Monday, December 11, 2023

Old Mac OS vs New Camera RAW Format

Finally I hit the brick wall of old vs new. My ten-year-old 2013 Mac Pro laptop can only be updated to Mac OS 10.15 Catalina. At purchase, the laptop ran Mac OS 10.9 known as Mavericks. So it is stuck well below the newer versions of Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and, currently, Sonoma. 

Many of the applications I use on the laptop easily can save files to iCloud Drive to be opened on my newer Mac computer for final touchups. But this month I learned that NEF RAW images from my Nikon Zfc were not visible to any application including the Finder. 

Lesson #1 - When on a road trip with 2013 Mac Pro laptop, change Nikon settings to shoot RAW + JPEG. Then some images can be previewed, sorted and ranked - even shared. 

Lesson #2 - The Nikon Snapbridge iPhone app can come to the rescue and transfer a 2 megapixel, low resolution, image to iPhone or iPad for edits or sharing over an adhoc wifi connection. 

Lesson #3 - Consider budgeting for a new laptop after evaluating how an iPad Pro with USB-C port can power an SSD and the apps needed to edit Nikon's NEF files. Maybe begin budgeting for a new iPad Pro. 

SSD Failure Warning

It happened to me just last month. The on-screen warning popped up when I attached my Photo Vault external drive. And I have been putting off doing anything until I check my SSD backup drives. 

Message to you - Drive failures happen. Accidents happen. Fires happen. Build in backups to your backups. Keep an off-site backup of important digital (and analog) documents and images. 

Backstory - OK, back in 2015 I started using an external SSD (solid state drive) when using Lightroom for DSLR photo management. My image management process uses three Western Digital 2TB SSDs purchased at Costco. The primary drive is the one where new photos are added and photos are edited with apps on Mac. The second drive is also a 2TB SSD that stays in my home. The third 2TB SSD lives off-site and out-of-town. After downloading photos or a big editing session I use ChronoSync Express for macOS to manually sync the folders on the primary drive to the second drive. When visiting off-site, the primary drive travels with me along with a 2013 Mac Pro laptop and ChronoSync Express is used to sync the primary drive to the third drive. All of this in addition to a Time Machine backup of the Mac computer. 

Online Research - Reading Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac has a line that jumped out at me: "If Disk Utility tells you the disk is about to fail, back up your data and replace the disk—you can’t repair it."  

I have been wanting to update the SSDs from USB3 to USB-C and will check at Costco for new drives in 2024. Now is the time to consider if 2TB is the best size going forward. In Summer 2021 I purchased a Nikon Zfc mirrorless camera. This retro device has the same size APS-C cropped sensor as my Nikon D7000 & D5000 cameras. RAW files are still about 25-29 MB in file size with 22 megapixels. This is the "right size" image for my camera work, and full-frame mirrorless gear was in my budget but not for easy carrying around. 

Another possibility is to buy new SSDs, copy the data to a primary drive and then retire the drive to a local safe deposit box. Ahh. Maybe a two-drive solution with one locked up and another around the house (for trips down memory lane). But I'm tempted to begin anew in 2024 -- storing new photos from Nikon and iPhone shoots with the same photo management process of three drives using new USB-C SSD drives.  Stay tuned. 


Sunday, October 29, 2023

Spring 2024 Catalog Description

iPhone Photographic Studio  

Past studio enrollees invite 8 new members to join our adventure. We endeavor to use our iPhones to their fullest capacity, so you know digital photography and you know the ins-and-outs of your iPhone and are willing to purchase $25 in apps and services. You must be available for our field trip on Feb 22, 2024.  Online shared albums are our critique and learning platform. Our public website continues to provide informative articles, demonstration videos, and examples of our artwork at https://rsiphonephotostudio.blogspot.com 

A draft ... for now. Submitting on 10/30/23 

  • Meet and Greet on Zoom 2/8

  1. Intro on Zoom 2/15
  2. Field trip 2/22   <<< required for all 
  3. Editing on Zoom 2/28 
  4. Styling and more editing on Zoom 3/7
  5. Styling and more editing on Zoom 3/14
  6. Styling and more editing on Zoom 3/21


Monday, October 16, 2023

Always Keep Learning

Must have been an iGeeksBlog email that tipped me off to Mrwhosetheboss on YouTube. Please, please, please checkout his How smartphone cameras ACTUALLY work! video. 

Watch this space for other discoveries.  

iPhone Photography School has posted short tips to improve your photography

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Back to Basics for Spring 2024

We have agreed on two fundamental changes for next semester: 1) continue with photography and stylizing and 2) let no more than EIGHT NEW photographers join our class. We will still use Apple Shared Photo Album to post our work, critiques, praise, questions and responses. The content could be original photos, stylized images, collages, animated sequences and videos. 

New photographers ... 

  • Must have an understanding of photography (to better appreciate why they will be buying apps for their iPhone and iPad) 
  • Be familiar with iOS 16-17 and how to organize apps on your device 
  • Be willing to share creativity in our safe place (Shared Photo Album) 
  • Be curious and willing to search online for information and inspiration
  • Be understanding of the frustrations of technology and working towards solutions 
Apps we will keep using: 

Cameras
  • Apple Camera
  • ProCamera with vividHDR in app purchase 
  • Camera+ with presets (Macro) 
  • Slow Shutter or Spectre 
Editing 
  • Apple Photos 
  • TouchRetouch 
  • Snapseed 
Styling 
  • Painnt
  • Prisma
  • Image Blender 
  • Pixelmator 
Collage
  • PicCollage
  • Diptic 
Utilities 
  • Screenshots
  • Markup
  • PhotInfo 
  • Metapho 
iOS - iPadOS features & apps 
  • Spotlight Search
  • Control Center
  • Settings app 
  • Files app 
  • Keynote & Pages 
  • Notes, Contacts & Calendar 
Favorite apps that still work in iOS 17: Leonardo, RAW Power, Waterlogue, Inkwork, Distressed FX, iColorama, Tangled FX, Percolator, Vintage Scene. 


