Time Away

I just spent a few days way from the clinic, finally! I went to Suttle Lake. Unfortunately I was enjoying being warm and cozy in the cabin too much to be very inspired to go outside among the freezing winds and hard crusted snow. So I barely took a photo. However on the way home I captured this group of trees near the rivers edge.
After playing with many apps I used Picturesque, Artista Oil, Snapseed, Image Blender and Filterstorm to create this image. I felt a little rusty but enjoyed the process and played.

Roslyn Run - Things that go Vroom Vroom!!

This year at the Roslyn Run I was fascinated by the engines. I chose to process this image using ToonPaint thanks to Harry Sandler's kind reminder of the apps possibilities. He was also very kind to point out a few new ideas when using the app. So I went a little crazy with it today.

Hipstamatic

ToonPaint

fxPhotoStudio

Filterstorm

Blender

Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts July 11th - limit 6 student per course. If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Tricky Hipstamatic Processing

Wildflower along the path

A friend of mine, Antonio, came to town and we went for a hike today. The wild flowers were abundant and the views were incredible. The sun was shining bright and the sound of the wind was awesome in the trees.

I captured this image with the Hipstamatic  - Watts Lens, Big Up Film. However I wasn't happy with the frame that the Big Up put on it.  So I created a different one with the same colors in Grungetastic!

Hipstamatic

Juxtaposer

Filterstorm

Grungetastic

Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts July 11th - limit 6 student per course.


If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Toon Paint - Yard Work!

Mowing the lawn!

I am like many others, I really don't enjoy mowing the lawn. So as you can see I let it grow a bit high before I tackled the job for the first time this season. Thank goodness the backyard isn't a thick lawn and more like a play one instead, hence the Volleyball court. However after mowing the lawn, I did enjoy completing the many more tasks of weeding, spraying, sweeping and watering. I have always likes playing in dirt!

I can see that I blended in this border about as good as I mowed the lawn leaving a little white along the upper left edge just like I left a strip of tall grass in places. Oh well I guess it adds to the story!

ProHDR
ToonPaint
Blender
PhotoStudio
Filterstorm


iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts TODAY! - sign up now!!


If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Step by Step iPhone App Processing

Another image from the Perkin House, Colfax, WA

Today's image was a surprise to me. From the beginning of the processing procedure, I decided I wanted to create an old photo feel, so instantly the app OldPhotoPro came to mind. (As always I sharpened the image first before applying any additional filters.) While finding that app I came across the app PhotoTreats and decided to remind myself to what was available there. I found a filter that super saturated the image and decided to apply it before bringing it into OldPhotoPro.
In OldPhotoPro I tried some various combination and instantly feel in love with the ragged frame. Even though the frame did add the appeal I was looking for I also wanted to continue playing with the possibilities of different framing options so I opened the image in fxPhotoStudio and added a thin black frame. I brought the image into OldPhotoPro again to add the ragged frame to the black portion.
Now with the thought of wanting to paint in the wall paper textureas part of the frame, I also captured that day, I once again added a frame in fxPhotoStudio but this time in white and wider so it would show through when blended in the app Blender.
Each time I processed the image in OldPhotoPro it became more aged and darker. I definitely liked the aged look but thought it was too dark so I used the app DynamicLight to brighten it a bit. Next I sharpened the image again using Perfect Photo. Then I was ready to blend. Using the simplest blending mode app, Blender, I opened the most current version and the wallpaper texture. My plan, as I stated earlier, was to paint the wallpaper just into the frame, however when I chose the multiply option I just loved how the wallpaper blended so well into the whole image - Surprise!
Even though I loved the look on the wallpaper on the image, I didn't want it to be as strong as the portion on the frame so next I opened the image with the blended wallpaper and the one just prior to that in Filterstorm and with a very low opacity brush lightened the inside of the image.
As always I added my copyright watermark with Impression.

This is just a concept that I wanted to share with all of you. It can be used in several ways. I hope this demonstration and explanation motivates and inspires you to see what is possible. I have many more lessons like this in my iCreativity course that is starting Tuesday May 31st.

