What I See Right Now

If you've been following me on Twitter, you may have noticed that for the last several days I've been posting a "what I see right now" shot which literally is what I see at that moment. I'll pick a random time of the day, take a pic of what I see with the iPhone, do all of the editing using iPhone apps, and then upload it to Twitter.

Doing this usually takes no more that a few minutes and I upload it right away before I move from that spot, so it literally is what I'm seeing at that very moment. 

I use several different apps for editing: PS Mobile, Best Camera, CameraBag & Hipstamatic. Frequently I'll use more than one to achieve different effects.

So what's the point? I was listening to a photography podcast...wish I could remember which one because I listen to several...and the host was quoting another photographer when he said that "there isn't anything that's not worth photographing." This statement reaffirmed my belief that art is everywhere if you know how to look. Having a camera in my phone gives me the opportunity to capture it  anytime or anywhere, and I like the ability to instantly edit and share while I'm still looking at the subject.

You can follow me on Twitter here, and if you do Facebook you can find me here.

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First Day of Spring in N. Texas

Yes, this indeed was the scene on the first day of Spring in North TX. McKinney got about 6" of snow. This one was taken through a window, obviously. The warmth inside causing drops of water to form on the outside of the window facing a snow covered field.   

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Friends and their Roots

Okay, so this entry isn't really about photography...

Above is an iPhone picture of a piece of a dead tree that was still being held by stakes and not even in the ground. I took this while I was out on a walk with Julia yesterday.

Julia and I had a long conversation during our walk. It's rare that her and I ever get to talk at length about anything, so I really enjoyed our time together.  

As an 11 year old, she feels the need to plan out a good portion of her life now. She and her best friend are planning on going to veterinary school together and apparently they know they are going to be "best friends for life."  My job as Dad is just to smile and say "That's great!" She also mentioned another girl, also named Julia, that used to live down the street from us and how they used to be best friends until she moved away. I talked to her about how hard it is for some people to stay in touch after they move away...people get older and change, they meet new people, they become interested in new things...etc. Julia wondered if the other Julia ever thought about her or even remembers her.

We do live in the age of email, but, obviously, not all young kids know how to use email or are even allowed to use it. But for us adults, really there's no excuse for not staying in touch with people who mean something to you, assuming the friendship is mutual.

I told Julia about a good friend of mine named Craig who moved away when I was about her age. We kept in touch by actually writing letters for several years (this is WAAY before email). By the time we were around 14, I guess we both had moved on with our lives and the letters stopped. I never forgot about Craig. I tried looking him up on-line years later but never had any success. Then a couple of months ago guess who I got an email from...30 years after we had last been in contact. Turns out he's into photography, too. Pretty funny.

So I told Julia that it's very possible that sometime in the future, perhaps even 30 years from now, she might hear from the other Julia, but don't expect that from everyone. I've had more good friends than I can count just drop off the face of the planet. I'm talking about close friends, not just casual acquaintances. The best man at my wedding, by best friend when I lived in Greensboro, NC...lots of people in the last 20 years.

But as far as my childhood friends go, from High School and earlier, I'm actually in touch with ALL of them. Craig was the last one on the list.  

 My final advice to Julia...if a friendship is meaningful enough you'll both find a way to stay in touch years from now. Also stay away from boys.

Wet

There's been lots of the wet stuff in North Texas lately. I've counted 10 straight days. At least on my street. I've been itching to get out and do some shooting, but not in the rain. Instead, I take out the iPhone...yes, I'm blogging about iPhone photography yet again.

 This is the hood of my car during a light drizzle around 5pm. Edited entirely with the Best Camera app right on the iPhone.

 Three entries in a row about cool stuff you can do on the iPhone. Apple should send me a free one. (hint - I don't have the 3GS yet). 

Update on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:13AM by Haberkern Photo

 All the rain has put the TX population of fire ants into hyper-mode. Ant mounds are popping up everywhere. Some over a foot high. Here's an example. Yes, taken with my iPhone.

On a side note, this was my 100th post!

More iPhone Camera Hype

I have been having a blast taking pics with my iPhone. I guess I'm still buzzed about the new Chase Jarvis book, and especially that iPhone app called Best Camera. Just the fact that you can actually stack the filters makes it SOOOO much fun. My Facebook and Twitter friends are probably pretty tired of seeing the strange stuff I've been posting. After this week I'll probably give it a break...maybe. 

The other thing I've noticed is that I can photograph from perspectives not normally seen through a camera lens. The iPhone is small (as is any camera phone) so you can hold it in ways you can't hold a camera. This sometimes gives you a whole different view of the subject.

Coincidentally, Adobe Photoshop has just released their own version of an iPhone app called PS Mobile. Again, you can add different filters to an image but you can't easily rearrange their order without starting from scratch (like you can with Best Camera). The one good feature is that you can crop the image. Best Camera doesn't have that ability.

iPhone: Best Camera

If you follow me on Twitter or if you're part of my Facebook family, you will have noticed I've been posting a whole bunch of iPhone pics lately.

There are two reasons for this. First, my iPhone is the camera I always have with me. If I see something interesting, I can whip it out and grab a pic. Whereas before I would have to drag out the big camera but by the time I got it out and determined what settings to use, I've lost the shot.

Second reason: A new iPhone app called Best Camera. This was developed by photographer Chase Jarvis who just came out with a new book, The Best Camera is The One That's With You. Very true.

The book just arrived in the mail and I've also been having tons-o-fun with the Best Camera app. It has multiple filters you can apply to your images and you can stack them. You can also share your images on Facebook, Twitter or email with the touch of a button. There isn't a photo editing app available anywhere that can do all of those things.

The book and this app came at just the right time for me. Since I've been in a rule-breaking mood, I now have a new tool to do it with. 

If you want a little more info check out this video: