Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Digital Camera Magazine Launches International Photography Competition

The international media group, Future plc, has announced the launch of two major new photography competitions, Digital Camera Magazine's 'Photographer of the Year 2018' and 'Young Photographer of the Year 2018'.

The contests aim to discover the most exciting, talented photographers from all over the world, with a prize fund on offer worth more than £12,000, courtesy of sponsors Affinity Photo and MPB.com.

A judging panel of professional photographers will choose the winners, whose images will be displayed at The Photography Show (March 17-20, 2018) at The NEC, Birmingham, UK. The event attracts an audience of around 30,000 professional and amateur photographers each year.

Photographers can enter their images in eight themed categories, including wildlife, portraiture, black and white, travel, landscape, macro, street, and a separate category for images taken on mobile phones.

A separate contest for photographers aged 25 and under, 'Digital Camera Young Photographer of the Year 2018', runs alongside the main competition, with the same categories available for entry.

The overall winner, crowned Photographer of the Year 2018 receives an incredible prize package worth more than £4,800, thanks to Affinity Photo. The package includes:

Fujifilm X-T2 cameraFujinon XF 16-55mm f/ 2.8 R LM WRFujinon XF 50-140mm f/ 2.8 WR OISApple 12.9 inch 64GB iPad Pro & Apple PencilAffinity Photo softwareDigital Camera magazine subscription.Winning photo published in Digital Camera magazine and displayed at The Photography Show 2018

The overall winner of the Young Photographer of the Year 2018, sponsored by MPB.com, receives an amazing prize package worth over £2,000. This package includes:Fujifilm X-T20 with XF 18-55mm silver kit lensFujinon XF 55-200mm f/ 3.5-4.8 R LM OIS£500 MPB.com voucherDigital Camera magazine subscriptionWinning photo published in Digital Camera magazine and displayed at The Photography Show 2018

All 16 category winners will each receive a Fujifilm Instax SQ10 camera, and the audience-voted favourite in each category will also receive a year's subscription to Digital Camera magazine.

The first two categories, 'Mono Magic' and 'On the Road', are open for entry now at www.photocrowd.com

Chris George, Future's Group Editor-in-Chief, Photography magazines, says:

"The Digital Camera Photographer of the Year Awards are a great chance for any camera owner to showcase their best pictures and win amazing prizes. Digital Camera magazine is designed to appeal to all photographers, so there are categories for every popular photographic subject – and there are special awards for smartphone photographers and young photographers too."


Source: Digital Camera Magazine Launches International Photography Competition

Monday, October 30, 2017

Mobile Photography & Art – My Top Five Apps by Karen Axelrad – Berlin, Germany

My go-to apps are Snapseed which is the one I recommend if you only have one app, Hipstamatic for black and white street photography and for experimenting, Stackables app for texture and formulas that are easy to edit, and Superimpose for tweaking two edits. But all these apps have been discussed by others, so I thought I would elucidate on my five favorite less-known apps.

All images ©Karen Axelrad

Dianaphoto

For random double-exposures which are then enhanced with various filters. Scroll through your camera roll for an accidental coupling then lock one or both photos and try various filters out. The results are fun and surprising. I also save some silhouettes to use as one of the photos and then scroll for the second.

'Painted Silhouette'  DianaPhoto, Hipstamatic, Superimpose, PhotoshopFix, Stackables

$1.99/download

Nova (formerly Ansel) 

Nova turns your whole camera roll into black and white so you can preview the photos in monochrome. Either start with one of the templates and then modify it, or manually tweak the photo. I particularly like Mix which allows you to move quickly through different color filters to get the right look.

'Jump 5′ – Nova

SeeThis (formerly You Gotta See This)

It allows you to make multi-row panoramas without blending. I was so worried it wouldn't be updated for the new iOS that I wrote to the developers, and happily it was just updated. It is sometimes referred to as the David Hockney effect as he invented this idea using polaroids.

'Gallery Weekend' – See This, Snapseed, Stackables

Free/download

SlowShutter

Use a mini tripod, a selfie stick, or take a deep breath to take a long exposure which will distort the moving figure in the foreground while leaving the background sharp. This app can do something a dslr can't do, and that is take a long exposure on a bright, sunny day while maintaining a blue sky and vivid colours (you would need gray filters to do that with a normal camera).

'Melding with the Art' SlowShutter, Snapseed, iColorama, Stackables

$1.99/download

iColorama

An amazingly versatile app that is constantly being supplemented with new features. It's a bit of a learning curve, but the Facebook groups are very helpful. iColorama can be used at a basic level to tweak colours or to make complicated masked paintings, distortions and everything in-between.

'Mannequins Transformed Again' iColorama, Mextures'

$3.99/download

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Source: Mobile Photography & Art – My Top Five Apps by Karen Axelrad – Berlin, Germany

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Best camera phones 2017: Mobile photography masters

What is the best camera phone you can buy right now? We pick the best mobile phone cameras in 2017, from great-value budget shooters to the most advanced premium mobile cameras which can shoot RAW images and 4K Ultra HD video.

One of the most important features for a modern mobile phone is the camera stuck away on the back. After all, we've pretty much all ditched our digital cameras in favour of that tiny snapper, to capture everything from family fun days out to that hilarious time Dave got wasted and puked up on the cat.

Of course, not everyone can afford the very latest flagship phone packing the best camera around, so we've also covered the best camera phones that can be picked up for a budget of £200 or less. Here's our complete round-up of the best camera phones in the UK in 2017, however much you spend.

What are the best camera phones in 2017?

Here's our full list of the best camera phones you can buy in the UK in 2017. Scroll down for links to our in-depth camera reviews.

Best camera phones

  • HTC U11
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 8
  • Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
  • Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
  • LG G6
  • Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  • Sony Xperia XZ1
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro
  • Huawei P10 and P10 Plus
  • HTC 10
  • Best budget camera phones

  • Moto G5
  • Moto G5 Plus
  • Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus
  • Lenovo P2
  • We'll start with the most expensive models and finish with the best budget camera phones you can buy right now.

    Best camera phones 2017: HTC U11 Price: £645 Release Date: June 2017 Our Review: HTC U11 review Camera specs: 12-megapixel rear, 16-megapixel front

    Samsung used to be the king of smartphone snappers, until HTC rose to steal its crown in 2017. The latest U11 flagship phone boasts a truly remarkable 12-megapixel snapper with a f/1.7 aperture lens, which captures stunning shots in any conditions. That includes low light conditions, a realm previously ruled by Sammy.

    That HDR Boost feature helps out considerably, when contrast levels are a little tricky. You get well-balanced, great-looking photos packed with detail, even when snapping against a bright sky and the like. In fact, only the image stabilisation when shooting video is beaten by other handsets. In every other area, the U11 is at least as strong, if not stronger.

    Check out our in-depth HTC U11 camera review and our comparison with the best Android camera phones of 2017.

    Best camera phones 2017: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Price: £799 Release Date: September 2017 Our Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review Camera specs: 12-megapixel dual lens rear, 8-megapixel front

    One of the fastest growing smartphone trends in 2017 has been the rise of dual lens cameras. This concept isn't all that new, yet the likes of Apple and Nokia have jumped on the bandwagon in recent months, slapping double shooters on their flagship phones.

    Samsung, for all its market-leading innovation, was strangely absent from this race - at least, until the Galaxy Note 8 was unveiled near the end of the year.

