Phone Photography

Today's phones are so much more than just a phone. They serve as our calendar, to do list, music player, weight loss and fitness coach, and in some cases, child tracking device. They are also becoming more and more popular as camcorders and cameras.

The iPhone, by Apple, is certainly no exception. I've been an iPhone carrying fan-girl since August of 2008, and I am still crazy about my phone. (Note, I love my phone. The service provider? Not so much. But that's another story.)

The iPhone, in and of itself is a marvelous device, and the newer generations come equipped with delightful camera capabilities. Pair this with some fantastic apps and the images one can produce are endless.

Some of my favorite apps are Hipstamatic, SwankoLab, Photogene, and Pano. With these apps, I can create images that rival, in artistry if not pixel quality, some of the work taken with my pro level DSLR. And my iPhone is smaller and considerably lighter than said DSLR, thereby assuring it is always with me, allowing me to capture this stroll along the San Antonio Riverwalk:

(Stitched with Pano, processed with Photogene.)

And this snowy shot of our backyard after a freak snowstorm earlier this year in Grapevine, Texas:

(Stitched with Pano, processed with Photogene.)

Then there are these shots of the great New York City skyline:

(Stitched with Pano, processed with Photogene.)

(Stitched with Pano, processed with Photogene.)

And some of New York's amazing bridges:

(Processed with Photogene.)

(Processed with SwankoLab and Photogene.)

Shooting after one of North Texas tempestuous storms results in ultra vivid colors and gorgeous skies. Pair it with the über retro Hipstamatic and you get these:

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

When on vacation, the portability of one's phone, and these great apps, help create images like these:

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

On the golf course, there's so much more to see than the pin. These were shot at Wander Springs Golf Course, in Greenleaf, Wisconsin:

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

(Created with Hipstamatic.)

And finally, even portraits take on a new edge when processed through these great apps:

(Processed with Photogene.)

(Processed with Photogene.)

(Processed with Photogene.)

While the fundamentals of photography, composition, subject, and lighting, can't be completely disregarded, these apps and an iPhone can breathe new life into your random "happy snaps."

Here's to photography with your phones!

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Sans 3G

Those of you who are AT&T customers know the frustrations of a slow 3G connection, particularly if you're an iPhone user. Frustration levels rise and the threat to switch carriers is muttered, often amidst a string of expletives, for emphasis, with every sluggish web page load.

I know your frustrations because I, too, often find myself bemoaning the hit or miss service that is AT&T's 3G data service. That is, until my vacation in rural Wisconsin. In the small town by the lake that is Two Rivers, where one is lucky to see even one bar of service, Edge is king. And what a miserable, wretched king it is. With nary a bar to spare, signal was barely strong enough to make a call. As for any kind of Internet activity, fuggedahboutit! Even if you are able to tap into the various hotspots about town, you'll feel like you're back in the 80s on some long forgotten dial up service. To say it was painful is an understatement.

That being said, for a self proclaimed Internet junkie, it was a nice reprieve to be "disconnected" for a while. After reclaiming the time, I was able to read two books, spend quality time visiting with family and new friends, catch some yummy fish, and get in some much needed rest and relaxation. Not bad for a week's vacation.

The morale of my story? Besides I survived a week with limited connectivity? Ha! Yeah. My point is that the world, and life, should be experienced beyond the confines of Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of the Internet. Life, as it was meant to be experienced, should be touched, tasted, heard, and most of all, shared with the people you love. Go on. Break away from your computer screen or Internet enabled phone. Get outside and enjoy the sun. And if you're lucky enough to be within hugging distance of someone you love, reach out and give 'em a squeeze. You'll be glad you did.

Here's to disconnected holidays!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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The New Lighthouse

Some of our vacation was spent touring the Lake Michigan shoreline, hitting the many harbor towns and their wonderfully quaint shops. Along the way, I noticed, on our map, a myriad of lighthouses. Excited at the opportunity to photograph these wholly unique architectural marvels, I prepped my camera and bristled in my seat, trying hard to contain my enthusiasm.

