iPhone – Page 4 – Clive's Blog

Yesterday’s Photo

The photo I posted yesterday as part of my “Photo a Day” project had been post processed to give the final image.

The original image was taken with Camera+.

Although I have got a copy of 645 Pro, which is a good camera replacement app for an iPhone, I find Camera+ so much quicker to use and it returns great images. In this situation the dandelion was moving in the wind so being able to shoot at the moments it was still was essential, as it was nearly half of the images I took were blurred.

I used the Apple Picture app to sort through the images, firstly to delete all the ones where the framing was off or they were blurred and then to select the final image I was going to work on.

I was pleased with this initial image – it shows the detail of the seed head against a vague green background but I wanted to see if I could bring out some of the details and improve the impact of the final image.

This meant using my favourite iPhone image processing app Photogene2. One of the features of the app is that you can save your own custom image filters – and this I have done.

I have created a low exposure, high contrast mono filter, that creates an image similar to those I used to regularly print in my black and white “wet” darkroom, but on the way to creating this filter I also saved a version of the effect but without applying a grey scale to the image – so it is still colour. It was this filter I decided to apply as it would emphasise the white seed parachutes and reduce the influence of the backgound. This I think it did with good results.

If you click on either of the above images they link to full size versions (2592 x 1936 pixels) so you can examine the details.

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645 Pro Camera App

24 April 2012 / Photography, Technology / iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography

Having seen 645 Pro app trailed last week, I decided quite quickly on Saturday evening to buy another camera app for my iPhone.

I gave the manual a quick look over on Saturday and then went out and used it Sunday morning.

It is a complicated app to use – with all the functions driven from the main screen, using small button, and on first use, in bright sunshine where I was struggling to see the iPhone screen I had some difficulty using the camera. However with practice the strength of this app is that all the controls are alway available, making creative choices easy.

There were several features I was really interested in.

Film Stock

It comes with built-in filters that emulate traditional film stock results. I especially like the K14, a saturated colour result similar to Kodachrome and H5, a high contrast filter that emulate Ilford HP5 mono film.

Various frame ratios

I do like Jag.gr’s 6×6 camera – and the square format is included in the options.

Live View

Both of the above functions will display live in the view finder, so you will see a mono square image if you have those options selected.

Below are some comparison photos. Not as sharp as I wanted but they show the colours.

taken with 645 Pro K14 6×6

taken with Camera+

the Camera+ image – post processed with Camera+’s polarizing filter.

If there is a problem with this app it is that it is slow to use. The viewfinder is “laggy” as you pan and tilt looking for your shot. There is an occasional delay after pressing the shutter release and a longer delay before the app returns control to the user. Because of this I was struggling to get the framing right on some moving leaves when using the camera last Sunday.

I am pleased with the array of functions available in this app and look forward to using it over the coming months however its complexity relegates this app to my second camera “when I have time”. Camera+ is still my go to camera replacement app, it is quick to use and has a flexible focus and exposure system. I have taken some of my “Photo a day” images this week with 645 Pro but Camera+ is still the one I am using the most, and remains the camera app I would recommend to people, as it meets most people’s needs. I have only recommended 645 Pro to one friend who is a really keen photographer as he will get some fun and benefit from the app.

Overall I am pleased I bought this app and I am looking forward to any updates that will address the issues.

Camera+ website

645 Pro website

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Walking to Woodhall Spa from Coningsby pt1

14 April 2012 / Backpacking, Camping, Lincolnshire, Outdoor Gear, Photography, Technology, Walking / backpacking, backpacking gear, Golite Jam 2, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography, lightweight camping, lightweight walking, outdoor gear, walking

This weekend I have a short walk planned with a couple of friends – it is a gear try out before we go wild camping next month.

Following the trip a couple of week ago, I spent last night making a better job of packing my rucksack and I have got my sleeping mat packed inside the Golite Jam, rather than hanging on the outside. The new compression sack and making a better job of fold/rolling my tent made this possible.

I have a new bit of gear for this weekend. Diana bought me a case to protect my iPhone from the elements as the Watatait Case failed on me whilst away in Scotland in January. I contacted Haglofs, who took the faulty case back and then quickly replaced it – however they did not have my model in stock and so supplied me with a larger pouch which does not have the transparent back panel so I cannot use the camera whilst in the case. However it is a good waterproof case and I will find a use for it in the future.

The new case is less “hi-tech” than the previous cases I have used, but it is lighter and smaller. It has a velcro roll top and a padded interior to give a little more protection to the iPhone and has that vital transparent back so I can use the camera in the rain. However, contrary to the instructions I do not think it is 100% waterproof – but 100% weather proof – I would not submerse this case but I would carry it in my pocket and use it in the rain.

