Auckland Round The Bays 2013

A bit of a montage for todays shot at Auckland Round the Bays fun run. All shot on the Samsung Galaxy s2 using the Vignette app, I combined in Gimp to show the beginning, middle and end of the 8.4km run that goes from Auckland’s CBD to St Heliers park.

As it has been most days, the weather was hot this morning! With a relatively late 9.30am start time, the sun was right up and beating down on the waiting crowd. with ~70,000 total runners, if one is not near the start line (as I was) when the race begins, you can take an additional quarter of an hour to just make it there. Weaving in and out of runners and walkers, it takes over half the race (unless you are fast) to feel like you have enough room to keep at a constant pace. Whilst some of these points potentially make it sound less than ‘fun’, Round the Bays is a great run, and all money goes to some great charities. All said and done, I’ll be back again next year, as I have been for several years running.

March 10, 2013 0

Devonport, the mobile polaroid

Out and about in Devonport today, I played around with the Vignette app on my mobile. Vignette has had a number of updates in recent months – mostly fixes, but also extra bits and pieces, so I thought it was time to give it another run.

As I have mentioned before, my favorite android camera app is Afterfocus. However, I have had Vignette since its early days and have always loaded it on various devices I own – so its right up there also. In many ways Vignette was the Android version of Instagram – before it finally came to Android. It potentially offers more creative filter options now, and for me, I like it more because it is not so integrated into the social media side of things (especially with recent change scare for Instagram users that was quickly withdrawn). This being said, Instagram is a great app – just different strokes for different folks!

As can be seen in today’s posting, I was playing around with the Polaroid type option within Vignette. As well as the ‘Polaroid frame’, one can alter multiple sizes, colors and film types.

The writing was added later in Photoshop CS5 – I like the idea of replicating a snap from a Polaroid and then writing the where and when on it – I would love if Vignette looked to add this into their already great app!

Image wise, as in the title, I captured this down by the waterfront in Devonport. Below the walkway, between beaches are volcanic rock shores. Whilst being a beautiful day, it was very windy & I attempted to keep my feet dry whilst stepping up to the water trying to catch some wave action!

incidentally (well, sort of), I noticed Polaroid has started marketing a new ‘Instant Digital Camera‘ that offers both saving to SD and close to instant printing with its ZINK technology. Reading a few reviews and looking at images, I quite like it, and that Polaroid has seen what they can do to come into the current digital age. That being said, for the film and traditional Polaroid shooters amongst us, check out the impossible project. The Impossible Project is doing a great job keeping traditional Polaroid cameras alive. I intend to give them a go sometime…when I have some spending cash and find a old model Polaroid that is!

January 4, 2013 0

Planes of Past

A mobile post for today. As part of a team day with work, we visited Motat 2 – the aeroplane and train museum. For most of the afternoon I used my Sony, of which I will post some images in the next few days. For this shot however I used my samsung galaxy s2.

The image itself is of the entry to the new indoor section of Motat 2- prior to this, a number of the planes were outside. Some of the big ones still are, and awaiting desperate restoration. Its nothing like some of the large plane wreckers/graveyards, but a nice collection for our part of the world.

Editing wise, I used the app Afterfocus. In this I cropped the aspect, added a vintage style filter and some vignetting.

November 30, 2012 0

Macro Daisy – Pro HDR

Searching the App store for interesting photo apps I came across ‘Pro HDR Camera’. Unlike a lot of mobile apps, Pro HDR does actually capture three seperate exposures to form a genuine HDR image.

Although I must confess I dont do much HDR at all, there is a lot of great photog’s out there who do, and if stuck without a suitable camera, this is a nice little app to have up your sleaves for the cost of a can of coke.

Taking a short stroll through Smiths Bush, it delivered great results from what would normally have either more blown out, or underexposed images – especially on a mobile phone, which tend to have low dynamic ranges.

At home none if the images I shot appealed to post up. Whilst great testers for the app, image content wise they didnt much speak to me. So – I clipped in my macro lens and visited the back lawn. I have not seen much macro HDR, so the daisy is my casual snap at it.

Im tempted to go back to Afterfocus again tomorrow. Its been my top vote so far. I did also play with Instagram today, but the prompting to share or where to share put me off it straight away im afraid.

Catch you tomorrow!

November 8, 2012 0

The Dinner

Some terrible weather had here today. I had intended to head out with the GR1 and get some film shots in town, but heavy rain and wind prevented a successful outing.

The day otherwise filled up with catching up with friends, I played around a little more with Paper Camera on my Samsung Galaxy s2 and chose today’s image ‘The Dinner’ for my shot to publish.

Just resizing done in Gimp, otherwise as shot on the App. One could almost make a comic book using it and shooting real people!?

October 13, 2012 0

Rock-Paper-Camera

Whilst looking for some android workplace tools for work today, I came across a review for a camera app called Paper Camera. Intrigued by the description, and always interested in different camera apps I jumped all in and downloaded the pay version.

I’m aware for some photographers out there, anything other than the RAW image coming from a camera is a no go zone. I for one like effects, plug-ins etc. as part of a wide mix of tools in my shed. Sometimes one wants to capture a moment as it was, other times, perhaps as it felt, and other times again – just in a different way. Each has a place (perhaps a similar argument applies to why I shoot digital and film).

I only had a chance to use it on my bike ride home, so wont go into any depth, but, its a fun little app that gives the user a host of different ‘paper medium’ live-view recreations of the photo you are taking. You can also record as well as snap pictures, which is pretty cool.

Today’s image ‘Rock-Paper-Camera’ aside from resizing is straight from the camera (via Paper Camera). My subject, the local concrete makers. Situated on a busy corner, I never get the chance to stop for a photo when driving past regularly – that’s one bonus about being out on a cycle – one can stop with ease, and moving slower you take notice of more sites that one may miss when travelling by motor.

October 11, 2012 2