Mextures–Mobile Ready Textures FREE!

Merek Davis has an amazing array of FREE mobile ready textures called Mextures.  I just downloaded the three FREE sets and can’t wait to get started.

Watch the video to learn more about Mextures.

Mextures Tutorial | Photoforge from Taylor Allen on Vimeo.

Portray–An App Tutorial and Giveaway!

I am so excited to be able to give away one of my favorite apps…Portray!  I only discovered it a few weeks ago and already it’s become one of my go to apps when editing for a sketchy look.  I’ve used it as a stand alone app without any additional editing and also incorporated by blending a layer edited in Portray with other layers edited with additional apps.  The variety of combinations is extensive given all the different styles and adjustments within the app.

It’s simple to use.  Load your photo and choose from 17 Settings to begin your edit.

For my example, I chose Fully Drawn.

I then used the eraser to remove some of the outer edges of the sketch.

Next, I changed the sketch style to All Scratched Up (you can choose from 14 styles) and I also changed the color style to Graphic Print using the separate color menu (23 styles to choose here!). 

Finally, I changed the paper style (10 styles) to Handmade Washi.  I love the result!

Here are some more edits I created using Portray.


Portray is more than worth the 99-cents purchase price, but right now I’m having a GIVEAWAY!  If you want a chance to to add this gem of an app to your camera bag for FREE, just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered. You have until noon PST on Saturday, February 2nd to enter. 
Good Luck!

***Please be sure to leave contact information – If I am unable to contact you another winner will be chosen***.

Koci Hernandez - Mobile photography tools usher in new era of photography

This 10-minute video by Richard Koci Hernandez examines the role of mobile photography.

Dan Marcolina’s Mobile Masters Released! I got it FREE!

I’m not sure if it’s just ME, but I went to purchase the new Dan Marcolina Mobile Masters app and it was FREE!  Head on over to the App Store and see if it’s FREE for you as well.  I was expecting to pay for it and it would have been worth the price, but today turned out to be my lucky day!

Mobile Masters (available NOW) from dan marcolina on Vimeo.

Winner of Aquarella

The winner of the JixiPix Aquarella giveaway is Michael Clawson.  Congrats Michael!  I’ll be in touch to send you your promo code.

To all who entered and didn’t win, stay tuned as next week there will be a giveaway for another really cool app!

The Phenomenal Mobile Photography of Radu Negru

As a long time admirer of @theradu (on Instagram), I considered breaking my rule about only featuring mobile photography just to showcase his work.  I ASSUMED his work was shot with a DSLR.  After all, no one can get the shots he does with just a mobile device…or so I thought!  When I found out that his amazing images were shot with an iPhone, I immediately approached him for an interview.  Below is our conversation and a sampling of his beautiful work.

Geri:  Your IG friends know you as @theradu, what is your real name?  Where do you live?
Radu:  My name is Radu Negru.  Oxford/England it’s been my home for the last eight years

Paris (above)

St Mary’s – Oxford (above)

Geri:  How long have you been creating mobile art?
Radu:  More than 5 years now… I use my phone camera more than making phone calls. One thing I never leave behind it’s my phone charger (indispensable:)

Examination Hall – Oxford (above)

Style of a commuter – London Tube (above)

Geri:  Do you have an art or traditional photography background?
Radu:  Never studied photography however I did study landscape architecture and performing arts. Fashion design advertising also played an important role in defining my approach to photography.

Geri:  Do you have specific photo shoots in mind, or do you just shoot what you see during your day to day life?
Radu:  It happens quite often to see the world around me in photo frames. Instantly I stop and shoot, trying to reproduce what my imagination had “pre-approved”. I commute daily and the advantage of it (apart from seeing the most beautiful sunsets on the countryside of the shire), it’s the fact that I spend a lot of time out and about. Oxford itself it’s a very diverse and eclectic environment and it stimulates my creativity wonderfully.

Encore une fois black / white (above)

Geri:  Your gallery includes portraits, landscape, architecture, color and black & white - do you have a preference?
Radu:  There’s something about architecture and perspective that draws me in.. much prefer black and white shots with heavy dark tones and contrast. Probably because I much admire early photographers like Brassai.. That kind of photography it’s a lost art. They carried heavy equipment along, set up in the right place and waited patiently until the right moment came along and then press the button. Once. And that was it. Photography nowadays it’s affordable and comfortable. I take 100 shots, edit 10, upload one maybe 2… I like editing only to a certain extent – without distorting the reality.

Venezia (above)

La Roumaine (above)

Geri:  When you shoot with your iPhone, do you use the native camera or a specialty camera app like ProCamera or Camera+?
Radu:  Always relay on the native phone camera with only the HD option activated. I like it as plain as possible in order to edit it afterwards more freely.

Geri:  Do you have any favorite apps?
Radu:  Quite a few, the most useful for me are Snapseed and Photo FX. BlurFX  (lovn’it), FilterStorm…

Geri:  Please share a bit about your editing process?
Radu:  Every shot will end up in Snapseed, indisputably. After playing with the tones, brightness, contrast and maybe cropping it goes to Photo FX. This is were I decide whether or not it stays in colour or becomes black and white. If bw, then ends up in Noir Photo and potentially in ScratchCam FX. I much prefer using Juxtaposer and BlurFX lately…

Venezia (above)

Venezia (above)

Long lasting love…(?) back to the basics above)

Geri:Have you ever exhibited your work?  If not, any plans to do so in the future?