    Part of the appeal with the Note's main camera is that both the wide-angle and telephoto sensors that sit side by side, packing a 12-megapixel resolution while boasting independent optical image stabilisation. The main wide-angle snapper and the front-facing 8-megapixel camera pack impressively wide f/1.7 apertures, for superior low light performance, whilst the telephoto lens shoots with a narrower f/2.4 aperture.

    Have a gander at our Galaxy Note 8 camera review for full samples and our analysis.

    You can also see this Samsung snapper in action in our dual lens camera comparison, where the Note squares off against the likes of the iPhone 8 Plus and Huawei Mate 10.

    Best camera phones 2017: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

    Samsung's latest smartphone snapper on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus handsets is truly remarkable, mostly because it churns out gorgeous results every time, even if you don't really know what you're doing.

    That f/1.7 aperture 12-megapixel camera on the back shoots detailed, beautiful images in almost any conditions. That includes dark pubs, brightly lit exteriors and everything in-between. Like last year's Galaxy S7 camera (see below), it's the night shots that really impress. You can also capture up to 4K resolution video, with impressive image stabilisation.

    Around the front the S8 and S8 Plus also impress, with a great f/1.7 selfie camera that's again great in low light.

    Check out our guide to the S8 and S8 Plus' camera modes for a closer look at the S8 shooter's best features, and our in-depth Galaxy S8 camera review for all you need to know.

    Best camera phones 2017: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

    If you're after a simple-to-use point n' shoot smartphone camera, then Samsung's Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge flagships from 2016 are still among the very best. This 12-megapixel snapper is the same on both phones and brilliant in almost any conditions, with low light proving its specialty. Home movies also look great, with Full HD, Quad HD and 4K recording all on offer.

    Our Galaxy S7 camera review tells you everything you need to know, and we've also taken an in-depth look at the Galaxy S7's many camera features, including the Pro mode for confident photographers and the streaming feature for live broadcasting on platforms like Facebook.

    Best camera phones 2017: Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

    Although most mobile manufacturers have leaped onto the dual lens camera bandwagon, Google has stuck firmly with its single lens snappers for the second round of Pixel smartphones. We can't argue with that decision either, as these handsets really do impressive when it comes to the optics.

    The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both sport the exact same camera tech, namely a 12.2-megapixel shooter with f/1.8 aperture lens. French optics experts DxO Labs reckon the new Pixel mobiles sport the best cameras of any smartphones to date, after awarding them a mighty 98 DxOMark Mobile score. We reckon they're definitely at least on par with the mighty Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, capturing beautiful photos in even the most challenging conditions.

    Have a gander at our Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL camera review for more info.

    If you can't quite afford the new Pixel phones, last year's Pixel and Pixel XL original handsets also feature a 12.3-megapixel rear camera which can shoot up to 4K video, with most of the same features. You'll still enjoy a fast shutter speed and strong results for photo and video capture.

    Take a look at our in-depth Google Pixel and Pixel XL camera review to see full photo and video samples.

    Best camera phones 2017: LG G6 Price: £TBC Release Date: April 2017 Our Review: LG G6 Review Camera specs: 13-megapixel and 13-megapixel dual rear cameras, 5-megapixel front camera

    Dual-lens mobile cameras are suddenly all the rage, and you'll spy a fair few in this best camera phones round-up. The LG G6 is one of the latest blowers to sport such a setup, a full year after the LG G5 introduced LG's first double lens snapper.

    The G6's first lens is your go-to shooter, offering an f/1.8 aperture for detailed night shots and rich, good-looking everyday photos. Built-in image stabilisation helps to reduce blur and keep your movies steady. At any point however you can switch to that second wide-angle lens, which is a great way to capture sweeping vistas or fit a large group into a single photo.

    LG has as usual packed a wealth of bonus camera modes in, such as the ability to preview photos as you shoot them on that 18:9 widescreen display. You can snap collages and shoot up to 4K resolution video, along with the now-standard timelapse and slow-motion footage.

    Check out our full LG G6 camera review for all you need to know.

    Best camera phones 2017: Sony Xperia XZ Premium

    Sony has plenty of experience when it comes to world-class camera tech and so it's no surprise that the optics on the latest Sony Xperia phone is truly brilliant. In fact, the Xperia XZ Premium's snapper actually upstages the phone's supposed stand-out feature, that 4K HDR-ready screen.

    One of the biggest talking points is the insanely good (yet hard-to-master) Super Slow Motion feature, which captures incredible footage at a staggering 960-frames-per-second. However, it's the XZ Premium's everyday photography chops that really make it a solid smartphone snapper. You can shoot gorgeous-looking pics in any conditions, including really dark environments, using Sony's Superior Auto mode.

    Check out our full Sony Xperia XZ Premium camera review for all you need to know, plus full photos and video samples.

    Best camera phones 2017: Sony Xperia XZ1 Price: £549 Release Date: October 2017 Our Review: Sony Xperia XZ1 review Camera specs: 23-megapixel rear, 13-megapixel front

    Sony's Xperia XZ1 flagship phone, launched towards the end of 2017, boasts plenty of fantastic features. However, one of the biggest strengths of Sony smartphones has always been the camera tech, and the spruced-up Motion Eye snapper that sits in this mobile is definitely a highlight.

    As well as packing the usual (and brilliant) Superior Auto mode, for snapping your everyday life with minimal effort, the XZ1 is perfect for action shots thanks to the smart autofocus burst mode. Even better, the video mode has been boosted by the Xperia XZ Premium's Super Slow Motion feature. That means you can capture a home movie with stunning 960 frames-per-second segments, for impressive results.

    On top of that, you can even use Sony's 3D Creator tool to map out your mate's head and make a virtual character out of them. Utterly pointless, yet still great fun.

    Check out our full in-depth Sony Xperia XZ1 camera review for photo and video samples and more of our thoughts on this highly capable smartphone snapper.

    Best camera phones 2017: iPhone 8 Plus Price: From £719 Release Date: October 2017 Our Review: iPhone 8 Plus Review Camera specs Dual 12-megapixel rear, 7-megapixel front

    Jutting out of the back end of the iPhone 8 Plus you'll spy what appears to be the same dual-lens camera setup to last year's iPhone 7 Plus. Have a squint at the specs and you might think it really is identical. Once again you have a 12-megapixel wide-angle snapper, backed up by a secondary 12-megapixel telephoto lens, which gives you a closer view of your subject thanks to the 2x optical zoom.

    While the specs remain very similar to the 7 Plus, Apple has made some clear changes between the launch of these two flagship phones. Photo capture has improved, with cleaner results for moving subjects as well as tweaked night time performance. Meanwhile video recording can be boosted to 4K resolution footage at 60 frames-per-second. Your home movies have never looked so natural.

    Check out our in-depth iPhone 8 Plus camera review, complete with side-by-side comparisons with the 7 Plus so you can see the improvements and changes.

    Best camera phones 2017: iPhone 7 Price: From £599 Release Date: October 2016 Our Review: iPhone 7 Review Camera specs 12-megapixel rear, 7-megapixel front

    Apple's iPhone snappers are among the easiest to use, yet consistently prove to be some of the best smartphone cameras you can buy. Just point and shoot and you can guarantee solid results in almost any conditions, with plenty of detail packed in.

    The iPhone 7 boasts better low light results than ever before, while still offering that ease of use we've come to expect from Apple. And of course you get the usual slow-mo mode, timelapse and the ability to shoot up to 4K resolution video.

