iLove iPhone Pics

Ever since I downloaded the Hipstamatic app to my iPhone 3GS, I have been pleasantly surprised with a lot of the shots I've gotten. I know camera equipment, particularly good glass, can make a world of difference in the quality of a photo. But as they say, your best camera is the one that's with you. For me - and many others - that's typically their camera phone.

I'm getting a new camera soon (!!!) so that should no longer be the case. However, I love the ability to instantly see the effects of the different "lenses" and "film" that the Hipstamatic app applies to iPhone pictures.

Here are a few of my favorites...










Lens - John S
Film - BlacKeys SuperGrain
Flash - Standard

Einstein is sharing his smartest discovery of all, in a side street of New York.  

 

Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard

Lens - John S
Film - BlacKeys SuperGrain
Flash - Standard

 









Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard











 The Hipstamatic film applied a sort of x-ray effect to these flowers. Intriguing and hauntingly beautiful!

The following picture was about all I could capture from my vantage point at the Rally to Restore Sanity. I'm not really sure how sane in the membrane we were to join that crush of people, though. 










Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard

 








Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard












Even in very low light situations, I've been able to take some eye-catching photos using the iPhone. Below are two photos from different shows at DC's 9:30 Club.











Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard
















Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard















Even in a dim bar, the different sources of light can make a fun subject. I love the bartender's t-shirt. It is Mr. Monopoly saying, "You just got owned!"










Lens - John S
Film - Ina's 1969
Flash - Standard

What's This? Another Photography Blog?

Why yes, yes it is.

I am a big believer in the power of photography to stir the soul and awaken our senses to our shared humanity. In this blog, I'll be posting photos of my own or sharing ones that others have taken that I find interesting, funny, or inspiring. I also will highlight photographers and photography projects that not only exhibit an eye for capturing life's beauty but also are driven by making a positive difference in our world.

I think anytime you get behind a camera lens to show others how the world looks to you, you're taking a small risk. It can be both exhilarating and anxiety-inducing to share your unique view of a subject. A small percentage of the world's workforce choose to pursue photography as their profession. Among them, these pro photographers capture for us just about every human event, from weddings to war. A much larger percentage of the world own cameras as more affordable equipment is increasingly available. And with Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Picasa and numerous other online photo-sharing applications, pictures can be shared faster, further and cheaper than ever before (just like almost everything else these days).

So yes, this is another photography blog but I hope you'll like it!


The photo below was taken by the steps leading up to the front of the Rotunda. As an undergraduate student at UVa for four years, I must have passed by the Rotunda oh, probably 5,000 times. I was aiming for hyperbole, but that might actually be true. Anyway, it wasn't until my final year, before graduation, that I came across this sundial.

It's message could not have come at a more perfect time...