The Best Camera Is The One You Have With You

And that camera is my iPhone 7 Plus.  I am a casual photographer who enjoys taking pictures of my adventures.  Recently I started looking into how to take better pictures.  I have spent hours ...days...okay maybe a week or so, browsing the Internet.  I have read Instructable posts, watched YouTube videos, browsed hundreds of webpages and even took an online course from iPhone Photography School.    Here are some tips that I found helpful...

1.  CLEAN YOUR LENS

Just look at how dirty the front glass on your phone is.  Or your eyeglasses.  It is a good habit to * clean your lens.  Either with a microfiber cloth or your shirt...whatever is handy.

2.  USE THE GRID LINES

*Grid lines help with getting the horizon level.  It is not hard to understand that a level picture is more pleasing.

Grid lines also help compose your picture using the "Rule of Thirds" guideline.  Sometimes it is nice to have the subject in the center of the picture.  However, putting your subject off center can add interest.  There are lots of websites on the use of the "Rule of Thirds".   Here is a simple explanation...

An image should be divided into 9 equal parts 

by 2 equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines.  

The important elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

This is an example using the "Rule of Thirds".  Using the grid lines, I move the subject to line up with the lower left intersection.

*On an iPhone you can turn on the grid lines in SETTINGS --> CAMERA --> GRID.   

3.  AVOID THE ZOOM

The zoom feature on an iPhone is an digital zoom.  That means that when you zoom in it is "cropping" the picture...and if you zoom too much the picture will be grainy.  This is one area that a iPhone camera is weaker than a DSLR camera with optical zoom.

The work around is to * get closer to your subject.  Most pictures are taken at eye level... *try moving around your subject as well as up and down.

Sometimes that is easier said than done.

4.  DO NOT USE FLASH

The iPhone flash is only good for a short distanct.  It will not work for the majority of pictures.  Instead of using the flash try setting the focus and exposure (see tip #6 below).  Have you ever been to a big outdoor event and you see flashes constantly?  The only thing they are lighting up is the person in front of them.

*Set the flash OFF (not AUTO).

5.  KEEP YOUR CELL PHONE STEADY

There are a few suggestions to keeping your cell phone steady. 

* Try using a tripod.  I got this tripod from Amazon for $20.  It can be used as a selfie stick (if only I could master that skill!) and it has a Bluetooth shutter.

* Hold your camera with two hands.  Also, try bracing your hands or camera on a solid surface.

* Even if you use a tripod or have strong hold on your phone, just the act of touching the shutter button on the screen can move it.   A couple alternate methods of releasing the camera shutter is using the volume buttons on the phone or the volume buttons on the iPhone headphones.

6.  SET FOCUS AND EXPOSURE

This feature changed my iPhone photography experience completely.  *You can set the focus on your picture by tapping on the object you want to focus on.  If you hold for a few seconds the focus will "lock" and you will see "AE/AF LOCK" highlighted on the top.  Try changing the focus from a close object, then a far object.  It can make a BIG difference.  To release the AE/AF LOCK, tap outside the focus area.

Once you have the focus set, you can *lighten or darken the picture by moving the slider on the right up and down.

 7.  HDR

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range.  It means that your camera will capture greater detail from bright and dark areas in your photo. It works good for outdoor and landscape scenes.   It doesn't work so good with moving objects.  

*I leave HDR off.  I am still working with this feature to make sure I know when to use it.  

8.  LIVE Feature

The LIVE feature drives me crazy.  Actually I find it kinda creepy to take a picture and when I view it, it moves!  So I turn this feature OFF.

Now that I said I don't like it, I will admit that it has some fun features.   *You can make a LIVE picture bounce, loop and combine all the pictures into a long exposure.  You get to these special features by swiping up on a LIVE photo.   You can use a LIVE photo as your phones wallpaper...hold down your finger to animate it.

AND FINALLY...

*EDITING.  Lots of pictures can be improved with editing...either by making corrections or enhancing the photo.

You can do some basic edits using the iPhone Photo app.  You can rotate, crop, alter saturation, contrast and convert to a black and white photo.  There is a lot of power already available on your phone.

If you want to bump up your skills, you can download and play with apps.  The free app, Snapseed, does everything I need for now.

Here are some examples of editing.  In the first example, I used the iPhone editor to crop the picture and convert to black and white.  I also altered the brilliance, exposure, shadows and contrast.