    Check out our in-depth iPhone 7 camera review for more info. And we've also compiled an iPhone 7 camera tips and tricks feature to help you get the most from your Apple snapper.

    Best camera phones 2017: Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro Price: £699 Release Date: October 2017 Our Review: Huawei Mate 10 Pro review Camera specs 12-megapixel and 20-megapixel dual lens

    Whilst Leica's level of involvement is still questionable, the Mate 10 and 10 Pro both possess a serious imaging setup. Similar to last year's Mate 9 and this year's P10 and P10 Plus (see below), these phones pack in a 12 and 20-megapixel dual sensor arrangement on the back with an 8-megapixel front-facer, sporting an f/2.0 aperture.

    The SUMMILUX-H lenses on its main camera have been completely reworked, to boast the widest aperture of any smartphone around (f/1.6). With strong low light performance, plus extra detail and depth in your shots thanks to that secondary lens, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro certainly offer some of the best smartphone optics of 2017.

    There are still clear areas for improvement of course. An improvement to video stabilisation at any resolution is a must, as well as HDR shooting by default. Plus, that busy and initially confusing camera UI could use a little tweaking. Those minor complaints aside, this is a great dual lens setup - and a rival to the likes of the iPhone 8 Plus and Note 8, as you'll see in our dual camera comparison.

    Wander on over to our in-depth Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro camera review to see our samples and more on these great dual snappers.

    Best camera phones 2017: Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus Price: £599 Release Date: April 2017 Our Review: Huawei P10 review Camera specs 12-megapixel dual-lens rear, 8-megapixel front

    Like the Huawei P9 before it, the P10 boasts a dual-lens rear camera designed in collaboration with optics experts Leica. This updated mobile snapper offers a 20-megapixel monochrome lens and a 12-megapixel colour lens, complete with Optical Image Stabilisation, PDAF and a two-tone LED flash. You can even shoot in 4K now, something missing from the P9. Nice.

    If you want to know what all of that gubbins means, take a close look at the P10's camera and video modes and browse some photo and video samples shot on the P10, check out our in-depth Huawei P10 camera review.

    The P10 Plus is a small step up in terms of image quality. That f/1.8 aperture lens can soak up more light, for improved performance in dim conditions. However, it's still not quite as strong as rivals such as the Pixel and Galaxy S7.

    Check out our in-depth P10 Plus camera review for more info.

    Read next: P10 Plus vs Pixel vs Galaxy S7 camera comparison

    Best camera phones 2017: HTC 10 Price: £499 Release Date: April 2016 Our Review: HTC 10 Review Camera specs: 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera

    You get some vibrant and detail-packed photos with the HTC 10's excellent 12-megapixel camera phone, which rivals the Samsung Galaxy S7's shooter for best camera phone of 2016. The camera app is nice and simple but boasts some solid features like RAW image support. And moving subjects are well handled, good news for parents and pet owners.

    Video recording is a winner again, with up to 4K resolution supported. Video quality is excellent with some strong image stabilisation to cut down on hand judders.

    Check out our full in-depth HTC 10 camera review for more info on one of the best mobile phone cameras of 2016.

    Best camera phones 2017: Moto G5 Price: £199 Release Date: April 2017 Our Review: Moto G5 review Camera specs: 13-megapixel rear, 5-megapixel front

    Last year's Moto G4 Plus really impressed us by packing some solid optics for under £200, including full phase detection autofocus (PDAF) for a near instant shutter speed. That feature has trickled down to the new Moto G5 handset, which is even faster at locking onto your subject than before.

    The G5 packs a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens, which is pleasingly capable in almost any kind of conditions. HDR support sorts out any kind of vicious contrast and even low-light performance is decent enough. Meanwhile the 5-megapixel front-facing camera on the Moto G5 features a wide-angle lens for cramming in plenty of heads.

    Great news if you take lots of spontaneous shots too, as the Moto G5's camera app can be activated just with a double-twist of the phone, even when the phone is hibernating.

    Check out our full Moto G5 camera review for samples and analysis.

    Best camera phones 2017: Moto G5 Plus

    The Moto G5 Plus may have stripped back to a 12-megapixel rear camera, which means less pixels crammed into each shot compared with the standard Moto G5 and last year's Moto G4 Plus. However, the Dual Pixel Autofocus technology and f/1.7 aperture lens matches Samsung's brilliant Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge cameras and that kind of smartphone mettle for a budget price is definitely enticing.

    Moto's camera app is pleasingly simple to use and the main interface is free of clutter, giving you access only to the most essential settings and features. The auto mode with built-in HDR offers attractive shots even in a range of tricky conditions, while the f/1.7 aperture lens sucks up plenty of light to produce respectable night shots. You can also shoot up to 4K resolution video, on demand.

    For our in-depth thoughts, check out our Moto G5 Plus camera review.

    Best camera phones 2017: Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus

    British brand Wileyfox really impressed us with the Swift 2 Plus, which captures detailed snaps pretty much the moment you tap the shutter button.

    Our test photos look great when viewed back on a big screen, providing lighting conditions are reasonable. You get realistic colour reproduction, while the autofocus deals well with everything from up-close macro shots to sweeping vistas. Even fast-moving subjects like pets and kids are usually caught without too much blur to ruin the photo.

    You can also shoot up to Full HD video, while the 8-megapixel front-facing camera captures every sag and wrinkle. Nice.

    Best camera phones 2017: Lenovo P2 Price: £199 Release Date: January 2017 Our Review: Lenovo P2 Review Camera specs: 16-megapixel rear, 8-megapixel front

    The Lenovo P2 sports a low £199 asking price and offers a whole bunch of great stuff in return. This handset's main USP is its mighty 5100mAh battery, which delivers up to three full days of use between charges. But thankfully the P2 isn't a one-trick pony, also packing a smart and dependable 13-megapixel camera on the rear.

    Complete with a two-tone LED flash, the P2's shooter is a perfectly decent budget effort. Lenovo's 'Smart' auto mode does a respectable job of figuring out the best settings for each shot on the fly, while the Phase Detection Autofocus locks onto your subject in double-quick time.

    Check out our video features on the best camera phones you can buy in 2017 below.


    Source: Best camera phones 2017: Mobile photography masters

    Saturday, October 28, 2017

    With a Custom Mercedes-Benz Van, Chris Burkard Seeks to Cover New Ground in Adventure Photography

    Ansel Adams, one of the most celebrated photographers in history, once owned a '47 Pontiac Streamliner. It was a classic "woody" station wagon, curvy and spacious, with a large camera platform rigged atop its roof. "Many of his best-known images would be made from this perch," says photography historian Mary Street Alinder in Ansel Adams: A Biography, "which eliminated the clutter of an immediate foreground and enabled his camera to see a greater distance, making possible the expansive vistas for which he became famous." Indeed, one of Adams' most beloved photographs, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, was snapped from atop his Streamliner mere seconds after he and his son, Michael, came to a screeching halt on the side of a dusty Sante Fe backroad.

    "I always loved that story," says Chris Burkard. "There were all these old videos from San Francisco of [Adams] loading up his car with, like, hundreds of pounds of camera gear, and setting off with his son in [the Streamliner] he had made into a mobile photography rig. I spent so much time on the road that I realized I was doing myself a disservice by not having something that could take my family, my assistants, or whoever, and just go."