Morning Lessons

Not sure what your morning routine is, but usually I am reading online. The comics, the newspaper and Apple News+ with a variety of sources. 

This morning I went straight to YouTube for lessons on my Nikon Zfc. So much to learn! So much to remember. 

This was stirred up by going on photo field trips with two other Nikon photographers. They have full-frame mirrorless camera and mine is a light-weight cropped sensor, DX model that uses my old lenses. 

But I have not been using this newer Nikon for all its improvements. There are menus to be discovered, settings to change and ... when all else fails ... factory settings to restore for starting over. 

Have you found iPhone camera, Photos hints or stylizing videos that inspire your creativity? Please share! 

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Photographer reviews iPhone 15 Pro Max

Derrick Story is a photographer in Santa Rosa and his writing and workshops have been of interest to me for 15+ years. He has just published Setting Up the iPhone 15 Pro for Photographers - Step-by-Step Guide for the Pro and Pro Max Camera Settings. Check it out. 

Mike recommended listening to the PhotoActive Podcast, episode #150 about iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.  Jeff Carlson and Kirk McElhearn are deep into the details of these devices. Listen once, play with your iPhone - any iPhone camera - and then listen again. In this episode they did not have the new iPhones but are reading into the specifications. Very enlightening. After getting hands-on they will review again. 
Notes from show
  • iPhone 15 Pro and ProMax use USB-C (officially USB 3.2 Gen 2) 
  • Example test for 48MP HEIF, 48MP JPEG and 12MP RAW @ 10:16  
  • Recording video to external SSD @ 15:15  
  • 5X tetra-prismatic lens on iPhone 15 Pro Max is 12MP sensor @ 16:30
PhotoActive links to the PetaPixel team video  The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max Review for Photographers on YouTube. Again, listen, look at the examples and then review your Camera settings. I found the hint to record video to an SD card interesting and worth experimenting. 

Carolyn offered another resource by Jonathan Casey iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Tips and Tricks You Need to Try. A few notes on this video: 
  • Fix shifting White Balance @ 0:20 
  • Change photo resolutions @ 1:06 
  • When to use different resolutions @ 2:42 
  • Shooting video in ProRes Log @ 4:38 
  • External recording to SSD @ 5:33 
  • Apply Portrait Mode to Regular Photo @ 8:45 - plus change when editing.
Charlene has found Blackmagic Camera App on iPhone 15 Pro that is Wow! in reviews by Michael Tobin posted to YouTube. Do read the show notes for links on his gear. 
A couple notes on Blackmagic Camera features: 
  • Hold camera vertically but record in landscape orientation
  • Recording video to external source @ 6:41 with Beastgrip Universal Cage 
  • Log Profile for video (this is news to me … pro possibilities) 

iOS 17 Highlights

Here is the original document from Apple New Features in iOS 17 

Highlights related to Studio work and discussions: 

Stickers. The new Stickers experience provides you with a single home for all your stickers including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and any third-party sticker packs you've downloaded with the ability to react to a message with any sticker through the plus button or directly through the Tapback menu.2 


Location-sharing improvements. Share your location or request someone else's location directly from the plus button in Messages with the new Location app. Location continues to show inline as a bubble in the transcript until the location-sharing session is over.


Contact Posters. Create a customized poster to represent yourself when you give people a FaceTime Audio call. Choose from various treatments for photos, Memoji, and your name. 


Name and photo sharing. You can choose to share your poster automatically with your Contacts or always be asked before you share with anyone. When someone who isn't in your Contacts gives you a call and chooses to share their name and photo with you, you will only see their name. You can then choose to add them to your Contacts and their poster will appear automatically.


Interactive widgets. Take action right on a widget on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Complete to-dos, play or pause your media, access your home controls, and much mor


Photos album widget. Select a specific album from the Photos app so photos from your favorite album appear in your Photos widget. 


NameDrop. Exchange contact information with someone new by simply bringing your iPhone near their iPhone or Apple Watch.4 Your name and Contact Poster are automatically included whenever you share, and you can easily select the phone number or email address you want to include along with it. 


New way to initiate AirDrop. Share content or start a SharePlay session over AirDrop by bringing your iPhone close to another. 


Continue over the internet. AirDrop transfers will continue over the internet when you step out of range. 


Inline predictive text. Get single and multi-word predictions directly in the text field based on what the keyboard predicts you're going to type, so you can complete what you're typing even faster by just tapping Space bar


Offline Maps. Download maps for use when your iPhone doesn't have a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. Get routes when driving, cycling, walking, or taking public transit. Even get an estimated time of arrival based on historical traffic. 


App Shortcuts in Top Hit. When you search for an app, Spotlight intelligently offers you App Shortcuts to your next action within the Top Hit, so if you search “Photos,” you can jump right to your Favorites album.


Video search. Search through the videos on your devices by scene, people, and activities. When you tap into a video result, a new scrubber interface will indicate where in the video your search appears. 


Enhanced visual results. Find what you are looking for faster with search results that pop with familiar colors and iconography. 


