New Zealand Gear List - iPhone

iPhone Gear List to New Zealand - 42 days

Complete gear 

What I'll bring when backpacking. 

So excited for this adventure. I hope you enjoy virtually traveling with me. 

Tomorrow I fly to New Zealand for a 42 day car camping/backpacking adventure on the North and South Island. I will arrive on the 5th after a stop over in SFO and the time change. 

I am planning on first exploring the tip of the North Island spending 10 car camping along the way to Wellington. The remainder of my days will be on the South Island with two 5 day tramps planned and the remainder of the time car camping to wherever my heart desires. 

I hope to blog when I am connected to WIFI along my journey either on my iPhone or iPad. 

Here is my gear list:

iPhone 6s Plus 128gb with Apple Case

iPhone 6 Plus 128 gb - as a back up camera in Tigra water resistant case

Moko waterproof case 

iPad and case

Velbon Carbon Fiber tripod -2006

Slik SBH-100DQ ball head with two plates. 

RetiCAM iPhone holder

(Yes the tripod is big and bulky. I have tried others that are lighter and therefore many times less sturdy or not as tall or not adjustable. So I keep using the Velbon.)

SanDisk Ixpand 128gb Flash drive - for backup. I also backup to Dropbox when connected to WIFI

Moment Lenses 60mm and 18mm

3 Jockery battery packs - 12000mAh, 6000mAh and 3200mAh

2 cords to charge battery packs 

iPod 

2 earbuds

2 - 6" charge cords

1 - 3' charge cord

Olympus Pen E-P5

Olympus 14-150 mm lens with hood lens

2 Olympus Batteries with wall charger 

2 - 32gb Sandisk Extreme sd cards

Tiffen Neutral Density 1.2 filter

Tiffen Neutral Density 3.0 filter

Think Tank Digital Holster 5 - camera case

SD card reader

Adapter to transfer sd card images to iPad so I can use the iPad to process the images. 

Towel to wipe off moister

(The Olympus has been a camera of mine for 2 years now. I rarely use it.  I am bringing it on this trip because I recently bought a new lense for it and maybe now I'll use it more. I am looking forward to having a 150mm telephoto lense.)

FujiFilm instax share sp-1 printer with 40 prints

Business Cards

Eagle Creek case to hold all the little items. 

Hope this list is helpful to those who are planning a similar adventure. I will let you know how it worked out for me. 

Palouse Abandoned House Photography Tour

Palouse Photography Tours with Teri Lou

It was a busy summer and therefore my blogging came to a stand still. My goal for next month is to get back to it! As most of you know who follow my Facebook posts I became a grandma to Brayson John and my youngest daughter was a bride just last week. I also was thrilled to visit the Palouse several times as a tour leader.

Speaking of touring the Palouse... I recently launched a new website that I hope you all choose to follow. I also have a Palouse Meetup group anyone can join and of course a Palouse Facebook page that many of you 'liked' already - thanks much. In other words I am loving everything Palouse! and I get to visit next month since I am leading a private tour - lucky me!

Since I love the Palouse and leading tours I have recently announced 5, yes 5, Palouse tours for 2015. (and as always I am available for private tours all year long). The Shades of Green tour is being offered 3 times since May and June is such a popular time. Then in August I am offering the Abandoned House Tour and the Harvest and Family Farm Tour. Please check them all out since they each have unique opportunities.

Today I am highlighting the Abandoned House Tour since it was just announced and is available to only 4 participants. So I wanted you loyal blog followers to get the first opportunity to sign up. Please contact me if you have any questions.

I call this one Edith's Chair - Palouse Abandoned House

I have captured this chair in many different ways over the last 5 years. Palouse

Treasure in Palouse Abandoned Houses - come tour with me in August.

Teri Lou loves the Palouse - can't wait to visit again!

Photos from the Past - Palouse - iOS Processing

Today I wanted to process this truck as if I had found the photo in a drawer of an Abandonded House in the Palouse. I knew there were several apps in my arsenal that would process it with an antique look however which ones would create just the right look I couldn't decide. 

It took several tries to get it to look like my minds eye was envisioning, but when I did it felt just the way I wanted it to. I truly believe that your emotions are such a driving force in the way you process and present your work. Once you know the tools that are available you can use those resources to play with. 

How do you know it is right?, well sometimes you just need to believe in your inner voice. As I kept trying new apps and blending my image this way and that, I kept hearing, "no that doesn't accomplish your goal." So I would add another layer of an antique like filter, "still not right" so I would back up a few steps and start over. It wasn't until I cropped it and added a filter that softened the entire frame did I really feel settled. 

So what apps did I use you ask? Well this time it isn't so easy to list them as I can't be sure if the Structure I added in Snapseed for the third time and masked it in with Filterstorm on just the truck really matters. The lessons I want you to learn are 1. Play with your apps to learn what is possible with them. 2. Keep in mind a theme or feeling you want to portray while processing. 3. Enjoy 

The original

Magic Moments - iPhone Photography

I had dinner with my good friend Rod the last evening I last visited the Palouse. We talk about how much I valued the time he took me to the Garfield Cemetery and told stories about friends and family that were buried there. It was during those moments that I realize just how special it is to live in a place where your roots run deep. Why your word matters and why honoring a handshake deal is so important. 

