Gotta Love Content Creators

Cynthia sent me a link to Proper Honest Tech's 8 iPad Tips I Wish I Knew YEARS Ago on YouTube. This is definitely worth watching, even if you use just an iPhone. But the channel has so much more. The Photos App for iPhone is AMAZING! Here's how to use it! is another one to watch and share with friends. Thanks Cyn! 

Sharing Photos

In Studio class we use Apple Photos Shared Albums to post our work, share critiques and likes. There is one more thing ... if you have a smart television, you might try connecting to a shared album you create for your artwork, family events or travelogues. 

I recently had an engaging conversation in another RenSoc class about Digital Photo Frames with wifi and feature ways for family and friends to share photos to the frame. From personal experience, Barbara suggested looking at Nixplay or Aura photo frames. There are many options and Tom's Guide offers The Best Digital Photo Frames in 2024 with detailed reviews. Scroll down the page to view the table summarizing the reviewed frames. 

This is newer technology than something I saw back in 2006 when my mom move to assisted living. One of her neighbors had an HP Printer that family could send photos or articles to their loved one. 

But, wait. There's one more thing. Mini Photo Books was recommended by Bob. He uses PrestoPhoto to make 5.25" x 3.5" books, a three pack for $15. This site has many options and tutorials. 

It is not enough to choose to share your favorite photos, you have to think about aspect ratio. Will the photo frame or book be viewed horizontally or vertically? Prepare your photos by cropping or collaging to the appropriate aspect ratio. Or, to simplify everything, make them square! 

Wait to post field trip photos to shared album

Wait to post images from our field trip. Go ahead and edit or stylize as your heart desires. But on Zoom (2/29 @10 am) we will review a collage workflow using PicCollage and Diptic based on 3 themes. The final output will be a video slideshow for each theme from participants to be posted to our shared album. In addition to your photos, screenshots and screenshots with Markup could be included. So look for 3 to 6 images for each of the following themes that will show: 

1. Uses of portrait mode
2. Use of different lenses on the same subject 
3. Editing photo in new ways

I reserve the option to change these collage themes. Curating your work is an important task. We don’t want to see everything from everyone. Share what excited you most, what you want to remember or the mistakes you made. Great energy, conversation and ideas today. Thank you for participating and giving it your all.

Meanwhile, please post non-field trip photos to our shared album. Comment on the work of others and … open your iPhone then touch every button.

Now it is time for my walk. — Melissa 

Field Trip - Part 2

 We will look at three apps - Apple Camera (AC) and ProCamera (PC) maybe SlowShutter (SS). 

I believe in … the tease …

Continuing from previous list ... to not overwhelm you: 

1. Low angle of scene: PC or AC and rotate lens position 
2. Symmetrical views: PC or AC 
3. Abstract from structure, shadows, etc: any camera
4. Street photography-people: AC use  Up Volume button 
5. Intentional Camera Movement, ICM: SS 
6. Capture movement: AC Live or Video or SS
7. Reflective surfaces in scenes: PC B&W
8. Best scene: AC RAW & HEIF 
9. Mannequin: AC lighting modes 
10. Flowing water: AC Live mode 
11. People moving through scene: AC Live or Burst or SS 
12. Lighting or texture showing strength: PC B&W 
13. Something not related: any camera 
14. End of visit: AC video clip
15. End of day: show sky colors: any camera 

You tell me, what images do you see? What scenes further your creative vision? Better yet, you show me by taking photographs. 

Let's talk about workflow. Most of these images can be moved off your device. How? Where will you store them so we might explore post production using this shared experience. 

Field Trip - Part 1

I believe in practice. In our class it will be practice using as many buttons and features as possible on our iPhone. We will look at three apps - Apple Camera (AC) and ProCamera (PC) maybe SlowShutter (SS).

Review Cheatsheet page to confirm Camera settings https://rsiphonephotostudio.blogspot.com/p/cheatsheet.html?m=1 

Your iPhone should be fully charged. Tripods are not recommended (maybe tabletop ones will be ok). Bring a jacket or vest for lunch if we eat outside. Bring accessories to demo at lunch. 

We are going to the location as a group of photographers and not as a family visiting a venue (which would distract from attention to camera use). However, our practice adventure will help you get memorable photographs for future family outings. 

If you get half the shots on both lists you are a champion!

Quick access to Apple Camera 1) button on Home Screen or 2) wake iPhone then swipe right-to-left on lock screen. 