Data Detector quick actions. Phone numbers, email, dates, and times typed into the Spotlight search bar will now offer quick actions such as call number, create contacts, send email, and create calendar event. 


Settings in Top Hits. When you search for settings such as “Airplane Mode,” “Wi-Fi,” “Dark Mode,” and more, Spotlight will offer you a toggle for the setting in the Top Hit


Lift multiple subjects from background. Lift multiple subjects from the background of photos and videos and place them in apps like Messages


Visual Look Up in Video. Look up information about objects that appear in paused video frames.


Visual Look Up from subject lift. Look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar.


Photos privacy prompt improvements. An embedded photo picker for apps lets you pick photos to share within the app's experience, without sharing your entire library. When an app does ask to access your entire library, you'll see details of how many and which photos will be 


Link tracking protection. Some websites add extra information to their URLs in order to track users across other websites. Now, this information will be removed from the links users share in Messages and Mail, and the links will still work as expected. This information will also be removed for links in Safari Private Browsing.


Open in Pages. Create a Pages document from your note with a quick selection from the Share menu.


Intelligent form detection. Fillable documents and forms can now be automatically identified across the system, like in Files, Mail, or scanned documents


Item Sharing. Up to five other people can share an AirTag or Find My network accessory. Everyone in the sharing group will be able to see the item's location, get directions to the item, and use Precision Finding and Play Sound to help pinpoint a shared AirTag's location when nearby


Pets in the People album. Individual pets are now surfaced in the People album just like friends or family members


Drag to reorder in a memory. Reorder photos and videos within a memory by dragging and dropping them into a new position in the timeline. 


Add content to a memory. Add any photo or video from your library to a memory


Smart copy and paste edits. Copied and pasted edits now intelligently match exposure and white balance between images.


Quick access to crop. Zoom in on a photo and instantly crop with a tap, or touch and hold to crop to a specific aspect ratio.


Convert file type when sharing. Choose to convert and share any photo as a JPG, or video as a MOV file.


Improvements to iCloud Photos syncing. iCloud Photos syncing will be paused less frequently, and when syncing is paused, a Sync Now control will appear.


Improved drawing. Freeform - Make eye-catching boards with new drawing tools like Variable Width Pen, Fountain Pen, Highlighter, Watercolor, Slicing Eraser, and Ruler; plus support for hover, tilt, and snap to shape.


Horizon level. Camera - A virtual horizon level provides haptic feedback when iPhone is level with the ground.


Lock White Balance. A new setting lets you keep white balance consistent while recording a video, so the color temperature stays constant even if the lighting changes.


Labeled timers. Name timers so you know what each is counting down for.


Contact Posters. Create a customized poster to represent yourself when you connect with others in places like Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. Choose from various treatments for photos, Memoji, and your name.


Name and photo sharing. Choose to share your Contact Poster with your Contacts automatically, or always be asked before you share it when you place a phone call, start a FaceTime call, or use iMessage.


Save screenshot as image. Choose whether to save a full-page screenshot in Safari, Pages, or Notes as an image or a PDF. 


Sticker drawer. Easily access all your stickers systemwide from the emoji keyboard in a consolidated sticker drawer that includes Live Stickers, Memoji, emoji stickers, and all your third-party sticker packs.


Live Stickers. Tap and hold on any person, animal, or object in photos to lift it away from the background and create a Live Sticker. Create animated Live Stickers from Live Photos, which are automatically added to your sticker drawer.


Sticker integration in Markup. Add stickers to photos, documents, screenshots, and more with Markup.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

iPhone 15 and iOS 17 Check-in

What is your report? Did you update iOS or iPadOS? Do you have App Store doing Auto Updates? Are any of your Studio apps requiring subscriptions now? 

Demo of my choices: 

App Store Tour - in Settings app > App Store > App Updates - automatic > OFF. Open App Store app and go to Account in top right corner. Scroll up to see Available Updates and anything that is not critical to my workflow > Update. Important apps read MORE to see if the developer has gone to Subscription model. Tap name of app to view details, In-App Purchase options and related apps under "You Might Also Like" section. Briefly look at Halide, Metaphor and Photomator for changes pre iOS 17. 

Halide Mark II Pro > Technical Readout for current cameras on device. Wonderful summary. 

Home Screen gestures: swipe between apps for Spotlight Search. Briefly Touch and Hold on app icon for Quick Action menu. Longly Touch and Hold on app icon to get into wiggly Home Screen edit mode. 

PicCollage for Quick Action menu will differ from other apps - up to developer to add items to this menu. 

You are ambassadors for iPhone and iPad features to share with friends and family. 


How big is the Pro Max, can it fit in a back jeans pocket? Is a lanyard or small purse the right fit? 

Carolyn - pick up iPhone 15 Pro Max at Galleria
Chad - 13 Pro w 256GB - upgrade iPhone on pause, delayed update iOS
Irene - upgrade iPhone on pause, delayed update iOS 
Mike - waiting upgrade iPhone - has Sandmarc lenses 
Karen - 12Pro Max w 512GB is good for now 
Colleen - 14 Pro w 256GB - accessories/cables are slowing down upgrade 
Roe - 14 Pro w cellular provider discount - holding off for 16 pro next year
Cheryl - 13 Pro w 512GB - waiting to update later 
Linda - 12 Pro Max w 512GB - not feeling need to upgrade 
Marilyn - 14 Pro w 512GB - 15 Pro Mac w 512GB - too many unused apps 
Charlene - 11 Pro - 15 Pro ordered - Keychain sync data is stuck in a loop in iOS 16  
JoEllen - 14 Pro w 512GB - ordered new Watch for gestures - uses Xfinity mobile and not eligible for Apple 2 year payment options (only offered if paying one of the big three cellular companies!) -  upgraded to new Tesla and amazed at new tech
Melissa - 13 Pro w 256GB - ordered 15 Pro w 256GB on 2 year Apple Card payment plan because 16 Pro will be out this time next year; Watch v6 will be traded-in for v9; lots of new accessories/cables in my future 

Buy out right or buy on installment plan? Trade-in for discount or give to family member? 

