At the start of this month I launched a new blog. Be not dismayed, it's mostly a microblog. Meaning mini posts. Mostly photos from my iPhone. Occasionally a quote. Primarily, it's a way of communicating without being verbose. A way of documenting the little details of daily life that are often better said with a beautiful image. Or not so beautiful. Guess that depends on the beholder, eh?
Anyway, I find I often don't have a lot to say, but much to express and this new microblog is just that, a way of saying a lot, with few words.
Come drop us a visit, won't you? Sideway Glance. Where the view is usually askew.
Here's to less words!
Share
Tweet
Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Fun Run
Posted in C25K, couch to 5K, Exercise, iPhone, Jogging, Running, Weight loss on by
Last year, I started running. I went from couch to 5K in oh, two weeks. Yep. Sure did. And those of you who know me know this is no small feat, as I am not, to say the least, physically fit. But one day, I woke up, went for a quarter mile run and thought, "I can do this." The next day, I ran a mile, and two weeks later, I ran my first 5K. I then proceeded to run at least one "official" 5K a month, from December to March, with shorter "training" runs in between. After March, however, I took a break. Or got lazy. It's really a matter of perspective, don't ya' think? Before I knew it, my break rolled into summer and then my excuse for not running was a whiney, "It's TOO HOT!!" Well, duh! I live in Texas. Of course it's hot.
Finally out of excuses and feeling like a complete slug, I decided to hit the pavement again. First time I went out I realized just how quickly I'd lost the little conditioning I'd built up last winter. Barely surviving a two mile run, and huffing and puffing like I'd just scaled Mt. Everest, I realized I was going to have to begin a more formal training program, especially if I ever wanted to run a race longer than 5K.
Enter, C25K, a nifty little app that lives on my iPhone. My own personal coach for training for a 5K, the right way. I'm on the third successful week of training, and determined to get through the whole program.
Today, I leashed the dog and headed out for my run. A nice, misty rain was falling and the temperatures had cooled to delightful levels. I knew it was going to be a good run. My dog, I suspect, did not share my excitement. She's not one for getting wet, even when it feels great. But it was an easy light rain, and we set out to "get. it. done." (borrowed from my friend, April!)
Little did I know this was heading my way:
The scheduled run was 28 minutes, but about 21 minutes into it, the skies opened and torrential rains were poured down on me and my poor pooch. Within about 5 seconds, we were both soaked to the skin, and about a minute later, soaked to the bone. Already sopping wet, I figured there was no sense in cutting the run short, so we made our way around our course and finished the run in the downpour.
Sounds crazy, right? Here's the thing. It was wonderful! My makeup completely washed off by the rain, mascara streaking off with each footfall, I knew I looked a mess. But I couldn't bring myself to care. I had a huge grin plastered on my face and can't recall the last time I felt so good.
Running is liberating. It frees me from, well, pretty much everything. The road doesn't care how I look, what I'm wearing, whether I'm in a good mood or not. All I have to do when I set out to run is, run.
There is something amazingly beautiful about this. Simple. Cleansing. Satisfying. I pray I am granted more runs like today's. Hands down, it was my funnest run to date.
Here's to running, rain or shine!
Share
Tweet
Finally out of excuses and feeling like a complete slug, I decided to hit the pavement again. First time I went out I realized just how quickly I'd lost the little conditioning I'd built up last winter. Barely surviving a two mile run, and huffing and puffing like I'd just scaled Mt. Everest, I realized I was going to have to begin a more formal training program, especially if I ever wanted to run a race longer than 5K.
Enter, C25K, a nifty little app that lives on my iPhone. My own personal coach for training for a 5K, the right way. I'm on the third successful week of training, and determined to get through the whole program.
Today, I leashed the dog and headed out for my run. A nice, misty rain was falling and the temperatures had cooled to delightful levels. I knew it was going to be a good run. My dog, I suspect, did not share my excitement. She's not one for getting wet, even when it feels great. But it was an easy light rain, and we set out to "get. it. done." (borrowed from my friend, April!)
Little did I know this was heading my way:
The scheduled run was 28 minutes, but about 21 minutes into it, the skies opened and torrential rains were poured down on me and my poor pooch. Within about 5 seconds, we were both soaked to the skin, and about a minute later, soaked to the bone. Already sopping wet, I figured there was no sense in cutting the run short, so we made our way around our course and finished the run in the downpour.
Sounds crazy, right? Here's the thing. It was wonderful! My makeup completely washed off by the rain, mascara streaking off with each footfall, I knew I looked a mess. But I couldn't bring myself to care. I had a huge grin plastered on my face and can't recall the last time I felt so good.
Running is liberating. It frees me from, well, pretty much everything. The road doesn't care how I look, what I'm wearing, whether I'm in a good mood or not. All I have to do when I set out to run is, run.
There is something amazingly beautiful about this. Simple. Cleansing. Satisfying. I pray I am granted more runs like today's. Hands down, it was my funnest run to date.
Here's to running, rain or shine!
Share
Tweet
Phone Photography
Posted in Apple, Hipstamatic, iPhone, Pano, Photogene, photography, photos, SwankoLab on by
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:
Share
Tweet
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!
