Monthly Archives: March 2014

Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge-Week 7-Sketch Effects

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Well, as I was very busy building my new Shopify website, I initially missed weeks 7 thru 10 of the Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge.  But I want my photo grid complete with host We Live in a Flat (and co-host Fire Bonnet), so am going ahead and competing entries for these (and back dating so they are archived in order).

Week 7 Photo Challenge:  Art-Sketch Effects

We Live in a Flat gives a more full description of sketching via Wikipedia:

Sketches can be made in any drawing medium. The term is most often applied to graphic work executed in a dry media such as silverpoint,graphite, pencil, charcoal or pastel. But it may also apply to drawings executed in pen and ink, ballpoint pen, water colour and oil paint. The latter two are generally referred to as “water colour sketches” and “oil sketches”. – wikipedia

And yes it is true that we now digitally have the ability to turn our photos into sketches (and watercolors, and oil paints, etc.).  I really like the look of the Camera360 app that she tested, so added it to my growing group of photo apps on my iPhone.  This one was free!

It took me a minute to figure out where the “sketch” effect was in this app.  You have to select the big + button to enter the effects store.  From there they list the different effects offered; all are free.  Once selected the effects you like are installed onto your main effects screen for use.  A total of nine sketch effects are offered.  I liked “surreal”, “years”, “color”, and “light”.  Did not particularly care for the rest.  And, ways to save are a little odd in that you export to your camera roll, and if not careful with your “finger placement” on your phone screen you will just re-save your original.

Here are the final results.  I used a photo taken of Peyton this morning on a neutral background.

Original Photo
Sketch #1-Surreal
Sketch #2-Years
Sketch #3-Color

I think I like sketch #3-Color best.  I think a darker subject would have worked out better for this effect, although there is quite a bit of contrast between Peyton and the almost white background.  The “Years” sketch is also nice, although it really just looks like a b&w photo conversion, rather than a sketch.

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Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge-Week 6-Color Filters

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We are now at Week 6, the mid-way point, of the ongoing 12 week photo challenge being hosted by We Live in a Flat and Firebonnet.  We Live in a Flat gives a good description of this week’s new challenge, color filters.

One of the easiest things to do with a photo app is to apply a colour filter. Tap to apply and there you have it, a boring photo given a little extra zing. Minimal effort.

I have to agree that applying a color filter, or other types of artistic filters, is one of the easiest things to do with all the new photography apps for phones and notepads.  In fact, it’s almost too easy to get carried away with all the options out there.  Sometimes the hardest decision to make is choosing which readily available photo technique to apply to your photo, or knowing when to put the proverbial paintbrush down and leave well enough alone.

100 Cameras in 1

This is a fun little app that I have explored before.  See my review from March 2013 here.  This app lets you apply those color filters with an easy tap of the finger.  The neat thing is that you can apply filter on top of filter, for almost unlimited choices and final look to your photo.  It is straightforward and simple to use, developed by world renowned photographer Trey Ratcliff.  If you have never had a chance to visit his site, you should do so.  He offers great photography tips & tutorials.  Since I have reviewed this app previously, I won’t review it again here, but as we are discovering color filter apps this week, I thought you might be interested in this one.

Mextures

This is my latest discovery, happened upon quite by happy accident this week while cruising through instagram and reviewing comments there.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I discover this!  An app that lets you create your OWN filters.  The Mextures app has more than 80 original high resolution textures made specifically for photographers by photographers.  You can choose from pack selections such as Radiance, Grit & Grain, Light Leaks, Emulsion, Grunge, Landscape Enhance, and Vintage.  Within each of these packs are numerous filters that you can apply to your photo.  And with each individual application, you can adjust the opacity of the filter.  But here’s the best part…rather than the old method of deleting a filter if you don’t like it, your filters are applied in true layers the way they are in Photoshop, so that you can rotate, hide and adjust the opacity of them as needed, seeing results in real-time  (via the eye symbol, again as in Photoshop).  Isn’t that so very cool?

And if all this isn’t enough, you can also choose to capture your favorite filter combinations and save them for later application on another photo.  Or not. Also within the formulas screen there are “guest” formulas that you can apply with a quick tap of your finger to your photo.  Want to explore them more?  Simply open the layers tab on any given one and you can see how many/which packs/opacity level the guest used to create the unique filter.

This is the app for anyone who wants ultimate control over their photo filter!

Here is my entry for the week.  Original photo (the same one used for the 100 Cameras in 1 sample).

Color-Filter-400x400

Original App Challenge Image
A Break in the Clouds

Mobile Device: iPhone 4s
App Used:  Snapseed, Mextures

And here is my final photo, altered with the advanced filters from Mextures.  Let me know what you think!

Color-Filter-2.1-Web

Final App Challenge Image

Want to have fun and participate in the photo challenge, or just visit the other entries?  Just click on the Snappy H’appy Logo at the top of this post!