Look at apps that are not used or needed to recover some GB of storage space! After the replication to new iPhone is complete, confirm your iCloud subscription only has one phone device backup and one pad device backup. Delete old backup when you are sure of data transfer to recover some iCloud space. 

How about a field trip to explore our various iPhones and the camera/iOS features available? October 5th. Details on where to meet for car pool will be sent in email, plan on 9:30 am departure. 

Monday, September 18, 2023

iOS 17.0 - maybe

Greetings, it is early morning as my fingers dance across the keyboard to write this email. 

iOS 17 could be released today, to the public and not just the beta testers. But you don’t have to jump on this free download. Personally, I’ll wait until the iOS 17.01 or 17.1 release is available. There is often a lag between requesting the initial update because so many people are jumping in to download. If the 17.01 release is available Thursday morning … I might still wait until after class to download. Just so I can use my iPhone without it stuck in update limbo. 

Just a thought, early in the morning, 6:42 am to be precise. 

Camera Specs Dancing in My Mind

As the new iPhone 15 Pro models are about to arrive, it is time to summarize camera specifications. Don't worry about memorizing any of this detail, we won't ask. Here are some highlights: 
  • One of the big differences is the charge port will be USB-C and with the "right" (Apple branded) cord to charge and transfer data from iPhone to an attached SSD drive at USB 3 speeds (10 Gb/s). 
  • Here’s how to use the full 48MP iPhone 14 Pro camera - 9 To 5 Mac - 2/28/23: The main sensor is now 48MP with "advanced quad-pixel sensor" saving very large images at 8064x6048 pixels! Use this feature sparingly, when it really counts. The 'main sensor' is the 1X camera, the 0.5X, 2X or 3X will shoot at 12MP. Look at the image metadata in Photos to be sure of what you are shooting, HEIF or ProRAW.  RAW files should be edited for best results and exported to JPG or HEIF to be shared. None of your friends want to have an 70MB email file attachment. 
  • iPhone 14 Pro will also get ‘HEIF Max’ option to take 48MP photos in the Camera app - 9 To 5 Mac - 9/12/23: iOS 17 will give iPhone 14 Pro camera the option for "HEIF Max," the compressed high efficiency image format. 
  • One of the apps on our list is Focos - where computational photography meets light-field camera >> change focus after taking the photo. (Thanks to Chip Z for showing me a light-field camera so the concept was on my radar.) Now, with iOS 17, on iPhone 13/14/15 Pro/Pro Max Portrait photos can reset the focus point ... on old portrait photos and new ones. Edit in the Photos app. 
  • Take a break and use Apple's Compare iPhone Models to view the Camera specs to choose one of your iPhone models and the next gen model. There is NO RUSH for you to update your iPhone! As you progress as a photographer and image stylist you may decide that a new feature is worth taking the leap. 
  • Are you doing the trade-in option to lower the price of a new iPhone? Before purging and sending in your "old" model, consider taking a series of photos with both devices so you can compare later. This means confirming the Settings > Camera ... match. Then use each camera (0.5X, 1X, 2X, 3X) for the same scene. Try Macro, Photo and Portrait modes (plus Portrait lighting modes). Change the formats, use HEIF and ProRAW. 
Before purchasing a Nikon Zfc in 2021 the Lumix brand teased me. Now PhotoJoseph has published The only camera you need? featuring the NEW Lumix G9II! article and reading the specs helps me appreciate the tech inside iPhones: image stabilization, 25MP high resolution, 13-stops of dynamic range, apply custom picture profiles, preview long exposure on LCD screen, and capture 4K video with various bit-rates. 

Ready, Set , Action! Here are YouTube videos about the Action Mode for iPhone 14 Pro to capture stabilized video clipsTesting Action mode | Shot on iPhone 14 Pro | Apple and iPhone 14 Pro | Chase | Apple 

Take Expressive Pet Portraits on iPhone with Sophie Gamand | Apple is a repeat from an earlier post but with iOS 17 the Photos Faces album will recognize pets! 

How to Shoot & Edit Dramatic Summer Light on iPhone | Apple watch and remember our visits for hands-on at Apple Roseville. Another app featured in Today at Apple sessions is Procreate. How to Make Your Alter Ego on iPad in Procreate with Temi Coker | Apple (I'll be using this app as a backstop to archive Graphic for iPad images.) How to Craft Your Mantra Collage on iPad with Quentin Jones | Apple for some WOW! ideas on using the Keynote app. This technique to create animated GIFs would work for our shared album.  

Now, get out there and shoot more photos and videos! 

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Calendar for upcoming events

What say you? Put it on our radar! 

Linda - Art Show, Sept 16-17 ... East Sac, Tahoe Park ... sacopenstudios.com 

Melissa - Action Camera Photo Swap Meet, Sunday, Oct 1st, 1000 Sunrise Ave at Cirby Way in Roseville. 9 am - noon.

Spring 2024 is just around the corner

The RenSoc Program Committee is gearing up for next semester! Whoa. Take a breath. We just started... 