Share
Tweet
Updates and Other Such Nonsense
Posted in Apple, Broadway, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Foodie, Good Eats, iPad, iPhone, micro-blogging, musical theater, New York City, photography, the Big Apple on by
It's been a while since I posted and man, have I missed you guys! So much has been happening that I have much to tell you.
First, I have a new job! This actually happened about four weeks ago; I went to work for a company I'd worked for about six years ago. So far I'm having a blast; my new team is awesome and it's wonderful seeing so many old friends. The work is challenging and is giving my brain a much needed workout. Second time I've been really blessed with a job I love.
Now, a brief update on the weight loss. I am happy to report I've lost four pounds in the last week. Not as much as I'd hoped, but I keep hearing that slow and steady is the best way to lose weight... and keep it off!
I think I've sorted out the issues that were preventing the slideshow from loading on my website - yay! If you happen to check it out and see issues, please come back and leave me a message so I can fix this!
I've finished at least one photo editing job and am well into the second. Hope to have that done soon and am super grateful my friend has been ultra-patient with me on getting her images back to her.
I'm learning daily all kinds of new features on my camera; this thing is amazing!
I can't wait to shoot the Big Apple with this baby.
And that brings us to the best update.
I'm just a week away from starting my NYC Photo adventure! Now, while I am beyond excited about this, there is one tiny hiccup in my grand plan. Maybe two.
First, my 3G iPad will not be delivered in time for me to take it with me; [insert mournful wail here]. There went my plans to blog on the magical device while in the Big City. Worry not my lovelies, I have every intention to do a bit of micro-blogging on the trusty iPhone. I don't want to bring the heavy Macbook, so any images I post while in the city will likely be taken with said trusty iPhone. But as the primary purpose of this trip is to exercise the new photog hardware, rest assured, upon my return, I will be posting many photos of the city and [not as many] of our [mis]adventures. The second possible hiccup: the current weather forecast is predicting rain for the five days I'll be in New York. Boo.
With or without the iPad, rain or shine, I'm excited, ecstatic, overjoyed to be returning to the City. The energy, the myriad of cultures, the food! Looking forward to visiting some old, touristy haunts: the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center as well as checking out some new spots (at least, new for me): Balthazar, FAO Schwarz, the musical Chicago, the offices of Aperture. There's an unending parade of things to see and do in this fantastic city, and I plan to soak it all up and in while photo-documenting the entire experience. THIS is what God wired me for. The whir of the focusing apparatus, the sound of the shutter going off, the weight of the camera. The freeze-framing of a moment that will never again occur in time. Hm. I gotta go. My camera beckons.
Here's to happy snaps in the Big Apple, at home, and around the world!
Share
First, I have a new job! This actually happened about four weeks ago; I went to work for a company I'd worked for about six years ago. So far I'm having a blast; my new team is awesome and it's wonderful seeing so many old friends. The work is challenging and is giving my brain a much needed workout. Second time I've been really blessed with a job I love.
Now, a brief update on the weight loss. I am happy to report I've lost four pounds in the last week. Not as much as I'd hoped, but I keep hearing that slow and steady is the best way to lose weight... and keep it off!
I think I've sorted out the issues that were preventing the slideshow from loading on my website - yay! If you happen to check it out and see issues, please come back and leave me a message so I can fix this!
I've finished at least one photo editing job and am well into the second. Hope to have that done soon and am super grateful my friend has been ultra-patient with me on getting her images back to her.
I'm learning daily all kinds of new features on my camera; this thing is amazing!
I can't wait to shoot the Big Apple with this baby.
And that brings us to the best update.
I'm just a week away from starting my NYC Photo adventure! Now, while I am beyond excited about this, there is one tiny hiccup in my grand plan. Maybe two.
First, my 3G iPad will not be delivered in time for me to take it with me; [insert mournful wail here]. There went my plans to blog on the magical device while in the Big City. Worry not my lovelies, I have every intention to do a bit of micro-blogging on the trusty iPhone. I don't want to bring the heavy Macbook, so any images I post while in the city will likely be taken with said trusty iPhone. But as the primary purpose of this trip is to exercise the new photog hardware, rest assured, upon my return, I will be posting many photos of the city and [not as many] of our [mis]adventures. The second possible hiccup: the current weather forecast is predicting rain for the five days I'll be in New York. Boo.
With or without the iPad, rain or shine, I'm excited, ecstatic, overjoyed to be returning to the City. The energy, the myriad of cultures, the food! Looking forward to visiting some old, touristy haunts: the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center as well as checking out some new spots (at least, new for me): Balthazar, FAO Schwarz, the musical Chicago, the offices of Aperture. There's an unending parade of things to see and do in this fantastic city, and I plan to soak it all up and in while photo-documenting the entire experience. THIS is what God wired me for. The whir of the focusing apparatus, the sound of the shutter going off, the weight of the camera. The freeze-framing of a moment that will never again occur in time. Hm. I gotta go. My camera beckons.
Here's to happy snaps in the Big Apple, at home, and around the world!
Share
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
