Farewell, CVS...

A quick stop at my neighborhood CVS for a watch battery revealed a simple truth; if you can’t do it right, you shouldn’t do it at all.

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Now This is Cool: Gizmon iPhone Case

It wasn’t too long ago that I said to myself, “someone should make a really cool case for the iPhone that makes it look like a camera.” Then I saw a few efforts, but they fell painfully short of my expectations. And last night, I came across this...

…The Gizmo iPhone case for the 4, 4S, or 5. This is pretty much exactly the case I would have designed myself. 

Does it create better pictures? Probably not, although it does have a working viewfinder and attachable tripod socket. Is it going to make you more popular? Definitely. You go walking around with one of these strapped around your neck, and you’re sure to attract aspiring photogs and curious onlookers in droves.

If it were purely decorative, I could see not taking it seriously, but the fact that it actually solves three problems (optical viewfinder, tripod socket, and camera strap) and is going make you the center of attention wherever you go makes it hard to resist. The fact that it’s an homage to Leica speaks volumes. I would have ordered mine already, except that I can’t make up my mind as to which I want, the silver and white, black, or brown, or the all black. 

What exactly is it?

It’s a multi-piece case that slips over the top and bottom of your phone. Then you add the lens base and faux lens of your choice (it comes with two) to hold the two halves together. Then, you snap on the top deck, and you’ve got yourself what every mobile-phone camera lacks; and optical viewfinder. The optional tripod adapter also comes with it, and can be installed as needed.

To really go over the top, there are also half-cases and actual accessory lens/filters available; a circular polarizer, a fisheye, a center-focus, a mirage, and a cross-screen.

First Impressions: Adobe Photoshop Touch for iPad

No less serious than iPhoto for iPad image processing, I was far less impressed with Photoshop Touch than with this nearest competitor.

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First Impressions: Apple iPhoto for iPad

This is a serious, must have app for photographers working with the iPad. Its non-destructive editing is the perfect complement to Photoshop Touch’s destructive, layer-based editing.

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Goin’ Mobile

With the acquisition of a new iPad 4, I’m gearing up to take on a whole new workflow; Tablet post-processing. 

The iPad 4’s retina display offers incredible resolution, and the ability to present my work in a myriad of ways. Not to mention all the other ways I can use it as a photographic and self-promotion tool. But there’s yet another way I can use it. 

After evaluating Photoshop Touch and iPhoto for the iPad, I can say without hesitation that these are apps that will make post-processing in the field a very real possibility. 

iPhoto is essentially Adobe Camera Raw for the iPad; non-destructive editing that can be used to produce an infinite number of iterations from a single master with the ability to revert back to the original at any time. 

Photoshop touch allows you to do destructive layer-based editing, with many of the features of its desktop sibling. 

Both approaches offer their advantages, but when I was able to correct the underexposed version of a bracketed exposure, and make it look better than properly exposed one, I knew that power was not to be taken lightly. 

The ability to shoot, process and upload from any location is a yet another amazingly cool thing made possible by Apple.