Questions for Studio participants:

  • Could RenSoc expand the iPad and iPhone seminar offerings? 
  • Would you work with others to facilitate new activities? 
  • More offerings with iPhone photography or artistic apps like Procreate, even music … let your creative inner child go free … 
  • Do you want iPhone Studio to continue? On Zoom or face-to-face? Maybe both. 
  • If you want to continue, is there a way to bring new participants on board? Would you mentor a newbie? 
  • What is your heart telling you? 
Suggestions: 
  • Artificial Intelligence for image creation and editing (Photomator, ... )
  • Print and exhibit our creations  
  • iPhone models - compare camera capabilities - photo walks (downtown murals, birding, ...)   
  • Fish hatchery, ladder, bike trail, river (free parking)   
  • Intentional Camera Movement, ICM, with different camera apps 
  • Select subject in a photo remove from background - photo editing & multi-finder gestures
  • Studio folks demonstrate possibilities for photo taking or image editing - 1 hour on Zoom - Shared album with public access (posting only for presenters), sharing strategies   
  •   

Classes offered over Zoom might need:

  • topic coordinator (works w presenters and gets email out to enrollees) 
  • moderator (introductions and ground rules, announces questions from enrollees) 
  • 2-4 presenters/meeting - demonstrating camera and photo editing techniques 
  • tech host (mutes audio/video; watches for reactions - slow down; records if ok)
  • 2-4 people to answer questions in chat 

The deadline for Spring 2024 proposals is coming up soon. 

Video Story Telling

Keep looking for story ideas that are best told with motion. Checkout the features of iMovie to see what is new, the soundtrack audio options that speak to you and play with the editing features. 

What discoveries on YouTube have you found? Charlene offers short video as an outdoor adventure and how they made the video report. 

ALONE - Short Film - Shot on iPhone - SANDMARC 

VLOG: BTS of "Alone": an iPhone Short Film 

Some of you are familiar with Sandmarc for the lenses they make. The video storytelling can be done with a naked iPhone and the native lenses. If you are inspired to dive deeper into telling a story in moving pictures and audio, then reach out to our Studio participants for gear, help and celebration. 

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Crowded Venues and Lowered Expectations

Add a visit to The Great Reno Balloon Race some day soon. In 2023 it was held Friday thru Sunday, September 8 - 10. Plan on getting to the parking area at 4:30 am. Yep, 0-4-30 dark. If fortune smiles on your visit you will see three events: 5 am Super Glow, 5:30 am Dawn Patrol and 7 am Mass Ascension. The vendor and food area is open 4:30 am to 11 am. The 2023 program will remind me of the special shape balloons present and flying and it includes 70 balloon details (but I think there were more balloons). 

Other large audience venues will come to mind. How do you plan to share this experience with others? Here are my initial thoughts and your experience can be edited in to help others ... plan big. 
  • A crowded venue will mean slow cellular access 
  • Take a power brick and charge cable to recharge iPhone as needed 
  • Use Airplane Mode to save battery as needed 
  • Leave your drones and dogs at home
  • Use Messages to share your location with iPhone users in your group 
  • If some of your group are Android users, give them an Apple Tag for the event
  • Raise the resolution for some photos and videos (maybe not all) 
  • Use the different modes on your iPhone Camera - Night, Portrait, Video, Cinematic, Pano, etc 
  • Shoot video in landscape orientation 
  • Sending several images could result in Message Failed to Send 
  • Watch your Photos status to see if upload to iCloud has stalled to save battery
  • If your images/videos upload to iCloud, consider sending iCloud link instead of images 
  • Before going to the event, create a Shared Photo Album and invite people -- then upload your best images 
  • After all images have loaded to iCloud, review and mark Favorites 
  • Select multiple images and tap ( ... ) to find Slideshow (music and ambient sound) 
  • Edit portrait oriented photos if to be shown full screen (PicCollage 16:9 on black) 
  • Open iMovie and create a Movie, adjust clips, adjust Ken Burns, adjust playback speed, etc 
  • Create a Movie of one image, then turn off Ken Burns and add other video clips and photos
  • Look beyond the screen - take it all in - enjoy the moment - enjoy the energy of the crowd

Cat is out of the bag - iPhone 15 Pro vs Pro Max

You've seen the headlines by now. After weighing the features against your current iPhone model are you  considering making the leap? What hints in the presentation or website caught your eye? 

Take Control Books is one way I keep up with the rush of information. They have just released "Sonoma" (the next Mac OS update) and "iOS 17 and iPADOS 17" and other titles include "Take Control of Your Digital Photos", "Take Control of Your Digital Storage". Books are available in PDF or ePUB format. A frequent author at TCB, Jeff Carlson, has written iPhone 15 cameras: What you need to know at DP Review (thanks to Charlene for sending me this link). Read the comments for additional deep dives. 


Apple Pencil Reboot

This might not be an issue for you, but here is my story. The Apple Pencil is a great tool, a stylus, that is responsive to pressure and tilt angle on the glass. The Procreate app is very responsive to the Pencil. 

My Pencil often lies dormant in a case with other adapters. So it is not charged often and it is not paired to the iPad Pro occasionally. But it does not work! Urggh. Do I need to buy a new one? 

Discovery: using the MagSafe iPhone Charger is one way to maximize the charge on the Apple Pencil. My experience - not that I've read this is suggested by Apple. It took several tries and now the Pencil will pair and work on the iPad Pro. Not only to do drawing but also to handwrite text on a Notes page and then the scribbles become words (like "editable" words. 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Revised Tracking Device Details Worksheet

I've been tracking my devices every year, and especially at a time when I expect to purchase new devices. This is for your own information, so printing and filling out the form is voluntary. 

