4 Essential iPhoneography Tips
I am an iPhoneographer. That is, I enjoy taking and reworking photos with my iPhone.
I’m not a professional photographer nor do I harbor illusions that I’m a great iPhone picture taker. I simply like snapping shots, tweaking them with select iPhone apps, and posting them online for anyone who cares to look.
It’s a fun hobby and I want to get better at it. I’d also like to share what’s worked for me so far, based on my experience with a humble iPhone 3G.
So without further ado, here are what I consider to be 4 essential iPhoneography tips. No doubt more can be added; feel free to augment this article with your own insights in the comments section.
1. Invest in good apps.
One reason why iPhoneography has become such a celebrated worldwide movement is the wide range of photography apps available to tweak and enhance your photographs. The ability to instantly transform a random photo into something that looks like a scratched-out, low-fi film shot and quickly share it online is what makes iPhoneography so compelling in today’s wired world.
Not all iphoneography apps are brilliant, however. And just because there are hundreds of apps available in the iTunes app store doesn’t mean you need to download everything (after all, as a wise friend once told me, it’s not about the arrow but the archer).
All you really need is a handful of consistent apps that allow you to shoot with ease and replicate the styles and effects you like most.
I have a number of apps in my camera bag, but after months of taking photos and constantly returning to my most favorite and reliable apps, these are the ones I use the most (you’d do well to look into what others are using too):
Camera+. This is my iPhone’s default camera. It’s fast, has a gorgeous amount of tools and effects, and produces consistently stable images. There are no downsides to Camera+ and if you were to buy only one app, this would be the one to get.
Pictureshow. The range of analog effects in Pictureshow, and the degree of control over how soft or intense you can manipulate these effects, make it an iPhoneography favorite. There are plenty of degradation options and nifty frames to choose from. It’s easily the best lo-fi app out there.
Photogene. One of the better iPhone photo editing tools. It has virtually everything – crop and sharpening tools, color adjustments, filters, special effects, resizing. A must-have if you want comprehensive editing capabilities.
Spica. This is a “super monochrome” app that creates bold and intense black and white photos. Ideal for crisp and high contrast images that are all about the mood and moment.
Cross Process. I love Cross Process because of the really enigmatic images it can produce. The app lets you drain and/or emphasize your photo’s individual RGB elements, generating filmic shots that ooze with character. I find it amplifies the mystery in certain shots. And it’s often the mystery that makes a photo, isn’t it?
TiltShiftGen. This app is designed to adjust photos so that their subjects look like miniature models. Its depth of field tool is fun to play with, as are the color and brightness controls. TiltShiftGen is great for adding drama to photos but it runs the danger of overuse.
Hipstamatic. The classic retro photo app, Hipstamatic is sort of a default app for budding iPhoneographers. I like that you can change film stock, camera lenses, and use a “flash”. And the images it generates are lovely to behold. The only downside is that Hipsta shots are instantly identifiable and make you look lazy. I use the app every now and again but try to keep it in the background so as to focus on other, less “signature” apps.
Your app selection may differ from mine. Certainly there are more that can be used; it’s a matter of comfort I guess. But these have served me well and if you’re just starting out I have no doubt they will be invaluable to you too.
2. Be fearless but smart.
Taking pictures with an iPhone can be a scary thing sometimes. I have a friend who stole a shot of a couple on a date only to be caught red-handed and made to delete the photo (the obstinate loverboy was bigger than my friend and wouldn’t listen to reason, no matter how many times “I’m a photographer, I meant no harm” was invoked).
But some shots just beg to be taken right? The trick is to be fearless but smart.
If you really want the image, go get it! Just be careful you’re not getting in anyone’s face, be respectful at all times, and try not to act like a maniac.
I’ve found that some people don’t mind having their picture taken, especially if I explain what I’m doing first. In other cases, it helps to offer something in return (i.e. buy street kids food in exchange for some pictures of their situation).
If you want to explore an interesting property but there’s a “No Trespassing” sign clearly mounted on an electric fence along with a warning that trespassers will be shot, it’s probably in your best interest to take photos elsewhere. Then again, these restrictions might force you to get different, safer shots that turn out far better than you imagined.
