::ANNA::

New Tech and Gadgets

There are a couple of brand new software and gadget updates:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 was unveiled last week and is now available.  I intend on upgrading in order to produce my videos.  Read what's new in this latest release and how it promises to boost your creative spark.

Wacom has also just launched 3 new tablets for 3 different types of user to include Bamboo Connect, Capture and Create.  Also good timing for me because I think I've just about worn out my Bamboo Pen and Touch.  You can learn more about them here and here.

Project 365 and Life

I have fallen quite a bit behind on my Project 365.  I've completed May but haven''t posted my pages yet.

I'm trying to cut myself a little slack as I have quite a lot going on at the moment with a new store launch in less than 10 days.

I'm hoping to catch up a little in the Fall, when my parents have gone home and there isn't quite as much going on, but the reality is that my life will always be busy. That's a choice I make, and I probably wouldn't be happy any other way.  

If I wanted life to slow down, I would make a conscious effort to make that happen.  Nothing changes unless you make it happen.

So today while Ella was in surgery to have a hernia repair, I downloaded the Project 365 iPhone app in an effort to help me get back on track.  I have no clue how to use it yet, but it's the little steps that count.

I'm moving forward.

Ella incidently is doing very well after her surgery.  Thank you for the prayers and kind words of support. The gift of youth combined with modern medicine is a wonderful thing and we expect she'll be back with her class mates no later than Thursday.

Wacom Bamboo Craft at Costco

I just heard about this special promotion via Penscrappers.  

Get yours here.

Instagram Photo Books

Instagram, a free iphone app, seems to be all the rage among scrapbookers at the moment.  I'm seeing Instagram chatter all over Twitter and online. 

You may remember the InstagramLove post from earlier this year.

Instagram is a great way to capture a moment when you're on the run and then immediately share it online, like I happened to do as I out-cycled an impending thunder-storm while riding the reservoir yesterday.

If you like this free template by Cathy Zielske, you'll love this post by CoolMomTech.com about creating Instagram photo books with Keepsy, a fast and easy way to create photo books using on-line photos from Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Picasa and more.

Three Digital HotSpots

As Luke was adding some finishing touches to his *All About Me* poster for school yesterday morning, I began thinking about a few current favorites of my own:

1] Evernote is a free application for your computer that allows you to compile lists, save your ideas and thoughts, as well as all the things you like, the things you hear, and the things you see, all in one place. All this information is completely searchable and can also be made accessible on your phone or mobile device.  I am a list maker and so I have multiple lists on the go at any one time.  I also tend to lose these lists.  I am really loving this application and ease of use so far.

2] Capture Your 365 is a new website and digital community developed by friend, Katrina Kennedy, a professional photographer who fully believes in using her camera to document the every day.  The new site a great place to meet others taking part in Project 365, exchange ideas, obtain valuable resources and remain motivated throughout the year.  

3] Pinterest is an on-line community designed to store and share visual inspiration with other creative souls.  I received an invite last week, and having heard much about it throughout the digital community, I decided to check it out.  It's is just pure eye candy.  You can pin images to your boards while surfing the net or repin images already within the community.  My inspiration boards can be found here.  I gather you need to be invited to Pinterest by members.  If you would like an invitet, please email me.

New Wacom Facebook Applications: Bamboo CardBuilder and Doodlescape

Wacom has just launched 2 new Facebook applications: Bamboo CardBuilder and Bamboo Doodlescape.

Very fun!

Bamboo Cardbuilder

This application allows you to create cards or postcards using your own words and/or picture in both portrait and landscape format and then send them to your Facebook friends.

I made a postcard for Eric.

1. Select wether you want to create a card with or without a photo.  I chose the *Use Blank Card* option.

2.  Select one of the predesigned backgrounds or use the color picker to select a custom solid color for the background.

3.  Select the *Draw* or *Stamp* option.  The *Draw* option is similar to a hard round brush in Photoshop or elements.  You have the option to adjust the color, width (size) and opacity of the brush.  The *Draw* option provides a variety of themed clip-art style graphics to decorate your card.

4.  Use your Bamboo tablet to create text or illustration, and select *Save and Continue*.  You are then invited to write on the inside/back of your card.

5.  Select a Facebook friend and send the card.

.....................................................................................................................................................

Bamboo Doodlescape

This fun little application allows you not only to doodle in your own time and post to your wall but you can also send them to your friends so that they can add doodles of their own, much like circle journals.

One square mile?  Seriously.

Tools include a brush tool (hard round brush and a hand tool for moving around the canvas, and again you can adjust the color, width (size) and opacity of your doodle lines.

 There is also a palette to keep track of your doodles.  

The *Map* feature allows you to navigate around your canvas.

You can also adjust the pressure of the brush to create strokes with gradients.

 More fun technology to play with.  Enjoy!

CoolStuff

I've been feeling the desire over the last few days to try something new which has lead me to wander around the internet.  In my search, I have discovered a few things worth sharing.

