Mobile Art Monday No 19

I almost always shoot a few still life shots with my phone while doing some serious and nonserious still life set ups. In fact some days I get real carried away and start shooting with Hipstamatic too and some time I get on a roll with the phone and get so side tracked I forget to pick the camera back up. This was one of those days....

I used VSCOcam app to edit several of these on my iPad. I made an amazing discovery too (It was actually a 'duh' moment.) So I'll share in case you didn't know either.

I've always just clicked through the presets until I found one I liked, then I got curious and clicked this icon in the lower left corner.

When you do, this window pops up. Now why didn't I know that before? Perhaps it was in the last update. That will be my excuse.... Scroll to see your photo previewed and pick the one you want. click the same icon to take you back. Don't click the one in the lower right, that undoes your edit.

VSCOcam has an great tutorial (although its a couple years old) explaining the incredible features of this app. It has some great ‘matte finish’ filters and portrait filters. Among it’s editing tools are three that are rarely included in most apps. The infamous fade which is very popular right now, the ability to lighten shadows and restore highlights.  It comes with some freebies to get you started but also has in-app purchases. It has free presets in the store that you can download. One new trick I learned in the above tutorial is that I can rearrange my presets so my favorites ones are at the front of the list. Even the tool kit can be re-arranged. (Thumbs up!)

VSCOcam reminds me a lot of Kim Klassen's Lightroom presets. Now my iPhone photos can look like I did them in Lightroom. 

Preset T1

Preset T1

Preset T1

Preset T1 

A pleasant surprise shot that caught my eye as I was 'cleaning up'.

Preset T1 This is a favorite and I decided I wanted all these to look similar with the next being an exception.

Preset T2

Now for a few Hipstamatic shots.

My all time favorite for dark pink or red flowers. Jane lens and BlancoC16 film.

My favorite black and white sharp combo is Jane lens and BlackKeys Extra fine. It doesn't work good on very dark pink or red. These were just light enough.

And you can't skip Dream canvas and BettieXL when it comes to pink peonies.

And a Hipsta version on a variation of my first shot using Jane and BlancoC16.

Here's to a great start to your week!

Finding Peace

This is what I wrote on Wednesday morning in my journal…

March 25, 2015

Some days I wish I could just 'let go' and get it all out. Just kick and scream and have a holy fit. Instead my frustrations get buried deep inside. Sadness, lack of motivation, withdrawal, total apathy. Somehow I believe the lie of hopelessness.

I pull into the driveway from a trip for coffee and see the birds playing in the yard. I nearly cry and am reminded of  the scripture in Matthew 6:26 of how he even feeds the sparrows. "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

My days of funk has been numerable lately. I'll call it mild depression. 

One day, about twenty years ago, I was quite depressed and the Lord spoke very clearly to me. In a nutshell He said, you are depressed because you aren't getting 'your' way. Things aren't going the way 'you' think they should. That alone was so freeing. And ever since I'll be reminded when I get in this depressive funk it's because things are NOT going the way I think they should. And sometimes I DO just want to kick and scream (because I know it's in there somewhere.) Because that's just how I feel.

No, a lot of things are not the way I would like them to be. But I must choose to not let them have so much power of me. After all, 'They're not the boss of me." But then there are many other things that I am sooooo grateful for.

Often times a little photography meditation helps.

I drove around town and stole some branches. The best pink ones were between McDonald's and Bank of America. We pay them enough interest I figure they owe me a few blooms.

I went prepared… A plastic tub with four pitchers filled with water and my snippers. And not a day too soon because the wind blew everything off the trees that night.

Hipstagram shots on the iPhone…

DreamCanvas film, BettieXL lens

DreamCanvas film, BettieXL lens

Jane film, Blanko C16 lens

Flowers for you, my friends! Have a good weekend and I hope you find your peace when things don't go the way you prefer they do.

Linking up with Kim for Friday Finds.

App Happy Daffodils

It's App Happy Wednesday over at Barb's blog. Come join us and see what everyone's doing with there mobile apps this week!

