Using Multiple Photo Apps

I'm back...with a new attitude! As you know, with my last post, I have been in the process of moving. I took the last couple of weeks off to get moved into to my new space. Here's a photo I took this evening from my new porch!

A View From My Porch - By Jennifer Lynn Bishop

I am swimming in a sea of boxes right now, so I don't quite have my creative environment back up and running again for doodling, but I have had time to enjoy my new surroundings and have snapped a few photos. As you can probably tell from my Flickr feed, I have found quite a bit of inspiration in my new home, and my chihuahua "Pip" makes it into a lot of the photos. :)

Using Multiple Apps...

Today I thought I would show you how I use multiple apps to edit my photos. Sometimes I get on a tangent and just use one app for the entire edit (admittedly, that app is often Vintique), but there are other days when I feel the need to use many apps at once. At most I think I have used 4. Some have a filter that I absolutely love, but they may not have the best frames. If I could combine them all into one app, I would. So her is a test to see what happens during my process, when I don't really have a plan.

Here is the original of the image posted above, with a square crop:

Original - Square Crop

Let's see what else I can do to this image to create iPhoneArt. Here is a gallery to show each part of the process. Flip through and hover over each image to find out what app I used and what treatment it got along the way.

Step 1 - Vintique

In Vintique, I used the "Warm Day" filter to enhance the red brick.

Step 2 - PhotoViva

After changing the color, I decided to use PhotoViva to add some blocks of color that I could use in the background to compliment the bricks that were used to build these buildings.

Step 3 - PhotoViva

While staying in PhotoViva, I brought back some of the original image, faded out the blocks that were left and added some brushstrokes around all of the edges to frame the image.

Step 4 - PhotoViva

Still using PhotoViva, I decided to mute the red so that the texture appeared as though I was looking through textured glass. (it's okay to change your mind!) I wish I could tell you what the color settings are, but I really just adjusted the "Hue" slider until I was satisfied with it.

Step 5 - Distressed FX

Now I'm in app #3, Distressed FX. I love this app for it's wonderful textures. I added the texture and color treatment called "Jules".

Step 6 - Pixlr Express +

Pixlr Express + has the best frames. I chose "Tiny" under the default selections.

So it looks like 4 is my lucky number in iPhone art. I used the following apps:

1. Vintique - $0.99 (Additional filters are available for a small fee.)
2. PhotoViva - Free!
   
3. Distressed FX - $0.9
4. Pixlr Express+ - Free!
   

How many apps have you used at one time? Leave me a comment!

Finding Time for Creativity

Recently I began packing up my home to move to a new downtown apartment (more on the apartment later). I find it incredibly hard to be creative during times like this, and even though moving is a good thing, I start to feel guilty, as though I'm neglecting my art and photography.

So how do you squeeze it in?

I find that iPhoneography is the easiest thing to do when I'm busy. My iPhone is right there, and even something as mundane as packing is a story. It's exciting to think about moving to a new place and as each newspaper wrapped trinket and book is placed in a box, I am excited that the next time I see them, it will be in my new home. Why not capture these moments of change, especially when it is a GOOD change?

Bare cupboards beg the question, "Who will live here next and what will they use this cabinet for?"

Later on, these photos could go into my Smashbook for me to look at later. So even though I may not be doing a lot with them now, I at least feel that I am doing something to contribute to future creativity. And as I unpack my things in my new place, build my new creative space, or add a new decoration here and there, I have no doubt that my iPhone will be nearby so that I can capture those moments as well.

Winter Wonderland Inspiration

Morning Ice

Sunday morning, I was inspired as I walked my dog in the early morning hour. It was 6 am, and as I stepped out the door, there was not a soul in sight. Everyone was still in bed, recovering from their Saturday night activities. The weather has been somewhat up and down. One week it's 70 degrees and we're all wearing t-shirts, and the next minute, it's 25 degrees and the cold winds have us bundled up and praying for warmer weather. On this particular morning, it was very cold. It was quiet. So quiet that I could hear the crunch of the frozen grass as I made each step. The frost was dense on every surface, and looked as though glitter had been sprinkled everywhere.

Later, as the sun came up, I decided to defrost the car and head out for some breakfast. While I waited for my car to warm up, I snapped this photo of my windshield:

(Original) Frost on the Windshield - January 2013

I often take photos of different textures, as I think they might be useful later. But on this occasion, I wanted to make some new artwork. I decided to experiment with CameraBag 2, which is the new version of CameraBag, but FREE! You can upgrade to the Pro version, but even the lite version has quite a bit to offer.

I cropped my original to a square, as best I could. Unfortunately you're meant to eyeball it, and there are no preset crop sizes. Perhaps the Pro version has presets? I added the Skater filter to bring out more of the blue hue of the ice. I then darkened the contrast by using the slider, saved the image and opened the saved image in Picfx.

Editing with Picfx

I wanted to then add that feeling that I had from earlier that morning, with the sparkle of the glittery frost and darkness of the early morning sky, so in Picfx, I added the Ocean Urban filter, and saved it. This added the vignette and darkness I needed. I then reopened the saved image and applied the Bokeh 3 light filter on top of that. There was that sparkle that I wanted!

I just love to snap a photo and just see what happens. That's the fun part about iPhoneography. The exploration!