1.  Keepsake Keeper by Great Useful Stuff (G.U.S) is perfect for all those original items that digital scrapbookers scan for their layouts. Being featured on Jasmere for a limited time.

2.  Project Life by Becky Higgins is on sale for a limited time.  Love the simplicity of this project.

3. New Ultra HD by Flip has just been released boasting all new image stabilization and fully customizable design.  I want one :)

 

4.  A super explanation of Size and Resolution by Persnickety Prints invaluable to anyone new to DigitalScrapbooking.  Mum! You need to read this.

5.   Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 is now available.  Check out some the new features.

Photo Security

Our modern life is filled with some really fabulous technology but the more sophisticated it becomes the more vulnerable we become.

Smart phones, such as the iphone, and digital cameras are all GPS equipped and so when a photo is taken, the exact location of that image is also embedded into the image in the form of geotags.  Posting a geotagged image on the web can actually compromise the photographers personal privacy, and even security.

Pretty scary stuff.

This type of metadata definitely has it's advantages for the scrapbooker.  Imagine how cool it would be if our heritage photos had similar information embedded in them?  Our photos taken today could provide future generations of memory keepers with many more details than we have of those generations preceding us.

The question is, with so many of our photos now posted on-line, is it worth our safety?

Here's a great article I have found on the subject and step-by-step instructions at icanstalku.com on how to go about disabling this feature on your smartphone.

Rock-It

Meet Rock-It

I tweeted about this earlier today, but I consider it such a neat little gadget, I thought it was worth revisiting on my blog.  

A prime example of the cool things we can do with technology today.  It makes me wonder what we'll be able to do in just 10 years from now?

iPhone Photography

itunes challenge: Skiing 2010 [supplies]

There have been numerous posts about iphone apps in the blogesphere, and internet in general, and my rendition is long overdue.

I started purchasing and downloading iphone applications to my phone over Christmas when we were spending a lot of time skiing here in Colorado.  It's tough to ski with 2 little ones at the best of times without adding in the issue of carting along your DSLR, not to mention a lens or two.  I can't even begin to imagine changing the lens of my camera on the side of a mountain in sub-zero temperatures.  Not even going there.

Enter my iPhone.  Small, compact and definitely up to the job, especially with the help of my handy apps. These mini applications can be downloaded from itunes to your iPhone to aid in, not only taking better pictures, but also editing those pictures too.  The editing function is somewhat rudimentary when you're used to having full-fledged Photoshop at your finger-tips, but when you don't have your laptop with you, they work amazingly well.  Mostly I take the pictures and share while I'm away.  Editing is done on my return home, time permitting of course.

Photography apps range in price from being totally free to costing you a couple of dollars.  Some are more but I've noticed most of them costing $1.99.  Generally, as in most things, you get what you pay for.  The higher the price of the app the better the functionality.

Some of the iphone apps I have and use:

Photofunia

A fun and free application that allows you to get creative with you photos.  Plug your photos into any of the existing photo templates for some cool results.

True HDR

This application is great for the shots where your *scene* has very light areas and very dark areas. The iPhone will either meter it's exposure based on either the light or dark area.  Either the camera properly exposes the light area, so that you lose all detail in the dark areas, or vice versa.  If your taking a photo on the side of a mountain for example, the iPhone will create an image that *blows out* the sky and snow to capture the detail in the trees, or expose the sky properly with detriment to the detail in the tree line.  This application allows you to take one of each image and them merge those 2 photos to create a High Dynamic Range image, i.e. an image that is perfectly exposed.

I haven't used this app as much as I would like, due to circumstance as opposed to the quality of the application.  You can see some great examples here.

Camera Bag

A great *go to* app currently offering 12 filters, such as Helga, Fisheye and Cinema, that can be applied to photos stored on your iphone or take a photo and then pass it through a filter.  I like that you can run through each one to see which you like best.

The original:

Cinema Filter:

Shake IT Photo

Also known as *Polaroid for your iphone*.  This nifty little app has the added fun factor of being apple to *shake* your phone as you watch your image appear in polaroid format and comes complete with sound effects all for $0.99!  This is definitely one of my favorites.

Tripod 

This app is particularly handy for taking *straight* photos and combatting the *camera shake* that is so inherent with the iPhone camera.  Really handy!

Hipstomatic

Digital photography never looked so analog!  My current favorite iPhone app.  Love the easy-to-use interface and the the resulting photos that look like they've had some *acid wash* filter applied, not to mention each image is already framed and ready to use.

There are of course many other iphone apps on the market.

10 Useful iPhone Apps For Photographers 

11 Must Have Photography Iphone Applications

Photography iphone Apps Review 2010

5 Must Have iphone Camera Apps

You should also know that the iPhone Store has over 300 photography apps to choose from.

It's OK to leave your DSLR at home on occasion and get snapping with your iphone.  

No-one one will ever know.