The current worksheet is iOS_device_details_ios16.pdf and I will sent it as an attachment to the email for our first class. The next version of our operating systems will be available in the next six weeks and the Settings > hints on this form will be revised (not immediately). 

Fall Check-in

A quick review of current camera preferences, devices, iCloud Subscription and workflow so you can exchange techniques with participants using the same devices. What new photo adventures have you tried out? What social media environments are you active or lurking on?  

Melissa: Apple Camera, Slow Shutter, ProCamera, Camera+, Obscura. iPhone 13 Pro until 15 Pro is released. iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen. iOS and iPadOS 16.6. iCloud now at 1 TB. Not using PhotoManager Pro to move images out of Photos Library and rate or add captions. Mark photos to print with "Mpix" caption and when printed change caption to "Xpix". What's new: Printed photos on towels and tiles. Purchased magnetic wood frames for easy swapping out of printed photographs. Struggling to learn about stacking astrophotographs through YouTube and Reddit. SM Active: Apple Shared Photo Albums, Google Photos. Lurking: Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter. 

Carolyn: Using iPhone to make phone calls!
Chad: iPhone 13Pro will go with 15Pro. ProCamera and Camera+2, Obscura. Spectre for slow shutter. Missing 645Pro. New app Camera M.  iCloud 2TB plan, Amazon & Google photos. Pinterest is helpful. Facebook lurker; Instagram for family, Twitter is unused. Wants to print again. Taking lots of pictures and not editing. 
Charlene: Pixelmator & Photomator. iPhone 15Pro and using Sandmarc telephoto lens as needed. Beastgrip to hold iPhone for video and still images; Joby tripod; Apple Watch to control Apple Camera. No SM. Private Browsing in Safari and DuckDuckGo as search engine. 
Cheryl: Diptic collages, Camera+2 Macro, (frustrated with Slow Shutter). Percolator and blending with Image Blender. SM Instagram & Pinterest, Facebook. ImageSize app to upscale.  
Colleen: Trip to Ireland with iPhone 14Pro Max. Looking for iPhone 15Pro Max with periscope telephoto feature. Portrait Mode, Camera+2 Macro. SM lurker Instagram and Pinterest. ReTouch and Photos editing. Obscura - watching for current install vs next update with subscription. 
Cynthia: Slow Shutter, Apple Camera. Scotland trip with just iPhone! Instagram posting - ICM and other photos. Self-Standing acrylic 1" block prints: 1 inch acrylic block prints: www.bumblejax.com
15% off for new orders Code: Metalprints20off - thru 9/10 @9pm; Snapped with double exposure, Pixelmator, DistressedFX. 
Debra: Cinematic mode for grandchild and grand-dog; musician hands; PicCollage. Facebook locked me out after FB account was hacked.  
Irene: iPhone photos. Holiday card booklet project at Minted. iPhone for car navigation is great! SM lurker. Facebook for book club. 
Jim: (Mac M1 & iOS apps?) iPhone 14Pro. Printing is new - 11x14 print?? What's App for messaging to other countries. Slide Scan app was not great - personal setup to use Macro on iPhone to take photos. Telescope adapter for iPhone. 
JoEllen: iPhone camera for bat documentation uses Lightning connector so will not be upgrading to 15Pro. Facebook poster. 
Karen: Nikon shutter is cranky. iPhone lenses inverted; Portrait mode for selfies in different poses, Panorama mode for vertical shots. Examples from Facebook Reels of family and friends. Uses PicCollage to collect images for posting. ReTouch, Slow Shutter, some Live mode shots then Long Exposure to make people disappear (screenshot). 
Linda: Procreate app, Waterlogue, Apple Camera. Web page. Watercolor with ink. Show at 17th & I Street. post to Instagram and Facebook. https://artbylinda.my.canva.site/ and https://lindazempel.com  
Marilyn
Mike: iPhone 14 ProMax. SM lurker on Instagram for photo techniques, jokes. Snapseed, Pixelmator, Image Blender, iColorama, Graphite for B&W, Retouch, iMovie. Acrylic blocks at Bay Photo. 
Niel: Travel photos and editing with Camera+2. 
Roe: Sony camera & iPhone; iPadPro w 256GB 5th Gen, Apple ONE iCloud, Adobe Creative Cloud; Slow Shutter, ProCamera. Facebook Marketplace. HomePod Mini. Siri is always listening. Mike's Camera is offering a Lightroom class online. (Mike recommends  

Linda: Sac Open Studios 260 artist showing their work September 9-10 and 16-17. 

Irene - field trip suggestions - SMUD Rancho Seco or Organic Farm.  

Mike - some large prints are mailed rolled and need to be unrolled for 24-48 hours before print lies flat. 

Melissa - MPIX delivers print packed flat. 

Mike - classes for photographers - McKay Photo Academy, Gold River David and Ally McKay. 11344 Coloma Road suite #346. They have a Groupon discounted class and also 20% off other classes. https://McKayLive.Com  

Charlene: recommended Derrick Story Nimble Photographer classes based in Santa Rosa. Read and listen to podcast episode on Photomator app. 


Melissa: Get inspired to create video from Apple's 2013 Christmas Commercial

Sunday, September 3, 2023

Waitlisted for iPhone Studio Multimedia Collective?

