The Camera in my Back Pocket

by Kelly

Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum. ~Ansel Adams

Ice chest, clean clothes, my new Southern Living magazine...as I packed up all of the things we would need for our weekend at the lake, the one thing I didn't remember to add to my list was my the charger for my camera battery.

By Saturday afternoon, my camera battery was dead.

At first I was upset, but then I remembered that I almost always have a camera right in my back pocket.

It might sound funny to some that my iPhone isn't my go-to camera.  But the truth is that my 'real' camera is the one I most often to go to take 'real' pictures.  And by that I mean anything that isn't a coffee mug, sunset, selfie, or cocktail. I'm so used to taking my Canon with me everywhere, it's almost as if it's an extension of mind's eye.

I wasn't going to let not having a camera keep me from taking pictures.  And even though it took a minute to get into the groove with my iPhone, I found that I could capture the same kinds of magical moments that I was used to capturing with my Canon.

As I was preparing this post, I went looking for a photography quote.  And you know what??  Not one of them mentioned anything about gear.

The truth of the matter is that the 'camera' is the least important element of photography. My eyes and my heart will always be the lens through which I see the world.

Until next time,

Kelly

Soft Concrete

by Linda

Part of my daily ritual involves trying to get some kind of exercise. Because of my schedule, I take daily walks, usually early in the morning. I don't usually carry my DSLR, I always have my phone.  I like taking pictures of sunrises with it. There are several places along my route that have beautiful views of the sun as it rises.

This year, El Nino broke our drought. Yay for rain, boo for cloudy and rainy mornings where I either had to forgo a sunrise shot or delay my walk. My need to take pictures forced me to look at other things to shoot. I live in an area where there are lots of trees. Lots and lots of trees. Oaks, cedar, pecan, and ash to name a few. How boring would constant pictures of trees become.

It's no secret I love to play with apps. I cannot draw, I cannot paint, I can barely stay in the lines when I color with my grands. Apps give me the artistic talent I lack. Or at least they make me think I am artistically inclined. Well, at least I'm having fun!

I re-discovered the Slow-Shutter app on my phone. It's intended to be used for light trails, star trails, etc, etc. All the reviewers and tutorials tell you to use a tripod or hold your phone still. Since I don't know how to follow directions and never carry a tripod or Gorilla pod on my walks, I created these images by moving my phone. It took a little practise to get what I liked but it was fun. After I got the blurry shot I wanted, I processed the pictures in a few other apps I love. Snapseed, my go-to first step for almost all my pictures, then either DistressedFX or iColorama. Sometimes all 3 apps. I just play and play until I get something I like.

And then there was a vase with some fake flowers on a table at a diner we went to. I took the picture with Slow Shutter and processed it with Snapseed and iColorama.

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Do you have favorite apps? I'd love to hear about them! Share them here in the comments or on our facebook page!

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Who Would've Thunk

by Deanna

Ok I have to start this post with a major mea culpa, aka oops or confession time.  Last year at this time and for months before and months after I literally pooh poohed taking pictures with my smart phone.  My argument was "why would you take pictures with your phone when you have spent hundreds of dollars on a good camera and good lenses?", a valid argument I thought convincingly. And then in October I upgraded my I-Phone to the new 6 and wow did that change my thinking completely.  Number one the Apple people got on board with improving the "native" camera (the camera app that comes with the phone) and omg number 2, there are hundreds of new apps out in the App world that take an ordinary image and transform it into little pieces of art.

You know I have no little children at home so posting my everyday life is not filled with gleeful children taking baths, or riding bikes, or performing their 2nd grade Christmas concert much to the delight of Moms and Dads.  My ordinary life captured in I-Phone images is usually the everyday beauty of my surroundings, nature, the seasons, interesting structures, my kids (aka dogs).

So today I want to share with you some of my favorite apps.  This will not be a tutorial, since I am still figuring out some of these apps myself, but I do recommend them. Just download and play, there is always a delete or back button, so come on let the merriment begin.  Now I will tell you that not all of these apps are free, in fact most of the really good ones are not, but after spending $$$'s on lenses, $2.99 is literally a drop in the bucket.  And yes, it is a one-time charge....I asked that same question when I began this new I-Phoneography adventure.

