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.