It’s all about respect, caution, and creativity within the bounds imposed on you.
Some countries are pretty anal when it comes to photography. On several occasions in the UK I was asked to stop taking photographs because of private property rules and Child Protection laws, even though I was taking very tame pictures of public monuments!
What I eventually learned was I had to be careful, steal shots in a discreet manner if I could, and avoid taking pictures if the situation just felt wrong.
Above all I learned that negative rules can lead to positive photos, if you take the time to be fearless but smart.
3. Move into the light.
Notice how in movies, faces are almost always lit to one side, with the other side bathed in shadow? Lighting like this captures mood and character in riveting ways. Interesting tonal contrasts can transform an otherwise lame image into something truly standout. It’s just works this way.
Light is your best friend. It will make or break your photo. And while the principle of good lighting is relevant to all photography, it’s especially crucial that you pay attention to light when using your iPhone.
But what’s an iPhoneographer to use without the complicated lighting gear that professional photographers frequently deploy on expensive photoshoots?
Everything else.
The sun is your biggest ally. Photos taken in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is low and angled on a subject, will look better than shots taken with the sun is directly overhead and washing out your image.
This of course means you’re best served by getting up early in the morning or taking late afternoon strolls in search of fascinating sights. Or you could simply be more conscious when going to and from work every day, your iPhone ready as you make your daily commute.
Look for ways to capture sunlight on one side of a subject and use the shadows to create counterbalancing depth and expression.
If the day is overcast or night time is upon you, take photos next to lampposts or other areas where there are interesting lighting points.
The idea is to improvise. Turn your subjects this way and that, or move around until you’ve got the best lighting possible. Turn on/switch off lights (if you can) until you have created enough mood or the right ambience.
Remember, the more creative the lighting, the more captivating your photograph.
4. Hunt for the Shot
iPhoneography isn’t easy. Finding the perfect shot is often an arduous task that involves extensive exploring, loads of photographs, and up to several hours of tweaking and processing using multiple apps.
Sure some pictures just fall into place and require nothing more than a quick snap, some basic processing, and a speedy upload to Facebook.
But more often than not, great pictures need to be sought, mined, and given plenty of thought. There needs to be a conscious effort to look at the world through the eyes of your iPhone and to be alert for images as they reveal themselves.
It certainly takes practice. Sometimes I miss opportunities because I’m simply not paying attention. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a great image pass me by and thought to myself, “Hey that’s pretty…” and then remember I have an iPhone in my pocket as the image sails away.
But when I DO remember I have an iPhone, I whip it out, activate Camera+, and then snap away. The more conscious I am of the world around me, of its beauty, mystery, and ugliness, the more I’m able to hunt and capture moments that would otherwise remain unnoticed.
It requires no small investments of time and energy. But it’s worth it.
So there, my 4 essential iPhoneography tips. Care to add yours?
From Wrong to Write
Four months between blog posts is obscene.
I put it down to depression; I’ve just spent the last four months away from my wife and kids – 9000 miles away in gloomy England to be a little more precise.
What an agonizing, restless period. No wife and kids to share my days with. I can’t say I was inspired to write much. Apart from a bunch of corporate scripts, I produced practically nothing.
But now I’m back and thrilled to be in the company of my family again. And slowly, the urge to blog is returning too.
I just hope the creative juices start kicking in soon.
Writing is certainly like physical exercise; the less you do, the more your muscles atrophy. Right now I feel drained just typing these few words, like a man trying to wake himself up after a long night of binge-drinking. I WANT to get up and drag myself into the sunlight but it requires every ounce of energy just to open my eyelids.
This is going to be tough.
Nobody will bother to read this anyway.
In effect, I’m talking to myself.
Which is OK, come to think of it. It might even be the whole point.
Wake up Daniel. You’re home now; you can start writing again!
Who is Jesus?
“Are you the king of the Jews?” – Pontius Pilate to Jesus
Who is Jesus?
Settle this question and you’ll settle your eternal destiny.
Many people think Jesus was some kind of great moral teacher – a guru, preternaturally gifted and enlightened in supernatural matters. He glided along the dusty streets of Palestine uttering maxims and waving benedictions while smiling at the surging masses. He had slick hair, a dirt-resistant robe, and pioneered in the ways of the Fu Manchu.