    Burkard, a 31-year-old professional photographer from San Luis Obispo, California, is in many ways Adams' spiritual successor. Like Adams, Burkard's creative achievements in landscape photography have garnered global acclaim; like Adams, Burkard's fame (which includes 2.8 million followers on Instagram) has allowed him to travel the U.S. and the world beyond, documenting Earth's most stunning natural wonders; like Adams, Burkard now has a custom four-wheeled photography rig — a '06 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, complete with a large camera platform atop its roof.

    2006 Mercedez-Benz Sprinter Custom

    Notable Specs

    • Goal Zero solar panels and generators• Polk Audio surround sound• Rigid Industries LED light bar (50-inch)• Thule roof box• All-terrain tires• Swivel passenger chair• Custom interior for camera gear storage• Custom roof rack and ladder• Portable shower unit• Convertable sofa bed

    "We spent probably two or three months designing before Chris even pulled the trigger," says Scottie Nelson, founder and CEO of Advanture Company, the Santa Cruz–based shop that customized Burkard's van. "We met with him three or four times in person, as well as a bunch of FaceTime sessions. Really, what it came down to was what was important to him, for his needs. [The van] is really just a tool to get closer to all of these places that he loves to photograph, in a really stealthy but sustainable way. That was the whole purpose of this van — to get all of his equipment in one place, so he can drive to these places and not be confined to a hotel room."

    The build process was wonderfully collaborative. The three-man team behind Advanture Company, who Burkard describes as "super hungry and creative young scientists," worked with Burkard to determine his unique needs. "I didn't want to have a stove in my van," Burkard said. "I didn't want to have a shower. I didn't want to live in my van. I just wanted something that would allow me to get on the road, store camera gear, and sleep a bunch of people." Above all, Burkard wanted a powerful photography tool, a conduit between his camera and his most frequent subjects — the mountains and rivers and valleys within America's wildest places. "There's something really magical about not having to set up a tent, check in to a hotel or, God forbid, drive into a city, away from the places you want to be, to go to sleep. What you want is to end your day and start your day in the place where you want to be. The closer you can be to that, the better. That's what it's al ways been about."

    The last thing on Burkard's mind was this modern notion of "van life." Years ago, while traveling the California coast for three months in a cramped van with his best friend, Burkard lost all interest in becoming a rolling nomad. "Dude… that experience sucked," Burkard says. "I don't know who or what came up with the idea that living in one of those things is great. It totally blows; especially during a rainy California winter." Burkard's vehement rejection of #vanlife is understandable, but also strange, for his tendency to roam and his affection for wild places can be traced all the way back to his teenage years, when he and his grandfather would embark on weeks-long road trips in a "shitbox" General Motors van.

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    "My first road trip was with my grandpa. I had never left California; I had never gone anywhere in the world," Burkard says. "It's actually kind of funny — or not funny — but the first road trip I ever went on was to the Sierras, where [my grandpa] took me to my father's gravesite. That was when I was maybe eight or nine years old. And then every summer after that, we'd do a road trip. Sometimes it would be two weeks; sometimes it would be a month. The first time I saw the Grand Canyon or Yosemite or all these places — it was all with him."

    Burkard continues: "At the time, I was just this shitty little kid. I didn't appreciate it at all. I'd sit in the back and eat candy and listen to my Limp Bizkit CD or something like that. But, slowly but surely I gained this appreciation. Looking back now, those trips were the dream. They were such a huge source of inspiration for me. They instilled in me this love for wild places. My grandpa was in the military for a long time — the National Guard. My grandma was a park ranger for a while. My grandpa loved to fish. He'd go to these lakes, never catch anything. It was funny, because we'd always rent this stupid van and go on these trips. But that was a pretty big deal for me. I honestly think that it altered the course of my life."

    The '06 Sprinter's maiden voyage was a mission to Oregon, in pursuit of this year's total solar eclipse. Burkard and his four-man crew piled into the van, drove 15 hours, parked, snapped photos (including one ludicrously epic shot), and left. "In comparison to other trips we've done with that many people and that much gear — we're lugging multiple cameras, huge tripods, all this random crap — it was totally seamless," Burkard says.

    When Ansel Adams first rigged a camera platform to his '47 Pontiac Streamliner, the golden age of his life's professional work began in earnest. Perhaps by climbing atop his custom '06 Sprinter, Burkard is about to do the same. Armed with a new mobile photography rig, he is poised to reach new heights, both literally and figuratively, in the field of adventure photography.


    Source: With a Custom Mercedes-Benz Van, Chris Burkard Seeks to Cover New Ground in Adventure Photography

    Thursday, October 26, 2017

    Fujifilm’s new mobile printer makes square prints right from your phone

    Why it matters to you

    Taking advantage of the new Instax Square film, the SP-3 SQ mobile printer brings classic flair to your smartphone images.

    Designed for crafting, gifts, or simply preserving your memories the classic way — on a fridge — Fujifilm has announced the new Instax Share SP-3 SQ mobile printer. Compatible with the same Instax Square format film used in the SQ10 instant camera, the SP-3 SQ printer allows smartphone photographers to turn their digital images into classic square prints with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

    Instagram is largely responsible for popularizing the square format in mobile photography, although the aspect ratio is a holdover from the days of film. While the photo sharing app has since gone on to allow for a variety of aspect ratios, square remains the default. Particularly for Instagram users, the SP-3 SQ printer represents an opportunity to bring their photos into the physical world without altering the original framing and composition.

    With an updated Instax Share app that's smarter and more creative, the SP-3 SQ combines the best in analog style with modern digital tech. Users can access their Instagram accounts straight from within the app, and a new "Hashtag Print" feature makes it easy to quickly print all photos from a specific hashtag; it's perfect for weddings, music concerts, and other events. In addition to Instagram, the app is compatible with Dropbox, Google Photos, and Facebook.

    What's more, the Instax Share app includes several new print features. The "Collage Template" option lets users print up to nine photos on one exposure in a 3 × 3 grid. Users can also do the opposite of this with a "Split Template," which splits a single image across multiple prints for creating large collages. Additionally, text overlays can be added to the print and the app includes 11 different templates that mimic magazine covers, CD jackets (talk about retro!), and more.

    When traveling, users can take advantage of the new "Real Time Template" that prints the date, place, weather, temperature, and humidity on the frame so you can remember more about your trip.

    The SP-3 SQ is available in either black or white and is meant to be easily carried anywhere. According to Fujifilm, one print takes about 13 seconds and the printer can handle 160 prints on a single battery charge. The mobile printer is slated to be available in November for a price of $200. Instax Square film is sold separately and can be found for about $14 for a 10-exposure box.

    Don't Miss

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    Source: Fujifilm's new mobile printer makes square prints right from your phone

    Wednesday, October 25, 2017

    Interview: Adobe’s Tom Hogarty on the future of the Mac, iPhone X camera, and the evolving definition of photography

    This year's Adobe MAX conference was dominated by chatter about machine learning, artificial intelligence, and specifically, Adobe Sensei. The importance of these emerging technologies was repeatedly reinforced not only in the conference's opening keynote, but on the show floor and in sneak peaks of upcoming products.

    9to5Mac sat down at MAX with Tom Hogarty, Adobe's Director of Photography Product Management, to talk about the rise of computational photography and how products like the iPhone and Mac have played a role in redefining how we think about photos.

