All posts tagged camera

Macro Photography on your iPhone: How to Lock the Focus

Photo Skitch Document-5Although the iPhone isn’t a replacement for a “real” camera, it can take excellent photos.

In addition to general photography, it can do an amazing job on close-up (macro) photos.

Just hold the iPhone about 4 inches from your subject, and you will be surprised at the detail you can capture.

However, while you are trying to get your subject into focus, you may be frustrated because every time you move a bit to recompose the shot, (even ever so slightly), the iPhone camera adjusts and refocuses. Argh!

There is a way to “lock” the focus in place and solve this problem, but the feature is a little hard to find.

Here is how to lock your macro focus on your iPhone:

Move your iPhone to within about 4 inches from your subject.

Put your finger on the screen on top of the subject of your photo.

You will see a square appear under your finger. Hold your finger in place against the screen and the square will start pulsating. Take your finger off the screen.

As you lift your finger, you will see the words “AE/AF Lock” appear at the bottom of the screen. This means that the focus is now locked and you can make your small adjustments to the photographic composition without the camera shifting out of focus, again.

Photo Skitch Document-6

The lock is ‘released’ after you take a shot, so if you are going to take more photos, you will have to put your finger on the screen each time to enable the lock.

Photo Skitch Document-7

Screen shot 2013-03-06 at 7.27.02 PM

25 Comments
by sharechair on April 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Beginners, Camera, How to's, iPhone, iPhone tips, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on April 21, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/macro-photography-on-your-iphone-how-to-lock-the-focus/

Boston: Tech and Terror

Screen shot 2013-04-16 at 8.37.02 AMSuch a horrible event yesterday, in Boston. Many of us were first alerted to the explosion by a tweet or a news headline displayed on our smartphones. What followed was continuing coverage on the news channels, twitter feeds, and the internet.

Horrific events have (sadly) often occurred over the years. But at no time in history have these events been so well documented.

Not only are cities blanketed with security cameras, but nearly every person has a smartphone in their pocket, with camera capability. Instead of relying on a single cameraman sent from a news outlet, we have hundreds of videos from countless perspectives, all filming the event as it unfolds.

I think we live in an age of Big Brother on Steroids. Cameras are everywhere.

But in a situation like this, this tech-of-the-times is probably a good thing. I have to believe that with all the hours of video that the authorities will collect, they will be able to find … to witness … the bomber doing the deed.

I admit that I am sometimes creeped out by all the cameras, but usually I just don’t think about it anymore. I know London, for example, is almost entirely covered by cameras (not including the private ones). Many other cities are not far behind.

I suppose this is necessary in today’s world. But how sad that it is.

11 Comments
by sharechair on April 16, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in iPhone, My Thoughts About Things, News
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Posted by sharechair on April 16, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/boston-tech-and-terror/

Tiny Bit of Tech at the Philly Flower Show

Screen shot 2013-03-07 at 8.43.40 AM The Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest indoor flower show (longest running, too) and a glorious extravaganza that I look forward to every year. Not only does it signal the entrance of Spring, but in its own right, it fills the Convention Center with sights and smells and displays and artistic design beyond the imagination. Each year is built around a theme, and this year the theme is “Brilliant” with exhibits focusing on the landscapes, culture and beauty of Great Britain.

And yes. There was Tech. No escaping that. Tech crops up everywhere, even when it’s time to stop and smell the roses. :) (More on that, later)

But first…. let’s look around.

The entrance gates ….

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The grand centerpiece, Big Ben …

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Of course there were acres of displays, and fields of flowers …

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But with all of that, I find that some of the “other” entries really astound me. For example, the miniatures. The miniatures are presented in a wall with rows of little windows, each with an incredible miniature version of a scene, complete with appropriate plants. I took photos of every miniature, and there were many beauties … cityscapes and countrysides. The details are extraordinary. Choosing one to share here was difficult, so I picked a grand prize winner: The Herbology Greenhouse at Hogwarts. (There are 25 varieties of plants in this one, and I have the list if anyone is particularly interested, just email me through the contact link.) Click on the photo to enlarge it and enjoy the detail.

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Another entry which astounds me is the Pressed Plant Art.

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Just look at these amazing pictures, all made with flowers and plants.

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So where was the tech?

Apps, of course. Always apps. This sign showed up everywhere around the floor:

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And then there is the “Tech” of Big Ben.