Pet Pals

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My Dad was recently released from a local hospital after an (almost) two-week stay there following knee replacement surgery. Much of the stay he was on a rehabilitation floor working hard with therapists to make sure (at age 87), that he would do well once he was able to return home. He has, as always, been amazing and is making a great recovery. While on the rehabilitation floor, he was able to meet & greet a couple of the Therapy Pet Pals of Texas certified therapy dogs. I was fortunate enough on one of my visits to see him to be able to meet this sweet bulldog myself. Her name is Breeze. Isn’t she pretty with her sparkling tiara!  Her escort was permitted to take her on her rounds to see patients in a wheelchair, which put her at the perfect height to visit patients in bed.

If you are curious about the photo technique, just follow We Live in a Flat.  We are on a 12 week photography journey learning new ways to use photo apps on our smart phones.  I cover this technique in week 3 – Snappy H’appy – Watercolors.

Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge-Week 5-Light Leaks

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With apologizes to my hosts for being a little late, I am joining in on Week 5 of the photo challenge.  Please be sure to check out host sites of We Live in a Flat and Firebonnet for more great information about light leaks in photos.  We Live in a Flat describes them from Widipedia as:

Light Leak, what is it exactly?

A light leak is a hole or gap in the body of a camera where light is able to “leak” into the normally light-tight chamber, exposing the film or sensor with extra light. This light is diffuse, although parts within the camera may cast shadows or reflect it in a particular way. For most purposes this is considered a problem. Within the lomography movement it is seen as a positive effect, giving photos character. – wikipedia

Lomography became popular in the early 1990’s with the use of analog cameras used to create experimental film photography.

Similar to Eastman Kodak’s concept of the “Kodak moment”, the philosophy behind Lomography is summarized in its motto, “Don’t Think, Just Shoot.”  This motto is accompanied by The Ten Golden Rules which are supposed to encourage spontaneity and taking photos anywhere, while minimizing considerations of formal technique.   Typical Lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity and constructed to make sure their mechanics are not too technical. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks. – wikipedia

So, with this great knowledge and the review of different light leak apps by We Live in a Flat, I decided to give PicsArt a try, since I have never used it before.  I have to love PicsArt great motto, “Where Everyone Becomes an Artist”.  Yep that app is for me!  Here is my original photo, chosen and converted to black and white in Snapseed, so that I could see the obvious results of any light filter applied.

Black-&-White-Bridge

Original App Challenge Image
Across the Bridge

Mobile Device: iPhone 4s
App Used:  Snapseed, PicsArt

And here is the “after” result, with the Masks/Lights/Filter 10 in PicsArt applied.  I chose this particular light leak filter because I liked the way the yellow light fell onto the main vehicle on the bridge.  I don’t always “frame” my photos, but thought in this case the black frame nicely highlighted the framework of the bridge.

Color-Bridge

Final App Challenge Image

Want to have fun and participate in the photo challenge, or just visit the other entries?  Just click on the Snappy H’appy Logo at the top of this post!

Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge-Week 4-Cutouts

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This Snappy H’appy Photo Challenge is hosted by We Live in A Flat and Firebonnet.  Be sure to check out the other challenge photos via their sites.

We are now in week 4 of the Snappy H’appy Challenge.  This week we focus on cutouts.  As challenge host We Live in a Flat describes, “Cutouts can be decorative, they can also convey a message. The art of juxtaposing a cut out from a photo or picture with another different photo or picture can create some wildly imaginative scenerios, landscapes or portraits.”

I decided to go ahead and work with the reviewed Moldiv app on We Live in a Flat, although I had never tried it before.  I have to agree that I really, really like the options for text on this app.  However, I found the cutout option a little difficult to get the hang of.  I tried to use a stylus and even the eraser on the end of a pencil to make my outline for my cutout, without success.  Only using my finger seemed to do the trick, but my cutouts were not very accurate until I learned to look at the small extra floating box provided while outlining my object.

 

Lucy-Wash-1

Original App Challenge Image
Get Me Outta Here!

Mobile Device: iPhone 4s
App Used:  Snapseed, Moldiv

Then, since this app provided no way to blur the lines between the cutout and the original image on which it was placed, I was forced to be more creative and find a way to handle the hard line between the two.  My final decision was to also make a cutout of the soap bubbles, then duplicate and layer it several times at the bottom of my photo to blend the kitty cutout with the washer.

Lucy-Wash-2-new

 Duplicating the Soap Bubbles

So here is the final result.  I do still wish this app had a way to blend the cutout to the background image.   Since it did not, I took this photo into Photoshop to blend the cutout better.

Lucy-Wash-3

Final App Challenge Image

No cats were harmed in the making of this image!

Want to have fun and participate in the photo challenge, or just visit the other entries?  Just click on the Snappy H’appy Logo at the top of this post!