Smoosh: New Fab Painting App from Pixel Blend Creator

Pixel Blend, a painting app that simulates the process of Time Zero Polaroid SX70 emulsion "painting" is one of my favorite apps. Now, Michael Valdez has come out with its easier to use cousin: Smoosh. (Smooshing is what we SX70 enthusiasts used to say we were doing when we moved the emulsion on the Polaroid prints.) I tried it and I love it! It's intuitive and user-friendly - even if you've never heard of SX70 or Time Zero or heaven forbid, Polaroid.

To test it out, I pulled up a "nothing" shot of a rose that I took intending to paint it one day.

I painted (smooshed) it. Even took out the bug on one petal just by smooshing. Cool. It's still just an ok shot, but the paint strokes are wonderful.

 I finished it off with cropping and adding a couple of textures.

 My good friend and photographer Theresa Souers challenged me to "paint" one of her photos so she could watch the process. (Seriously a bit like watching paint dry - not a spectator sport, but we had wine so it went okay.)

 She had this lovely shot of a beached red canoe, mountains in the background, nature all around. After warming and toning with Tiffen PhotoFX app, I set about painting with Smoosh. I liked it a lot, but decided it needed something (always). So I took it into Painteresque app, which is way too much, but combined both images in IRIS app and voila. We both liked it. Collaborative art, once again.

iPhoneography Collaboration In Lake Tahoe

Photography can often be a solitary pursuit. Yet the creative vehicle can get a kickstart from just hanging out with other photographers. A few weeks ago, John Derby, iphoneographer and contributor to this blog, visited me in Lake Tahoe. We thought it would be fun to share a couple shots from each of us and a collaboration photo from both of us.

We each shot modes of transportation.

John's "Pink Chevy"
Location: Lake Tahoe, California, USA Equipment: iPhone 4s, iPad 2 Apps Used: Snapseed, Pro 645, Photoforge 2, Big Lens, Moku HD

Lynette shot this classic wooden boat at the Tahoe Keys marina.
Apps: Pro HDR, Camera+, Romantic HD

Of course, the landscape caught our eyes - as always.
Lake Tahoe Sunset shot by Lynette, walking home from dinner at Zephyr Cove Lodge.
apps: Pro HDR, Pixlromatic.

John went all Ansel on me when he shot this black and white stunner.
Title: Emerald Bay
Location: Lake Tahoe, California, USA
Equipment: iPhone 4s, iPad 2
Apps Used: Snapseed, Pro 645

Finally, John shot this old car and challenged me to app it.

Which turned out to be way too much fun. I used Big Lens to blur the background, Retouch to remove a couple annoying distractions, Simply HDR to pop the car and add a vintage look to the scene. Finally, texture and framing in Camera Awesome (by SmugMug).

A Glissando of Gondolas

If a group of larks is called an exultation, what do you call a bunch of gondolas? A glory of gondolas? A glide? A glissando? OK, maybe I'm going overboard but it is hard not to wax poetic about these slender craft in Venice. I took way too many iPhone shots of them and love them all. I used Slow Shutter Cam to actually paint these moored craft in the dawn light on the Riva degli Schiavoni. I used to think that the light in Titian's paintings was enhanced by a significant amount of imagination but now I see he was just painting what was right in front of him.

I moved the camera during 16 exposures with Average Cam Pro app to create this etched drawing effect.

Simply HDR app help pop this shot of a gondola whispering down the canal.

Creative Photography and iPhoneography Workshop

 Sunset in Kapuaiwa Palm Grove, Moloka`i Hawai`i    © lynette sheppard  iPhone photo

Jack Davis, Photoshop guru, creative animal, and iPhoneography maniac is once again teaching in beautiful Moloka`i, Hawai`i this fall. But this workshop will be a little different. Sure, Jack will explain his down and dirty, way cool optimizing in Lightroom and Photoshop 6. However a major focus will be creative iPhone photography. Woo hoo. The workshop will take place from Nov. 3 - 10 at the beautiful (and photogenic) Hui Hoolana retreat center. Jack will be joined by former National Geo photographers Dewitt Jones (aka handsome hubby) and Rikki Cooke, as well as yours truly. It promises to be a creative blowout. Click here to download the brochure and information about registration. And just to whet your appetite, here are a few of my iPhone images from last year's workshop.

 Looking back at the Palm Grove after walking out in the calf deep ocean.

 Colorful Moloka`i Church

 Ruins of Church at Halawa, East End Moloka`i

 HIbiscus and Bee - Kalani's Flower Farm   East End Moloka`i  © lynette sheppard

 Plumeria Blossom on Leaf - steps from Hui Hoolana.