Thursday, October 21, 2021

Talking Gear

Karen pointed to an odd quirk - the clip-on lenses used in past semesters are not working in iOS15! Especially the macro lens. Testing is needed - try the clip-on lens and various camera applications. Dig into app settings to see if a feature needs to be enabled or disabled. Watch for comments on websites, blogs and in YouTube channels. 

UPDATE: Use an app that uses Manual mode and add the clip-lens to the 1X lens. Get close, very close! Example apps are Camera+ 2, ProCamera, Obscura, Hydra, Halide, Moment, ProCam, Slow Shutter, Lenka. On the 13 Pro macro will auto focus at close range. The clip-on macro on 1X lens did work for me as well. 

Protect your iPhone with a case. Consider adding a lanyard from Blackrapid - Wander Bundle (recommended by Cynthia) or Youowo Adjustable Lanyard (recommended by Diana).

High-end lens systems are available from Sandmarc (Mike and Charlene) and Moment (Diana, Roe, Cynthia and Melissa). 

Dig around your old camera gear for a tripod. Any tripod. Consider visiting the Dollar Tree (sic) and look for a selfie-stick with a screw-on phone clip. Remove the clip and attach to your tripod. 

Guy asked about specs for a new iPad. Several spoke in favor for the iPad Pro model, and they are happy with the large screen and mid-range on-board storage option. Consider taking your time and watching for refurbished M1 models to appear at the Apple website - as products to appear daily and act fast if you are ready to buy. It is best to visit a store and handle both Pro sizes to be sure of the purchase. An Apple Pencil will help with many photo editing processes. A cover with keyboard is helpful when you're not editing and stylizing photos. 



Sunday, October 17, 2021

Set ...

Time to review the status of your iPhone and iPad. To help you dig through the settings, use the detailed handout that tracks your current settings and options to help you decide what to jettison if additional storage space is needed. The iOS Device Status (in Dropbox) has been updated for iOS 15 and some of the rows are different than previous semesters. Apple moves features around and adds more controls. 

Ready ...

Meet and Greet on Thursday, October 21st - 10 am to noon. First class on October 28 - 10 am to noon. 

iOS 15.0.2 is working and I’ve not discovered any problems with recommended photo and editing apps. If you have not already updated your iPhone and iPad, go for it. Using all the usual precautions: backup to iCloud, backup critical data from apps, etc. (Do not update Snapseed if already installed. But this might not be an issue - I'm waiting for your reports.)

Cynthia, my Tech Host & Muse, shared Payette Forward, a YouTube channel with three important videos. Watch the videos and consider how you use your devices before taking their recommendations. Tips extending battery life and conserving cellular data are important to photographers. Maybe 5% of these tips are not right for me - at this time. 

iOS 15 Settings You Need To Turn Off Now  - 13:12
https://youtu.be/LxdoC2sG1i4 

iOS 15 Settings You Need To Turn On Now - 12:34
https://youtu.be/JJ8DpQIA35I 

iOS 15 Battery Tips - 10:11
https://youtu.be/a3VG6CEkqo8 

YouTube is a wonderland for couch potatoes surfing for ideas. Luke Edwin is a new resource for me, and his MACRO Photography With iPhone 13 Pro is full of ideas. Check it out at 

https://youtu.be/pIwK4sFZdBs  - No pressure to upgrade your device! Wait for the 14 or 15 models with even more capability. See next item ... 

We encourage each other to print photos. Derrick Story, north bay area photographer / Apple device user / educator, recently posted How I Made a Large Wall Print from an iPhone 6S https://www.dropbox.com/s/8585qh9da07zli2/large_print_iphone6s_derrick.pdf?dl=0 and his Linked In Mobile Photography: Image Management class is available through the Sac Public Library - https://www.saclibrary.org/Education/Online-Learning/Classes-Tutorials 


Monday, October 4, 2021

RS - Introduction to iPhone Photography

You can help other RenSoc members take control of their photography by becoming a “Photography Coach” in the Spring of 2022. Here is a draft of the RS activity - more details to follow. 