Some people think Jesus was a prophet, chosen by God to preach truth and model compassion. His style: heal the sick, warn the establishment. His message: God is justice. He was a man with conviction and was never afraid to speak his mind (and upturn temple tables if he had to). His goal was to restore spiritual equilibrium to a world gone terribly sideways.
Many more believe that Jesus was God incarnate – the Word become flesh, deity in human form. Greater than any guru, mightier than any mortal prophet, His deal was a mission of mercy; die on a cross as a sacrifice for sin and save humanity from eternal hellfire. He was the God who divested Himself of all heavenly privileges, became a man, lived a sinless life, then gave it all away in a bloody death so you and I wouldn’t have to face the righteous wrath of the Father for all our offensive sins.
Which of these is your Jesus?
I’m guessing most people like the guru version. He’s non-threatening and zen, someone you could totally hang out with. You could ask him about marriage, finding a job, or who he thinks will win the Oscar for best actor next year. He’d give you a nebulous, vaguely spiritual answer that doesn’t even touch on the issue at hand – and you’d love it! Because even though he doesn’t make sense, that’s the point.
His truth is his truth, your truth is yours, and if they intersect, then great. If not, that’s OK too. Everyone’s safe, no toes have been crushed, pats on the back abound.
Plus he has a goatee, which just legitimizes everything.
I suppose there’s a sizable amount of people that regard Jesus as merely a human prophet – someone awesome, someone to be listened to, someone who makes sense (more sense than our ambiguous guru, anyway).
Jesus the prophet is a little less safe than Jesus the guru because things are slightly more purposeful with this guy; he lays down the law and asks us to actually do things. He’s not one for abstract ideas; he talks about God, purpose, and the human will. He’s compassionate, yes, but there’s also something militant about his style. His is a call to arms – fight the flesh and fight the world if you want peace and redemption.
But he can’t save you. And that’s why people are OK with him. Prophet-Jesus is just a poster boy for taking on the world; he’s great inspiration, nothing more. He doesn’t demand that you repent of your sins; he’s more concerned that you battle the evil and darkness of the world.
Where guru-Jesus would wave his hands and ruffle your hair if you disagreed with him, prophet-Jesus would wag his finger and remind you of the dagger in his boot.
He’s all about morals. Which is why moral people love this version of Jesus; he smiles on their good efforts and gives hearty thumbs up to all acts of human righteousness. For people who think highly of themselves and are trusting in their own ability to make it back to God, prophet-Jesus is their form of assurance.
And Jesus the Redeemer God? Well, I can tell you now, no one wants this Jesus.
He’s offensive. He says we should love Him so completely that all our other affections must look like hatred in comparison (Luke 14:26). He insists He’s the ONLY way to God (John 14:6) and asks that we follow Him by giving up our lives (Matt. 16:25) enduring hardship (Luke 9:23), and expecting persecution (Matt. 10:25). The Redeemer Jesus tells us to fear God who has the power to damn us to hell (Luke 12:4-5). He asks that we turn our backs on the sin we love (Luke 5:32) and embrace Him as Savior. If we reject Him He says we will die in our sins (John 8:24).
Most people can’t stand this message and want nothing to do with the Redeemer Jesus (John 3:19; Romans 3:10-12). To them the idea of God becoming a man, dying a humiliating death, and rising from the grave to ascend in victory to the heavens is as bizarre as it gets.
And a Jesus that makes hardcore demands of faith? As some ancient Roman graffiti of a man looking up to Christ with a donkey’s head declares, “Alexamenos worships his God”, so the world regards the Redeemer Jesus as an absurd joke.
But still the question remains. Who is Jesus and what do we do with Him?
For one, He wasn’t a guru. Sure He spoke wise things. Yes, He spoke the truth. But far from being a placid, proverb-spouting hippie, Jesus claimed to actually BE divine truth (John 14:6). And while He certainly expected an encounter with Him to lead people to enlightenment, what He offered was far more than a simple expansion of the mind: “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Was He a prophet? Sure. He heralded God and the law in no uncertain terms (Mark 12:28-31; Matt. 5:17-19). He preached truth and spoke as one who had authority (Matt. 7:29). But get this; He didn’t just speak divine revelation – He WAS revelation. “When [someone] looks at me, he sees the one who sent me” (John 12:45). Jesus, being fully God in the form of human flesh, was a tangible display of the divine. He was the face of the Father in all His gracious, loving, and righteous glory.