    Sensei is described by Adobe as a creative assistant, technology that learns from each user and is trained by hundreds of millions of assets in the Creative Cloud library. The company's vision for the future of Sensei is wide, but today the capabilities are being used to help creatives become better photographers.

    "I always think of my photos as the intersection of who, what, where, or when. And we've got the what and the where and the when covered. We're still working on the Adobe Sensei technology for face recognition and detection, but the management side of it is powerful," Hogarty said, speaking about "Best Photos", a new AI-powered feature in Lightroom CC that automatically curates what it believes are your best shots in a group based on aesthetic ranking.

    "The end goal is that we help photographers become better photographers. Everyone wants their images they share on Instagram or social networks to be persuasive and powerful, and being a better photographer helps them do that. That's where I feel like Sensei can come in and help people interested in photography become better."

    Adobe believes that Sensei will succeed where others cannot because of the company's user base of professional photographers that provide deep insight into the photography process as Sensei learns. "Because we're working with some of the world's best creatives, we can employ machine learning to learn from their creativity and their skills," Hogarty said. "So one of the things that I'm excited about is looking at ways we can learn from a customer's own editing capabilities and give that back to them. What if Creative Cloud could start to learn from that work, and start to shortcut the effort I have to put into my images by creating something like an auto that's tailored? It's not something we're shipping right now, but if you look into the future you can image a place where we can use machine learning like Sensei to take some of the heavy lifting of editing."

    While Adobe has excelled in terms of editing images in post-production, Apple has made strides in improving the capture experience, with features like the TrueDepth camera system in the upcoming iPhone X. Hogarty claims that Adobe isn't standing still on this front, either. "It's funny, the depth map that the new iPhone is using is something we had actually demoed many years ago, I think back in 2006, because we had done a lot of research on depth maps and plenoptic cameras and imaging," he said. "One of the benefits of us being on the capture device in terms of the smartphone is that we can start to leverage some of that. We've already started doing that using the DNG file format on iOS and Android to get the highest quality image, but then taking it a step further, we can do HDR capture that's a burst of three DNG files that are then merged into a single, truly high dynamic range file. At its heart, that is computational photography. Now as we're sitting on the s martphone capture device, we can become part of the capture experience, just getting closer and closer to the metal of the beginning of the photography process."

    Hogarty was quick to mention that Adobe has no plans to enter the world of novelty face filters and Animoji, adding, "Maybe I should rethink this, but we tend to keep a fairly traditional perspective on photography. Lightroom isn't going in the world of Snapchat with fuzzy faces and unicorn stuff. If that's a direction customers want us to take, we can explore that. But right now, I think our core photography customer is more traditional, non manipulated AR-style."

    Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen addressed concerns surrounding artificial intelligence onstage at MAX, saying that "AI is not a substitute for creativity." Everyone I spoke to from Adobe appeared to firmly agree, but Hogarty in particular, seemed deeply committed to maintaining a balance between creativity and technology.

    "There will be a push-pull. How much do modern light meters in cameras take some of the creative process out of the capture experience? The flipside of that is you're now enabling a creative person to think less about the technology or the technical aspects of the profession and more about the craft and representing what they see through a photograph. I think we're always going to have a healthy push-pull," he said. "That's the thing I love about photography – it's never stood still, because photography is inextricably linked to technology. From plates, to rolled film, to color positive film, to color negative film. Each one of those transitions gave people pause and thought about what photography really means. I think it's awesome, because what we've seen is more democratization, lower barriers to entry for people with a passion about photos."

    As photography continues to change, so do the tools that creatives use. Many professionals have expressed concern in recent years about a shifting focus away from the desktop as customers flock to mobile devices. Adobe, too, has recognized this shift. "It's a trend I'm watching," Hogarty said. "I do think because this [the smartphone] is the capture device, and this is also a great platform for social and sharing communication, that the role of the desktop could diminish, but I think we need to keep investing in all platforms because at the end of the day, I think about my content consumption. I definitely watch less TV on TV, but it hasn't changed my attitude towards content in general."

    The upcoming iMac Pro and promised new Mac Pro have kept the hope of a desktop renaissance alive for now, but it's up to companies like Adobe to optimize its software to take full advantage of powerful new hardware.

    When asked about enhanced support for Apple's upcoming products, Hogarty said, "I can't comment on anything specifically, but you know one of the things that's always been – and this goes back in Photoshop's history- is to squeeze every last drop of power and capability out of current hardware. We're not shipping a web browser, we're not loading web pages. We're working with high-resolution image files, so we are always looking at what Apple is doing, what Microsoft is doing, other Windows hardware, iOS hardware, Android hardware, to eek out every last drop. I think you can see that when we added DNG HDR capture, we had to limit the number of devices we could support, because it really was squeezing the most out of the latest hardware."

    Powerful iOS hardware has paved the way for a new market of mobile creative applications, like Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and Enlight, all of which compete directly with Adobe's own products. Hogarty reiterated that Adobe's unique customer relationship is what will allow them to remain competitive in this growing market. "There is no doubt it is a competitive and fragmented market on mobile, and so the onus is on us to use our knowledge of the photography industry, our work with photographers over the decades to build a solution that meets the needs of people interested in photography. The first step was extending that workflow from the desktop to mobile for traditional desktop photographers, but we're seeing a whole influx of new photographers who are starting more on mobile, and we're winning the hearts and minds there."

    You can catch up on all of Adobe's announcements at MAX 2017 in our guide.

    Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:


    Source: Interview: Adobe's Tom Hogarty on the future of the Mac, iPhone X camera, and the evolving definition of photography

    Tuesday, October 24, 2017

    Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (670) via Instagram

    Here's day six hundred and seventy of our mobile photography/art Pic of the Day section via Instagram. Each day we will be selecting one image a day for our Pic of the Day section on Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer.

    To ensure your image receives our attention, please upload it to Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer

    Today, we congratulate @clau_archela – Claudia Archela with this breathtaking image entitled 'Notting Hill'.

    View more of her body of work here.

    [Please visit our Artist Directory and find out how we can add you too!]

    Hello again

    We wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary for the future of TheAppWhisperer.com… More people than ever are reading TheAppWhisperer.com and we could not be more excited about that. We bring you ad-free journalism every day, so you don't have to close windows and be distracted with advertisements. We specialise in mobile photography and mobile art and we value all of our readers, writers, contributors and viewers but we do have costs and we do need to ask for your help. We at TheAppWhisperer spend many hours each day, each week and each month to bring you this high quality level of journalism. We do it because we are passionate about it and because we want others to be as passionate too.

    If everyone who reads our website, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be so much more secure. Please help us by offering a contribution or supporting us with a monthly donation of your choosing.

    [seamless-donations

    Tweet ProCamera HD – Temporary Price Drop Fascinating Artist Talk With Jeff Wall Steve Jobs' Very First 'Apple-1'... Mobile Photography and Art – Flickr Group Showcase... APPart – Mobile Art – Pantone Color of the Day – W... Jennifer Bracewell Joins The App Whisperer As A Ne... Pixlr Express Plus – Temporary Price Drop Angry Birds on Android Now Free…..
    Source: Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (670) via Instagram

    Monday, October 23, 2017

    Mobile Photography Tricks You Can't Miss

    Don't miss stories. Follow PhotographyTalk

    iStock 621134108 min image

    Let's face it - most of us have a pretty good camera that's in our pocket most of the time.

    That alone is a pretty compelling argument to use your smartphone as your primary camera.

