Reading up on RAW image capture

Our iPhone cameras have improved hardware and software. It is interesting to read about machine-learning and image processing. "The world has turned upside down..."

I'm sharing links to these articles so we can read them once, twice, many times to gradually absorb the underlying magic of realizing our creative vision. 

Articles on RAW photography: 

What the Heck is a RAW Image by Apple (Apps: Halide & Darkroom)
Apple's Photos and RAW Image Handling by Numeric Citizen Blog 

The Power of RAW on iPhone, Part 1: Shooting RAW by Sebastian de With, Halide

The Power of RAW on iPhone, Part 2: Editing RAW by Sebastian de With, Halide 

iPhone 11 Pro Preview: The Camera Hardware Changes by Sebastian de With, Halide
RAW Power 2.0 for iOS by Gentlemen Coders

JF Martin of Numeric Citizen Blog suggests NOT using Photos Extensions to edit RAW photos. Instead find an app that "natively understands RAW images and also keeps editing instructions separately." In my Nikon experience this means keeping the original .NEF file and let Lightroom create the .XMP as a sidecar file.

Apps on our list that handle RAW images include RAW Power, Darkroom, Camera+ 2 ...

Field Trip on 9/10

The Libraries around Sacramento are closed on Thursday, September 10th.

If you are available, let’s do a photo walk in Sacramento, location TBA in email. I’m targeting Oak Park area for the location and lunch. Usual class time, 10 am to noon followed by local eats.

UPDATE - Photo Walk in Oak Park is on Wednesday morning, 10 am. Info sent in email. 

Spring 2020 Seminar Description

The RenSoc Seminar Committee is asking for leaders to prepare the description to be included in the catalog and online. Below is the proposed description - slightly modified from our current activities, current iOS and adding the latest iPhone models.

This seminar includes participant-led demonstrations where experienced photographers use iPhone apps to create print-ready artwork. In-class demonstrations and online shared albums are our critique and learning platforms. This semester we research apps for computer migration and reporting exposure metadata. Visit our website for demonstration videos and artwork examples at https://rsiphonephotostudio.blogspot.com. New photo studio artists should expect to purchase $25 in apps. Requirements: iPhone 7, 8, X, XR, XS, 11, 11Pro; iOS 12 or 13, AppleID. An iPad is helpful for editing. This is NOT a beginner photography seminar. We continue socializing at lunch after session.

There is a 100 word limit on seminar descriptions. So let me add ... What does that mean? We will continue taking/editing photos using iOS 13 apps. We will continue to stylize some photos, make/post collages and photographs to the seminar Shared Album.

It is great to take TIFF or RAW photos on our iPhones, but those images are destined to be processed and archived. What photos will you keep on mobile devices and what will you move to an archive? What is your filing system for DSLR photos? Have you incorporated your mobile images as well? In addition to iCloud, other online services include Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and more. 

Enter State Fair Competition

Wrapped in a demonstration of iOS 13 and the Apple Files app, we looked at the 2019 guidelines and dates for submitting photographs for display during the State Fair. It is a two-step process, first set up an account, fill-out the online form and upload a photo/image and pay the fee. If your work is accepted, then frame your print and deliver it to Cal Expo.

Cynthia mentioned that photographs can be be entered in either the Photography or Fine Arts competitions. The time frame for 2020 will be similar to what is published for current year. Any submission should be no more than two-years old.

Sac State Union Gallery

New show called If Color Was a Language: A story of color and the relationship between street art and abstract expressionism - artwork by Drew Ochwat is up until October 17th. The gallery is in the second floor of the University Union, open M-F 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. The promotional post card reminded me of the graffiti we saw in the tunnels.

Uncovering Metadata

This page will be edited as discoveries are made. The iOS is updated and apps are updated so new info and views are at our fingertips.

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First change to make in ProCamera - add your name in the copyright metadata field. Go to the Grid Squares button > Settings > Advanced Settings > Copyright (EXIF) > Copyright .. type your full name.

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Apps that show file size:

• PhotoSync
• PhotoInfo NG 
• ProCamera in edit mode

Apps that show camera used (if camera app set value):

• ProCamera 

Apps that let you edit metadata:

• PhotIno NG ? 
• MetaPho (by Zininworks Inc. new app $4 unlocks all features)

Odd things about metadata details:

• VividHDR in ProCamera sets location to Bohai Sea, off the coast of China, about 5, 700 miles off target.

iOS 13.1 - rolled out

The latest iPhone operating system is out and stable. Update at your leisure after making a backup. The iPad OS has also been released. After friends reported successful updates, I've taken the plunge.

In both instances, the Photos app has the biggest changes. When editing a photo there are many more controls including: Black Point, Vibrance, Warmth, Tint, Sharpness, Definition, Noise Reduction and Vignette. Accessing Extensions is still (...) but moved to the top right corner on iPhone screen. The Share Sheet also looks different. The pinch to zoom in or out is cool, in thumbnail view. At Photos tab (left side at the bottom of the screen) and All Photos (at the center top of top of the screen) > Touch index finger and thumb on screen to pinch to zoom out and spread fingers to zoom in. Another option at this view is to see cropped square thumbnails or to see aspect ratio thumbnails. An odd happening is that some of my photo thumbnails show up as light gray squares. Were these deleted? Are they stuck in the cloud? I look forward to comparing to your experience/results. I updated six days ago on iPhone and expected some delays in iCloud resolving to my devices. Ahh. RAW image appeared when editing a thumbnail.

TEB Touch Every Button! Just discovered new Options in the Share Sheet for iCloud Link and the On/Off switch to include all metadata with high resolution images via Airdrop.

Get a preview of the iPhone iOS 13 and iPad OS 13 from Apple Support.

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Hold off on updating your Macintosh computers to Catalina when it is first released in the next few weeks according to Ken Spencer at MacNexus Apple User Group on 9/25/2019.

Day 3 Update

Change of direction for Day 3
Bring a print of your work to share. Could be 5x7 up to 12x18, printed at home or by a service bureau. An iPhone/iPad image, scanned image or digital camera image.

Quick review & camera shoot demos by class members

• Camera+ 2 camera operations and Lightbox for editing using Clarity feature.
• ProCamera with VividHDR and LowLight+ in-app purchases.

Check in for carpooling / travel arrangements for Field Trip on 9/26. Field trips add a challenge to our photography. Do you have a mobile USB charging/recharging brick? How do you conserve power for extended camera use?

Open Studio Events:
Linda Nunes, 9/21-22, 10 am to 5 pm. Encaustic and mixed media
Placerville Arts Association 9/21-22 & 9/28/29

Read about iOS 13 - it is due out 9/19/19. Don't be in a rush to update, there will be many adventurers ahead and the download might be slow due to server traffic. Read about how to get ready for the download and install. The Photos app has a new look and we will begin adapting to new search and editing options.

Mastering Photos Search

On Day 2 Niel will demonstrate the search options for Photos on iOS. He will walk us through searching on our own devices. (... sounds sinister, but it is not ;-D).

Niel provided a handout and we have it online.