Every hour, on the hour, the clock face alters and becomes a video screen (on all four sides), with a potpourri of British goodness. I did not film this, but turning to YouTube, I found many people had uploaded their videos. And so I just picked one to share here.

Presenting the Techy Centerpiece of the Philadelphia Flower Show: :)

23 Comments
by sharechair on March 7, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Camera, My Thoughts About Things, News, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on March 7, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/tiny-bit-of-tech-at-the-philly-flower-show/

iPhone (smartphone) or Camera?

I love having a camera (disguised as a mobile phone) with me all of the time. It’s such fun to be able to ‘catch’ moments that you used to say “I wish I had my camera with me.”

Here is my dog, sitting in my lap. iPhone handy, always ready.

A moment later, I caught her in the middle of a silly tongue lap:

My backyard cutie. He won’t stay at the door for long. iPhone in my pocket.. caught him!

A crazy bug landed for a moment (what is it!? and I hope it doesn’t come back! )

Those are all examples of the unplanned pics, the ones you are happy to have a ‘camera in your pocket’ to grab.

But what about for travel?

Last time I took a trip, I used my iPhone, only. No camera. I enjoyed having one less thing to cart around. I think the pictures turned out pretty good, and I never regretted not bringing a camera:

BUT

I am now planning a new travel adventure, and I’m not sure the iPhone will suit. My first concern is memory space. With a camera you have removable memory storage so that you never run out of space. Although the iPhone holds a LOT of pictures, what if I shoot too many? I don’t want to have to worry about that.

Perhaps you have a REAL camera, and that makes all your photography extra special. I know that many of the bloggers that I visit are taking some awesome photos. For you, the camera itself is important.

But what about the point-and-shooters?

What do you do? Have you abandoned your camera in favor of your smartphone for travel? Or do you break out the camera for the trip?

35 Comments
by sharechair on November 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beginners, Camera, iPhone, My Thoughts About Things, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on November 27, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/iphone-smartphone-or-camera/

How to Take a Screenshot on Your iPhone or iPad: (part of the) Very Beginner Series

*Occasional posts will contain how-tos and/or hints for VERY new users of iPads, iPhones or Kindles. All new users welcome! Non-tech speak, not terribly detailed, just basic device-enhancing goodness. All part of this Very Beginner Series. Please share with any beginners (Mom? Dad? Grandma?) in your life.*

If you have an iPhone or an iPad, this is something you will want to remember.

It is a handy little trick that you don’t know you need until you need it. But once you start using it, you’ll use it often.

It’s a screen shot.

By taking a screen shot, anything you see on your screen can be saved as a photo.

Imagine if you wanted to share a weather report, or a list of something, or a recipe……. so handy!

All you do is hold down the HOME button and the ON/OFF button at the same time.

Click!

Now look in your Camera Roll.

Your screen shot will be the last picture on your camera roll.

You can use this screenshot image of a recipe or whatever else you “captured” and send it off as you would any other photo, attached to an email or a text message.

6 Comments
by sharechair on November 7, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beginners, How to's, iOS6, iPad, iPad tips, iPhone, iPhone tips, Tech Tips, Very Beginner Series
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on November 7, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-your-iphone-or-ipad-part-of-the-very-beginner-series/

Death in a Graveyard (and it’s all Sandy’s fault)

I know this is a tech blog, and I always try to stay on topic, but this storm continues to pull us all in so many directions ….

As I ventured out today, I brought my iPhone, and so (it’s a stretch :) ) all pics are iPhone-pics, and iPhone pics = blog material. Right? Right!

I decided to “escape” and go for a walk in one of my favorite spots in the Fall…. a cemetery that is hilly with many old stately trees. Colorful and gorgeous.

I expected some damage, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw: death in the graveyard (I’ll explain at the end of this post)

Of course, Sandy didn’t leave anyplace untouched. I counted 8 glorious trees crashed to the ground. Many trees broken and torn. How sad.

And as I walked, I was TOTALLY startled to see this:

Around the downed treetop were dozens of dead crows! Look around the headstones in the picture, above. Do you see all those crows?

What?
How?
Were they nesting in the tree?
When the storm blew the tree down, couldn’t the crows just fly away?
Why did they all die when it fell?
Can anyone explain this to me?