For the step by step images I used the app Diptic.

original Hipsta Dream Canvas,  OldPhotoPro, fxPhotoStudio, OldPhotoPro

FxPhotoStudio, OldPhotoPro, DynamicLight, Filterstorm

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts May 31st. If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

iPhone Interior Architectural Photography

Huntley Lodge 

"What kind of Photographer are you?" Is a common question I have been asked by many. I used to struggle with the answer to that question because I wasn't exactly sure what kind I was. However about a year ago I decided I was an "opportunist photographer", I would shoot any opportunity that presented itself.
It was in October of last year that I redefined myself as an iPhoneographer. However that didn't change the fact that I will still shoot any opportunity that presents itself. So when I was asked to shoot the interior of a vacation lodge with my iPhone I happily accepted the job.
Actually, I had more confidence shooting with my iPhone because I knew I would not only do a great job but I also knew I would be providing my client with a different look then most photographers. For those of you who follow my blog you know that I am a BIG fan of the Autostitch app. I love how I can create an image that you feel you are actually walking into. Yes Autostitch can and does distort the image but I believe that is part of the appeal.
Case in point is this kitchen interior. While capturing this image I stood fairly close to the counter top on the left and then panned the scene capturing 5 images. Since I am familiar with how Autostitch works, I knew that the counter top to the right would bow in the final result. I also knew that I could use just 4 of the images to stitch with if I didn't like the result. I found that the result of the 5 image stitch provokes thought and surrounded the viewer a bit more than your typical technically correct image. This I find very appealing as did my client. As always it is a matter of choice and in the eye of the beholder. I am curious to hear how others feel about shooting interior architecture knowing that the result is going to most likely have the iPhone Autostitch signature.

ProHDR capture

PerfectPhoto

AutoStitch

TouchRetouch

PhotoStudio

Iris for iPad

Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts May 23rd. If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

The Motorcycle Tire Wall

Enjoying creating new framing ideas. 

Dolls at the Perkins House

If these dolls could talk!

Hipsta
iDarkroom
Filterstorm
Iris for iPad
Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts June 6th. If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Framing the Parlor

Another gorgeous room in the Perkins House

ProHDR
AutoStitch

Frame was created using:
PhotoStudio
AutoPainter HD
Artista Haiku
Blender
FIlterstorm

Just playing around today, to see what is possible!

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts Monday,May 23rd. If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Saint Boniface Catholic Church, Uniontown, WA

Saint Boniface Catholic Church

The quick trip to the Palouse yielded many wonderful images. I experienced new locations and met yet again many wonderful people!

This image was from inside of the Saint Boniface Catholic Church, Uniontown, WA.

Hipstamatic

AutoPainter

Filterstorm

Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts May 23rd. 

If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

I am back in the Palouse

Gordon Hamilton Farm

My friend Dick and I are in the Palouse for a few days. The spring wheat is just starting to grow. What a gorgeous day we had in the land of red barns, green fields, blue skies and white puff clouds.

ProHRD

Filterstorm 

Impression

1952 Ford Truck - Roslyn, WA

The beauty of living in a small town is that every now and then you will find jewels like this parked along the road. On Saturday, it was in front of the Roslyn Museum, so I walked in and asked the gentleman visiting there if he minded if I took photos of his car. He gave me a curious look and said, "'Why no." So armed with my iPhone I started capturing this 1952 Ford from all different angles. I chose this angle  for the purpose of isolating it from the cars and buildings around it.
During the intense photo shoot the owner and his wife came out of the museum, sat on a bench and patiently watched me while they had a great conversation with a friend of mine. Afterward I sat on the sidewalk listening to the many tales of growing up and living in Roslyn. She was very proud, and justly so, that they had celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last week. She also said that she was turning 90 next week and her husband was 92.
They looked terrific. He had an expression of a young boy when he was reliving his tales with us. Especially the ones of dancing or playing baseball. One story he told was of the 37 saloons that Roslyn once had. He said that if you got too drunk the police officer would just drive you home. When I asked how many police officers they had to handle a town with 37 saloons, he looked at me and said, "Two, one day shift and one night shift."
Now don't get me wrong I love my world of technology and all the possibilities it has brought me, but can you imagine a life where everyone was more responsible for themselves and neighbors took care of neighbors. She told the story of when they needed a garage built and all the neighbors pitched in to help on Saturday to get it completed in one day. This neighborly gesture was repeated all over town.
Oh, I was also informed that when the engine goes out in the truck he replaces it with a spare he has in the garage, then promptly repairs the first one for the next time second engine goes out.
It was a great afternoon.

