1. Snapseed (editing). This is the app I use to edit my photos. There are lots of other ones out there - and if you are happy with using one already, then great.  If you are looking for a good - free - app for phone editing, then I can totally recommend Snapseed. I have attached some notes re what Snapseed can do which I hope will be helpful. Within Snapseed itself, there are also some short tutorials which are well worth looking at (three little dots in the top right-hand corner when in Snapseed).  The downside of Snapseed is the very basic cloning.  If I want something a bit more precise, I use Retouch, as mentioned below. 

 

2. In case anyone is interested, here is the link to the stick on mirrors I mentioned - just in case anyone wants to get creative:https://www.amazon.co.uk/little mirrors These ones are quite small, but you can get bigger ones too.  

 

3. Selfie sticks (used as a tripod) are great, and I have attached a screenshot below of the various selfie sticks/tripods that you can get from Amazon. This isn’t an up-to-date list, but to be honest they are all pretty much of a muchness. Just make sure is has the detachable Bluetooth remote. 

 

4. Tiny people - These guys are pretty good for small people - https://northwesternmodels.co.uk/ or Google ’model train set figures’ and lots come up.  Lego figures work just as well too.  

 

5. With regard the Apps I use, these are:

Snapseed - editing 

Retouch - much better for cloning and deleting objects than Snapseed although I think it is around the £7.99 price (but worth it!!!) 

Image size - great for resizing images (dpi, cm, mm, inches).

Logolicious - great if you want to put your logo on things - absolutely rubbish name!!!

Erase bg - great if you need to remove the background for something (cut out)

Upscale.media - Use to upscale your images and keep the detail. 

Clos - iPhone - iPhone/iPad remote shooting

The Shutter App - android remote shooting (controlled by your laptop)

Slow shutter - (iPhone only) long exposure app for when I want more than the iPhone’s inbuilt 2 second ‘live’ long exposure, ICM or light painting.  

 

I have attached a screenshot of these below so you can see what they look like.  

 

 

6. You may also be interested in this short article and video about how Nick Knight used AI in his Roses from my Garden Exhibition - https://flowerpowerdaily.com/nick-knight-roses-from-my-garden/ (I wouldn’t be able to do this justice talking about it, so I let Nick talk this through himself and this covers how it was achieved!!!).  

 

7. This is the link to the Petapixel video about the ’Shot on iPhone’ advertising campaigns.  Bearing in mind this was recorded in 2017, a lot has changed in the smartphone camera world since then!!! https://petapixel.com/2017/06/30/truth-shot-iphone-style-ads/  

 

8. Lastly, if anyone would like a clip on lens set (macro, wide angle and fish eye), you can get them here (£10 +P&P) https://www.jetblacksquares.com/shop/ and also the wrist straps too (£5 +P&P). Please note that, if anyone has an older phone where the camera lenses go down the middle as opposed to the side, then these aren’t suitable, and they will need one with a longer ‘arm’. If you also have an exceptionally chunky case, you may need to take it off when using it to avoid light leaks. There are, of course, plenty of them on Amazon too. The wrist straps attach onto your phone case, and just needs a small hole along either the bottom or the side for it to slip through.  

 

Here are also a few tips and tricks as mentioned in the talk.

 

1. Turning your phone upside down gives you a totally different perspective.  

2. Don’t forget to switch lenses (if you can) as opposed to zooming in. 

3. Under-expose to keep the textures and tones. This is especially important at night-time.  

4. To get to the top of a building, under a flower or tree for example, put the camera on to selfie mode.

5. For straight lines and your Rule of Thirds, use the grid.

6. For portraits use portrait mode and (iPhone) either change the F number before (top right), or afterwards (edit, then go to the F number), or on (most) Androids, change the ‘blur’ either before or afterwards (change background effect). Don’t forget Portrait only kicks in when you are a certain distance away, otherwise it’s just a normal lens.  

7. (iPhone) For Long Exposure shoot on ‘Live’ and keep very still for the 2 seconds the word “Live” is visible. Then go to your photo and go to the down arrow (top left), and go to Long Exposure. If you have a Samsung, go to the Pro setting, set your ISO as low as it will go and shutter speed to 1 second. As mentioned last night, it seems you can only use this at nighttime, but you can get some amazing shots.  

8. For reflections, turn your phone upside down and use a puddle (don’t forget the Lego brick), glass table, or anything reflective. You can also get a vertical reflection by using a window too.  

 

 

If you have any questions that are not answered above, you can contact Jeanette directly at jet@jetblacksquares.com

 

The Midland Salon is now open for entries. They have both print and digital classes, and we offered the opportunity to forward prints from our Bristol Salon to the Midland, thus avoiding the cost of postage.  10 members asked for this to be done, but since then some have withdrawn that request.

 

I had thought that we would make a group entry and gain a 20% discount, however the Midland do not seem to be offering group entry this time.  I returned the prints to members (or at least put them in the box on the stage) 2 weeks ago, including those requested to be forwarded.

 

Given there is no group entry then I can/will forward prints as originally planned, of course if you took your prints from the box you will need to get them back to me.

I will be taking the prints to Smethwick on 20 April, everything needs to be with me by 17 April.

 

Some thoughts:

The members whose prints are marked for forwarding are:

Mike Bews

Carol Browne

Ramesh Chauhan

Gerald Gill

David Grierson

Richard Kay

Paul Moran

Derwood Pamphilon

 

Over to you

Ralph