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) He declared. To look upon Jesus is to look upon God. He was more than just a man preaching hard truth; He was God and the message was Himself.
It’s extremely important that we get Jesus right. He wasn’t just a mere mortal who spoke nice things; He wasn’t simply a human prophet with a temporal, earthly agenda.
Jesus’ words and message transcend those of an ordinary man; He was – and is – the very Son of God, sinless, perfect, eternal. His words are true and He is the ONLY one who can save us from our sins.
If we turn from our evil in humble repentance and embrace Him as Savior and Lord, He has promised to cleanse and forgive us, clothe us with His righteousness, transform our minds and hearts, set us on a new path, and restore us to Himself. The Apostle Paul said it best:
…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-13).
C.S. Lewis’ summation on this matter is definitive and I defer to him for a conclusion:
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Make up your mind about Jesus. Your life depends on it.
On Repentance
I’m reading John MacArthur’s landmark book “The Gospel According to Jesus” and I appreciate the way he explains how genuine saving faith involves more than just intellectual assent to ideas about Christ. The book is a tour de force commentary on so-called “Lordship Salvation” (a concept MacArthur endorses but a term he disdains) and “easy-believism”. It’s filled with incalculable insight into what the gospel really demands of men; I highly recommend it.
I especially appreciate the section on repentance (p175). MacArthur elucidates the fact that to truly be saved from sin one must have “repentant faith” – that is a faith that is characterized by repentance or turning away from a life of sin towards a righteous life in God.
This is a touchy issue, I know. Some Christians, in an effort to make a clear divide between “law and grace” will have nothing to do with repentance, insisting that any show of human works is an obvious violation of salvation by grace alone.
Others will include repentance in their gospel call but insist that it’s merely a matter of “changing one’s mind about Jesus”. They’ll appeal to the original Greek word for repentance – “Metanoia”, which literally translates “change of mind” – as proof that repentance is nothing more than an alteration in one’s thinking.
These approaches, however, are a misunderstanding of the issue of saving faith and consequently they muddy the gospel message.
“As Metanoia is used in the New Testament,” says MacArthur, “it always speaks of a change of purpose, and specifically a turning from sin. In the sense Jesus used it, repentance calls for a repudiation of the old life and a turning to God for salvation.”
Repentance, he goes on to explain, is not just changing your mind about Jesus but an ACT of turning away from sin, a key fruit of genuine saving faith. And the Bible is not ambiguous when it comes to this.
In Matthew 21 Jesus tells a parable that drives the idea of repentance home with considerable force:
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Says MacArthur:
“You may wonder why Jesus did not include a third son who said, “I will” and kept his word. Perhaps it is because this story characterizes humanity, and we all fall short (cf. Rom. 3:23). Thus Jesus could describe only two kinds of religious people: those who pretend to be obedient but are actually rebels, and those who begin as rebels but repent.”
Jesus made it clear that the son who had a change of mind expressed that change by acting on it. He didn’t just reconsider his father’s command; he went and worked in the vineyard.
Change of mind = action = repentance.
Now waitaminute, you say. Does this mean that salvation is dependent on human works? Can a person only be saved if he demonstrates that he can live a good life?
Of course not. Salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-10) and a wholly divine work; man cannot earn it no matter how many good deeds he has performed (Philippians 3:3-9).
MacArthur, wary of the issues that often dog the concept of repentance, reminds us of three crucial things:
“Repentance is not merely shame or sorrow from sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse. It is a redirection of the human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness instead.
“Nor is repentance merely a human work. It is, like every element of redemption, a sovereignly bestowed gift of God. The early church, recognizing the authenticity of Cornelius’s conversion, concluded, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18; cf. 5:31). Paul wrote to Timothy that he should gently correct those who oppose the truth, “if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25). If God is the One who grants repentance, it cannot be viewed as a human work.