As the first pier came into view, I eagerly lifted my camera and brought into focus the end of the pier, where one would expect to see a lighthouse. With my viewfinder trained on a lamp atop a metal pole, I panned the area looking for a red or white structure, with a Lamp and a Watch room gracing the top. Thinking I must have aimed the camera in the wrong direction, I pulled it down from my face and checked the skyline with my own eyesight. Even with my naked eyes, all I could see was the metal post with a light on top. In the exact spot where my beautiful, weathered lighthouse was supposed to be!

Ok. So this is a new, more modern lighthouse. The next town, which also boasted a lighthouse, surely would have the beautiful building I wanted for my photographs. So onward we went.

Alas, three harbor towns later and still no old timey lighthouse. Seems we're replacing the traditional lighthouses with these new, more inexpensive devices. In doing a bit of further research, I learned there's actually a practical reason for using this type of lighthouse, besides the obvious, reduced expenses. Seems the type of lighthouse being used on any given pier depends on the type of danger being presented to the mariner. Hmph. You learn something new every day.

I'm sure there are still some traditional lighthouses out there. Probably on the East coast. Maine, perhaps. And I'm pretty sure there's one in Mystic, Connecticut. I think I'll plan a lighthouse photographing trip soon. These wondrous edifices must be preserved, if only in art form.

Here's to saving the lighthouses!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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A Quickie

We've been on vacation for near on two days now. And so far the highlight of our trip has been finding a Starbucks in a nearby neighboring town from where we're staying! Not really. But it is pretty exciting to have connectivity again. And the blended java drink I am sipping on as I type doesn't hurt either.

Life in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, is considerably slower than our day to day life. Seems people here aren't in a real hurry to do much of anything. Now this, in my humble opinion, is a good thing. Don't get me wrong. These folks work hard. During the crazy cold winter months I suspect life is excruciatingly hard, with harsh winters that keep people indoors for the better part of five months. But they take their life one day at a time, taking time out to enjoy the milder summer months on the lake, and refuse to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that consumes big city folk.

It's an adjustment, even for my husband and I. We find ourselves compelled to be doing something at pretty much all times: running, cycling, golfing, hydroplaning (more on the madness that is hydroplaning in a future post), fishing. See what I mean? I'm tired just writing about all the stuff we want to do.

Between you and I, what I really want to do is find myself a nicely shaded Adirondack chair on the beach, kick back with a big cup of coffee and my ebook, and read with the sound of Lake Michigan's waves crashing on the shore. I can't imagine anything more perfect, unless of course I can have a hammock nearby when the need for a nap takes over. Mmmm.... Yeah, must definitely make time for some down time. (Anyone else pondering the paradox of that besides me?)

This has been a delightful trip so far. I've enjoyed spending time with my husband, meeting family and friends he hasn't seen in maybe more than twenty years. And even all the stuff we're doing has been fun, because we're doing it together. Though I may have to take a pass on the hydroplaning. That looks crazy. I'll post photos later. You'll see.

Here's to downtime that's filled with new adventurers!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Crisp Cravings

One of the hardest things about reducing one's carb intake is finding suitable snacks when the need to nosh comes knocking. (You like that alliteration, don't ya'?) Sure, there's the old standby of raw almonds, full of protein and packed with crunch, but after a few days of eating these and chances are good you're looking for something else to satisfy the munchies.

Granted, when you're eating controlled portions of carbs, your blood sugars don't fluctuate much so you tend not to get those pesky cravings all that often. But believe you me, the time will come when you'll want to chomp on something salty, crunchy and, well, let's face it, unhealthy. Potato chips come to mind. Particularly the sea salt & vinegar variety. Oh my, have I a weakness for those. Obviously, these are not conducive to my weight loss efforts, thus I find myself often having to suppress the cravings for these delightful crisps. And on the days I can't fight the urge or it's been suppressed one too many times? Yeah, I cave and wind up eating the whole cracklin' bag. <hangs head in shame.>

Because I refuse to gain back any of the weight I've lost over the last 9 months, I am always on the lookout for healthy alternatives to the carb laden, salt & vinegar potato crisp. Terra has some tasty options in their chip line; their Taro chips and their Sweet Potato chips are among my favorites. Unfortunately, they are hard to find and though I'm sure I can get them online, they are pretty pricey at $3.98 for a 6 oz bag of Terra Taro Chips, and $3.75 for a 6 oz bag of Terra Sweet Potato chips where Kettle Salt & Vinegar chips average about $2.27 for a 5 oz bag. Like I said, pricey.