I added the paracord and cord grip for security.

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Podcasts

14 April 2012 / General, Technology / iPhone, iPod, podcasts, StarShipSofa

I am a great fan of podcasts stories and each week a I sync my favourites to my iPhone so I can listen to them whilst travelling between jobs. When walking I use my iPod, synced with the same podcasts and extra audiobooks.

I follow Tony Smith’s Sci-Fi podcast and this week for the third year in a row, his Starship Sofa has been nominated for a Hugo Award (a pretigous, international Sci-Fi award).

StarShipSofa No 233 Gwyneth Jones | StarShipSofa.

This show is particularly good – it has an excellent article by Amy H. Sturgis about English author Samuel Youd, he wrote The Death of Grass and The Tripods. The show also includes the story “Vicar of Mars” by Gwyneth Jones – this is a story that includes aliens and spaceships, what else do you need!

I have listened to several other really good podcasts this week.

Journey Into…: Journey #29 – All At Once by Nathaniel Lee.

EP339 – “Run,” Bakri Says : Escape Pod.

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Black and White Processing

6 April 2012 / Photography, Technology / black and white, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography

I took the original shot with the Pro HDR app, on my iPhone 4. I prefer the HDR (High Dynamic Range) results from this app over the Apple camera app, the results are more dramatic. However for the best results from Pro HDR two things have to be considered.

The camera must be held as still as possible – Pro HDR goes through a sequence of several seconds to detirmine the required exposures and then takes two shots with about a second between them. If you move too much the combined image will be ruined.
If there is a lot of movement in the subject you are photographing then the delay described above with spoil the results.

Once the picture is taken you can adjust several image qualities before saving the picture – I increased the colour saturation.

I then imported the image into Photogene2 for more editing – having tried a number of editing apps for my iPhone I particularly like Photogene2, it is easy to use, with a well thought out interface, based on “dial a function”, so you can find the effect or tool you want very quickly.

I cropped out a section of the original image – I included a large section of the clouds that I was interested in and less of the green field. I also cropped for the distinctive line of trees, loosing the hedge and the larger trees.

I then applied the “simple black and white” effect.

To get the results I wanted, I increased the exposure and the contrast.

The final thing to do is to save the finished image to the Camera Roll and post it to my blog.

Note – during the process the save the intermediate images as I make changes, so if I am unhappy with any of the results I can back up and try again.

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Suspended Ceiling

10 January 2012 / Photography / iPhone, iPhone photography, Photos 2012

Today’s photo is one taken whilst I was at work. A client’s public wifi network failed and of course it was one of the “out of sight” units that had failed!

Not every photo is going to be a landscape some will be work photos – but hopefully they will not be as dusty or “fibre glassy” as this one.

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Loading gpx Files into Memory Map on the iPhone

9 December 2011 / Outdoor Gear, Technology, Walking / iPad, iPhone, iPhone apps, IT Support for Lincolnshire, Octagon Technology, outdoor gear, Speyside Way

Since writing this article I now follow the same process but keep the files in my Microsoft OneDrive.

Read more about Backpacking Geek – click here.

One big difference between the versions of Memory-Map on my old Windows 6.5 phone and my current iPhone is the way they handle imported routes from the PC version of the software. The Windows version simply connected to the complete route library in the PC application, then on the phone you could choose which routes from that list to show, turning them on and off as required. On the iPhone you have to load the routes individually and once you have finished with that route unload it and then load another (keeping too many routes loaded at one time impacts the performance of the app). The “Save as” gpx file in Memory-Map PC version solves the problem.

But the issue is getting the routes into the app from Memory-Map on the PC. The first thing you have to do is save the individual routes as gpx files on your PC. In my Memory-Map I have a category for Lincolnshire – which has over sixty entries, both routes and location markers – if I save the whole of this category as a gpx file when I open it on the iPhone it is too confusing on the screen to be useful – another reason to limit the open routes/markers on the iPhone.

In the knowledge base on the Memory-Map website it describes how to email gpx files to your iPhone for use in the Memory-Map app. However I use my Dropbox account to transfer (and store) my gpx routes and markers.

It is easy to save gpx files on my PC with descriptive names, into a Dropbox folder, these then synchronise to my Dropbox online. Using the Dropbox app on my iPhone I can access the files.

gpx files in a Dropbox folders

These files are opened in Dropbox, by tapping on them – they open as text files. By then tapping on the “open in” icon I can choose to open the file in Memory-Map.

showing the “open in” option

The gpx file is loded into the Marks and Routes section of the Memory-Map app.

the gpx file available for use in Memory Map

From there it can be opened and used on a map.

I have a number of gpx files available for free download here – more are always being added.

This article is sponsored by Octagon Technology.

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