TiltShift Generator now free

My favorite tiltshift-app just went free! Hooray!
Too bad i already bought it. Anyway if you don't own it yet, go and download it now.

There are lots of tiltshift-apps out there, but this one is probably one of the best you can find in the sheer mass of apps. It gives you the ability to create this famous model-railroad effect.

By the way I am sorry I can't post more often right now. Since I am at university I have lots of upcoming exams and not so much time for blogging as I would like to have.

Get a grip on your iPhone with ThingSling

Have you ever been in a hectical situation where you tried to pull your iPhone out of your pocket for a quick picture, and then almost let it fell? I'm sure you've been there too. Now this little gadget might be a simple but effective solution.

Turn your iPhone in a POV camera

Don't you hate it when you're chasing super villains and can't film yourself while being awesome because you need both hands to slash down those ninjas? Well, suffer no more. With this awesome Kickstarter-Project you can turn your iPhone into a POV camera!

Long exposure pictures

In this small tutorial i would like to show you how to take long-exposure pictures like this with your iPhone. Its actually very simple, and even though you won't get a high-quality result, its still quite impressive. I have covered long exposure photos already for those of you who want to try out light painting right here!

You will need:

• The app Magic Shutter (or any app that lets you take long exposure photos)
• A tripod (trust me on this one, you will see why later on)
• A high place where you can look down on a city

Tiltpod - the keychain tripod for your iPhone

I love gadgets. Did i mention that i love gadgets? Especially the useless useful ones. Photojojo did it again, when they designed and released their newest creation called "Tiltpod Mobile". It is actually a keyring that has a small tripod with it that works with your caseless iPhone.
The base of the tripod is made out of rubber, so it will probably stay firm on nearly every surface. But its not as cheap as it might look on first glance. It has a small magnetic ball that lets you tilt your iPhone just how you want it.

Apple acknowledges iPhone 5 camera problem

There has been quite a huge discussion about the so called purple flare of the iPhone 5 camera. Now, finally Apple has taken a statement when they answered an angry customer. They acknowledged the problem and said that you shouldnt point your iPhone 5 camera into bright light sources when taking pictures. Well thats one hell of a great solution.

Should you update to iOS 6?

After playing around with iOS 6 for some time i would like to make a post about whether it makes sense to update your iOS from an iphoneographers point of view or not. Now i know that iOS 6 has been out for more than two thousand years and you are probably all thinking: What next? Is he going to tell us that a new iPhone came out?
In fact i always wait some time before updating my iOS because you never know what they screwed up this time. No but seriously, i first wanted to check everything out well before making a post about it.

Camera+ for iPad with new features

Personally, i love editing photos i have taken with my iPhone on my iPad. The bigger screen just makes everything so much easier. Then again, its a shame when app developers don't make HD versions of their iPhone apps. Now, the makers of the famous app Camera+ have finally released a version for the iPad which even includes new features.

iPro lens mount for iPhone 5

 
If you happen to own the Schneider Optics iPro Lens System and the new iPhone 5, you probably already know that these two dont work together pretty well. The guys from BoPhoto have taken up on  this problem and got a solution for you. In fact i would even dare to say that this solution is even better than what the original iPro Lens System has to offer.

How to create this rainbow effect

In this short tutorial i would like to show you how to create such a photo using only your iPhone or iPad, a few apps and the Olloclip with its Macro lens. It is actually pretty simple and can be done within 5 minutes. But as always, the more time you invest, the better it gets. I will also cover a part of how to enhance pictures of an eye, so if you want to go for that, this tutorial could also be a help for you.

645 Pro got an Update and reaches version 2.0

If you own the app 645 Pro, i have so good news for you. The app finally reaches version 2.0 and  got a huge update. If you dont know what 645 Pro is, shame on you and go read about it here.
In my opinion it is the best camera replacement app you can get for your iPhone, and here is the list of the new features:

iPhone 5 as a camera

Gamestar.de

It's finally here! The smartphone that iPhoneographers from all over the world have been waiting for: The iPhone 5. But is it a hit or a miss? Since you all probably already have seen the features of the new iPhone, i would like to talk more about the camera and if it is worth to upgrade from an iPhone 4/4S from an iPhoneographers point of view.