Please read and view the video demos on the App Stack Frenzy page. This one page is no substitute for a full review of all the pages in this website. Take your time to read, play, explore and share with others. In SCUBA class the main lesson was: Don't Dive Alone! So take some friends on this adventure. 

Something is different. Have you noticed too?

Using my iPhone and iPad with iOS 16.6 and there are little changes that have happened. More to be expected with iOS 17, due out in late September or October. 

What changes have you noticed? Add to a new Notes page and maybe event take some screenshots and use Markup to identify changes. 

What are your frustrations with current apps? Right now I'm fighting with the Apple Mail app and the search feature which is not showing me the message displayed on my Mac. Oops, my bad. One email account is only on my computer and not on iPhone. But still, tokens should work in Mail Search! 

Are you diving deeper into an app and see features previously ignored? Please get ready to share your discoveries. 


Monday, June 26, 2023

When Captions Become Descriptions

You've probably seen the movie "When Harry Met Sally" and all you need to know is this post title is a weak attempt at title plagiarism. 

Back in iOS 14, fall 2020, Apple added the Captions feature to Photos. Similar to adding keywords to Photos on MacOS, Captions are text added to metadata. The Search feature in Photos will find images marked with these words. Captions on photos are also reported when using Spotlight Search at the Home Screen view on iPad and iPhone. 

My summer print project, Camellia Tiles, had me dig deeper into iOS Captions and MacOS Descriptions. 

The original photos were taken in 2022 at the Camellia Festival competition, where each bloom had a tag with cultivar name and the competitor. After taking each (almost) photo, I paused to add the cultivar as photo caption. If you remember, captions also appear as text when posting a photo to a Shared Photo Album. 

The flower photos were processed in Pixelmator photo and TangledFX which meant there were multiple images taking up lots of iCloud storage. Pixelmator app was chosen to isolate each bloom, while making a collection (each flower on one layer) by color: pink, white, red, variegated. Each layer exported and renamed by collection. Now both the filename and caption have been lost! The stylizing in Tangled FX could have modified the original exported Pixelmator photo, but that is not my workflow, save another new image. Now the Caption has the Tangled FX recipe and not the original cultivar.  Sometime in Fall 2022 all these images were moved from iCloud Photos to an archive on an external drive. 

Easy to find the folder of images and select three for the printing as 8" x 8" tiles. But what were the cultivars? When offloading the photos, did the metadata retain the captions? Yes, but ... can the stylized image be matched to the original to recover the cultivar name? Yes. But future workflow might speed up this recovery process! 

In any Finder window on your Mac include a Search option, and you can type text to locate file by name, date, tag and ... Description (aka iOS "Caption"). Interesting to view Get Info for image files and see the metadata and Description (also "Instructions" repeats the Tangled FX recipes). 

For one image the cultivar name was MIA. Have you used Google Image Search to do a reverse lookup? Try it at https://lens.google.com 




Last word here: keep track of captions when app stacking and stylizing images. 


Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Lost in my archives

Truly, I have two left feet and continually trip over my toes. Especially when stuck at the artificial limit of 200GB for iCloud storage. This choice forced me to regularly offload images, the biggest color on the ribbon of iCloud content, to either my Mac or USB storage. But I was not consistent in how the files were stored since starting this class in 2017. Another place/app for my files is PhotoManager Pro. With the ability to stow images in folders, rename, assign star rankings, search and sort, plus offload to FTP/HTTP servers. Hey, do as I say – not as I do! With the many camera apps we've purchased many scenes are repetitive with both HEIC, TIFF, RAW and even JPEG files. Edited files might also be in PNG format and are sometimes stored under the Files app umbrella based on the editing software used. I like to keep the HEIC files in Photos (and iCloud) but move the large file formats to offline storage. Huh? What is happening with the edited images - with many layers that grow in file size? 

The majority of photos are edited on my iPhone and iPad. But the big screen attached to my Mac is a siren song to view and edit photos. So, four possible edit locations, original and edited options and a handful of external storage devices. Oh, what a tangled web we weave ...  

So to participate in the ACAI photo show this summer, I needed to dig into my archive mess. What a waste of creative energy! This is an opportunity to try something new and my stylized camellia photos stuck in my head as a three-tile series. Tile. This is a new concept for me, where no frame or mat is needed and has repositionable mountings. Sounds good. MPIX did not offer this format at the time of my Eureka! Archive Discovery so a new vendor was chosen, Happy Tiles. The 8" x 8" format is ideal for the show and the order of 8 tiles let me experiment with additional images. My disappointment is with the delay in free shipping, maybe because of holiday order time. 

One of the additional printed images is of Alpine County mountains, a panorama of the peaks above Hope Valley with some afternoon light highlighting the forest taken from Hwy 88 on Carson Pass. Whew! This photo has been printed 11" x 14" but finding it again for tiling was mind boggling - a creativity numbing experience. Spanning one panorama across three tiles was an interesting challenge. Additionally, an iPhone photo comes to mind, sunset at Folsom Lake during drought years - spanning five tiles. 

How much space to leave between the tiles? Maybe thinking about canvas wraps where extra margins are used for the sides. After Googling and YouTube searching, no space is needed for a first trial print. Discovered that photos can be printed on ceramic titles! Yikes! Another adventure! 

Since this blog is my brain-trust diary for the future me to find past processes, let me report on ...

