2021 Summer Program presentation by Melissa Green and Cynthia Nicholson.
TIPS for this page: Website links are marked in bold and have a green background. Chat questions are highlighted with yellow.
PDF Handout with Apps we discuss. Hints you can use to search the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) to begin exploring your world through the camera that is always have with you. Fall 2021: The icon for ProCamera has changed dramatically, the developer is still Cocologics.
Find your public library card so you can watch online tutorials about photography and editing. Sac Public Library Classes and Tutorials https://www.saclibrary.org/Education/Online-Learning/Classes-Tutorials
Link to recorded presentation 1:16:00 minutes with transcript and chat. Download the handout before watching the recording. This is not a "gear show" and we discuss photography and image transformation more than specific smartphone brands.
Apple has many YouTube videos: How to Shoot on iPhone to help get you started. Short and sweet. But what about Android phones? Watch the Apple videos for ideas and play with your smartphone.
Search YouTube with this phrase: Android photography tips and tricks.
Notes and links based on questions posted in Chat.
Jude asked if the presentation was specific to iPhone. No, this presentation is about possibilities with a small hand-held multi-purpose device that includes a camera, a telephone, an address book, calculator and much more. Check the Library links above to see more about non-iPhone devices.
Dale asked for the apps to be mentioned in Chat. We anticipated this request and made a handout with much more information than just the name of an app! The three page handout includes the app icon (many apps have similar names and the icon confirms the right one), a description of the app features and space for notes. Print the handout and watch the recorded presentation, you will see a crude text transcript and it has a Search function. Write your own notes on the handout. Again, Android apps are marked on page 1. The descriptions will help identify similar apps for Android phones. (Sorry, not my digital sandbox.)
Bob asked "What do you have to do to print so large?" If this is a goal then choosing/buying apps that can save/process photos in TIFF and DNG are important. The camera apps include Camera+2, ProCamera, Obscura and Slow Shutter. DNG editing apps include Snapseed, Pixelmator, RAW Power, Darkroom and more. (Adobe makes mobile versions of Lightroom and Photoshop for mobile devices.) On an iPad, Pixelmator Photo includes an upscaling feature. Sometimes it is easier to upscale a mobile image on a computer/laptop and use desktop-quality software to prepare the high resolution image. Maybe take iPhone photo at 8-bit to computer and use Photoshop/other software to up scale to 16-bit.
Stephen asked about panoramas. Are they stitched? How do you merge photos? In the native camera app on your device (Apple Camera) there are modes for taking photos. Pano is one of the modes and it has on-screen hints for the direction of movement and horizon guideline. Multimedia Video Marketing posted How to Use the iPhone Panoramic Mode to Take Panorama Photos or Fun with panos is where mobile devices really shine - check out iPhone X - How to shoot with Pano and ignore that this is shot on an iPhone. Pay attention to the technique!
In the presentation, Melissa's pano photo of Nimbus Dam was "stitched" from six individual photos using the PhotoStitcher app on iPhone. There is a trick to this app - use Control Center to switch to Dark Mode to see the hidden import icon.
Separate photos can be transferred to a computer/laptop for merging/stitching in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom if you have those tools and skills.
Janice asked if taking screenshots of the screen during our presentation violated any copyright. No, go for it. You are using the information for your personal use and this is an educational program. Thank you for asking! Again, watch the recording - but download and print the handout so you can take notes based on your interests with provided descriptions.
Ron asked for a description on how we achieved a final image. Cynthia did show a collage of the ferris wheel project. Melissa showed the lotus flower in several stages. The site you are reading right now is the website used for the Renaissance iPhone Photographic Studio seminar. This is a public site and visible to anyone. Peruse and find details on this site to nudge you into experimenting with camera, editing and stylizing apps. If you want more details, checkout the Library tutorials (link at the top of this page), search the Internet and watch YouTube videos. That's what we do. A fun example is The App Whisperer website and checkout Scrapaneeers YouTube video Using the iColorama App to Enhance Your Mobile Photos Part 1. iColorama app was not included on our handout but is one of the apps we recommend. Based on our handout and your interests search online for step-by-step details.
Dale asked for a workflow list to help with so many tools. Oh you don't know how deep our workflow goes. We held back today! The site you are on right now includes a wealth of material and specifics. Checkout the Cheatsheet page where apps are broken down into several lists (use Reader View to print). The iPhone Photographic Studio seminar warns enrollees that they will spend at least $25 in apps for six meetings! Smartphones are small and our apps are cheaper than what you spend on computer apps. But you still spend $$.
Mar asked about the wrist lanyard mentioned by Cynthia. Sometimes an iPhone case includes a wrist lanyard and/or a neck strap. Checkout Best Reviews Best Cell Phone Lanyards online.
Paul asked if there was an advantage of the iPhone 12 over the iPhone 11 - still using an iPhone 7! Well you will appreciate the dazzling camera and photos features of either the 11 Pro or the 12 Pro! But wait! There is a new iPhone due to come out this fall. You might decide to get the latest-and-greatest or buy the 11 Pro or 12 Pro at a slight discount once the new iPhone is released. Do you know that Apple sells refurbished iPhones?
Laurel gave us the definition of LiDAR - a feature in the iPhone 12 Pro line. Light detection and Ranging. Read all about it at How-To-Geek's article What Is LiDAR, and How Will It Work on the iPhone? Essentially, LiDAR improves night photography!
Adding Gear
Wrist and Neck Straps
Lanyards with Case - buy for the smartphone model you have.
BlackRapid Wander Bundle $19 at B & H Photo
Tripod
Joby Gorillapod GripTight ONE GP $35 at REI includes smartphone clamp.
Joby Gorillapod 1K Kit $50 at REI with ball head. Needs smartphone clamp.
Lenses
Adding a zoom lens easily disappoints unless you stabilize your smartphone on a tripod.
Vivitar Clip-On Lens set Macro, Wide & Fisheye $13.50 at Lowe's
Fits Android and iPhones. Mostly used for Macro photography. (Avoid the telephoto lens)
Moment iPhone
Requires special iPhone case (buy the one with lanyard!)
SandMarc iPhone and GoPro
Requires special iPhone case
Site includes videos showing photographs using their products. Good source for inspiration.
Power Bank added 2/6/22
When you are in remote locations, away from electricity or a car charging port, you can carry a Power Bank/Brick and USB charging cable. Many combinations are available to charge one or more devices.