ProHDR

Iris for iPad

Filterstorm

Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Roslyn Cottage

Home Sweet Home in Roslyn

The favorite part of this image is the frame. I really liked how I created it.  Next time I will choose a less formal subject than a white house and picket fence to use it with.

Since Blogger was down yesterday, I am an image behind for the month. I'll catch up later!

• ProCamera
• Autostitch
• PerfectPhoto
• AutoPainter
• PhotoStudio
• Blender
• Filterstorm
• Impression

iPhoneography Classes Available Now! - next class starts May 23rd

If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Merry Bicycle

One of the first images I captured with the Hipstamatic Camera App

To have someone 'try' to copy your technique, workflow or creation is a great compliment. Look at how many people studied under Ansel Adams and no one has ever said, that I am aware, his students are better than he is. Why is that? How can someone show you exactly how they create something and no two artist's work look the same. I believe it is because of so many variables. 
First of all we see differently. For instance, at a crime scene 10 people that were witnesses to the crime can all be interviewed and have a different version of what happened. Therefore, if you are shown a technique step by step there are always different ways to see things. 
Secondly we think differently. Everyone's life experiences are different and I believe those experiences play a big part on how we express ourselves. Isn't art an expression of oneself? 
Seeing and thinking differently create an infinite amount of possibilities. Now to take it a step further. The great artists and mentors are always growing and learning themselves. Their passion drives them to become better and 'see out of the box'. Therefore the students who are 'trying' to copy the technique are always a step behind. 
So what is my message. You can and should 'try' to copy many of the great artists techniques, you should have a mentor who is willing to take the time and effort to guide you and you should follow your artistic passion. However, keep in mind that no matter how hard you try to be like someone else, it is never going to happen. So become the artist you were meant to be. 


Case in point... Harry Sandler described his processing technique in detail on his blog post today. So I decided to 'try' it. The first thing I discovered, is that I had no idea where he set his slider in PhotoStudio. Next I discovered I didn't know where he chose his light source to come from in Dynamic Light. Then I had no idea what blending mode he used while in Blender or Iris, let alone which image he started with first. Plus what were his settings in Sketchmee? So, in the end I added my own vision and thoughts to create an image with guidance, inspiration and ideas from my mentor. 


The conclusion to this story is: I want to thank Harry for the inspiration and explanation of his processing technique, I am very grateful that he shared it. I hope you like my variation of it! (oh and I didn't forget to sharpen, I promise!)

iPhoneography Classes Available Now!  starts May 16th

If you would like to learn how to capture and process iPhone images beyond a basic snapshot take an Online iPhoneography Course with Teri Lou. Two courses are available iPhoneography 101 and iCreativity. Click on the direct links in the upper left hand column of this blog for information, pricing and schedule.

Montage and Filterstorm Blending

Composting your images together can be very powerful way to tell a story. You can take different elements from different time periods and blending them together in a way that might make sense only to you. The trick is to find some way to make them blend in a harmonious way. With this collage I chose to process all my elements with the same tones to create the harmony. I used the combination of the apps,  Montage for sizing and placement and Filterstorm for blending. I also used a couple texture files.
Today was a day to experiment and see what different elements looked like together. Next time I will purposely shoot some images to create a piece that speaks to more than just me....

