iPhone fun and Mermaid life

Things over in Flying Mermaid land have been busy and hectic, and January was a not-so-great month health-wise (I will update you on that in my next post). But through it all, I’ve been shooting, a lot with my iPhone. I ❤ my iPhone. I love having so many different cameras on hand at all times with all the different apps that I have. I love how the simplest things can make for cool photos. With the iPhone, it’s so much more about play, and not worrying about taking a “great” photo. And because it is all about fun and play, I love the photos even more.

Here’s a glimpse into the little details of a Mermaid life.

Pretty frost and morning sun

I love how even the shadow looks curved

I thought these looked like little fairy lights

I thought this looked like nature’s valentine’s day

Husband playing pool

I love how the simplest things can take on a cool look in an iPhone photo – this is ShakeitPhoto, one of my very favorite apps.

Two cool pups at Dos Perros

One of my very favorite iPhone photos. Snow at our pool, with a guard owl

I look like I have little doll feet!

A neat car that I’ve often seen near my office. I finally got a picture of it

The cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom, this photo makes me very happy 🙂

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Fun of a lensbaby persuasion

One of the things I asked Santa for was a lensbaby. Lensbabies are fun little lenses that are designed to have a “sweet spot” of sharp focus and the rest of the picture can be a bit blurry and out of focus. Santa (aka Mom and Dad) heard my request, and delivered the goods.

Let me tell you, I am loving this little lens! I love the effects you get, and the feel of the photos. I can’t wait to try it on a portrait session. I still need to play around with it more. It makes you learn your camera better, and you have to play around to get the effect you are looking for, but it is totally worth it. So much fun.

Here are some of my first few lensbaby Muse pictures. 🙂 And no, you can’t play with mine, get your own! 🙂

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It’s an iPhone life, Part 2

More iPhone photos that I’ve shot recently.

This, and the rest are from Get Dressed, a consignment/vintage/costume store in Raleigh. It’s an interesting, quirky store but didn’t have a lot of clothes I was interested in.

Chain mail was always so fashionable, I’m glad it is making a comeback.

A chain mail lingerie angel. It’s going to be the next big thing at Victoria’s Secret. Although, I hope this girl doesn’t go out in battle like this, she still has some vulnerable areas exposed to potential sword attacks.

Ok, fair warning, the picture below is truly frightening. Ready?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Most. Evil.Doll. EVER. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Husband in a velvet pimp hat, getting ready to lay the smack down.

The Material Girl

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It’s an iPhone life, part 1

I joined ShutterCal, and I’ve been shooting every day. I love that photography is becoming a habit, just something I always do. I was calling myself a photographer before, but my shooting was very sporadic. Now I am aware of when I shoot, and I make time for it every day. Sometimes, it is with Beloved Camera, my Nikon. But a lot of times, I am also shooting with my iPhone as well now. My Nikon images are prettier, but I love the simplicity of just capturing little slices of my life as I see them with the iPhone. Plus I have some fun photo apps so I can really make fun photo art with the iPhone. When I first got my iPhone, I used the camera rarely. Now I am always grabbing it to capture the little things that amuse or interest me.

My new favorite way to shoot is with ShakeitPhoto – this is all Darrah’s fault, entirely. She mentioned on Twitter how she had this fun Polaroid app, where you actually shake the picture to make it develop faster (Shake it like a Polaroid picture!) and it has the old school feel to it. Naturally, I had to go and download it so I could play too. It makes everything look cool and neat.

Downtown Durham, as I leave my office building

Cool light fixtures in the elevator lobby

Delicious sugarplums made by the amazing and lovely Jess

See? Even elevator buttons look cool when shot as a Polaroid

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How very Seattle of you

Seattle series, Part 3

Just little snippets of life that seem to be typically Seattle

Because you should be able to get coffee no matter what kind of store you are in

All around Capitol Hill, there are little dance patterns, showing you the footsteps for some of the traditional dances. Because even waiting on the sidewalk can be an opportunity to learn something and try something creative and new.

You just would not see this in Durham.

Even the neighborhood library is artistic and interesting looking

Using rocks to create art and beauty. Everything can be turned into art out there. Love it.

Why wear a normal hat when you can wear one like this? 🙂

So in love with this little girl. Bright coat. Fun scarf, big tall rain boots. Yes!

 

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Signs of Seattle

We just got back from five days visiting B’s brother in Seattle. It was my first time in the city, and I really loved it. We walked around a ton while we were there, something I miss living in Durham. You can walk around your neighborhood, but unless you live downtown, there isn’t really any destination walking. or going for a lot of photo walks. And even downtown, you walk for maybe 45 minutes, you will see pretty much all there is to see. We wandered for hours and didn’t even come close to scratching the surface. I love walking around a city with my camera, it is such a good way to really see the city, especially the parts that can be overlooked easily.

I love shooting signs. I find them fascinating, and you can get a good flavor for an area based on the signs you find.

