-on or snap-on lenses for iPhone. A friend of mine has one of the Olloclip lenses (I think), and he loves it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you want telephoto (versus fisheye, macro, wide angle, etc...).
ReplyDeleteI think you've just given me a good reason to have an iPhone. What ease it would be to have a camera that good and an editing program app too. cool!
ReplyDelete