SloPro - Slowmotion videos with your iPhone

I am constantly looking for gem's on the App Store that really stand out from the crowd. In this case i found a cool app called "SloPro", and it does what no other app i know can: With this free app (more functions come with IAP: 2,99€) you can finally take slowmotion videos with your iPhone.
Don't ask me how the developers did this, but it works. And boy does it look good for a simple app.

iLightningcam gets an Update

One of my favorite apps called iLightningcam just got a new update that comes with tons of improvements. These include:

Captured with iPhone 4S & iLightningcam - unedited

• Completely new and redesigned UI
• Assistant for easily finding the best settings
• New artifact reduction mode (only for night and fixed position)
• New exclude lower 4th mode for better city pictures
• Better feedback in video mode (click sound, picture preview)

iPhone Camera Zoom tips

The iPhone camera zoom has been our companion since the iOS 4 update. That was the day when Apple decided to include a digital zoom in their standart camera app. Now the problem we have here is that this zoom isnt a real optical zoom.

Instead of "dragging" your desired object closer to you, the camera fakes a zoom effect by digitally cropping and resizing what you see on your display. This means that everytime you increase the zoom, the quality of your final picture will get worse and worse. So instead of getting frustrated with some blurry pictures because of your zoom, we got you some important tips on getting the best out of your camera:

Official Keynote date announced!

There are a lot of rumours out there, about whether the new iPhone is thinner, has a bigger screen, a microwave included, a new camera and so on. But lets face it, we wont know anything for sure until Apple tells us what features the new iPhone really has.

Correct your Olloclip lens distortion with Ollocorrect

If you own the Olloclip 3-in-1 lens for the iPhone 4 or 4S, then you probably already know about the problem of the so called "barrel distortion". This is especially obvious when using the wide-angle lens, which is why i haven't been using that lens very often. Now the creators of Olloclip have released a brand-new app called "Ollocorrect" which is supposed to fix this issue.

Mini Microscope for your iPhone

They did it again. Whenever i think that the maximum of useless iPhone accessories has been reached, someone finds something even more useless and mounts it on his phone.
In this case, its a microscope.
I can already see myself standing infront of a tree, observing it with my iMicroscope saying "Yep thats definately wood". While i still don't fully understand who is actually the target group of this gadget, i cant deny that i would love to try it out at least once.

Free video-tutorial for Street Photography with your iPhone

If you live in a city, street photography is probably the first thing you will have to learn if you starting shooting pictures with your iphone. But since i live in a village, i dont have that much experience in this field. Doing some research, i found a very interesting link that will help you if you are interested in street photography with your iPhone. 

Add some fire to your pictures

Today i want to show you this cool, eye-catching effect right here. Yes, this was done only using an iPhone. It is actually really easy and can be done within 1 minute. But as always, the more time you spend tweaking and enhancing your photo, the better it gets. So let's spice up your picture with some fire. You will actually only need two apps: Snapseed & FX Photo studio.

A living Canvas for your Instagram

Are you a frequent user of instagram? Well i am not, but if you are, then you should definately check out this Kickstarter project. Instacube is a square real-time digital photo frame for your Instagram feed. That means it will work like Photostream:
Whenever you take a shot with Instagram and are connected to WiFi, it will be automatically uploaded to Instacube. But it doesnt stop there. Instacube also shows you the photos of the people you are following on Instagram, and replaces instantly old photos with newer ones.

Since the project is already funded, you can be sure that you will get something for your money, so if you are interested, go to their page and preorder yours now! Price starts at 149$ per Instacube.

For more information, check out their Kickstarter Page.

Create infographics of your iPhone photos

Have you ever wanted to know alot more about the pictures you've taken with your iPhone? Want to make an infographic out of them? No matter what, i know you want to do it now. Photo Stats is the solution to your hitherto unknown problem. It takes all the information of the pictures in your camera roll, and gives you a great minimalistic looking infographic.

6 tips for shooting Macro

One of the main reasons why i bought the Olloclip was the macro lens. Macro photos have always been something that never ceased to amaze me! 

Whenever i put this lens on my iPhone, i feel like a whole new world appears infront of me. What has been small and meaningless before, suddenly gains life and looks simply stunning. Here are some tips and tricks i found useful whenever i went out to capture the small things in life. 

 
1. Observe the light:
As always, light is your best friend. Keep an eye on all the reflections you see around you. The problem with macro photography is that you dont always see the perfect picture right infront of you. Its the small things that count, and you will probably stand infront of the perfect situation and dont even recognize it. Sometimes it is the best to just stand or sit in one place and watch the light and observer where the sunrays reflect.

iPhone HDR photography

In this quick tutorial, i want to show you how to blend images with the HDR technique, using Pro HDR.