After opening camera app, tap on screen to set focus on subject, move slider up/down to set exposure. 

Shot List - Part 1: Ideas for what to photograph and what camera to use: 

Ideas for what to photograph and what camera to use: 

1. Building exterior, identify the location: exaggerate the architecture using a wide angle lens, but also the other lenses so you can later compare; AC
2. Line up for entry: how far back in the line are you, how fast is the line moving, close up of ticket; Live mode on AC, Macro on AC (pay attention to the background for best blur) 
3. Are there stairs or an elevator, one of your group poses still: use SS to capture scene where people are in motion but some structures/people in scene are still 
4. Glass walls or cabinets: put iPhone flat against the glass AC wide lens
5. Glass walls: put iPhone edge against the glass to get subject and reflection 1x lens
6. Moving objects behind glass: use AC video mode and shutter button to capture still photos while recording video
7. Look at interior ceiling for interesting angles or shadows: HDR B&W PC
8. From overlook of scene: AC and use all lenses - pinch to zoom in also
9. From overlook of scene: AC pano mode, reverse pano movement 
10. Dark corners: AC 
11. Look for mannequins to practice portrait mode: AC Portrait 
12. Picture of group taking pictures: AC 
13. Picture of group reviewing pictures: AC 
14. Include yourself in a photo: AC on Timer
15. Details of signs or structures: PC or AC 

...  more to come at 10:20 am PST

New Articles on Photography

The headline says "New" but these read like reruns. Not a bad thing actually to be reminded of the core tips again. Maybe a new author will spark a new idea in your brain. 

Read articles about photography from any and every workflow - the concepts still apply even though we are editing on mobile devices and using the Apple Photos app. So seeing Use Your Noodles, yes -- a food photography site caught my attention. Back in 2021 Anja Bargur posted 6 Tips for Editing Dark And Moody Photos where I totally missed it. Thanks to Pinterest for bringing Noodles to my screen. 

Mike Harris has recently posted to iMore's HowTo Photography area two reminders: iPhone Photography Basics: Follow these seven tips to improve your pictures and iPhone Photography Basics: How to compose better images. 

Apple UAE has posted How to shoot the moon on iPhone 7 — Apple and while you might not have a telescope handy, there are reminder tips here. 

We will not be emphasizing the video modes this semester, but take 15 minutes to watch 10 tips to shoot CINEMATIC PHONE videos – iPhone 15 Pro by Erik Hedenfalk on YouTube. 

Previous posts in this site include links for improving your photography. Use the Search field or browse back through our Blog archive timeline. 

Day 1 Spring 2024

We will continue on the path started during our Meet and Greet session. Actually, stop and take a breath. I know that too much info was thrown at you and ... well it felt like you were hit by a rogue wave. Yes, but take a moment to imagine yourself more confident with technology after three more meetings. After seven meetings. I believe you will learn more if you share what you are struggling with and what you are discovering. You know others with iPhones, take one thing you've learned and share the details or the skill or your journey to this moment. Rinse and repeat. 

Keep a journal of your questions for this class. You will save time by telling us the question and details about your device or your approach. Sometimes describing a problem in writing helps you solve it. Or your notes will be helpful when you pull the nuclear option and contact Apple Support. 

The apps to begin with are listed on our Apps page. Use these links to get the specific app used by others in this class: ProCamera, Slow Shutter, Snapseed (free), Metapho and Touch Retouch. 

Review the Cheatsheet page for the apps mentioned (some) and the features available for the apps used by our studio participants. 

Meet and Greet - Spring 2024

Thursday, 2/8/24 @ 10am. We are getting together to kick the tires of Zoom and see how some of our interactions will go this semester. Be sure to have your iPhone fully charged and if possible open the Zoom meeting (link supplied in email) on your computer or tablet. 

• Brief participant introductions (3 things to know about you) 
• Confirm access to Spring 2024 Shared Photo Album (Apple ID email) 
• Confirm availability for meetings and field trip on 2/22 
• Review your big question (answered during the meeting or online) 
• Tour website, links, apps ... Cheatsheet handout (online) 
• ... 
• App Store, Reviews, In-App Purchases, Updates (details)
• Why I avoid Auto Updating Apps 
• … 

Skipped and hope to revisit next week 

• Share techniques to avoid tech overload (there is an emoji for this) 
• Save website to Home Screen
• Share Photos app features and discoveries since iOS 17.3 update 
• What social media platforms are you using? 
• Family Sharing (purchases of apps, music, etc)
• Melissa - show iOS Home Screens < compare to yours | differences 
• Our mantra: "Touch Every Button" 

Notes from our meeting. Some details will be added later (XXXXX or forgotten until you ask the question again): 

Secure your iPhone to your wrist with a strap. Different options abound. One to consider is the BlackRapid WandeR Bundle Smartphone Safety Tether Tab System or the Deluxe version with a neck strap recommended by Cynthia and the link will open to Amazon store. 