Montage

Filterstorm

Blender

Grungetastic

Impression

Review - Iris Photo Suite for iPad

Processed with Iris for iPad using many Fx Effects, Sharpen and Text

What a great day it was to wake up and find out that Iris Photo Suite for iPad is now available. I am very impressed with the new options available especially the opacity brush - yippy - and the strength sliders - yahoo!!! There are many additional Fx Effects/Textures folders including: Vintage, Grunge, Surface, Lo-Fi, and Dust 'n'Scratches.
The capability of masking improved dramatically now that there is an opacity setting for the brush. This feature alone makes Iris more useful than ever. Another addition worth mentioning is the Sharpen/Blur Adjustment that can be masked.
When you open Iris for iPad you are given two options: 'Open a New Image' or 'Click a New Image'. I was confused by this when I tapped 'Click a New Image' and nothing happened. Then, thanks to a fellow iPhoneographer, I realized this feature only worked with the iPad2 that has a camera, click is for take photo, duh! I currently only have the original iPad as you can now tell.
Another feature that I didn't follow correctly at first is 'Adjust'. To change the size of an image, first tap 'Adjust' then tap the blue arrow, choose the size of the image , then you must tap 'Go'. The last step wasn't obvious for me.
The only complaint I have after using this app today is that the 'Text' is lacking in many ways: The opacity option isn't available. You can not see the style of font until it is selected. The font styles are not in alphabetical order making it difficult to find your favorites. Also you need to type your text each time instead of saving the last one used as a default, which would be very useful to continually have for your copyright signature. Until these options are available I am going to continue to use the app Impression.
Overall I am so impressed with all the additions and improvements to this wonderful app I use very frequently. I am highly recommended it, especially for $2.99.

Creative Tulips - the abstract way

Tulip in Skagit Valley

As I mentioned yesterday, I spent the last two days with extend family at a small family get together. I  hadn't planned on being given this opportunity and was grateful for the time with them all as they also made me feel very welcome and loved. 

This morning it was raining and blowing so I thought I had missed my opportunity to capture the tulips this year, so I went to the Lynden Pioneer Museum with the group until mid afternoon before I headed south to Skagit Valley again.

I was pleasantly surprised when the clouds began to break and the sun started shining. I spent about 4 hours capturing the tulips with many different camera apps and using many different techniques.This is one of my many favorites, so I expect that you will be seeing many more in the next few weeks as I wait for spring to arrive in my home town.

SlowShutter

AutoPainter

Iris

Filterstorm

Impression

Planet Full of Tulips

Mount Vernon, Washington Tulips

Yesterday I drove north of Seattle to Mount Vernon, where there are fields of tulips. I also was to meet my extended family for dinner. Unfortunately with road construction slowing down most of my journey I didn't arrive as early as planned and didn't have time before dinner to capture any tulips other then a bunch of them in the parking lot. After dinner I changed my plans and heading north to spend more time with the family. 

With this change of plans came lots of questions from my mom's generation to what iPhoneography and apps were. So I had the pleasure of show and tell. During this process I made several versions of today's tulip image and therefore thought I would share many of them with you.

I used many apps and wasn't able to keep track of them all for the different image so I don't have an app list for today. Tomorrow I will be back for more tulip photos, stay tuned.

Diptic showing several versions of the tulips.

Reviewing AutoPainter HD a great app for blending

Hipstamatic Camera App

Being introduced to a new app can sometimes be overwhelming. I have so many apps, in so many full to capacity folders already, that my home screen is completely covered with iPhoneography stuff. So the problem is, if I don't like the app then I have to find a space for it in the basement, per se, and if I do like the app I have to demote an app out of my favorites, or 2nd favorites. It is a problem I run into often.
So when I saw what effect AutoPainter was creating for my fellow iPhoneographers, I had a feeling that a demotion was in order. AutoPainter is the type of app I needed right now, simple and to the point. Not many options and no bells and whistles, just a straight forward painter. It offers 4 different painting styles, in a 3 step process. The unusual part is that you can stop the process early if you like the effect it has created before it is done.
In the case of this image I liked Benson the most and let the process go to completion. And for those of you who know me well I didn't stop there. I also processed the original in ArtistaSketch and blend those results with the AutoPainter version in Iris. Next I added two layers of frames with PSExpress and two layers of picGrunger. My final step was completed in Filterstorm by sharpening and darkened the cross and steeple a bit. Oh yeah I used Impression for my copyright.
I would recommend the app for those of you who like a painterly look and yes it is now in one of my favorite folders!

Roslyn Riders - For the Love of Horses

Today's post was captured while riding my bicycle. I processed it with many textures, from my own iPhone captured texture file, blended and masked. This is a handheld Hipstamatic stitch. The borders got too crazy in this one to keep them - bummer!

Hipstamatic
AutoStitch
Iris
Sketchmee
and opps I forgot the others.
Impression

Take your iPhone images to the next step with the power of blending, brushing and masking. Teri Lou is offering her first online advance course starts today! Ask for more information at teri@terilou.com