Tag:

Tips

Pinhole Photography: The Art of Capturing Time

An Early Start to the Pinhole

A Pinhole camera is any light tight container with an aperture (hole) and a shutter (something to cover the hole.

Interest in perspective and optics during the Renaissance is what led to the first necessary discovery for the pinhole camera: the camera obscura. Leonardo De Vinci described the camera obscura very clearly as early as the 16th century. (Alternative Processes)

A camera obscura is a dark chamber, container or room with a singular entry point of light. Once your eyes have adjusted, the outside will appear on the wall upside down. You can see how this would be useful for artists to trace and have an accurate perspective.

Create a camera obscura right now out of your own room!

Inspiration Tech Tech & Tips

Ultimate Gift Guide for any Photographer

The ultimate gift guide for ANY photographer. From the darkroom traditionalist to the millennial phoneographer these are my top picks for the photographer in your life…even if that is yourself.

All Amazon linked gifts are affiliate links. This means if you purchase with that link, a small percentage will go back to me. That said, I always clearly state what products I have or use!

Tech & Tips

Filmborn App: Quick Edits that Elevate your Work

Hello Fellow Photographers! Some of you have heard me talk about the Filmborn App in the past. It is my go to photo editing app for my iPhone. You can use the app to actually shoot photographs as well. It was originally designed to teach you how to use film and has the manual feature of a film camera right on your phone. There is also some Pacific Northwest pride tied up in this since they were created right out of Seattle in my home state Washington.

This app has what we my call “filters” which mimic a film quality. I am such a huge fan because I still shoot on film and am in love with the quality and tonal range that film can hold, especially when it comes to black and white. Filmborn makes this accessible on your phone with your digital photographs.

Road & Trails

On the Road to Hanging Lake Hike

Hello Friends!

Here is the 3rd out of 4 videos created from my recent Colorado Trip. In this one we went to Glenwood Springs Colorado where Hanging Lake is located. Despite the drizzle it was a fantastic hike with an amazing reward at the end.

Bonus sneak peek at the tiny bit of Trail Ridge road that we were able to see.

Inspiration

Taken or Made: An Evaluation of Re-photography in the Technological Age

“You don’t take a photograph, you ask, quietly, to borrow it.” -Author Unknown

You are exposed to thousands of images everyday. They scroll in front of our eyes on Facebook, Pinterest, billboards and more. There mode of existence is your computer, phone, car: essentially technology. This new age of technology comes with an over-saturation of images and easy access. In this blog I too contribute to plethora of images being produced. It is this trend that has offered support for a sub category of images marked rephotography.

Rephotographing historical sites or even other artist’s work has been a highlighted theme in the contemporary art world. A peaked interest has been found more recently in the heavy saturation of online images.

Are these advances in technology allowing for more taking rather than making of images?

How To

How to Fake a Cyanotype on Your Phone

The History: A Woman, a Pioneer, and Prussian Blue

In the days of the first photographs, around 1839, pioneers of this field who integrated science and art began to emerge and take their place in the history of photography. During this era the thought of color photography in the contemporary sense was not even in the minds of the ingenious inventors.

However, one color did manage to make its mark through the hands of a woman born in 1799 named Anna Atkins. She is marked with being the first to publish a book of photographs and one of the first female photographers. [1]

Figure 1. Anna Atkins, Untitled, Cyanotype Photograms, 1843-1853, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions.

The vivid Prussian blue images that you see above are one of the 425 photographs published by Atkins. It is called a cyanotype. The name cyanotype was derived from the Greek word cyan, meaning “dark-blue impression”.

Road & Trails

On the Road – Photoshoot at Multnomah Falls OR

Hello! Go on the road with me and my phone to Multnomah Falls OR and see what I photograph. While a typically tourist filled area, my partner had only seen it as a kid and did not remember everything. We went on a Friday evening after work for the best light.

This is my very first “On the Road” post. I have had a vision for this idea for awhile and I am stoked to finally bring it to life. Go with me on adventures, see my gear, and what I take while there. In the future I plan to incorporate more “How To’s” into these videos. Watch to the end for some before & after transformation of photos.

Subscribe to the e-mail list so you can see where my photo next adventure takes me. Thank you all.

Tech Tech & Tips

Moment Mounting System & How to Convert your Old Lenses

Hello Friends,

As you may recall from my previous post, I ordered the new Moment Tele Lens, but made the mistake of not realizing I needed a new mounting system too…which happens to be their phone case. In case (pun intended ;)) you didn’t guess, I caved and bought it! This video covers the new Moment mounting system.

Below I made a unboxing video for the phone case, along with a How To for converting your old lenses to fit the new system. If you are curious about the lenses, I think they are phenomenal and I am NOT SPONSORED. However, I have yet to formulate a full opinion on the case yet…I will get back to you all on this.

Enjoy!

Addendum: They are no longer selling the Moment Lens adapters and were only a transitional product. You can find some online from individuals who still have them. Although I recommend switching over your whole set if possible. They even have a trade in program.

How To Tech Tech & Tips Tips

Use your Phone to Photograph the Eclipse

On August 21st at approximately 10:19am (in Vancouver WA) there will be a solar eclipse! To see if the eclipse will be visible in your area click here and enter your city.

Use your phone to photograph the eclipse…. Below is how I plan on capturing the eclipse on my smartphone.

1. Practice First

Start taking some photos of the night sky or moon using the tips below so you feel prepared for shooting in a low light setting.

Ireland at Midnight taken with iPhone 7plus

2. Protect Eyes

Run down to your local store or grab a pair of solar eclipse glasses off Amazon. I bought one for myself, and one to use over my lens. A solar filter will be helpful for toning down the sun as you photograph and can even allow for that ring of light to appear.

3. Tripod

Use a tripod to stabilize the camera. Since it will be low light, shake and movement will easily cause your photos to be grainy or blurry. I would suggest having a tripod and mounting bracket for your phone to remove this risk and allow for flexibility in shooting, such as a timelapse video or burst.

How To Tips

How to Take a Better Portrait with your Phone.

Everyone wants to be able to take a stunning portrait of their friend, sister and especially their fur babies. Here are 3 basic considerations for taking a better portrait. You can use all or only a few with your next photo session. Let me know how it works out!

1. Choose your background

Selecting a minimal background or one that adds interest is essential for a decent portrait. Things to look for in a background include:

Textures – this could be a classic brick wall, a textured wood or industrial metal.
Objects to frame the subject- This is called using leading lines (which I will talk about in future posts). You can look for a line of trees, the way the light falls in order to bring more attention to the subject.
Removing distractions- This is probably most essential. Consider the focus of the portrait and remove any “busyness” .

2. Position the Subject

While candid shots can be incredible, and often are my favorite to shoot. If your intention is to take a traditional or focused portrait this means posing the subject. How do you pose? Here is a short list of ideas:

Newer Posts

Older Posts