Photos app tour on iPhone - Library, For You - Memories iCloud Links etc, Shared Album - how to add a photos? It is not automatic, you have to push pictures to Shared Album. Photos have (i) for details and type a caption. List of Media Types. Utilities with Deleted Items. Search is powerful. Heart for Favorite. (i) can be (i*) if AI has recognized info about the subject. Search practice in Photos. Search practice at Home Screen is known as Spotlight Search. "Ocean" is recognized by the AI in Photos, not all images are Captioned as "ocean." Search will also include a town called "Ocean Beach" or a street location called "Ocean View." 

Caption one photo in a group. View the (i) screen and scroll to the bottom of the page. The link "Show in All Photos" will take you to the Library to see related photos in time. 

FIRST AND FOREMOST - you do not have to update an app unless it is misbehaving or the new version includes a feature you must have. Consider using the app as it is until it breaks. SECOND AND FOREMAX - when you update your iOS from 17.3 to 18.1.x - some apps might require an update. Or they might fail. Chad says "Bummer!" 

App Store but start in Settings > Search > Updates and tap App Store Updates from the list. Turn Auto Updates off. 

Open App Store. Open Profile - top right corner with circle icon. Scroll screen up. Update items not critical to your creative endeavors. Review creative apps for shift to Subscription pricing. New Studio participants might not have as many options here - subscription might be the default now. Tap "More" to read about the update. Tap the app icon to visit the details in the Store. Scroll to Ratings and Reviews, tap See All. Tap Sort by Most Helpful and change to Sort by Most Recent. Exit the Reviews and scroll to see if In-App Purchases are listed. 

Marsha asked "Can we believe the written reviews or star ratings for apps?" Personally, I read several reviews and often wonder "What is the problem with this person?" because the complaint is lacking meaningful details based on my personal experience in computing and mobile use. (Roe! Got any ideas here?) 

Sally is wondering about getting charged for apps or subscriptions. Where to look for purchase details ...  XXXXX  New Studio participants will see purchase options previous (old) Studio participants do not see. UGGH. Consider buying an Apple gift card in the grocery story for purchases of apps, music, books, etc. 

Camera +2 Legacy app for Macro - but current Apple Camera does great for macro. 

FrameGrabber is now subscription - for exporting a frame out of a video clip. 

Anita mentioned the App Stack Frenzy page has videos with 6 apps. This workflow is one way to assess how much space you need on your device to make a final image. Save the photo, process it and export 2nd image. Open again and process in another app, export as 3rd image. So forth. If you are using RAW image format a photo might be 75 MB. With 6 copies that would be just under half a gigabyte of on-board storage needed for one image. Some of our workflow must include moving images off our device to long-term storage and ... trash. Curation of our Photos Library is the activity of a pure heart. 

Organize your Home Screens to be prepared for an unfolding scene in front of you. Colleen on a walk. Anita at farmer's market. Niel in Honolulu during a fireworks display. 

Anita has discovered that Apple Camera shoots in ProRAW at 48 Megapixels. Yes. Captures a huge file. But RAW images need to be processed to bring out details hiding in the shadows and details missing in the highlights. We don't post RAW images to social media or share with friends. Why do I push you to buy extra camera apps? ProCamera by Cocologics with VividHDR in-app purchase is one example. Slow Shutter is another. As a kid I watched the Gunsmoke tv show. Being a "fast draw" saved Marshal Dillon's life*. As a scene unfolds before you, do you want to unzip your camera bag, choose and mount a lens, set the shutter speed - aperture - ISO and place your eye at the viewfinder and press the shutter button halfway to focus? I never wanted to be a lady marshal in the old west. Cut to the quick: choose the right app for the moment instead of fumbling through Home Screens and in-app settings to get into the proper mode. Find apps that fit your vision (get recommendations from friends) and place them prominently on the first Home Screen, maybe collect apps in a folder. 

* I had to get specifics by asking Siri to remind me of the characters.