“Above all, repentance is not a presalvation attempt to set one’s life in order. The call to repentance is not a command to make sin right before turning to Christ in faith. Rather, it is a command to recognize one’s lawlessness and hate it, to turn one’s back on it and flee to Christ, embracing Him with wholehearted devotion.”
Repentance is therefore an act that a) is beyond simply changing one’s mind or opinion concerning Christ, b) involves remorse and a turning away from sin, c) is actually a gift from God and part of the package of sovereign grace, and d) is NOT a precondition for salvation but rather fruit that comes with saving faith.
If you doubt that last point, consider what James has to say: “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). He’s not saying that you need to have faith + works to be saved, he’s simply saying that it’s easy to say you have faith but if there’s no evidence of it in your life – no fruit – then your faith is probably spurious.
True faith will always show itself in good works. That is, if your faith is genuine, repentance will manifest. If your faith is just empty words, you won’t have any desire to repent and submit to Christ as Lord. In fact, repentance will be impossible because you can’t have one without the other; faith and repentance are inextricably bound up.
John the Baptist castigated the Pharisees and exposed their hypocrisy when he said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Clearly he believed that repentance produced fruit rather than a mere change in thinking. He even listed some practical manifestations of repentance (see Luke 3).
MacArthur cites various Old Testament references to the truth of repentance as an act of turning away from sin. He notes Jonah 3:10 where the city of Nineveh collectively heeds the prophet’s declaration of doom and repents from their evil. Interestingly the Bible says God “relented concerning the calamity” when He “saw their deeds”. As much as God could probably have read their minds and discerned what they thought on the matter, what He looked for were righteous actions as evidence for their change in thinking.
Why is all this important? Because the gospel and people’s souls are at stake. A gospel message without a call to repentance can lead people into thinking that they can just “believe” in Christ without turning away from evil. That somehow they can embrace Jesus as Savior but carry on with a life of sin.
Many are damned this way because they think they’re Christians when in fact, their faith is dead.
We must take care to preach the whole gospel, including calling people to turn from their sin to embrace Christ as Lord. It’s not a call to show how good one is in order to be accepted by God; rather, it is a call to make sure one’s faith is truly living and real.
Stuff! 09/10/10
A couple of hilarious videos and interesting articles, especially one on a new type of phishing attack – well worth the time to read.
Worse Speech Ever?
Minerva, Ohio councilman Phil Davison (who has a Master’s Degree in Communication) gives a speech no one will soon forget.
Seagal and Van Damme in True Impact!
Action icons in the ultimate power flick!
Lashing Out at God in Prayer
It’s fashionable these days to teach that it’s OK to lash out at God in prayer the way Job or Abraham did. RC Sproul addresses this idea and shows us how those outbursts aren’t meant to be followed as models of Christian prayer.
Canada unveils new speed bump: optical illusion of a child
A rather worrying deterrent don’t you think?
Tabnabbing: A New Type of Phishing Attack
“Most phishing attacks depend on an original deception. If you detect that you are at the wrong URL, or that something is amiss on a page, the chase is up. You’ve escaped the attackers. In fact, the time that wary people are most wary is exactly when they first navigate to a site.
What we don’t expect is that a page we’ve been looking at will change behind our backs, when we aren’t looking. That’ll catch us by surprise.”
Sell Out
when you sell your soul
is it like sleeping
with bathsheba’s spirit?
you fornicate, weeping
with unbridled joy
at your fortune turn
gorgeous woman
she’ll make you learn
and drag you down roads
of greater excess
black broken alleys;
more women, more mess
til one day you wake
all wrinkled and sinking
heavy ‘round the waist
and spaced in your thinking
for there they all lie
torn, naked, and poor
sick with their feasting
yet still wanting more
of you and your years
the last days of spring,
the last daze of summer.
fall, winter, they bring
cold snow to your doorstep
a dark creeping frost
it’s then that you realize
how great is the cost;
you sold your soul
for flesh, adulation
the train is now gone
you’re stuck at the station
left far behind
30 years ahead
stubble, fat, baldness
dreams still in your head
when you sell your soul
is it just like dreaming
wide awake? If so
pinch hard and start screaming
Me
Writer, designer, father of two, husband of one. Armchair theologian. Inconsistent blogger and photographer. Still, I try.Tweets
