Preparing for the Iphone Camp

1 Preparing for The iPhone Camp

April 20, 2016

Hello All,

Our one-day workshop is almost here! Your day will be filled to the brim with learning if you take some steps to get ready for the class.

Get your iPhone/iPad Ready Please have your iOS device(s) fully charged with at least 3 GB of storage space available. You can check your available space in Settings>General>About. The line item called “Available” is your remaining storage space. If you’re short of space, you might temporarily turn off your Music Synching or remove other storage hogs. You don’t want to be constrained on shooting or processing opportunities because of a lack of space on your device.

Your iTunes account should be in good working condition so you can purchase additional apps during class. This is very important because we don’t want to waste time troubleshooting forgotten passwords or changed billing information in class. Purchase some of the apps I recommend below before class starts to make sure everything is working well. Did I mention this is important?!

Bring charging/sync cables and power adaptors too. Please have your iPhone/iPad updated with the latest (and greatest) version of the iOS (iPhone Operating System). As I write this we’re at iOS 9.3.1.

Below are some of the apps that help you capture and edit stunning iPhone images. Apps in blue are ones you should have installed before class begins. Those in green are optional but have a good reputation. The orange ones are less important apps that we might have time to discuss in class so wait to purchase these.

App Name icon Primary Use

Vivid HDR Best iOS HDR Shooting App that blends 3-5 different exposures for much richer tonality. This app is a life-changer!

Snapseed Great place to start your editing. This app should cost $50 but it’s free.

Photoshop Express Tremendous and free! The best sharpening you’ll find.

Photo Wizard Wonderful editing features. Their selection tools are wonderful.

Photo Toaster I love this one! Don’t get the impostor “Pro” version.

ViewEXIF For checking resolution and other Metadata.

Distressed FX Great intro to Grunge. The bad news? It lowers your image resolution.

Impression Watermark your photos

Mosaic This free app lets you design a hardcover book of your 20 favorite images.

360 Panorama Stitching app. This is one of the few apps that let us stitch from both vertical and horizontal assemblages.

DMD Panorama This pano app will actually create HDR panoramas with wonderful tonality. Note: there is an in-app purchase that adds the HDR function.

Vintage Scene Another take on textures

PhotoCopier Terrible Name/Great App

Image Blender Blend two or more images together. Think: Photoshop Layers.

Actual Pixels Examine your photos at 100-200%. Perfect for seeing the real detail in your iPhone photos.

PhotoSync Perfect App for Wirelessly transferring images to computer or another iOS device

Photo Manager Pro A terrific app for organizing galleries of your images; much better than Apple’s libraries.

Photoshop Mix Adobe’s approach to layering, much like Photoshop. This is a free app.

FX Photo Studio Terrific Set of Filters

Hydra Amazing shooting app for your iPhone. Creates 32MP images, plus lots more.

Hipstamatic Though the interface is a bit daunting, this app has a loyal following because of it’s nostalgic looks and textures.

Adobe Slate Create a moving web page with your words and images. Amazing if you can live with the “Adobe” ad at the end of your presentation.

Don’t forget a notebook and reading glasses as needed. For iPad users, NoteShelf is a great note- taking app that supports the Apple Pencil on iPad Pros.

Figure 2: Noteshelf for iPad

I’m looking forward to having a great time with you as we learn how to create, edit, and stylize wonderful photos from our iPhones and iPads. Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

See you soon!

Dan