The Gryphon's Feather Studio

Give your computer photo editing moves like your iPhone's!

Ever wish you could edit photos on your laptop or desktop as quickly and easily as you do on your iPhone or iPad?  You can! 

My inbox had an email from the Nevercenter folks this morning advertising a HUGE sale on their CameraBag 2.5 app for Mac & Windows.  

It is normally $20, but is on sale for a very limited time for $8.  

Nevercenter also has a free, 15-day trial version, so you can check it out before purchasing.

I'm not affiliated with Nevercenter in any way.  I've purchased their apps for my computer, iPhone and iPad.  The original Camerabag app was one of my favorite iPhone apps when I started shooting with an iPhone in 2009.  It was the third app I purchased, and a version of CameraBag has been on my phone ever since!  Their apps have been winning awards for years.

The computer version is available for Mac & Windows (PC) systems.   It offers 150 filters, and the ability to create  and share your own, as well as access the shared filters of other users.  There are a number of great features, but the best part is you can keep it simple! You can just apply their filters, and play with your photos!  Or, if you are interested, you can go in-depth with creating filters and using the photo editing tools. The computer version also supports the use of RAW image files, if you shoot your images in that format. 

 

In my opinions, one of the best thing about Nevercenter's products is the information they include in the "Support" section of their website. I took a quick screenshot of their website from my phone.  You can see they have tutorials and videos for whatever level of experience you have using these sorts of applications.  I clicked on "Getting Started with..." which led me to a page that even explained how to open the app.

 

I had CameraBag 1.5 on my laptop. When Nevercenter updated to 2.0, the update was so huge, and offered so much more, you had to purchase the update.  It wasn't expensive, but I didn't want to spend the money at the time.  When I finally wanted to update, the offer had expired.  I didn't want to pay $20 for the new version, so I just kept the old, which of course, I didn't use as much. 

But, $8?! Heck, yeah!  That's a hella deal! (it's what? 60% off?) I thought I'd pass the info along to all of you, just in case you might find $8, for a terrific piece of photo software, appealing! 

If you are using a Mac, then you already know about the Mac App Store.  You can buy it there for $7.99 using your iTunes account.  If you are PC/Windows, you can buy it directly from Nevercenter, and use the sale code SPRINGSALE when you check out. You can pay via credit/debit or Paypal.  I used the Mac App Store. What? It's a penny cheaper there!  Just kidding, using the Mac App Store was easier - just needed to enter my iTunes password instead of entering all my address and billing info into the Nevercenter site checkout form.  (yes, I AM that lazy.)

You're welcome!

Carry A Camera and Other Simple Tips to Improve Your Photographs

As photographer, Chase Jarvis, said, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”  You can’t make pictures with a camera that is at home in your camera bag, or locked safely in the trunk of your car. Thinking that you wish you had your camera with you to snap a shot, isn’t quite the same as actually making that shot. The first tip for getting great creative images is to carry a camera with you as constantly as possible.  This is where point & shoot cameras excel- they are light and compact- perfect for carrying around in a pocket or bag.  Camera phones are also a terrific resource, since most of use take our phones with us everywhere.  Many camera phones now have cameras with 2 megapixel or greater resolution, making them useful for creating images to incorporate into art journal pages and mixed media pieces. 

 Read the manual that came with your camera.  Unlike the manual that came with your microwave, your camera manual is full of useful and important information. You will learn how close you can get to an object and have it remain in focus, and what settings and features are available to you and how to change them.  The first setting you should change is the setting that determines your image quality - set it to as high quality as possible. Sometimes this setting is also called image size or resolution.   You’ll want to have as large a memory card or memory stick (whatever your camera requires) as is reasonable and be sure to have a spare.  Speaking of spares, have a spare set of batteries, or for a camera phone, carry your charger.

Be aware of the available light.  Shoot in natural light as much as possible, trying not to use your flash.  Camera phones and other lower megapixel cameras  need a good bit of light to do their job.  Low light shooting without a flash, means a longer exposure time. You can avoid blurry images when the light is low by using a tripod.  Invest in a small or ultra-lightweight tripod; they are pretty inexpensive.  Another trick for shooting in low light is to use the self-timer setting (check your camera manual- the symbol will be a clock) to avoid causing camera shake when the shutter button is pressed. A good use for your flash is as “fill” light for specific situations such as when photographing people outdoors in harsh midday sun which leaves strong shadows on faces, or when they are being backlit by a window. The flash will render the lighting more even.  Your camera manual will tell you how to turn off your flash.  The setting button on your camera is often marked with a lightning bolt symbol.

Pay attention to the background in your photos.  Watch for power lines crossing your landscapes, tree branches growing out of your subject’s head, and unsightly clutter.  Especially in landscape scenes, look for the horizon line and be sure it is level.  Check your photos right after you shoot.  The beauty of digital is that you can have a look, and if necessary, try again.

Basic Point & Shoot Camera Settings You Need to Know

 

If you are new to using your digital camera’s functions, besides how to change the image quality of your photos, how to access the self-timer, and how to turn your flash on and off, you should be aware of several other settings.  Information on how to change various settings will be in your manual.  There will also be a visual map of your camera body to point out the locations of various function buttons.

Typically the settings used most often have icons (picture symbols) to designate them.  You should learn how to delete images; the icon for the delete function is a trash can.  There are also settings for shooting modes.  You may see a shooting mode for portraits designated by an icon that looks like the silhouette of a head, a landscape mode designated by an icon that looks like mountains, and a close-up or macro mode designated by an icon that looks like a tulip.  Your manual will tell you the range in feet and meters that each of these settings is intended to cover.  This range will tell you how close or far you need to be to get the most out of each shooting mode. 

Many point & shoot cameras also have shooting modes that optimize exposure and shutter speed for various sorts of special circumstances.  The most common include night scene (an icon of a person or moon with a star), action scene (a person running), snow scene (a snowman), beach scene (beach umbrella), party/indoors (a party horn and confetti), and fireworks (a burst of fireworks). 

Assignment : Camera Manual Scavenger Hunt for Beginners
Using your manual and your camera, figure out how to:
turn off your flash
delete individual photos
delete all photos
reformat your memory storage
discover what shooting modes your camera offers and how to switch between them
find out how close to an object your camera will focus
learn how to set your self-timer