Finding Files - iOS/iPadOS 16.5

In the Photos app, use 
  • Captions feature to note print goals or archive locations 
  • Locations feature to find related photos to isolate remembered images
  • Share button to identify metadata (file name) to help identify editing apps 
In the Files app, use 
  • Search by file name 
  • Review contents by list or icon 
  • Review content in iCloud or device (individually on iPhone then iPad!)
  • Browse by folders by app name 
  • Browse by Tags ("MPIX" or "printed") 
In PhotoManager Pro app, on both iPhone and iPad, use 
  • Browse for folder and images better archived on external drive
  • Rethink use of this app after upgrading to 1TB iCloud storage
  • Return later to delete images or archive to external storage
  • Evaluate star ranking, rename features for best use of app (stylizing, compositing, etc) 
Tile Layout (watch for videos soon) 
Ah Ha! Next steps even though iCloud storage is at 1TB
  1. Need to review Files app and the folders where edited images are stored, duplicated, exported 
  2. Need an archive plan and move image files ... where they can be found again! 
  3. Need to track photos printed, gifted and on-display 
  4. Need to make plans and tracking a monthly habit 
  5. Need to re-read current process and revise periodically


Monday, May 15, 2023

May, June, July and Fall News

With spring in the air, watch for studio tours by local artists. Review your local listings. 

Debra reminded me to look for the El Dorado Hills Arts Association 2023 Studio Tours set for Saturday and Sunday, May 20th and 21st. 

RenSoc photographers (you!) are encouraged to participate in the June Black and White (and Shades of Gray) or the July See What I See photography shows and sales at ACAI Gallery.  Watch for email with contact information and begin to review your Photos Library for this summer adventure. 

For the July show, personally, I am thinking of stylized camellias printed on square tiles at 8"x8" size. The original iPhone images were taken in 2022 at the Camellia Show and processed with TangledFX. MPIX's giclee prints are ready to frame, but tiles are "frameless" and seductively simple to hang on the wall. A year ago I was exporting images out of my iCloud space to stay under 200GB. I am no longer in that straight-jacket, now at 1TB! Now I just have to find the stylized images on external drives and print in new ways. 

Time to step out of our comfort zones. Review your photos and images and consider contributing to the B&W or See shows. More info to follow from Laurene Fitzpatrick, ACAI Gallery and DigiCam Photo Group member. 

The photo show last July from the DigiCam class was fun as we slowly emerged from pandemic status. ACAI might focus on "ceramic" but the gallery shows welcome all art forms.

Fall 2023 iPhone Studio description and dates have been accepted: 
Thursdays, Sep 7 to Oct 12 (6 weeks) 10 am to 12 pm
 
Past studio enrollees are encouraged to register as this seminar transitions into participant-led activities oriented towards video production. Continuing to use familiar apps and expanded studio workflow, this semester we add emphasis on the iMovie app. Online shared albums are our critique and learning platform. While six meetings are scheduled for Zoom, presenters may plan in-person photo walks instead. Our public website continues to provide informative articles, demonstration videos, and examples of our artwork at http://rsiphonephotostudio.blogspot.com, please stop by to see what we are all about.


Check for Today at Apple sessions - in Roseville. Use the Apple Store app or go online. Look for Photography and Video topics and invite friends to join you. iMovie is a 30 minute table-top hands-on class offered at different times during the week. 

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Field Trip 3/6

Check your email for Irene's message with address details (if not in your Inbox, check in Spam folder). Please report to Irene your intention - Coming or Not-coming. 

  • Attire: it’s muddy. Wear appropriate shoes/boots with a clean pair for inside/traveling home
  • Attention: pay attention to where you walk - stop walking to assess photo ops 
  • Bring: charged iPhone, iPad, tripods, DSLRs
  • Bring: Flower(s) if something bloomed in your garden
  • Activities: outdoor shots, animal shots (horses, chickens, dog, baby chicks, walk down the street to shoot cattle, big oak tree canopy ... )
  • Activities: shoot in different modes, shoot macro for flowers in light-tents
  • Lunch: Cold cuts, bread, chips, water - contribute $5

See you Thursday 

Thursday, March 30, 2023

First Saturday - Murer House Tours

Cheryl reminded us that the Murer House in Folsom has tours on the first Saturday of the month. Right now the gardens are beginning to ... show off. For a "Little Bit of Italy in Folsom" visit the Murer House Foundation website. The location is 1125 Joe Murer Court, Folsom, California 95630 - near Old Town Folsom Light Rail Station. 

Tabletop Photo Shoots

Here are some ideas for playtime. 

Shot on iPhone 12 | Everyday Experiments: Full Bloom | Apple YouTube 


More to come

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Add your vision to RS Catalog

Attention photography enthusiasts! Our Fall 2023 Catalog needs engaging photographs. If you would like to submit your work for consideration, contact Lorene Sarne at lorene.sarne@csus.edu or 916.661.6981 for more information. 

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Pro and Pro

What are you getting when you buy an iPhone Pro? What can you do with a ProRAW image?

Take a look at the work of Alex Armitage in his YouTube video The First Phone That Could Replace My Camera | iPhone 14 Pro where he compares ProRAW 48MP iPhone 14 Pro 1X images to his mirrorless Canon R5. Alex processes his images in Adobe Lightroom. 

On Alex’s channel you might find other videos of interest, like
  • Can They Guess Right? iPhone 14 Pro or $5,000 Camera - compare poster sized prints
  • $5,000 Pro Camera VS iPhone 13 Pro | Can You See the Difference? 
  • Apple M1 Mac for Photo and Video Editing - A Practical Review 
This is not to say “Run out and buy a new iPhone 14 Pro,” because the 15 Pro is on it’s way soon. But we can expect to see continued improvement is sensor technology and image processing. Budget accordingly.