For this, you will need:

1. Pro HDR
2. Any app that lets you adjust the exposure of your image (Photoshop Express, Snapseed, etc)

Original picture

Photo editing tutorial #1

Welcome to my new section of this blog. Here, i will show you which apps i used and how i used them to manipulate a certain picture. In this case, its a quick shot i took when i didnt have much time. After looking at it later on, i felt like i could have taken a better picture, which kind of annoys me. As you can see, a badly taken picture cant be "apped" that much better. Anyway, here is what i did:

1. This is the original picture i took.

iPhone DSLR Mount

Sometimes i ask myself, how can i make myself look more like a complete idiot while taking photos with my iPhone. Thats when i found the perfect solution for my problem. Ladies and gentleman, i proudly present the iPhone DSLR Mount by PhotoJoJo:

How to photograph silhouettes

Silhouettes are a really popular photography technique that is of course also possible with your iDevices. The reason for their popularity is that they make the scene look really dramatic and just capture a perfect moment and mood.

In fact a good silhouette-photo just consists of a few important things:
A simple subject (can be a person or a object), and a bright background (if possible with some great colors). Well thats it! Now all thats left is the contrast of the subject and the background, leaving the viewer of your photo with his imagination to think what is really going on here. The cool thing about silhouettes is in fact that you dont see everything and have to make up things for yourself. This makes them so much more interesting than a normal picture. You only get a small taste of what is really going on.

Rays is now FREE

Rays is an app from famous developer Digital Film Tools that lets you create stunning and realistic light ray effects quickly and easily on your iPhone or iPad photos and right now you can grab a copy from the App Store for FREE.

In my opinion Rays is a really cool app to play with, and even though you will probably use it seriously only a few times, it is totally worth grabbing it right now. This effect works best under low light conditions with one light source that is not too bright. And i really have to say i havent found an app that does this one thing better than Rays!

Original picture

Camera+ - App review

Camera+ is one of the top rated and downloaded photo-apps in the App store of all times. Many people used this app (before 645 Pro) as a camera replacement and was simply one of the reasons photography with iPhone's got so famous.

Now there are several reasons for this. First of all, the camera app has alot of great features that the standart one does not have, eg. burst mode, timer, etc. But in my opinion the real game changer were the filters and all the editing options. Now of course you can do all the trivial stuff like cropping, flipping and all that. But what really stands out are the scenes and the filters. The reason for its success is that the lead developer and creator, John Casasanta, knew exactly what people wanted and expected from an iPhone app, and understands the rules behind viral marketing for software sold on the App Store. Despite of a 4-month ban that kicked Camera+ out of the App Store due to a functionality the developers shouldn’t have implemented and hidden without telling Apple, the app has been an example of modern success in the App Store, granting its developers a renowned position in the top charts with millions of copies sold worldwide.

Olloclip - Review

After some time of research and some angry calls with TNT i finally own an "Olloclip" now! I have always been keen on some cool lenses for the iPhone, and most people recommended me this 3-in-1 set. So i didnt waste alot of time and went hiking to get some example-photos for you.

So what is the Olloclip? 
The Olloclip is a gadget that comes with 3 different lenses for your iPhone 4/4S (sorry iPad users). The whole package contains a Fisheye, Wide-Angle & Macro lenses, lens caps for both ends and a microfiber lens cleaning cloth that is also a bag that you can put the olloclip in to keep it safe.

iLightningcam works

Remember when i posted my small preview on iLightningcam, the app that lets you take easily pictures of lightnings? Well since then there haven't been many thunderstorms where i live, until yesterday!
So i got superexcited, stayed infront of my window and did my best not to catch a cold. Well, seems like i am better at doing the first thing, since i am ill now.

Anyway, you didnt come here to hear me complaining about why my parents never bought me Actimel when i was younger.
Here are my results with this cool app:

Cool trick for remote shutter release

Now probably everyone should know that you can use the volume button of your iPhone to take a picture. For many people this was even the most brilliant feature of the whole (now quite old) iOS 5 update (me included). While this improves the feeling and even the final result quite well, there is still a chance for a shake when you press the button. This can be frustrating especially when you take pictures with night mode, where every shake will break your photo.

Rainy Daze - FREE today

Rainy Daze is a new app from developer JixPix that lets you add different rain effects to your picture. The app comes with 3 unique powerful styles: Rain Shower, Romantic Rain and Vintage Rain. Each one of them gives your photo a moody look. You can also adjust the amount of rain from a light drizzle to a heavy shower, change the lenght and the angle of the rain and much more.
I am going to update this post later when i have time to edit a few pictures with it, but already now i think this app is more than just one of these simple filter-adding tools. You can adjust quite a few things, so its not just 3 presets that can't be changed the way you would like.