Activity Title: Introduction to iPhone Photography
Meetings: 3 Zoom meetings + 1 photo walk in a park setting
Day & Time: Wednesday afternoons
DRAFT Description: Attend Zoom class to learn about Apple Camera features and Settings. Enroll in a small group Photo Walk with iPhone Photography Coaches at a park near your home. Attend Zoom class to learn about editing features in the Apple Photos app. Attend Zoom class to learn about how to organize, share and print your photos. Attend Zoom meetings on a computer/Chromebook/tablet so you can use/practice with your iPhone. 

This activity is directed at basic Apple Camera and Photos features and using iPhone 5 and up. 

After people enroll in the activity, I will ask them to choose a Park Photo Walk location determined by our Coaches. My goal is to have 4+ park locations that will all meet on the same Wednesday afternoon. Anticipating COVID restrictions, Photo Walks will be limited to 10 participants and have at least 2 coaches per site. 

✌Consider sharing your iPhone photography joy. 😍

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15

Well, the iPhone 13’s come with iOS 15 installed and it has been a fun ride to explore the new features and check for apps that did not make the cut. So far, no problems. Do NOT update Snapseed if you have it installed. (If you have updated, try editing in the app and let me know how it responds. Most Recent Reviews in the App Store are not reporting success with edits!) 

iPad Pro circa January 2020 has also been updated to iPadOS 15 so I can check apps and features and update our Cheatsheet. This is slow going, too many distractions. 

On my devices the Settings > App Updates is OFF so I can review app changes/updates/compatibility before taping the Update button. More and more apps on our list are showing up as “optimized for 15” and  optimized for the new screen sizes of 13 Pro Max. 

Friday, September 24, 2021

Upgrade time - Circa 2021

The upgrade path ahead - for me - is iPhone 11 Pro to iPhone 13 Pro and in two years I'll be doing this again so this post will help me remember the process. 

Watch 6 and 3 are paired to iPhone 11 Pro 
Wireless Service from AT&T 

Confirm Apple ID and password (or reset password) 


Basics:
  1. Force a fresh Backup of current device 
  2. Settings > [apple ID/Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup ON > Back Up Now 
  3. Power off the device and remove the wireless service SIM card (note position in tray)
  4. Now current device is an iPod Touch with only wifi 
  5. Open the SIM tray on the new device and insert the SIM and close the tray. 
  6. Prepare to plug-in both devices 
  7. Power on current device while plugged in
  8. Power on new device while plugged in 
  9. Wait for magic to appear on screen with instructions 
  10. Confirm home WiFi connection works 
  11. Put new device to sleep and wake it up to confirm Face ID / Passcode 
  12. Consider changing the name of new device - or add an emoji 
  13. Settings > General > About > Name 
  14. Connect new device to automobile sound systems and delete old devices from Bluetooth speakers
  15. Compare new iOS to previous iOS
  16. Open important apps to be sure they work 
  17. Open Contacts, Calendars, Mail and Safari to be sure content has migrated
  18. Confirm Apple Wallet and Apple Pay are working
  19. Confirm Apple Watch is connected, if appropriate 
  20. Connect new iPhone to BlueTooth speakers 
  21. Remove old iPhone from list of trusted devices 
  22. Connect iPhone 13 to iMac (Catalina) and test Image Capture download 
  23. Use PhotoSync for photo transfer to iMac and Dropbox 
  24. Update remaining camera and editing apps 
  25. Confirm new iPhone iCloud Backup is ON 
AT&T Wireless Services
  1. Review Apple article Transfer or convert your current SIM to an eSIM on your new iPhone
  2. Find unique IMEI number of new device 
  3. Settings > General > About > primary: IMEI 
  4. Activate/Transfer service by calling 611 on new device 
  5. Tell customer service agent new IMEI number 
  6. Update VoiceMail password 
  7. Next billing cycle see $30 new device activation one-time fee 
  8. Confirm cellular service works by turning off WiFi and connecting to a website
  9. Turn WiFi back on 
  10. The future of wireless is SIM-less  About eSIM on iPhone 
Trade-In Prep
Other reading and research 
Photography - For Comparison  
Take photos of the same subjects with both iPhones 
  • In full sun, shade, indoors
  • Use apps that capture in low light on old iPhone
  • Use Apple Camera for low light scene
  • Use apps that capture RAW photos
  • Turn on AppleProRAW on new iPhone Pro and capture same subjects
  • Toggle AppleProRAW off (to save space on device and in iCloud)
  • Use Camera+ 2 in Macro mode to take close-up photos
  • Use iPhone 13 Pro Apple Camera for close-up photos 
Make screenshots 
  • On both iPhones of the About screen to print and file for insurance record
  • On both iPhones for later comparison of resolution 
High Resolution Output
  • Open apps that preserve high quality output and export the same image from both devices for comparison
  • Add device and app name in the Caption field for each photo 
  • Check dimension, MP (mega pixels) and file size using PhotInfo, Metapho or PhotoSync
Experiment with New iOS 15 Features
  • Live Text 
  • What is different in the Photos app
  • How do editing apps open Photo Library for selecting photos
  •  ... 



Thursday, September 16, 2021

Low Light and Night Photography

Apple introduced Deep Fusion for iPhone 11 models and iOS 13, expanding the "computational photography" to preserve details, textures and reduce noise in low light scenes. This is not a setting you turn on or off, but will happen automatically. The 9-to-5 Mac article Here’s how to find out when your iPhone 11 camera is using Deep Fusion features Metapho's ability to report on this feature back in November 2019.

The iPhone 12 Pro models stepped up with 2.5X telephoto lens and additional low-light enhancements.  Apple's article Shot on iPhone 12: Portraits, cityscapes, the night sky, is an inspirational gallery. Another resource is Use Night mode on your iPhone for iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 models. Also introduced was the AppleRAW option where capturing great detail in highlights and shadows. LiDAR assists in focusing in the dark. 

Read about A dramatically more powerful camera system. With the iPhone 13 Pro model Ultra Wide camera - Macro photography has come to the native Apple Camera, with a minimum focus range at 2 centimeters - just over 3/4 inch. Macro video, time-lapse and slow motion features have also been added to this 'camera bag.' LiDAR is available for all three cameras. The 3X telephoto is an upgrade and Photographic Styles have been added. 

Before watching the Shayne videos below, note that I'm still not recommending that you update the Snapseed app on iPhone or iPad. Most Recent reviews are complaining that the app freezes. 

As further inspiration - check out these YouTube videos by Shayne Mostyn. In addition to his tips on low-light photography, the demonstrations of processing his photos in Snapseed have taught me new tricks. 


Double exposure snapseed tutorial for iOS and Android  12:56 - double exposure and masking 






by Jenham's Astro 
Digiscoping the Orion Nebula using Binoculars and a Smartphone   13:53 - use an app with manual controls exposure controls 1sec at ISO 3000, change format to either TIF or RAW and set focus. 


Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Will you upgrade to iPhone 13?

If you have an iPhone 11 or 12 then you might not be interested in the iPhone 13 announced by Apple on September 14th. But the lineup is awesome. Waiting for these iPhones to arrive is also why our seminar will not start until October 21/28. 

Pre-order using the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad. Choose the standard or professional, the screen size, on-board storage size and payment option. Consider the status of your iCloud storage when picking the on-board storage - you might increase your current subscription of cloud storage and not go for the top level of on-board storage.  

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max - more pro than ever before - Apple's article details the advanced camera features. There is nitty-gritty techno-speak here, skip over the jargon to read about low-light capability, sensor-shift image stabilization, improved autofocus and, for the first time, macro photography in the native Apple Camera app. The presentation included example videos using artificial intelligence cinematic mode with rack-focusing. So much power in the palm of our hands. 

Compare iPhone Models by selecting your current iPhone and two other models. 


Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Revving up for fall

Apple announcement set for Tuesday, 14, 2021at 10 am Pacific Time. 

New discoveries  

New videos - making space activities are teachable moments

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