I am going to break my Seattle adventure into a few different blog posts, starting with signs that caught my eye.

Yes they are, so much so that I want to do it as my job.

Seattle is a big foodie city. And even better, it is a city where it is relatively easy to feed a gluten-free, dairy-free, more vegetarian than not girl.

Shot with the 35mm lens, no flash. I love the lighting. But yeah, I also love the sign that says Rub Me.

Ha! I just liked this, although I admit I don’t know…are regular utensils designed for right-hand use? Most of what I have doesn’t seem to specific to one hand or the other.

Down below Pike’s Place.

Congratulations? This would never have been something I would have thought to aspire to.

What can I say? I thought it was funny and witty. And the other side reads Happy Spanksgiving. Ha!

Absolutely. What’s the point if you don’t?

If I were in Seattle, this would be my coffee shop. It looks like a coffee shop for spies. I would go in every time with my finger gun and walking all spy-like to the music from Mission Impossible. It might even be required to do that.

Other than “very carefully,” you have to admit you are curious.

I always do, Mr. Sign. I always do.

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Finding happiness

“It’s gonna be alright, no matter what they say, gonna be a good day, just wait and see”

Things I am loving, things that are making me happy, things that I am looking forward to, in no particular order

SEATTLE! Next Monday morning, we get on a few planes (3 to be exact) to spend Thanksgiving week with big brother Aaron. I’ve never been to Seattle, can’t wait to explore a gorgeous city I’ve always wanted to see, get to spend five days with Husband and Brother Aaron. We are going to go to the Seattle Aquarium, and my camera will be working overtime next week, I’m sure!

ShutterCal – I am LOVING playing with my camera every day, and making shooting a habit. This morning, the fog was thick, the world was quiet and I got some great mysterious fog shots (to be posted later today or tomorrow).

For Your Entertainment, the new Adam Lambert single, ohhhmydoggg so incredibly fun to listen to, especially if you crank it in the car.

Bright colored polymer clay beads

Pinups, especially redhead pinups

Swoony color beads

Ferocious monsters (note, not really ferocious)

Too cute for words accessories

Brave, dear souls who set off onto bold new adventures of their creation

Pumpkin smoothies, yerba mate chocolatte lattes with almond milk,  raw vegan chocolate pudding, plain, with pomegranates, or mixed in a smoothie

 

What are some things that are making you happy, things you are looking forward to?

 

 

 

 

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Ready? Aim…and shoot!

Meet ShutterCal – a really awesome day-in-the-life social photo calendar site. The goal is for people to shoot every day, post it on the site, and see what your year looks like. There is no general theme, just to keep shooting, and share what you find.

I’ve wanted to get in the habit of shooting every day, and always having a camera on me. The iPhone, and the built-in camera, definitely help, but I want to just get in the habit of playing with my camera daily. It will help me grow as a photographer, and I really love photography, why not make it part of my daily life?

So, I joined ShutterCal and will be posting daily photos there.

Now, this week (when I started), I cheated slightly because not all these pictures were taken this week. But all of them were photo-edited this week in some way. The pumpkins, cranberries and light fixture were all taken this week, and the San Pedro and mermaid pictures were modified using iPhone apps this week.

I’m excited for this, and to see what I find when I make photography a daily habit 🙂

My ShutterCal page is here:

http://shuttercal.com/calendar/FlyingMermaid/

 

Happy clicking 🙂

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Meet BatManuel

For the past almost five years, I’ve been driving a toaster. A Scion Xb toaster to be specific. Exceptionally good at being square and holding lots of things, not so exceptional at accelerating, turning, driving, being quiet, being fun.

But as of Friday, I no longer drive a toaster – I drive the BatMobile (named BatManuel – bonus points if you get the reference!)

Husband and I bought a 2010 Ford Fusion, and it is so much fun to drive! And it has Sync — it syncs with my phone, and it is voice activated, so I can tell it call B, and it does! And it connects to my iPod (iPhone) so I can tell it to play Van Morrison, and it does! I’ve never had a car that talks to me, hence the batmobile 🙂

It also has heated seats, hooray!!! That was my biggest requirement in a new car (well, and one that accelerates properly!). As far as I’m concerned, you can never be too warm. 🙂

Pretty good looking, isn’t he?

Console of many buttons!

The steering wheel buttons that activate the voice controls, and I can also control the volume, change radio stations and such, all from the wheel. Very convenient.

Fun, cockpit-like dashboard

It also has Sirius radio, which I am loving! It also has dual climate control, shows the outside temperature, lists the name and artist of the song that is playing, and shows what direction you are going. My car is very smart.

 

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More iPhone photo fun

I also downloaded an app for the iPhone that lets you make pictures into Polaroid-like images (not actually a Polaroid product)

And an app that acts like many different camera styles, so you can get cool, pop art pictures like this:

This is the original of that shot:

or a fish-eye lens view:

Uh oh, Clive the Pocket Lion and Ducky are at the door. That can only mean trouble.

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