    And by "primary," I don't mean the one you use to photograph weddings...

    What I mean, though, is that we should all use our smartphones as cameras even more often than we do.

    Here's a few ways you can wrestle even more quality out of the images you take with your phone.

    Double Your Pleasure With a Reflection

    iStock 621918360 min image

    The great thing about a smartphone as a camera is that you can easily move around with it (more on that in a bit).

    That makes taking awesome reflection photos that much easier because you can work the angles to find the best reflection.

    image image image image image image image image

    And there are a million things you can use as subjects for a reflection...

    A landscape scene like the one above comes immediately to mind.

    iStock 585304604 min image

    But you can also take a portrait in a reflection.

    Since you might be working with something that's moving (like water), that necessitates a fast shutter speed to avoid seeing any ripples on the surface of the water.

    And when you get down low and close to the reflective surface, you need a large aperture to ensure you have the depth of field needed to get everything in sharp focus.

    Some smartphone cameras have these manual controls. But if yours doesn't, you'll want to download an app like Camera FV-5 for Android devices or Halide for iOS devices.

    Here's another tip - use your smartphone's tap-to-focus feature to set the focus on the reflection, not on the subject. That will ensure that the reflection is optimally sharp.

    Learn More: Keep Camera Shake at Bay

    sirui3t351 image

    Not all of us have the steady hands of a surgeon, and that means that there comes a point at which the shutter speed is too slow for us to hold our cameras steady enough to get a sharp photo.

    That's true whether we're using a professional-grade DSLR or our mobile phone to take photos.

    But even outside of that scenario, a tripod is a good idea, simply because it's always going to be more steady and stable for the camera than our arms.

    Fortunately, there are plenty of great tripod options that you can use for your smartphone.

    sirui3t352 image

    Take the Sirui 3T-35 Tabletop Tripod as a perfect example.

    Not only is this tripod compatible with a smartphone (with a tripod-compatible case), but you can also use it with point-and-shoot cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, or even video cameras.

    That means that you invest in something that's incredibly versatile rather than something you can only use with one type of camera.

    Speaking of versatility, this tripod has a two-section center column to give you height adjustability up to 13.5 inches. You can also remove the center column and attach the tripod head directly to the feet for low-perspective shots (which comes in handy for photographing reflections!).

    The tripod's large legs give it the stability you need, but because they're foldable, they don't get in the way when it's time to store the tripod.

    It's so portable, in fact, that you can slide it in your back pocket or hook it onto the belt loop of your pants for easy access when you need it.

    Weighing less than a pound, you won't have to worry about feeling like you're carrying a ton of weight, either!

    Learn More: Actually Be Mobile!

    iStock 641553182 min image

    As I noted earlier, one of the best things about using your phone as a camera is that they are so mobile. They don't call them mobile phones for nothing!

    That means you have no excuse not to take photos every single day because you have a highly capable camera right there with you.

    728x90.gif image image image image image

    That also means that there is no reason why you can't experiment with different types of photos to help develop your creative eye and get comfortable shooting all kinds of subjects.

    You can use your phone for landscapes, portraits, architecture, street photography, macro...you name it.

    iStock 854104094 min image

    And because your phone is so small and lightweight, you should use that to your advantage to find interesting perspectives from which to shoot.

    Get down low to the ground for a worm's eye view or climb up high (be careful though!) to get a bird's eye view.

    You can also easily get nearer or further away from your subject and avoid using your phone's terrible optical zoom.

    Heck, you can even put your phone on a drone and get really wild and crazy if you want!

    The point is that there are so many things you can do with a smartphone camera to improve your photography.

    Namely, you can easily practice all sorts of genres of photography, begin to develop your personal photography style, and you have an easy way to share the photos you take to get feedback as well.

    If you think you just can't take good photos with a smartphone, the video above by Mango Street Labs might just change your mind.

    Learn More:

    Hello from PT!

    Beginner Photography Tips

    Not sure what to photograph next?

    Go through our 30-Day Creative Eye Challenge and discover the long last secrets to finding awesome shots, anywhere, anytime (with any camera).

    We Recommend

    The Best DSLRs for Beginners in 2017

    12 Simple But Impactful Tips for New ...

    As a Photographer, These are 13 Free Apps ...

    There are Only 3 Lenses You Need in Your ...


    Source: Mobile Photography Tricks You Can't Miss

    Saturday, October 21, 2017

    Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (667) via Instagram

    Here's day six hundred and sixty seven of our mobile photography/art Pic of the Day section via Instagram. Each day we will be selecting one image a day for our Pic of the Day section on Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer.

    To ensure your image receives our attention, please upload it to Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer

    Today, we congratulate @isnob – Laura Peischl with this breathtaking image.

    Please view more of her body of work here.

    [Please visit our Artist Directory and find out how we can add you too!]

    Hello again

    We wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary for the future of TheAppWhisperer.com… More people than ever are reading TheAppWhisperer.com and we could not be more excited about that. We bring you ad-free journalism every day, so you don't have to close windows and be distracted with advertisements. We specialise in mobile photography and mobile art and we value all of our readers, writers, contributors and viewers but we do have costs and we do need to ask for your help. We at TheAppWhisperer spend many hours each day, each week and each month to bring you this high quality level of journalism. We do it because we are passionate about it and because we want others to be as passionate too.

    If everyone who reads our website, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be so much more secure. Please help us by offering a contribution or supporting us with a monthly donation of your choosing.

    Tweet Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (542) via In... Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (649) via In... Mobile Photography/Art – Pic of the Day (114) – vi... Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (631) via In... Mobile Photography/Art – Pic of the Day (100) – vi... Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (537) via In... Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (598) via In... Pic of the Day (24) – Instagram – TheA...
    Source: Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (667) via Instagram

    Friday, October 20, 2017

    Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (668) via Instagram

    Here's day six hundred and sixty eight of our mobile photography/art Pic of the Day section via Instagram. Each day we will be selecting one image a day for our Pic of the Day section on Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer.

    To ensure your image receives our attention, please upload it to Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer

    Today, we congratulate @violeetalin – Violeta Lin with this breathtaking image entitled "Heading West or coming back home".

    [Please visit our Artist Directory and find out how we can add you too!]

    Hello again

    We wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary for the future of TheAppWhisperer.com… More people than ever are reading TheAppWhisperer.com and we could not be more excited about that. We bring you ad-free journalism every day, so you don't have to close windows and be distracted with advertisements. We specialise in mobile photography and mobile art and we value all of our readers, writers, contributors and viewers but we do have costs and we do need to ask for your help. We at TheAppWhisperer spend many hours each day, each week and each month to bring you this high quality level of journalism. We do it because we are passionate about it and because we want others to be as passionate too.

    If everyone who reads our website, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be so much more secure. Please help us by offering a contribution or supporting us with a monthly donation of your choosing.

    Tweet A Picture's Worth With Lee Atwell – iP... MoJo Conference – Exclusive Interview with F... Extension Of The I With Fernando Prats – A H... Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr Group Showc... ProCutX for Final Cut Pro X – Temporarily Fr... Instagram – Chicago South Side – Stori... Adobe Announce Photoshop Touch Software Developmen... Order Your iPad 2 In The UK Now! – Almost...
    Source: Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (668) via Instagram

    Thursday, October 19, 2017

    Mobile Photography Tricks You Can't Miss

    Don't miss stories. Follow PhotographyTalk

    iStock 621134108 min image

    Let's face it - most of us have a pretty good camera that's in our pocket most of the time.