Radu:  I do have two Oxford shots on a permanent display in Queen’s Lane Coffee House in Oxford. It’s the longest established coffee house in Europe and quite touristy. Future 10-piece exhibition (mobile photography exclusive) soon to happen.

Geri:  Do you have any interesting stories revolving around your photo shoots?
Radu:  I almost got thrown out of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) for shooting in a temporary exhibition space by the security who kept saying ”there’s no debate about it, step outside now sir”. I was not even taking photos of the exhibits but the people around them….I had to play touristy card and pretend not to understanding much. Since English it’s not my first language that came easy. Photos deleted.
In Oxford, while shooting during the graduation ceremony days, I caught some great snaps of drunken but terribly happy students with their university gowns messed up and covered in flour, feathers, glitter and all. They did spot me shooting but since on public space there’s was little they could do. They explained that if seen in official ceremony gowns in that state – could be a problem for them; I did promise not to post them on popular social media platforms such as Twitter nor Facebook. However, hey, did not mention Instagram: ) …. “If you don’t want anybody to find out – then don’t do it” saying couldn’t be more true.

Oxford (above)

Geri:  Anything else you'd like to add?
Radu:  I have a constant fear :) that one day I’ll get caught snapping shots of people around me and being told off if not more. If my phone would go missing I couldn’t  care less about the contacts nor the phone itself but the photos I have stored on. Out of 64GB more than 20GB are photos… I really should consider an external backup.

The other side of St. Paul’s on a moody London day (above)

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Radu and look forward to more of his inspiring work. 

Please view Radu’s galleries here:

Instagram @theradu

Tadaa @therdu

EyeEm @theradu

www.flickr.com/photos/radou

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Friday Favorites No. 21

The latest installment of Friday favorites.  I revisited some apps that I’ve ignored for a while and was very pleased with the results.

Portrait of a Man (above)

App Recipe:  RealSpyCamera, Collage Painter,Glaze, Image Blender and Snapseed

Her Dark Side (above)

App Recipe:  ProCamera, Mirrorgram, Snapseed, ShockMyPic, PhotoCrash, Image Blender, Old Photo Pro, Rainy Daze HD

Office at Subway (above)

App Recipe:  ProCamera and Snapseed

Winter Decay (above)

App Recipe:  Bracket Mode, iCamera HDR

Dance Like No One’s Watching (above)

App Recipe:  RealSpyCamera, Diptic, Portray, Snapseed

Nature’s Pod Nest (above)

App Recipe:  ProCamera, Snapseed

Bags of Chips Abstract (above)

App Recipe:  RealSpyCamera, Snapseed, Glaze

JixiPix releases Aquarella and I have a Giveaway!

I couldn’t wait to get my hands (well fingers) on the latest painterly app from JixiPix.  As a mixed media artist, I know how unforgiving watercolor can be, but now with Aquarella, I can create watercolor images from my photographs!  It was just released and the good news is JixiPix was kind enough to provide me with a promo code for the iPhone version to giveaway.  Scroll down and see how to enter, but first take a look at what I was able to create without any practice!  And no brushes to clean!!!

 

Pretty amazing for my first try!  Just load your image into Aquarella and choose from a number of preset styles (there are 32!).  With the Adjust tab, you can adjust Color Detail, Enhance Colors, Wet Edge Strength and Wet Edge Detail.  You can also select from 6 different Paper Styles.  On to the Wash tab to choose from 63 wash styles!  (Wow!  JixiPix went all out with this app!).  And finally you can adjust the bloom on the paint, choosing from 41 styles.  Each style can be adjusted in strength and you can even reverse the bloom.  I have to hand it to JixiPix, they thought of everything with Aquarella.

Right now Aquarella is selling for $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad versions and $7.99 for MAC.  Good news - I have an iPhone promo code to give away.

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To enter, just leave a comment below (duplicate entries will be deleted).  If you want another chance to win, just tweet the giveaway and let me know you tweeted in a SEPARATE comment.  You can enter up until noon on Sunday, January 27th.  The winner will be announced after noon.  Be sure to leave contact information so I can send you the promo code if you should win!  (If I cannot contact the winner, another name will be selected) 

Good Luck!

Anatomy of an Edit -- “Shine”

Here is a walk-thru of a recent edit.

1.  Original image shot of young woman on tram going to Disneyland with ProCamera.
2.  Moved image to Sketch Club where I sculpted her face a bit by painting in a dark green background.  I also added more color to her lips and dark shadowing around her eyes with a paintbrush on a separate layer.
3.  Moved into Snapseed I adjusted contrast and exposure.
4.  Next into Old Photo Pro for an antique look
5.  ScratchCam FX provided the added texture
6.  Finally into Rays to add the “shine” to the portrait
Here is the finished image

Fotor–Photo Effect Studio

Photo Effect Studio is now powered by Fotor and is currently FREE (I’m not sure if this is a permanent price or temporary one).  Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.  Optimized for iPhone 5.  Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

 

What’s new in this version?

• Increased responsiveness
• Simplified photo importing/capturing process
• Streamlined coding
• Added animations
• Support for 8MP photo processing