After dinner the clouds were forming at the horizon in a way that made me believe the sunset would be fabulous. 

Since I was close to Colfax I decided to remember this evening by capturing the sunset in the Colfax Cemetery. 

As I walked around I discovered a statue of a little boy who died at the age of 7. I decided my image would honor the memory of this child.  So I composed the shot, tapped the button in ProHDR and spent the next few seconds admiring the golden rays. After ProHDR did its magic of combining the two image, I tapped the save button and finally saw the image. A silhouette of a bird was perfectly places above the little boy's head. I then looked at the statue with no bird in sight and then back at the captured image. 

The moment warmed my heart and I felted blessed to truly be in the right place at the right time.  

Rod called me just a minute ago. He asked how I enjoyed the sunset. I told him my story and he thought it would be wonderful if I printed this image for the boy's parents. I told him I would.  I am delivering the framed print this weekend. 

Such a wonderful day it was!

Storybook Kitchen - Palouse -iPhone Photography

Today while scouting in the Palouse I found a new treasure. Abandonded houses are a favorite of mine. I love opening the door for the first time and peeking inside. I walk gingerly from room to room always hoping to discover some jewel that was left behind. 

Today I found that jewel in the kitchen. Not only was the sink and cabinet left behind but the view out the window was pure poetry to me. 

So I set my tripod and iPhone in just the right location to frame the little shed just right. 

After walking the property a bit longer I sat in my car and processed the image as if I had stepped back in time. 

Original capture with ProHDR

Step 1 processed in Snapseed

Step 2 processed in OldPhotoPro

Step 3 blended #1 and #2 with ImageBlender

Step 4 processed in Perfectly Clear and once again in Snapseed. 

I'll be here for 5 days this trip. I am a happy girl to be leading two private tours. I'll also be working on my new map and book. 

Spring Flower

Some days I just want to create. 

I don't know if it is spring fever or that I keep seeing wonderful images on Facebook, but today I just wanted to create. Thanks to my friend Karen Messick I discovered BrushStroke. 

I combined it with Tangled, Filterstorm, ImageBlender and a Snapseed to create this water color image. 

How fun it is!

The original. 

A Day at the Beach with my iPhone

A day at the beach was great for my heart and soul. 

iPhone capture ProHDR 

Processed with Snapseed, Image Blender, Glaze and Filterstorm - a favorite combination

The Moody Gorge

Green, damp, wet, solitude, mossy, fresh, clean, rushing, hues, moody, rain, mist, dripping, lively, beautiful, serene, active,.... just some of the words I believe describe the Columbia Gorge yesterday on my hike. After capturing this image I took a minute to sit and absorb the moment. 

View from Munra in a new light

I am often inspired by others work. While pursuing Facebook today I saw a few images that reminded me to get out of the box. 

Tonight I just let things flow in a way I haven't for months. The image might not be inspiring but to me it is a break through. The combination lately has been mostly of Snapseed, Filterstorm and Image Blender with some texture app thrown in. 

Today however I was in visioning a texture and color of the sky that would create a mood. It took Artista Haiku, Glaze, Old Photo Pro, Snapseed, Image Blender, Artista Oil, and Photo Forge to finally get it right. 

I followed my own advise and played. It felt good!

Hiking in the Columbia Gorge

The spring always brings an array of weather to the Pacific Northwest. Somedays it is down right difficult to get out to exercise with a 90% chance of rain. 

However yesterday was glorious with breaks of sunshine among the rain sprinkles. The rainbows even made their appearance. 

This is a stitched image of 3. Captured without a tripod with ProHDR ( that in itself is impressive with my tremor.) 

I processed it with AutoStitch, Snapseed, Tangled FX, Filterstorm, ImageBlender and Snapseed again. 

Hope to go out again today. 

Floating Market -Thailand and my iPhone

To me, Life is about 'being there in the moment'. Americans live to work when they shoulSpent time with my iPad tonight in front of a warm fire listening to great musicd be working to live. Think about it! When is the last time you did something that you have wanted to do your whole life? 

Live...

Spent time with my iPad tonight in front of a warm fire, listening to great music with my fellow artist creating in the next room!

Long Tail on Koh Lipe

Got up early this morning to take a peek at sunrise. Spent 30 minutes walking the beach capturing the moments of the day. Gave this image a slight vintage look using a Vintage by Jixipix. It has been a good morning. 

Top Photography Apps for 2014 - iPhoneography

Five of my favorite images from 2013

I had a chance to visit the Palouse again this year. The famous lone tree was surround by a magnificent storm. Processing it in black and white made it that much more dramatic for me. 

Jefferson Park has become one of my most favorite backpacking locations. This sunset is one to remember. 