    That alone is a pretty compelling argument to use your smartphone as your primary camera.

    And by "primary," I don't mean the one you use to photograph weddings...

    What I mean, though, is that we should all use our smartphones as cameras even more often than we do.

    Here's a few ways you can wrestle even more quality out of the images you take with your phone.

    Double Your Pleasure With a Reflection

    iStock 621918360 min image

    The great thing about a smartphone as a camera is that you can easily move around with it (more on that in a bit).

    That makes taking awesome reflection photos that much easier because you can work the angles to find the best reflection.

    image image image image image image image image

    And there are a million things you can use as subjects for a reflection...

    A landscape scene like the one above comes immediately to mind.

    iStock 585304604 min image

    But you can also take a portrait in a reflection.

    Since you might be working with something that's moving (like water), that necessitates a fast shutter speed to avoid seeing any ripples on the surface of the water.

    And when you get down low and close to the reflective surface, you need a large aperture to ensure you have the depth of field needed to get everything in sharp focus.

    Some smartphone cameras have these manual controls. But if yours doesn't, you'll want to download an app like Camera FV-5 for Android devices or Halide for iOS devices.

    Here's another tip - use your smartphone's tap-to-focus feature to set the focus on the reflection, not on the subject. That will ensure that the reflection is optimally sharp.

    Learn More: Keep Camera Shake at Bay

    sirui3t351 image

    Not all of us have the steady hands of a surgeon, and that means that there comes a point at which the shutter speed is too slow for us to hold our cameras steady enough to get a sharp photo.

    That's true whether we're using a professional-grade DSLR or our mobile phone to take photos.

    But even outside of that scenario, a tripod is a good idea, simply because it's always going to be more steady and stable for the camera than our arms.

    Fortunately, there are plenty of great tripod options that you can use for your smartphone.

    sirui3t352 image

    Take the Sirui 3T-35 Tabletop Tripod as a perfect example.

    Not only is this tripod compatible with a smartphone (with a tripod-compatible case), but you can also use it with point-and-shoot cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, or even video cameras.

    That means that you invest in something that's incredibly versatile rather than something you can only use with one type of camera.

    Speaking of versatility, this tripod has a two-section center column to give you height adjustability up to 13.5 inches. You can also remove the center column and attach the tripod head directly to the feet for low-perspective shots (which comes in handy for photographing reflections!).

    The tripod's large legs give it the stability you need, but because they're foldable, they don't get in the way when it's time to store the tripod.

    It's so portable, in fact, that you can slide it in your back pocket or hook it onto the belt loop of your pants for easy access when you need it.

    Weighing less than a pound, you won't have to worry about feeling like you're carrying a ton of weight, either!

    Learn More: Actually Be Mobile!

    iStock 641553182 min image

    As I noted earlier, one of the best things about using your phone as a camera is that they are so mobile. They don't call them mobile phones for nothing!

    That means you have no excuse not to take photos every single day because you have a highly capable camera right there with you.

    728x90.gif image image image image image

    That also means that there is no reason why you can't experiment with different types of photos to help develop your creative eye and get comfortable shooting all kinds of subjects.

    You can use your phone for landscapes, portraits, architecture, street photography, macro...you name it.

    iStock 854104094 min image

    And because your phone is so small and lightweight, you should use that to your advantage to find interesting perspectives from which to shoot.

    Get down low to the ground for a worm's eye view or climb up high (be careful though!) to get a bird's eye view.

    You can also easily get nearer or further away from your subject and avoid using your phone's terrible optical zoom.

    Heck, you can even put your phone on a drone and get really wild and crazy if you want!

    The point is that there are so many things you can do with a smartphone camera to improve your photography.

    Namely, you can easily practice all sorts of genres of photography, begin to develop your personal photography style, and you have an easy way to share the photos you take to get feedback as well.

    If you think you just can't take good photos with a smartphone, the video above by Mango Street Labs might just change your mind.

    Learn More:

    Hello from PT!

    Beginner Photography Tips

    Not sure what to photograph next?

    Go through our 30-Day Creative Eye Challenge and discover the long last secrets to finding awesome shots, anywhere, anytime (with any camera).

    We Recommend

    12 Simple But Impactful Tips for New ...

    The Best DSLRs for Beginners in 2017

    10 Unique Photography Tricks Anyone Can ...

    There are Only 3 Lenses You Need in Your ...


    Source: Mobile Photography Tricks You Can't Miss

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017

    New! Mobile Photography – App of the Day – Snapseed – Android & iOS

    As part of our new section, 'App of the Day', we want to ensure that you're up to speed with the very best photography, art and videography apps, across all platforms. The Google Play store is now bursting with photography apps, that more often than not, are also available on iOS too. Days of fragmentation with the Android system are fading and the hardware is good too. Snapseed is an obvious app that's available across platforms, now owned by Google of course. Snapseed is a powerful application with profesional qualitly editing tools. There's a huge array of editing options, and anyone familiar with the iOS version, will feel reassured to see it here.

    Head to the Google Play store here to download Snapseed to your Android device, requires 4.4 and up.

    Hello again…

    We wouldn't ask if it was not necessary for the future of TheAppWhisperer.com… More people than ever are reading TheAppWhisperer.com and we could not be more excited about that. We bring you ad-free journalism every day, so you don't have to close windows and be distracted with advertisements. We specialise in mobile photography and mobile art and we value all of our readers, writers, contributors and viewers but we do have costs and we do need to ask for your help. We at TheAppWhisperer spend many hours each day, each week and each month to bring you this high quality level of journalism. We do it because we are passionate about it and because we want others to be as passionate too.

    If everyone who reads our website, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be so much more secure. Please help us by offering a contribution or supporting us with a monthly donation of your choosing.

    Tweet TrueView Interviews – "What does your Work say abo... Pocket God: Episode 46: Germs Of Endearment &#8211... First Flickr Group Showcase Of 2013 – Mobile... Lightroom For iPad – Coming Soon Mobile Photography/Art – Pic of the Day (115) – vi... Hipstamatic – Temporary Price Drop
    Source: New! Mobile Photography – App of the Day – Snapseed – Android & iOS

    Saturday, October 14, 2017

    The Joy of Mobile Photography and Art-Making

    Cape Cod Art Association3480 Main St - BarnstableEvents 41.701027 -70.29436799999996

    Date/TimeDate(s) - October 13, 2017 - October 15, 2017All Day

    LocationCape Cod Art AssociationBarnstable

    Categories

    A weekend of Lectures & Workshops presented by the Cape Cod Art Association

    www.capecodartassociation.org

    It is entirely possible these days to use your iPhone smartphone and/or iPad to make serious photos and artwork, build your visual literacy, and give your creativity a rocket boost.

    Meri Aaron Walker – a world-class photographer and printmaker from Talent, OR, will offer an introduction to mobile art-making lecture on Friday, October 13th 7pm-9pm; a mobile photography workshop, Saturday, October 14th 9:30am-4:30pm; and a mobile editing workshop Sunday, October 15th 9:30am-4:30pm.