It's spring here for sure so I've been shooting my daffodils. First two are unedited shots… (iPhone6+)

Since I discovered shooting this perspective of my house, I always try to get a shot when the daffys are blooming every year. This time it gets a Hipstamatic flair. Dream Canvas film and Tejas lens.

Stackables (with no texture). How about that! I can actually edit in Stackables and resist adding texture to my image.

Two in Waterlogue.

I hope you're finding a little spring in your life. We had about three days and now its rainy and dreary again. I'm going to 'hole up' in my studio and paint my blues away today!

Hipsta Sunflowers

I found the best field of sunflowers with my Hipstamatic App.

I love using Hipstamatic. I have more lenses and film than I know what to do with. I bought some new packs a couple weeks ago and still haven't figured out all the combinations but I have saved a new favorite. Lowy lens and Robusta film. great color, sharpness and a little grunge.

Dream Canvas is certainly a favorite film. Here I've paired it with the Tejas lens on the next three.

The same flowers with Dream Canvas and the Bettie XL lens.

Ray Mark II lens and the Blanko 일 film.

And back to the first, Lowy and Robusta.

Another shot in the house with Ray MarkII with Blanko 일 film. Notice the texture is going sideways and the photo 2 back is up and down. I'll bet I had my camera turned sideways for one of them. Sometimes the dream canvas will change if you change the orientation of your camera also. Sometimes this works and sometimes I can't get it to.

You can save favorite combinations by… 

going to your Hipsta Gallery, 

double tap on the photo so it will flip and show you the info on the back side. 

Tap the lower center icon (camera),

You can now add it as A New Favorite Setting,

or tap Match Settings to take a photo right now using the same film and lens. I think the match settings is pretty cool. I use that a lot now.

Do you use the Hipstamatic app on your phone?

Linking up with Friday Finds…a little early.

Hipsta Peonies

Once in awhile I am reminded to use the great Hipstagram app on my phone. I have a few favorite combinations saved, so it makes it easy if I know the look I'm going for. Sometimes its a surprise.
I was glad I remembered to shoot some of my peonies with the Hipstamatic Camera as I played with set ups this past week. I really like the way they turned out.
It all started with this shot…

Bette XL lens and Dream Canvas film. This is my most favorite combination for a soft pastel look.

Bette XL lens and Dream Canvas film. A different perspective.

Bette XL lens and Ina's 1982 film, (bright)

Tejas lens and Dream Canvas film. The Tejas lens is another favorite with nearly any film.

Bette XL lens and Dream Canvas film. If you rotate your 'camera' to shoot the light leaks and borders will be in a different orientation. You'll just need to rotate your photo afterwards.

Bette XL lens and Dream Canvas film. Notice how different these last two look with the same lens and film. The lighting was different too and I believe that made a difference.

Tejas lens and Dream Canvas film. Rhonna Designs word art.

Melodie lens and Ina's 1982 film.

Tejas lens and Kodot XGrizzled film. I love the skinny grungy white edge of this XGrizzled film.
The peonies are nearing their finale but I'll have lots of proof they were here.

The Meandering Mind

I get up

I wander into the kitchen

I go over to my computer and sit down

I see a window open for Hipstamatic lenses

I flipped through some of the films

I noticed the Dali Museum pack

It had been discontinued

I had wanted it

But now I see it shows a price for .99

I go to the other room to get my phone

I go back to the kitchen

My phone opens up Instagram

I start cruising

I'm heating up milk for a Starbucks Mint Mocha single

I see Kim's post for Friday finds on Instagram

It's a new app she's found

I need to go look it up

I remember why I was getting on the computer

To go link my post to her post

I need to see if I can find that Dali Museum pack

I pause, to come write this down

Euwwww, my milk has a skin on the top

I take a picture of my drink

Back to Hipstamatic on phone

I get lost in FB

An hour later and I'm linked up

Hipstamatic, Salvador 84 Lens, Dream Canvas Film
I really like this next version too.
Bette XL Lens,  Dream Canvas Film

As you can see I've finally started decorating!
Have a great weekend everyone!