This year was spent mostly in Portland Oregon where I worked at Portland Urgent Care as the clinic manager and now the marketing manager. More recently I have discovered my artist self in the way I dress. Socks have become my theme. This is the first of my Portland Socks series.  

The Columbia a Gorge has been a backdrop for my health and many iPhone images throughout this year. The Gorge is full of water and green moss. I would love to take a hike with you there. 

In April my dad and I visited Washington, DC and the East Coast to the south. We were fortunate to arrive during the peak of cherry blossom. We arrived early to Tidal Basin to capture this image of the Jefferson Monument. 

I am so looking forward to 2014 as I know it will bring wonderous times of love, travel and adventure. 

Here is my list of photography apps I currently use. Happy New Year to All!

My top five must have photography apps:

ProHDR

Snapseed

Filterstorm

ImageBlender

Autostitch

My top five blending apps for photography:

All Artista

PhotoStudio

OldPhotoPro

Glaze

Tangled

My other five must have apps for photography:

Photosync

Impression

ProCamera

TouchRetouch

Hipstamatic

Other items of necessity:

Lightweight Tripod

iPhone camera holder for tripod

Car charger

iPad

Screen protector - no cover however

Crazy Christmas

Loving Snapseed on Christmas. 

Enjoyed spending Christmas with family at Suzanne and Tyson's again this year. Heading to Bangkok via Frankfort tomorrow. Hoping to capture lots of post worth images. 

Morning at Lake Sammamish

Started my holiday celebrations with my mom's side of the family. Enjoyed connecting with everyone again. Afterwards I was invited to spend the night at my aunt and uncles vacation house on Lake Sammamish. What a treat it was to open the window shades this morning. 

Processed the image with Snapseed and Old a Photo Pro. 

Eleven Pipers Piping - iPhoneography and Percolator

This weekend I looked up some ideas to enjoy the Christmas Spirit and decided to go to the Portland International Raceway where the largest drive thru display of Christmas lights in the Northwest was held. So tonight Mark and I left the house about 7pm and drove through traffic, yes there were still cars commuting, to the north end of Portland. I hummed songs to myself to get in the spirit and prepared to play Christmas songs on my iPhone while we drove through the highly anticipated displays. 

We paid the $16 entrance fee and proceeded for the next hour to drive along the track bumper to bumper with tail lights glaring as we past brightly colored yard art covered in Christmas lights, scattered throughout the grass. After we drove under the Reindeer tunnel we finally crawled toward the 12 Days of Christmas displays. I was so excited when the 11 Pipers Piping were actually on my side of the car so I could capture this Kodak (ok iPhone) moment to be remembered for the rest of my life. 

After that thrilling moment, I became The Grinch and broke the one car behind the other formation and started passing cars, buses and vans full of people merrily sing carols. Mark slide low in his seat so he couldn't be seen as I cleverly took my place back in line just in time for the grand finale, The Tunnel of Lights! Ohhh, ahhhh!!! 

After all this excitement I could hardly wait to come home to process my life long memory. So here it is in Peculator fashion. 11 Pipers Piping among the stars. I hope this moment is just as memorable for you as it was for me. 

So if you are in Portland and want to see the Lights of Christmas, I suggest you try something other than the raceway, so you can actually enjoy your holiday moment. 

Water - Collected by Women, Needed by All

While I visited Nepal, every day I would witness the gathering of the water.. This large square had one source of water for many families. As you see water containers varied in size and shape. Most women would carry 3 containers back home. Even though the scene was crowded I only witnessed the occasional disagreement. 

Photography Tour of the Palouse

The best times to photograph the Palouse is in June for the rolling hills of green and August for the golden waves of grain! Ask me for more info as private tours start for as little as $500 per day.

Portland Socks #1 and #2

All my life I saw people in 'fun' outfits and wished I could 'dress like that!' I really didn't have a particular look I liked more than others but I admired those that could put themselves together, be a little eccentric, maybe artistic is a better word. Anyway, when I found a pair of cute socks and put an outfit together that matched them, I felt like I was onto something. So I bought more fun socks and more clothes to go with them. I even went thrift store shopping looking to put together just the right clothes to create my Portland look. (BTW please don't tell my Aunt Joyce about my Thrift shopping as she is the queen and will start buying me things... Love you AJ) 

Today I captured my second Portland Socks image. The first one was captured a couple weeks ago on the Portland waterfront. There are more to come as I have started quite a collection of knee and over the knee socks. As always with My Backside images, these are selfies captured on my iPhone. I must admit I do have fun!

Tangled Tree is Shined Upon with Love

Somedays more than others your mood goes into creating an image. Today I ended with the warmth of love surrounding me. 

The sun shining through is thanks to the app LensLight in the image. My light came in the form of candles being lite by the man I love while soaking in a wonderful warm tub of bubbly water. 

I am grateful for recognizing and appreciating that little jester. I will hold it close and allow it, not the negativity in my head, to shine through all day long. 

Filterstorm, Snapseed, ImageBlender, OldPhotoPro, Artista Oil, Tangled, LensLight, Impression