Category Archives: Iphone 5

Is it Art, Pt.2?

I wrote this post a little over a year ago on a different site.  I have spent a lot of time since then thinking about the topic and then expanding it to what is photography?  I’ll let you savor on the post for a couple days and then I’ll share some thoughts.

 I was in SF last week on an extensive corporate photo shoot for Swinerton.  When I was leaving I decided to take the Treasure Island exit on the way back to the airport.  The last time I was on TI was in 1975 when it was a Navy Base and I was a naive young seaman in Electronic Warfare school.  So many memories……  I first decided to do a quick photo shoot of the skyline which was etched in my memory.  I first shot it with my Nikon D3 and then decided to try my iPhone on Hipstamatic mode.  Ugh…… it looked as flat and hazy as the skyline.  So then I opened my new favorite app. Snapseed.  With a few adjustments and then a frame adjustment the above photo is what I ended up with.  I know, it looks grainy and it does.  But, the end result is that I’m going to print it on watercolor on my Epson inkjet printer.  A few years ago I did a similar series that I printed on the watercolor paper and it looked great.  Now, we’ll find out how IPhone photos hold up.

The techy stuff:  camera:  iPhone 4 (the 5 is on order)

Apps:  Hipstamatic and Snapseed by Nik

My real work is at:  http://www.zwink.com

How I get a week’s worth of Work!!!!!

North Shore Turtle

GO ON VACATION…… SERIOUSLY!!!

  I have a phobia of losing clients by going on vacation.  So I try and be the good communicator and notify my clients of upcoming trips and vacations so they don’t (hopefully) schedule or plan anything during that time frame.  This way clients know and I have a few days to pack or relax before heading to the airport.

  WRONG…. I don’t know if it’s the law of attraction but 90% of the time I end up  shooting during the week and finishing the post production just before the early morning trip to the airport.  I end up catching up on my sleep on the flight to our destination.

  The last time I failed to send out my obligatory email was when my father died and I flew back to Kansas.  My primary client at the time called me the day of the funeral and asked if I could do a major rebranding shoot in two days.  No, I replied my father just passed away, can we reschedule the shoot for a week later.  No they replied.  That week I lost two very important parts of my life.  One can’t be replaced.

  btw, I’m going on vacation next Sat. and I sent “the email”.  I’m shooting for four days, doing one day of post production and then off to New Orleans.  I hope your thoughts of vacation are as productive.

Some of my vacation photos are at:  www:zwink.com

Slow down and find a Mentor

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“SLOW DOWN, SHOOT LESS AND SHOOT BETTER”

This past year was a big one for me. I’ve made a concerted effort to improve my work and to understand the market and potential competition.  What I’ve learned are there are some extremely talented artists in this speciality. I’ve been very fortunate to talk with several photographers and as a result have expanded myknowledge and passion for my photography.  Jeffrey Jacobs, http://www.jeffreyjacobsphoto.com, has become a mentor to me, tirelessly talking sharing his views about the profession, art and business we share.

Recently at a workshop he looked at my work and was very honest. All he said
was “slow down, shoot less and shoot better.” I have, and I am improving. May
you all either have or find the right person that can tell you to slow down.

More of my work is at www.zwink.com

On The Road…Again

I’m no expert but it appears the economy is improving.  The first two months of 2014 were the busiest I’ve ever had.  I know it’s a small sample to base the year on but other photographers have told me they’re off to a good start also.  If photographers are working, businesses are marketing and looking to growth.  That’s what we do, we help our client market, sell and grow their business.

I spent a lot of the month on the road.  Several trips to Orange County surrounded a couple San Diego projects and then I went to the Bay Area for a couple shoots up there.  After a quick respite back home and starting a new local project, I went to Alaska for a quick shoot.  I know, why send a San Diego photographer there, it’s because my client trusts me to get what they need.  Maybe an idea for a future blog.

Well I need to wrap this up.  I have another couple projects in Orange County and LA this week.  I hope everyone else is busy.

About my image gallery:  All images shot with my iPhone while traveling.  Post was in Snapseed.

A rare Weekend

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It’s a rare weekend for me.  I’m almost caught up on work (except for marketing) and our beach rental house in Mission Beach is open.  So after a long day Friday I loaded up food, tools for the never ending maintenance and Zoey and headed to the beach.  Friday was still a work day for Pez so she arrived in the early evening.  We had a great evening drinking wine, walking with Zoey and catching up on reading.

Sometimes you just need a break.  The weather is beautiful, the beach still somewhat quiet and I’m ready to just enjoy it all.  I have two shoots next week and I’m not going to think about them till Monday.  I hope you all have a good weekend.

And now the ad:  Need a good place to getaway.  Check out the Hideaway where we’re staying this weekend:  http://www.vrbo.com/38941

Techy stuff:  Images from an iPhone 5.  Images downloaded from iPhoto and edited in Lightroom.  My real work stuff is at:  www.zwink.com

Apple seeks patent to eliminate lousy photos

A patent application filed today by Apple could see smartphones capture a series of images of the same scene and then automatically pick the “best” one.

(Credit: CNET)

Snapping bad pictures with your iPhone could become a problem of the past if a new Apple patent ever sees the light of day.

Published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent application dubbed “Image Capturing Device Having Continuous Image Capture” envisions a process in which your smartphone camera captures and processes a sequence of quick images of the same shot.

That by itself may not sound too innovative. But taking it a step further, your smartphone would then automatically pick the best image of the bunch based on exposure times and other factors.

The idea behind the patent is to work around a frustrating flaw of many smartphone cameras — shutter lag. There’s a delay between the time you press the button to take the photo and the time the photo is actually taken. Such a lag can result in blurry or poorly composed photos, especially if you’re trying to shoot a fast-moving object.

Human errors, such as a shaky hand on the camera, can also lead to bad photos.

The process described in Apple’s patent would allow you to keep your finger on the camera button to quickly snap a series of shots in succession until you release your finger. Those images are stored in a buffer. The technology would then review the buffered images, choosing the best one based on a variety of factors. You’d then have an opportunity to review that choice to see if you agree with it.

As the patent explains it:

The method can automatically select one of the buffered images based on one or more parameters. For example, the selection may be based on an exposure time of one of the buffered images and optionally an image quality parameter (e.g., image contrast). Alternatively, the selection may be based only on the image quality parameter. The sequence of images can be captured just prior to or concurrently with receiving the user request. The method can include automatically displaying the selected image on the display of the image capturing device.

So my big question is:  Do you want the camera to decide your best photo?  Will this affect or eliminate your “arty” work?  Next will be a patent to tell you when to take the photo.

Originally posted at Apple then CNET

Take the Road less Traveled

IMG_9918A

I was coming home from a two day job in Santa Maria the other day by myself.  It’s a 300 mile drive.  One thing you quickly notice is not only how tired you get but also how beautiful and different the area is than southern California.  My original intent was to drive straight through.  Counting LA traffic nearly a 6 hour drive.

Then something wonderful happened.  I remember seeing an old steel structured bridge spanning a valley along the coast near Gaviotas.  So, I decided to become an explorer and see what surprised awaited.  A short drive down a narrow winding road opened up and I found myself at the Gaviotos State Beach parking lot and the structure I had seen the other day.  An added treat was that right between the iron and steel beams was a pathway to an empty beach.

After shooting for a half hour and enjoying my new found subject I remembered I still had a long trek home.  I reluctantly left but content with my discovery, refreshed to continue the drive and the desire to look for new places to explore.

techy stuff:  Iphone5, capture in Hipstamatic app and processed in Snapseed.