Authenticity, Provenance and Metadata

In these AI (artificial intelligence) days we need to know about how images are created and edited. Often we look at the information attached to a photo, metadata, and know ISO-Aperture-ShutterSpeed and location. After editing, some apps add to metadata with their name and Photos Search feature (iOS 17.x) can find other images edited with the same app.  

But what about images generated by AI? What about deepfake images? What do we see in metadata? How do we spot photo manipulation? 

This post will share recent articles to increase our understanding of the information behind our images. 

Content Authenticity Initiative is a site to watch: 

• How Wrapt’s end-to-end platform protects creative workflows with Content Credentials by Coleen Jose, 7-24-2024 In the top right corner of the Brooklyn Bridge photo is a small (cr) icon. Click it to investigate further. Stuart Waite: " In an era of deepfakes, content theft, and plagiarism, Wrapt provides an industry solution to millions of content creators, brands, and publishers seeking to protect and insure their creative assets. It's as simple as wrap it, share it, track it! Wrapt is a B2B SaaS content protection platform. With Content Credentials, Wrapt protects and insures your creative work by securely tracking how it’s created, shared, and published across the internet." 

more later ... 

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max

Watch this post - it will be updated as new resources are found …

Compare iPhone models - past and present and coming soon at GSM Arena 

https://www.gsmarena.com/apple-phones-48.php

This was fun to look back and compare the past models of iPhones over the years. 

Great information from Austin Mann - iPhone 16 Pro Camera Review: Kenya video. 

Just In Time - Learning

Where have I been? Lately, months ago and even years ago? Safari is revealing tricks to me now on the verge of an update. Just in time to learn new things about browsing the web. 

I've been struggling with websites that include Cookies, Ads and Pop-Ups. So Cookies get managed, Ads get blocked and Pop-ups are ... well, broken. On a computer, open Safari then Safari > Settings... > Websites and look on the list for both Content Blockers and Pop-up Windows. (Don't ask me about the difference or why these two items are so separated on the list in MacOS Sonoma 14.6.1). 

Some websites are virtually unusable if you block their content. You can miss the nano-blink-of-an-eye notice in the URL bar about "blocked content" and the little icon (box) next to the refresh page arrow icon. This can't be an "accessible feature" if it disappears instantly from the URL field. Where is the setting to delay the instant disappearance of this note? 

In Safari's toolbar, look at the report you get with the Gear icon about each website and what is allowed or blocked. Many of Apple's apps let you Customize the toolbar, so look it over for a button that might improve your workflow. 

Folsom Photography Competition & Show

Folsom Focus Photography Contest 2024 submissions October 1st through 14th.  This contest encourages amateur photographers of all ages to submit their favorite photos that showcase Folsom from their own unique perspective. Contestants are not required to be Folsom residents, but all photographs submitted MUST be an image taken in FOLSOM and identifiable as such. All entries must fit into one of the categories listed below. Entry fee is $7 per photo. 

Capture life in Folsom:  

• Folsom Outdoors
• Folsom Wildlife
• Urban Folsom
• Macro Photography 

Read About iOS 18 and iPadOS 18

The Tips app has iOS 18 Preview with 7 notes on what is coming up. While you are in this app, check for Photos and Camera Tips to see if you have missed something in iOS 17.x - like Action Mode for video clips. 

Charlene reminded me that a great place to read about operating system updates is MacRumors. Here are direct links to the follow articles and resources ...

• Just Install iOS 18? Here Are 10 Things to Do First 
• Comprehensive look at Roundup - iOS 18 
• Forums - iOS and iPadOS 

Forum post has my head spinning and I want to do more research! Does anybody actually LIKE the new iOS 18 Photos app? [MERGED] and then to see what's new, maybe a YouTube search next. Found one! AppleInsider offers Photos in iOS 18! Everything NEW in Apple's Controversial Redesign! You want to watch this one and read the comments posted by others. Change is hard. Change in something we use often can be a headache until we ... get over it ... get used to the new look. Wonder about how it will look on the iPad? I want to test the natural language request to create new Memories.  

New to me is Rich Bowlin and he offers iPhone Tips for Seniors: iOS 18 7 New Features!  on his YouTube Channel and he introduces some customizations. I'm hoping he adds additional videos about the Photos and Camera apps and other new iOS 18 features. 