Original Picture

Kickstarter project - Paparazzo

Today i want to show you yet another Kickstarter-project for iphoneographers. The gadget is called "Paparazzo" and the creators claim its a simple accessory that "gives you just the right light at just the right time."
In fact, the Paparazzo makes your iPhone look like one of these old cameras. So far i think this is something really cool. One problem of the iPhone 4/4S's camera is that the flash makes everyone ugly. No seriously, if you are in a disco and a friend aims at you with his iPhone, your best bet is to hide yourself behind that poor guy right next to you. Almost every picture i have taken at night with flash of people (the flash isnt strong enough to light out bigger areas) looks terrible.
Now if the guys behind this idea are able to do a better job than Apple, this gadget could really improve every picture i take at night.

PhotoForge 2 - App review

PhotoForge 2 is one of the most popular photo-editing apps on the App store. Some people say that it is the true "Photoshop" on iOS. Well time to check out if thats true and if i might ditch my loved Snapseed for it!

When you first start the app, you recognize the sheer amount of tools and effects. I didnt know where to start off , so i started zooming in and found out that you can zoom until you only see pixels. This is already something cool i wouldn't have expected.
After taking a look at all the different tools this app offers, i can already say that this app has something to offer for everyone. Whether you are a serious amateur who can sit hours infront of one picture, trying to get the best out of it or if you are a casual iphoneograph who enjoys editing his new picture with some small adjustements.

Camera Awesome - App review

Original picture of my gerbil

Camera Awesome is one of these camera replacement apps that include lots of filters for later editing. Just like the more famous brothers "Pro Camera" and "Camera+".
Smugmug, the creators of  Camera Awesome, decided to make a freemium app out of it, in order to become a significant rival to the other already successful apps. My only problem now is, that it isn't actually free. You get a basic filter set (which is quite nice) but have to pay for each new set consisting of 9 filters. If you want to get all the filters and effects, you need to pay 8€, which is in my opinion way too much for what you will get from such an app.

6 tips for better iPhoneography

In this article i want to give you some tips i learned with my experience.

1. Forget the standart camera app: The sooner you ditch the built-in camera app, the better for you. Once you get used to better apps like 645 Pro (my favourite) or Camera+, you dont want to get back to the normal one. These alternatives just have much more features, are able to produce lossless JPEG's or even .tiff-files, have filters, better sharing options and just deliver a much better package than the standart app. Try to keep these apps within thumb reach on your home screen.

Stabilise your videos with Stabil-i

If you are into filming with your iPhone, you sure wanna check this new gadget on Kickstarter out:
Its called the Stabil-i, and the creators claim that it will eliminate every shake in your video. If you ever made some videos with your iPhone, you know how hard it can be to keep your hand steady in order for the video not to look like a sober alcoholic made it. The right tool can clearly make a difference here, even though the iSight camera app of the iPhone 4S already has improved stabilization. The gadget itself looks very promising, and after watching the whole commercial i was very impressed. Even though i rarely use my iPhone to film anything, this gadget might change my mind on it.

Remove unwanted objects with TouchRetouch

Don't you hate it when you have a gorgeous landscape, wonderful weather and the perfect mood, but also other tourists/unwanted objects infront of your lense?
This app called "TouchRetouch" is the perfect solution. With a few simple finger swipes, you are able to "cut out" unwanted people or things of your picture. The cool part is that this app doesnt stop at cutting an ugly hole in your photo, but it analyzes the part around it and fills the hole with what would be there if there wouldnt have been that person/object in the first place.

Sounds like magic? It maybe is.

I tried it out with a picture you might already know if you have been browsing this blog from the beginning, and i bet my soul (the one i havent already sold to satan) that you didnt see it was edited with TouchRetouch when you first saw it.

Here is how it works:
 

Take photos of lightnings with iLightningcam

Last night was pretty stormy where i live, and while lying in my bed, hearing the sound of a nearby thunder, i asked myself if it is possible to take a picture of a lightning with the iPhone.
So i did some research and found the app "iLightningcam" (1,59€).

Edit, arrange and share your photos with Layout

The creators behind the five-star app "Halftone" have released another photo-editing app called "Layout". With this app you can simply split a frame into sections with the swipe of your finger. Then you can add your pictures of choice to these frames, edit them, change the background and add some stickersWhen you are done, you can upload your arranged photos to facebook 7 twitter, save them to your camera roll, print them out or mail them to someone.

Light painting with your iPhone

Light painting has always been something that never ceased to amaze me. So i started asking myself if this is also possible with an iPhone. Now the problem is that the iPhone cant extend its exposure time, making it impossible to do light painting with your standart camera app.
Luckily, there are a few app's out there that can "fake" this effect, for example "Magic Shutter" (2,39€).