    Friday- $20/or Free with purchase of workshopSaturday- Members $125/Non-Members $175Sunday- Members $125/Non-Members $175

    For more info and to register: www.capecodartassociation.org

    https://capecodartassoc.org/shop/october-13-15the-joy-of-mobile-photographyw-meri-aaron-walker/


    Source: The Joy of Mobile Photography and Art-Making

    Friday, October 13, 2017

    Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (662) via Instagram

    Here's day six hundred and sixty two of our mobile photography/art Pic of the Day section via Instagram. Each day we will be selecting one image a day for our Pic of the Day section on Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer.

    To ensure your image receives our attention, please upload it to Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer

    Today, we congratulate @elizabadiou with this breathtaking image.

    Please view more of her body of work here.

    [Please visit our Artist Directory and find out how we can add you too!]

    Hello again

    We wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary for the future of TheAppWhisperer.com… More people than ever are reading TheAppWhisperer.com and we could not be more excited about that. We bring you ad-free journalism every day, so you don't have to close windows and be distracted with advertisements. We specialise in mobile photography and mobile art and we value all of our readers, writers, contributors and viewers but we do have costs and we do need to ask for your help. We at TheAppWhisperer spend many hours each day, each week and each month to bring you this high quality level of journalism. We do it because we are passionate about it and because we want others to be as passionate too.

    If everyone who reads our website, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be so much more secure. Please help us by offering a contribution or supporting us with a monthly donation of your choosing.

    Tweet Apple Updates Digital Raw Compatiblity For Mac OS ... Mobile Photography Interview – A Day In The ... Mobile Camera Club Presents 'Outsiders&#8217... Halftone – iOS App – Going Free This W... Video Masher – Our Daily App Giveaway Mobile Photography/Art – Pic of the Day (389) – vi... Leica Fotografie International – Updated
    Source: Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (662) via Instagram

    Monday, October 9, 2017

    Mobile Photography/Art Pic of the Day (658) via Instagram

    Here's day six hundred and fifty eight of our mobile photography/art Pic of the Day section via Instagram. Each day we will be selecting one image a day for our Pic of the Day section on Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer.

    To ensure your image receives our attention, please upload it to Instagram with this hashtag #theappwhisperer

    Today, we congratulate @dinalf – Dina Alfasi with this breathtaking image.

    Please view more of his body of work here.

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    Hello again

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    Saturday, October 7, 2017

    7 Smartphone Photography Tips for Shooting Like a Pro

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    iStock 831462046 min image

    It's hard to believe that about 10 years ago I was rocking a flip phone that had those buttons you had to press three times to get to a certain letter when texting.

    Heck, I remember when I was adamantly opposed to texting because it took way too long.

    My, how things have changed...

    Now, I use my smartphone every single day to take photos. In fact, it's my go-to camera for quick snaps.

    And though smartphones aren't to the level of traditional digital cameras (yet...), they make pretty darn good cameras.

    Our friends over at the Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) recognize the power of mobile photography, and recently released a video on just that subject.

    They offer up seven tips for shooting like a pro with your phone in the video above.

    For a commentary on each tip, check out the article below!

    Pros Shoot Manual

    manual1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    That flip phone I had all those years ago certainly didn't have manual controls, but many of today's phones do.

    And even if your phone's camera doesn't have native manual controls to adjust things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, you can download any number of apps that offer those controls.

    Heck, there's even apps like VSCO Cam that allow you to shoot in RAW!

    manual2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    If you want to step up your smartphone photography game, the first thing you need to do is get out of auto and take control of what the camera is doing.

    Not only will that allow you to tailor the camera's settings to the specific shooting situation, but it will also help you be more creative with what you photograph and how you photograph it.

    Learn More: Take Long Exposures

    longexposure1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Traditional still photos are just too easy, right?

    If you want to create something with your smartphone that'll really wow people, tackle long exposure photography.

    Using your smartphone camera's manual controls, slow down the shutter so you can get awesome blurry movement of passing objects, like the cars seen in the screenshot below.

    longexposure2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Of course, you'll need to play around with the specific shutter speed you use as the length of the shutter will depend on the speed of the object.

    You'll also need to stabilize your camera with a tripod. Otherwise, your long exposures will just be a big, blurry mess.

    Take Action Shots

    action1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Of course, the inverse of taking a long exposure with beautifully blurred features is to take an action shot in which the movement of the subject is frozen in time.

    To do so, you'll need to revisit the camera's manual controls and select a fast shutter speed. Again, the speed you need to use will depend on the speed of the subject when you snap the photo.

    Just experiment a little with the shots until you get the desired result.

    action2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Bear in mind, however, that the faster the shutter speed, the less light that reaches the camera's sensor.

    That means you need to reserve your fast action shots for times when there is plenty of light. Shooting on a sunny afternoon should do the trick.

    If you want to shoot earlier or later in the day and find that your phone's camera just can't muster a fast enough shutter speed, try increasing the ISO to make the sensor more sensitive to light.

    Learn More: Try a Sequence of Shots

    burst1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Just like a regular camera, most smartphone cameras have a burst mode that allows you to take a sequence of shots in rapid-fire action.

    The trick to getting a successful sequence is to mount your phone on a tripod, so it has a stable base for the sequence of pictures.

    Then, frame up the shot, remembering to compose it in a way that the movement that occurs during the sequence has enough room in the frame.

    burst2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Once you have your sequence of shots, you can merge them together into a single image, as seen in the screenshot above.

    The result is far more eye-catching than a normal old still photo, isn't it?

    Depth of Field

    depth1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Depth of field refers to the area of a photo that's in sharp focus.

    There are several ways to manipulate how big or small the depth of field is, with the aperture being one of them.

    The larger the aperture (the smaller the f-stop) you use, the shallower the depth of field will be. That enables you to get nice blurry backgrounds like you see in the screenshot below.

    depth2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Another trick to help minimize the depth of field is to get close to the subject.

    In the case of the image above, the photographer got up close to the wall on the right, which keeps it in sharp focus.

    That also means that the background will be out-of-focus, resulting in an image that's hard to believe it was taken with a phone!

    Just be sure you tap the screen to focus on the subject while you're at it, so you're sure the subject is sharply in focus.

    Learn More: Give Macro a Try

    macro1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    With all the special lenses and accessories you need to take macro photos with a traditional camera, it might be hard to believe that you can take great macro shots with nothing but your phone.

    But it's really just a matter of a few practical details...

    Get up close to the subject, for starters. Then tap the screen to set the focus on the subject.

    macro2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    When you frame macro shots, don't be afraid to get creative.

    You might try filling the frame with the subject. You might even fill the frame so much that you have to crop some of the subject out.

    Just beware that when you crop the shot that you crop with purpose - don't crop a little, crop a lot. Otherwise, it might look like the way you framed the shot was by mistake.

    Make a Time Lapse Video

    timelapse1 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Today's phones also have a handy time lapse function that allows you to get super creative and create awesome videos.

    Again, you'll need to mount your phone to a tripod so it's stable for each frame of the time lapse.

    Then frame the shot such that you have something that's both static and something that's moving. That way you get a nice contrast between the two.

    timelapse2 image

    YouTube Screenshot/COOPH

    Then all you do is set the time lapse mode to fire away, and your phone will do the rest!

    A fun trick to do is to blend the frames together in post-production, which accentuates the fact that the static object is still and that the moving objects in the shot are on the move.

    It's a pretty sweet look that you can see in the video at the start of this article.

    And there you have it - seven easy smartphone photography tips that allow you to create images that are sure to impress!

    Learn More:

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    Source: 7 Smartphone Photography Tips for Shooting Like a Pro