51 Comments
by sharechair on November 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Camera, iPhone, My Thoughts About Things, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on November 1, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/death-in-a-graveyard-and-its-all-sandys-fault/

The Wait is Over, and the iPad Mini is Reality

photo credit: Apple

Today Apple broke the long-anticipated news: the iPad Mini is no longer just a rumor. It is real, it is ready and I’m guessing it will be a big seller for the Holiday Season. (Apple also dished a surprise: a new regular iPad. More on that, later.)

The iPad Mini looks wonderful.

It is a smaller, lighter and therefore more PORTABLE version of the iPad. The display is set so that all apps will display perfectly, and therefore it is ready to go, no app updates necessary.

Let’s look at a few specifics:

It has all the wonderful-ness of a regular iPad, only it is all wrapped up in a smaller package. You can use Facetime, all your apps, the cameras, read books, surf the web, watch movies and enjoy a battery life of TEN HOURS. (Happily portable enough to be helpfully distracting for a long uncomfortable plane ride.) You can store photos and take movies. You can send and receive email. And as you do all you want to do, Siri will be available to help. (I regularly ask her now to make reminders and notes for me and she is surprisingly accurate with her efforts.)

The iPad Mini uses the new lightning connector. This connector is reversible. You can’t make a mistake and plug it in incorrectly. (This connector is on the iPhone 5 and since I’ve been using it I can say that I like it… a lot. I was always concerned that I would make a mistake with the old connector. I think the new connector is a fine improvement.)

The iPad Mini has a 7.9 inch display. This is a sweet, sweet size. Big enough to be comfortable on the eyes, but small enough to allow the device to fit easily in your hand.

And just the perfect size to throw in a purse.

The Mini is pencil thin, and weighs only a bit over a half pound. .68 lb, to be exact.

The iPad Mini is available in black or white.

The price was the biggest surprise, and not in a good way. The iPad Mini has been priced more expensively than the rumor-makers were suggesting:

For WiFi only, the 16GB is $329, the 32 GB is $429, and the 64GB is $529

For WiFi + Cellular, the 16GB is $459, the 32GB is $559, and the 64GB is $659

Now the comparisons begin. How will this stack up against the Kindle Fire? Most people agree that the iPad is by far a better device, but price matters….. the question is, how much?

Apple doesn’t think they are competition, at all. Apple’s marketing officer said, “We’re so far ahead of the competition I can’t even see them in the rear-view mirror.”

You can pre-order the Mini iPad starting October 26. The Wi-Fi model will be available for purchase on November 2, and the Wi-Fi + cellular models will be available in the middle of November.

To get more specifics about the new iPad mini, visit the Apple website.

23 Comments
by sharechair on October 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beginners, iOS6, iPad, News, Siri
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on October 23, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/the-wait-is-over-and-the-ipad-mini-is-reality/

Get Off the Couch and Get Fit with Couch-to-5k

Autumn is my very favorite season. I love the crisp air and the glorious colorful leaves. It is the time of year that I love to take walks. And so yesterday I hit the local rail-trail. (Blog photo above is from yesterday’s walk, taken with the iPhone 5, just a quick snap and no-editing).

I was not alone on the trail. Bikers, walkers and runners were all taking advantage of the perfect day.

There are many wonderful fitness apps, but the one that I thought I’d share today is Couch-to-5k.

If you are a new runner, or someone who is even thinking about running, this app might be something that you would like to try.

All you do is …… touch START.

That’s it! So very easy to use. A human voice will guide you. (You have the choice of 3 virtual coaches). He/she will tell you to walk, and after a while he/she will tell you to run (briefly) and then walk again. Run, then walk, repeat, repeat. For 30 minutes.

The beginning intervals start with just a minute and a half of jogging, followed by 2 minutes of walking, repeat, repeat.

Each week the workout changes somewhat. A subtle increase. A little tiny bit more running, and a little less walking. The intervals of running increase slightly as you gradually improve.

These workouts gently shift your activity from walking to running.

You can play your own music through the app, and you will still hear the voice giving you your prompts.

Personally, I am not ever going to be a runner. I can’t even walk very fast. But I still enjoy the encouraging voice and I use the “running time” to speed up my walk just a bit. It also keeps me honest by walking for a full 30 minutes.

But for someone who would like to run, and needs some help to get started, this app would be incredibly valuable.