In the second picture, I used Snapseed to crop, straighten, change the exposure, etc.  I also added a "vintage" effect where the photo is darker around the borders.  

SEE YOU ON FACEBOOK

AND INSTAGRAM

DIY Lighting Project

I had a HOT MESS going on with the lighting in my kitchen and eating area.  There were two different kinds of bulbs and the bulbs on the dimmer switch weren't dimmable.   I decided I wanted a  uniform, clean look.

I would have lived with the problems, except while I was at my daughter Michelle's home in Ohio  she had recessed lighting installed in her living room and family room (including new wiring and switches).  What a difference it made.  And the all-in-one light and trim element looks great.  A BIG Thank You to Mike Turnbull for installing the lights.  Mike is my friend, Jan Turnbull's husband and he is an extraordinary electrician.  Mike made the project look easy.  He used Commercial Electric Recessed LED Trim lights from Home Depot.

When I got home to Florida, I started thinking about correcting my lighting problem.   Mike had assured me it would be an easy project...even I could do it.  So I decided to go for it.   I headed off to Home Depot for supplies.  I got lost in the lighting department.  So many bulbs, so many shapes, so many decisions.  The incandescent bulb was king for 100 years, but now there are CFL, LED, Halogen, flourescent, HID...then dimmable...and I don't even want to go into wireless.

Guess what!  Mike was right.  The whole project took less than 1 hour to switch out 9 lights.

STEP ONE.  Unpackage the two parts:  socket adapter and retrofit trim.

STEP TWO.  Unscrew the light bulb and take off the housing.

STEP THREE.  Screw the socket adapter into the ceiling socket and plug the adapter into the retrofit trim.

STEP FOUR.  Squeeze the spring arms together and insert into the slots in the can.

STEP FIVE.  Push the retrofit trim into the can.  And you are DONE!  On to the next one.

Just a few easy steps and it took less than 3 minutes per bulb.  The hardest part was the spring arm.  And that would have been easier if I had read the instructions (not my style).  The final results are great.  It is a nice seamless look and the lights over the eating area are now dimmable!

As fun as this project was, I am not sure I want to undertake the 15' ceilings in the main area.

My Three Grandbabies...Good Things Come to Those That Wait

I would be surprised if there is anyone who doesn't know I have 3 GRANDBABIES due in the next 6 months.  SO EXCITING.

When our children started getting married, I told them I was HAPPY for them.  But I made sure they knew I would be EXCITED for grandchildren.

I was giving up hope for grandchildren...then Dan and Kelly announced their pregnancy.  They got everyone together for dinner in Ohio and FaceTimed Brian and me in Florida.  They set it up saying they wanted to include us in the evening.  I told Brian I was HAPPY to spend time to see everyone, but I would be EXCITED if it was a baby announcement.  While we were catching up with everyone, Dan text both of us saying "Hello Grandma and Grandpa".  It still brings tears to my eyes.

A month later when Brian and I were in Ohio, Mallory said she noticed I pinned some grandparent tshirts on Pinterest.  She handed Brian and I each one of the shirts.  I thought it was to celebrate Dan and Kelly's baby...but then she said she made one for herself and Mike...and theirs said Baby Mama and Baby Daddy.  More tears!

I knew Keith and Michelle were talking about starting a family so I wasn't surprised when they called to say they were pregnant.  There wasn't as much ceremony with this announcement because Michelle was suffering from a bad case of morning sickness.  There were no tears, but my heart felt very full.

Zero to three grandchildren...starting in DECEMBER 2017,

then JANUARY 2018,

and April 2018.

At Kelly's shower I got a picture of the three pregnant ladies.  Kelly is nearly 8 months, Mallory is 6 months and Michelle is 3 months.

They have all announced the sex of the babies.  Drum roll please...

I made my own piece to celebrate the growing family...a calendar.  What can I say...I had some time when Hurricane Irma came to visit.  Plus it uses my love of my Silhouette machine and woodworking.

It is in a convenient place...over my computer.  It is an easy way to see birthdays and wedding anniversaries.  There are a few empty months.  Maybe Baby Danks will arrive a couple days late and fill in February...and Baby Krause will arrive early and claim November.  That still leaves May open,  maybe next time.

Total Eclipse of the Sun 2017

One thing I love about retirement is that Brian and I can take advantage of all sorts of adventures.  The latest adventure was to experience the 2017 ECLIPSE.