Also checkout the Ellen's Tips for iOS YouTube channel. 

Don't miss Joanna Stern - WSJ tech writer - iOS 18: 18 New Features for Apple’s New iPhone Software Update | WSJ  and iPhone 16 First Look: New Buttons, Cameras and Other Features | WSJ 

Lesson is … GO SLOW. This is a big update! 

There is a security update, 17.7 that is available for mobile devices. This move from 17.6.1 to 17.7 would not bring on the deluge of next generation features. 

Other routine pre-update activities include:

• watching for app updates in the AppStore > update! 
• export any data stored inside apps (databases to CSV - open in Numbers or Excel) 
• export image projects with layers as PSD - Photoshop Document format (Leonardo as email attachment) 
• review and delete old/unused passwords 

You will probably update all devices before I do. There is one critical software on my Mac that needs to be compatible before I update to MacOS 15 Sequoia. In iOS 18 there is a big change for passwords  — actually a new app called Passwords and they sync across all devices using the same AppleID. In iOS 17 and earlier, Apple Keychain was how I saved passwords for apps and websites. This shift in password management might not be as critical - because some folks still have older laptops or computers that cannot be updated to Sequoia. Maybe this is a time to pose an iOS 18 question in the Apple Communities Forum. 

Déjà vu - Update Time Again!

OK - iOS 18 is out next week. Slow down and take a breath. Take time to be prepared for a big leap into our known (and unknown) future with Apple Intelligence, aka "ai." 

Use the Search feature on this blog to find references to past Update suggestions ... going all the way back to 2017! 

Additional details will appear in new posts soon.  Meanwhile read up on ... 

iOS18 & iPadOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia  

Apple Support - How to Update iPhone 

MacWorld iOS 18 superguide: Everything you need to know about the new iOS 

MacRumors Apple Shares Full List of Over 250 New Features and Changes Coming With iOS 18 and iOS 18.2 Expected in December With These New Features while you are there checkout iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. 

PS - just used Mac with Dictation to spell out the title for this post - complete with diacritical marks. This feature has been available for years. 

Flower Composition and Play

Ok, Pinterest is showing me fun stuff in my inbox. Flowers are often a favorite subject for me and recently there have been bright colors and motion involved. Affinity Spotlight posted Melanie Khareghat's How to Create a dynamic flower photo composition back in August 2020. Guess I'm just late to this party. 

Melanie combines two photos in post production. There is no rule that says "combine only two" images. Any app that can combine images or layers would work, Image Blender, PicCollage, Snapseed, Leonardo, Pixelmator, Procreate and ... Affinity Photo or Photoshop. 

In our mobile workflow what camera app would you use? What file format would be best? 

RenSoc Fall Catalog

There will be a change in the Fall 2024 Seminar Catalog - "closed" seminars will not be listed. That includes iPhone Photographic Studio. We will not be accepting new members, hence "closed" status. The Program Committee and Board felt showing listings for seminars/SIGs that are not enrolling new members is ... well, false advertising. 

So I will probably use my home email account to notify past participants about the class dates, Zoom links and field trip plans. I will also use a different social media platform called Padlet. Here is an example of my current experiments with iPhone Studio board. While we have our Photos Shared Album, a Padlet board allows people to comment and rate posts and for folks wanting the full experience, join Padlet with my referral link to get 6 free boards for your own experimentation and sharing. Did I mention that Padlet is a way to play with creating images using generated artificial intelligence? Padlet is used in some K-12 and college classes around the world and has controls about who can see or post content. This summer I'm exploring how to use Padlet for the RS Members Discuss AI class because I want participants to contribute thoughts, ideas, articles in-between our monthly meeting. Participants use all types of devices, like Android, Windows and Apple systems. Padlet serves everyone.   

After Apple's big announcements at the World Wide Developers Conference, WWDC, earlier this month, some of our fall activities will look at the artificial intelligence - or Apple Intelligence - features in MacOS, iOS and iPadOS. For example, iPadOS 18 introduces powerful new intelligence features ... watch for changes to the Photos app, intelligence added to Memories for videos and slideshows, the new Image Playground app integrated into Messages, Mail and more. 

TheAppWhisperer offers Introducing Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that puts powerful generative models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac as a glimpse into what is coming.