Kickstarter Project: "The 3RDi Kit"

If you have a great idea for a gadget but don't have a huge budget in order to risk a failure, Kickstarter is a great and rather safe platform to make your idea come true.
The "3RDi Kit" is one of these ideas. This gadget bills itself as “first high end camera kit for an iPhone 4/4S”.

Your pictures on blocks

Ever wondered what else you can do with your pictures, beside uploading them on your social networks? How about printing them on a block!

Yes thats right, the guys over there at imageblocks will print your picture of choice on to off-cuts of metal, that will be mounted on to blocks of rescued timber to make an eye-catching alternative to photo frames. Even though its not cheap, the final product looks well polished and since they use waste materials, its even for a good cause. So unless you are an italian plumber that enjoys breaking blocks with your head (yeah i look at you there, Mario!), you get a sturdy alternative to boring frames. Personally, i think this would be a great gift since it is very personal and perfectly crafted at the same time. There aren't many things out there nowadays that can gloat over both these things.

Right now, a gloss 100x100x32 of  "Vic Ash" costs 45$. Visit their site for more information and pricing.

iPhoneography travel tips

If you enjoy travelling as much as i do, then you probably also want to bring some good pictures home. And since you want to get the most out of them, i thought i might share with you a few things i have learned the hard way on my trips.  

Taken and edited on my iPhone & iPad

645 Pro - App review

When 645 Pro was announced, iphoneographers all around the world knew that this app would change something. Just the fact that it is able to export a .tiff-file (an uncompressed version of your picture) would open new doors for professionals. So what are the key features of this hyped app?

Snapseed - App review

Let's face it. The amount of photo-editing apps on the Appstore is huge. Many people find themselves standing infront of it and asking themselves which app would be good to start with.
Snapseed claims to be a perfect post-processing app for beginners but also for more experienced people. So let's check the features out:

iPhone as a camera

Recently i have been thinking why people should use their iPhone as a camera replacement for a DSLR, and in what fields it is superior to other professional cameras. So here are 7 reasons why your iPhone doesnt have to hide in shame of a DSLR.

1. You probably always have your iPhone in your pocket, which means you are always prepared to take a picture and dont need to remind yourself to take your SLR with you.
2. Edit your pictures everywhere! No need to upload them to your PC/MAC first.
3. The same applies to uploading them to the internet. With your iPhone, you can upload your pictures to your favorite social networks of choice (facebook, twitter, flickr, tumblr, etc) where ever you want.
4. The huge amount of apps on the app store allow you to edit your pictures in many different ways. Of course the results arent the same as with Photoshop, but you can get quite impressive results.
5. With different accessories you are even able to take underwater pictures, fisheye- and widerange pictures, do light painting and much more.
6. Your iPhone takes much less space than a SLR or even just a normal digital camera. 
7. If you consider buying an expensive camera, but didnt really get in touch before with photography, starting out with your iPhone can be a great way to get in touch with it and see if it gets you hooked.

Summa summarum i believe that the iPhone-camera, combined with some essential apps is a very powerful tool that can surely compete with other digital cameras. Still, if you want to get the most out of a situation, a high quality SRL leaves the iPhone camera behind. But if you already own an iPhone and don't want to spend another 600€ for a SLR, the iPhone is your weapon of choice. So go out there and take some great pics. Many people wont even find out you just made them with your smartphone.

ACDSee Camera Flash - App review

Have you ever taken a picture with your iPhone and just wished there would have been a giant flashlight attached to your phone? Yes?
Then this app might just be what you need. "ACDSee Camera Flash" is a free app that claims to lighten up your picture, even if its almost pitchblack. I wanted to try it out with a picture i have taken a while ago when i was at Mallorca. I tried to push it as far as i could, and the results are here:

Original picture

Postprocessed with ACDSee Camera Flash

As you can see there is much grain in the second picture, especially in the black regions. Yet, those parts which were already a bit lightened up, are now totally bright and clear. And by trying to get a balance between too-much-grain und good brightness you can get quite far with this simple app.


Conclusion:

This app does just one thing. And it does it perfectly. And for free.
What else do you need? Go and grab it if you ever think you could use this function for a quick improvement.

A sign of life

Hello everybody!

Welcome to my new blog about Iphoneography and everything iPhone-iPad-photography related.
On this blog I will show you how you can make the best out of your iPhone's camera, which apps I use for post-processing and I will share pictures I have taken and edited on my iPhone.


I hope you will find something interesting here.

See you soon!

Yours,
Manuel