Brian picked the city we would go to (Orangeburg, South Carolina).  And I picked a campground.  Since all the campground in the ZONE OF TOTALITY were booked, I picked Skidaway State Park in Georgia, a very nice state park west of Savannah.  It was about 3 hours from Orangeburg, SC.   The park had spaceous level pull-thru sites and the bathhouse was clean.  (Oh My, I am sounding like a real camper!)

In addition to being a lovely setting, the park has lots to offer.  Brian and I listened to a ranger's presentation on "Life in the Tidal Creeks".  The information was helpful when I did a 2-mile hike on the Sandpiper Nature Trail.  I saw fiddler crabs and square-back crabs.  The marshes are full of cordgrass and black needle rush, which got it's name because the leaf tips are as sharp as a needle (of course I checked it out).

Another good fact I learned from the presentation is that alligators are not found in the tidal waters because it is brackish (a mixture of salt water and fresh water).  That was good to know for our kayak trip.  Brian and I launched from the Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp and paddled around the grasses without any worries.

We also spent time at Tybee Beach, a beautiful and popular beach.  There were no shells on the beach that day, so I spent my time watching the dolphins and jumping fish.

Brian and I visited Savannah.  We drove around the historic district, walked around Forsyth Park, and drove through Bonaventure Cemetery.

The GRAND FINALE to our trip was the ECLIPSE.  I almost didn't write this blog because I couldn't get good pictures of the eclipse.  Disclaimer:  I took some of the pictures and some are copied from the web.  But all are what we saw.

Brian picked Orangeburg, South Carolina because it was a small town that we could drive to using back roads.  We left early in the morning, drove the back roads, just in case there were traffic problems (which there were none).  We spent some time at the library, then drove over to South Carolina State University.  The football stadium was open for the event and there was lots of tailgate parties outside the stadium.  The stadium had no shade and as the parking lot started filling up, I realized there would be a big traffic jam getting out.  Next we headed to our final stop...Edisto Memorial Gardens.  The garden was a beautiful setting for the ECLIPSE.  I felt like the three bears, the library was too quiet, the football stadium to hot and loud...but the gardens were just right.

Brian and I found a spot and started watching.  The eclipse started at 1:15 when the moon first started to cover the sun.

 It took an hour and half for the full eclipse at 2:43.  I found it interesting that it was still light outside with just a sliver of the sun exposed.  It shows how powerful it is.  This is what I saw with my eclipse glasses.

Just before the TOTAL ECLIPSE, the street lights came on and a few moments later it was dark!

But the real show was in the sky,  I didn't have to wear my eclipse glasses during the full eclipse.  The corona was beautiful.  Just before the total eclipse, the last bright piece of sun look like a diamond ring.

Newsweek has a great picture of the different stages.

 The next total eclipse for the USA will be in 7 years, April 8, 2024.  Brian and I already have our reservations...at our children's in northeast Ohio.  And we will be able to share it with at least two grandkids...How exciting!

Leaping Lizards, Jumping Frogs

I love watching Florida's wildlife...and there is lots to see.  Some of it I enjoy (birds, manatees, alligators, lizards).  Some I like to avoid (snakes, mosquitoes, giant grasshoppers).

I like watching the small lizards around my house...called anoles.  There are two types of anoles common in my area, the native green anole and the non-native brown anole.  The brown anoles are territorial and invasive...so it is not surprising that I see more brown anoles.  It is fun to watch these little lizards puff out their throat fans (dewlap).  Only the male anole lizards engage in throat puffing.  They puff out their dewlap to attract a female...or because they feel threatened...or sometimes just because they want to.

Sometimes an anole likes to hang out between the screen and windows.  Probably for security from predators.  But it is not always a good idea.  I noticed this guy one day, and then again a few days later.  When I looked closer, I realized he was dead...and dried out.  Just in case he was a ZOMBIE LIZARD, I couldn't bring myself to rescue his corpse from the screen.  Finally I got Brian take him off.

Once I saw he was dead, I had no problem touching him.  In fact, my creative instincts kicked in.  My motto is:

Anything is better with a little SILVER LEAF

My next favorite motto is:

If all else fails, add BEADS

I started out with silver leaf, then added some beads to the lizard.  

No sooner had I finished the lizard, when I found a dried up frog at my front door.  This time, I got out the glitter (I might need a new motto for glitter).    These little guys add some glitz to my plants.

Just think what I could do with this giant grasshopper...glitter, beads, silver leaf...Oh My!