52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 10

Technically, I’m a few days late with this week’s challenge, which has the theme of Hometown. It is a funny kind of theme for me because my entire adult life has been spent in a borrowed, ever-rotating, hometown. Right now it’s Cambridge, UK but that will be changing soon. It was my hometown for this past week though, so I shot this photo:

ISO 25 f/2.2 1/183 sec 4.2mm

Shot while out on a walk along the River Cam, on a windy but not rainy day. This photo was edited with Luminar 3. I’ve added my own custom vintage look to it and from there tweaked the shadows a bit more.

Your comments are welcome below.

Cheers!

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 9

For this week, the challenge is Mood. I went with an interpretation of the weather, which has been tough this month, and we are forecasted for another named storm to blow through this weekend. It’s been a windy month in the neighbourhood:

Long Exposure with Luminar

This photo was shot as a long exposure and then had the Luminar Look, Camden Fade added to it.  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Cheers!

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 7

Who doesn’t need another love story for Valentine’s Day? Here’s mine, in photography form:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.2mm 1/3077 sec

It’s two of my neighbours who I love to visit with. I’ve edited this in Luminar an added the “Wonderful” look at 85%.

Cheers!

Added to the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge.

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 6

For this week’s challenge, which is #nofilter, I went with an image that I thought was more about the storytelling possibility than the technical perfection of the image. This is my choice:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.15mm 1/100sec

I think there is a lot of tension between the living and the dead in this image. The photo challenge for this week stated that there were to be no added filters but allowed for basic edits. I opted out of editing at all, so this is an “as-shot” image. Your thoughts on the image are welcome below.

Added to Week 6 of the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge.

Cheers!

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 5

I love snowdrops for several reasons so today I booked myself a spot on the snowdrop tour at Anglesey Abbey. What fun and the weather was even tolerable. I took both my iPhone and my Canon 80D. For this post, I am sharing a photo from my smartphone:

ISO 25 f/2.2 1/50sec 4.2mm

For this edit, I’ve added the Luminar Looks, Camden Fade and Morning Fog:

ISO 25 f/2.2 1/50sec 4.2mm

I’ve added this to the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge, Symmetry, in honor of how symmetrical and balanced these lovely little flowers often are. Also, I’ve added it to Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome below.

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 4

This week the smartphone challenge is warmth. Lots of times when I am out walking I go into local parish churches. They are older buildings usually and tend to be freezing. There is something about sunlight through stained glass though that always makes me feel warm:

ISO 80 f/2.2 4.2mm 1/33 sec

For this edit, I cropped the image slightly. I dropped the highlights and blacks sliders and boosted the shadow, whites, luminance, and small details sliders. I then added the Luminar look, Quay, which definitely boosted the warm tones in the photo:

ISO 80 f/2.2 4.2mm 1/33 sec

Your thoughts and comments are welcome below.

Cheers!

Added to Week 4 of 52 Week Smartphone Challenge.

 

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 3

For this week the topic is Black and White. I started with this scene:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.2mm 1/272 sec

I liked this as a color image but thought it might make a nice black and white as well.  The edits are done in Luminar. In addition to the black and white filter, I’ve also added the Orton effect, matte look, and a vignette. The edited version is this:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.2mm 1/272 sec

Your comments are welcome below.

Added to the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge.

Cheers!

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 2

The challenge for this week was to use the rule of thirds. As I was working on this, it seemed to me that my use of the rule was maybe a bit subtle, so I took a screenshot with the rule of thirds grid showing on the photo:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.15mm 1/100sec

That lower left point is where I am focusing the visual interest of the image.  Here is the final edit:

ISO 25 f/2.2 4.15mm 1/100sec

I took this image just a few days ago. I was out on a walk and happened across a few WWII pillboxes, including this one on the path that went through the middle of a field. A bit of an unexpected find. The edits, done in Luminar, are mostly for clarity.

Cheers!

Added to 52 Week Smartphone Challenge.

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: Week 1

If you have been a visitor to my blog over the last several years you will know that while this blog is always about photography, it has also changed focus over time. Part of the reason why “journal” is included in the name of this blog is to reflect this space as a place where I keep track of my photography work.

My iPhone is an integral part of my camera gear, so this new 52-week smartphone challenge was intriguing to me, so I am going to give it a try. This week’s challenge is to take a self-portrait without showing your face. Here is mine, taken this morning:

ISO 32 f/2.2 29mm 1/100sec

I’m reflected here in a few ways. First, if you can’t find me, check outside, I might be there. Second, this has been edited in Luminar 3 which is my go-to editing software at this time. Third, see those birds? don’t they seem unusually large for the branches they are perched on? Equally as unusual is for me to take a photo with my phone in the landscape format. I thought this challenge might be a way to change my habits, alter my self-portrait if you will.

Your thoughts on the photo are welcome below. The link to the challenge is above, including the parameters and other such information.

Cheers!