OK first up "Waterlogue".  This was the very first app I downloaded because it is just too darn fun and turns an ordinary picture into a little water-color like beauty.  I said this will not be a tutorial but I will add this, I always do a little editing in the "camera" app usually just lightening and then once you have brought your picture into the Waterlogue app, I always choose "illustration" to transform my images.

I know you saw this one on my last FOL post, but I have to brag just a little, this was chosen by the Waterlogue site as the "image of the day" last Sunday.  I beamed.  Many of the apps have a site and if you #tag them sometimes you get lucky and may be featured on their Instagram site.

And you know how I love me some red barns...

Next up....DistressedFX  this app adds some interesting textures to your images.  And a bonus is a feature with "birds" to give your oftentimes boring skies some action.  The above image was edited in Waterlogue and then I added some DistressedFX to add texture to the sky and the bonus feature, a group of birds.  Ta Da

Next up....My Sketch...My good friend, Marti gave me this idea.  She has a 3 year old granddaughter that loves to color.  She takes pictures using this app and then prints them out for her to have fun coloring.  But I use the "colored pencil" design within this app to create these little gems.

A wilted tulip...

For Downton Abbey fans....

OK I know not everyone likes HDR and I admit it can get a bit over dramatic, but sometimes I like that drama in selected images.  I have 2 apps for this process, Pro HDR and Simply HDR.  If you like the look I would encourage you to give it a whirl.  And yes, both have a charge.

Chicago from a flight returning home....

And a couple of "font programs" with added flourishes are Word Swag and Rhonna that are fun to play with.  And finally, I will have to say that Instagram did a bang-up job when they upgraded, great new filters and editing options.

So there....a few of the many, many apps that are available to phone photographers of which I can now say I am one of the bunch, I have found an added "tribe".

The Mextures App

by Leigh

straight out of camera-original

I have to tell you about a new app that is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  It's called Mextures.  (go ahead…click on the link and download it)  I know what you're thinking…really Leigh….another app?...What's so different about this one?  

Well…this is not your typical filters and effect app.  The possibilities are endless with Mextures allowing you true creative freedom.  No two edits are exactly alike!

When you first open your photo you are given the option to crop to square or leave as is and then you can add a pre made formula or layer grit, grain, light leaks and texture until you get the look you are wanting.  You can add as much (or as little) as you want, which is what makes this app so great.

Inside each of these options are even more options for you to select.  Formulas consist of textures and light leaks that have been put together into a group.  You can adjust the overall opacity of the formula by adjusting the slider to the right of the photo or you can adjust each individual layer of the formula's.  And anyone who is familiar with layers will love to hear that there are 17 blending modes when you apply the layers.  You have complete creative control over just how much of the formula is applied to your photo.  You can even save your own formulas.

Of course there are the basic adjustments available in most photo editing apps such as exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint, and fade.  You can also apply film presets to resemble Holga, Diana, Lomography, PX-680, etc..    

You can see the original photo at the top of the screen.  Below are just a few of the edits I played around with.  The change can be as subtle or as dramatic as you want.  

It's easy to go overboard with Mextures like I did in the above photo, but luckily you can quickly correct over editing by deleting layers or changing the opacity.  

So have you downloaded it yet?  What are you waiting for?  It's only $1.99 and so worth the money!  I would love to see your photos using the Mextures app.  Share them with us on Instagram #focusingonlife and if you would like to play around with my photo you can download it here

Have fun!

InstaLOVE

by Leigh

When I joined Instagram almost three years ago I expected a fun social media outlet where I could share photographs with like minded people, but a few things happened that I did not expect at all.  I began to develop new friendships not only with people online, but local instagrammers.  I became a part of the #treecultokc group photographing a lone tree in a field (more about the tree here ) I also found a new niche….iphoneography.  There are photographers doing amazing things with their phones in the world of photography and it is so inspiring.  And lastly I did not expect for instagram to bring together a 38 year old mother and her 11 year old son.  But that is exactly what has happened.  Now a little bit more about the world that has opened up to me thanks to Instagram.

Photo by Jack

I wasn't quite sure how to find people on Instagram, so I began to follow local instagrammers and to my surprise and delight they followed me back.  After while a community began to evolve through the #igerok tag and instameets were arranged.  What's an instameet you ask?  Well…it's a time and location announced to the local instagram community for a photo walk and meet up.  January 11th was deemed National Instameet Day on Instagram so local artist and photographer Eric Lyons (@i_like_boring_things) arranged for a meet up in the small town of Guthrie, Oklahoma.  Guthrie's downtown area is full of Victorian architecture, quaint shops, railroad tracks, brick lined streets, abandoned buildings and cool alleyways.  In other words…a photographers dream locale!  Sixty-eight people came together that Saturday to meet, greet and shoot together.  Through the tags #instameetguthrie and #instameetguthrieok we are sharing our photos from that day.  It really opens up your eyes to the realm of possibilities when you see the same subject photographed by 68 different people. It just shows you that creativity is unique with endless possibilities!  Everyone has a viewpoint and there is no right way to photograph something.  I find myself going through the photos in awe of the various perspectives and processing styles.  This was a group of 68 individuals of all different backgrounds, ages, races, etc…brought together by an app on their phone.  How crazy does that sound!

photo by Eric Lyons

My son was the youngest one there and people went out of their way to make him feel comfortable and important.  He wasn't ignored because of his age.  Instead he was included in the group for his point of view.  As we explored the back alleys of Guthrie, Jack would call out to me.."mom, come see this!  Climb up this ladder and take a photo looking down"  Or  "hey mom, you will love this.. check out our reflections in this broken window".  He explored.  I explored.  We explored together.  And it didn't end with the instameet.  We have started going on our own weekend photo adventures.  We follow a lot of the same people on Instagram and Jack will ask me if I saw the cool shot that @darrenisreal posted or check out the latest sunset ditch photo from @twharms.  We talk about our favorite editing apps and he always wants to show me his latest shot.

I savor this time...feeling very lucky that he still wants to hang out with me although I know it won't always be that way.  But right now I enjoy being known as the "mom with the cool Instagram" among him and his friends.  So thank you Instagram.  Thanks for the inspiration.  Thanks for the connections.  Thanks for spanning the ages and bringing together a mom and her son.

Some of Jack's favorite shots

Travel Phoneography

by Carol H.

 
As most of you know, I have recently returned from a week in London. The trip was delightful, though too darn short. Brian & I are already talking about the “next time we go to London…”

Being that I hadn’t been there for over 15 years, I made sure I had camera gear with me to take many, many pictures. The gear I packed included:

Nikon D600 DSLR camera body
Nikkor 35 mm f/1.4 lens
Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4 lens
Lensbaby Scout w/ soft optic

And of course, my iPhone. This kind of trip included lots and lots of walking as well as riding the tube. Rather than lugging my whole camera bag, each day I would choose a lens to shoot with and sling my camera across my shoulder. As I took pictures with my big girl camera, I also included pictures with my iPhone.

At the end of the day I would go back to the hotel, look through my big girl images on my camera, deleting those I didn’t care for and delighted to see several I would be processing WHEN I GOT HOME!

Then I would go through my iPhone images, deleting the not so great, processing the ones I loved, and sharing some of those on IG, Facebook, and Flickr. DONE!

  
For those of you who are already phone photographer addicts, I’m sure at this point you are smiling and nodding your head! The wonderful thing about phoneography is that the equipment is always with you, is lightweight, less obtrusive to the bystander on the street, and with the wonderful apps, many processing options are available and can be done right there while you are still in the experience.

Another thing I noticed about the pictures I took with my iPhone vs my Nikon is that the images have a more spontaneous, playful feel about them, which I am particularly drawn to.

It also seems that I give myself permission more often to manipulate the phone image to my liking, rather than sticking with a realistic view. This also feeds my playful nature. After all, it’s supposed to be fun, right? I learned a lot about my photographic style on this trip and have to say that I am pleased with the results from my iPhone and expect to be taking more and more photographs with it.

On the subject of phoneography, have you had a chance to check out Focusing on Life’s new Flickr group “Focus on Phoneography”? If not, please check out the link HERE.

Have you recently traveled with your DSLR and your smart phone and taken pictures with both? Do you see any differences in the style of your work between the two devices? We’d love to see your images! Load up those lovelies to our phoneography Flickr group or Instagram and use the hashtag #focusingonlife.

Cheers!