Lucky for me, there are alternatives to the alternatives. Wait, what? Yeah, so here's what I'm saying. I can make my own sweet potato chips, and probably my own taro chips if I could get my hands on a raw taro. I can even make my own zucchini chips, should I be so inclined. And guess what? I am inclined.

I am going to try my hand at making my own veggie crisps by way of a food dehydrator. I have access to one for 30 days, and plan to start with some sweet potato chips, some zucchini chips, and some strawberry chips. Yes, strawberry chips. Maybe lightly drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Seems like a pretty painless process, so the real test will be in the results. And I should have those for you on Friday. Join me on the road to healthy snacking, won't you?

Here's to clobbering crisp cravings!

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Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I love to read. I don't often make time for it, but when I do get around to picking up my Kindle, I usually devour my books, particularly if they're good ones.

Also a social media addict, I joined Goodreads at the start of this year. Think of Goodreads as the Facebook of bookworms. It's a site that lets you add books you've read, are currently reading, or want to read. You can rate and review books you've already read. You can invite your friends to join and see what they're reading. You can swap books. And best of all, you can enter giveaways for books!

My good friend Summer, who is an avid reader and writes book reviews on her blog summertime, told me a while back that she'd won a few books from Goodreads giveaways. I was, I admit, a little jealous since I didn't even know they did giveaways on this site! Then, a few weeks ago, I found where on the site you can enter the giveaways, and let me tell you, they do a lot of giveaways. I entered my first one and would you believe? I WON!


Weirdest thing is that I won a book I had seen at Barnes and Noble on an outing with Summer, one that I considered buying and then decided to merely make note of and add to my Kindle wish list later. I hadn't gotten around to adding it to the wish list when I found the giveaway section on Goodreads (for those of you on the Goodreads site, it's under the Explore/Books section, towards the right side of the page!)

So yeah, I won a book I'd almost bought. The book is called One Season of Sunshine by Julia London. It's what I consider "fluff", or what Summer would call "brain candy." I haven't read it yet as I just received it today. And I was delighted to actually hold a book in my hands. I'd forgotten how much I like the smell of printed paper. You don't get that with the Kindle. Someone should create a scratch and sniff cover for the Kindle. One that smells like printed paper. Bonus points to the maker if the cover feels scratchy, like the pages of a well thumbed paperback. But I digress.

One Season of Sunshine is on my "to-read" list. It's currently third in my queue, right behind my current read, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrson and my next read, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen.

Oh, and I should tell you, if you win something on Goodreads, it's good form to actually read the book you win, and then rate the book and post a review. It's not required, by any means. It's merely the polite thing to do.

Expect my review of One Season of Sunshine in a month or so.

Here's to bookworms and free book giveaways!

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A New Adventure

My husband and I are about to embark upon a new adventure, I think. But before I tell you about it, I want to give you a bit of background.

When my husband and I bought our home, we prayed that it would be a house that served God, a house where the doors were always open to those in need. We intended it to be a place of ministry, and we try to always make it a place where God is honored and glorified. We've hosted Russians from our sister church in Penza, Russia. We've prepared holiday feasts for those that need a place to celebrate. We've held Bible study groups here. And now, we take on our newest, and possibly our biggest, adventure.

A friend of mine is currently going through some changes in her world. In an effort to make her life a little easier, we've offered her a place to live for a few months while she sorts out some stuff and figures out her next move. Yes, you read that right. We're getting a roommate. GULP.

I haven't had a roommate since 1989. And my husband has never had a roommate. This will prove to be interesting, I'm sure.

And though she's my friend, I know there will be some challenges, for her as much as for us. I've asked her for permission to blog about this experience, and she agreed (I think), provided I do not use her real name. Fair enough. I'll simply refer to her as Numero Cuatro. Number Four. It's my nickname for her, based on where she landed on my speed dial list.

So Numero Cuatro will be moving in sometime in August. She'll be staying in our guest room for about six months. She'll be sharing a bathroom with our cat. And she's not really a fan of cats. Challenge number one. Wonder how it will turn out? Stay tuned!

Here's to new adventures and getting my guest room cleaned out in two weeks!

Posted via BlogPress on my iPad

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