Engadget and Runner’s World both think highly of Couch to 5k, and you can see their praise highlighted here in the app description. Couch to 5K is $1.99 in the iTunes store.

10 Comments
by sharechair on October 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Apps, Beginners, Camera, Fitness, iPad, iPhone
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Posted by sharechair on October 23, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/get-off-the-couch-and-get-fit-with-couch-to-5k/

Barbra Streisand and My Tech Fail

photo credit: JCT(Loves)Streisand* via photopin cc

I try to put out a post early each day. But I was up WAY past my bedtime last night, and no where near home, so I apologize for the lateness of this post.

Last night I was thrilled to be a member of the audience at Barbra Streisand’s Concert in Philadelphia.

It was awesome. She is awesome. When Barbra strings together those long, stunning, belting notes (like “I’ve come home at last” from Sunset Blvd) …. nothing, no one can beat it.

What can I say? Chills.

So how do I tie this to tech?

The tech message on the tickets was very clear with “No Cameras / Video / Recorders” printed across the front. Almost any concert you go to these days includes such a message.

I overheard many nervous conversations outside of the Wells Fargo Center where people were wondering, “What about my cell phone? Does it count? It takes pictures and video…..”

I brought mine with me. If there was a photo to be had, I wanted to be ready to capture the memory. I figured the worst case scenario would mean that I would have to take the phone back to the car.

But no such trouble. Tickets were scanned and no one asked or cared about cell phones.

(There is another subject that could be explored, about whether or not photos/videos should be allowed at concerts, and how on earth they can be stopped as our gadgets improve…. but that is a subject for another day.)

So, settled into my seat, I thought I’d try to sneak a picture or two. If there is safety in numbers, I was golden. Everywhere I looked, people were holding up their phones.

However, I wasn’t too hopeful. I have tried to take photos at concerts, before, and when you couple the low light with the distance involved, the results are dismal.

I wasn’t alone with that revelation. As the show went on, the cell phones gradually disappeared, (except for those who were calling friends and family and leaving the line open so that they could “hear” from home. :) )

I have seen a fair amount of YouTube videos that people have taken at concerts. I’ve seen good, pretty good, and horrible. Mine were at the horrible level, but I guess it all depends on your seat and the lighting.

So I’ll keep my blurry photos as a memory for me, but they are pitiful and not anything I can share with pride.

But each blur holds a wonderful memory. They’re gorgeous to me.

I’ll forever look at each and say, (I’m sorry, I can’t resist) “Hello, Gorgeous”

33 Comments
by sharechair on October 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Camera, iPhone, My Thoughts About Things, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on October 9, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/barbra-streisand-and-my-tech-fail/

PhotoToaster: An Awesome Tool to Edit Your Photos

PhotoToaster is EASY and AWESOME. Those two words (combined) mean everything. What good is “easy” if the results are yuchy? And what good is “awesome” if it’s too time-consuming or difficult to do? But “easy” AND “awesome”? Together? Now we’re cooking.

There are quite a few very good photo-editing apps available and PhotoToaster is among the best of them. There are 60 one-click effects. I ran a photo of some flamingos through a number of the effects, so that you could see them, here.

This is the original photo and I marked the lower left hand corner with arrows. These arrows point to the dial that you turn to get strips of thumbnail effects, lined up across the bottom. The first is “as shot”, and that is what I have selected, here.

As you twist the dial in the app, new effect strips appear across the bottom. These strips can be swiped left for even more effects. As you work, just tap any thumbnail on the bottom and the full size photo (with the effect applied) is enlarged for you to see.

In addition to all these single tap effects, there are many other opportunities to tweak. You can crop, rotate, straighten and use lighting brushes and more.

From within the app, you are also given the opportunity to look back at recent edits, to access your photo library, to access the camera, and to paste the photo to the clipboard. You are also offered a link to a video tutorial, and a “tips” button that teaches you about the controls.

But the real glory, in my opinion, is the ability to transform your photo into something quite special with just ONE tap. Ah, easy AND awesome! (and quick, too).

OH, and did I mention….. Fun!

PhotoToaster is designed for the iPhone and the iPad for a single price of $1.99.

9 Comments
by sharechair on September 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beginners, Camera, iPad, iPhone, Photographs
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by sharechair on September 18, 2012

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/phototoaster-an-awesome-tool-to-edit-your-photos/

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