Movin' in for a close-up view

Joe gets behind my magnifying headset and moves in for a close-up view.  Reminds me of the dentist closing in for a good look at my teeth.  Either that or this is just a correct view of how big Joe's head really is---shhhhh, don't tell him....

Movin' in for a close-up view

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Retouch, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Original Image

Looking back

If you are driving, or if you live like a ninja, you should always be aware of your surroundings and make sure your cover you back.  If you are Lot's wife you should make sure not to look back though.....wait, she did and was turned into a pillar of salt!  No worries, Lego Man Joe is looking back and just checking to make sure you are not stalking him...

Looking back

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, Retouch, PhotoStudio


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Original Image

Big Artillery

Lego Man Joe gets into some big artillery--big for him anyway.  This one is certainly not the size he needs for daily carry.  However, with his ninja skills Joe is his own weapon.

Big Artillery

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, Retouch, PhotoStudio


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Original Image

Water bottle lens view

Life all depends on one's view and one's view is directly related to the lens through which life is lived.  We, as photographers, know well the effect of looking at the world through different lenses.  (I was going to use the word "perspective" here but then remembered that true perspective depends on subject to sensor distance and is not based on the lens used.)  This photo is the view of the world--at least my iPad keyboard--through the bottom of a plastic water bottle.  It changes everything.  What life lenses will you look through today and how does that effect your perspective of the world around you?

Water bottle lens view

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Original Image

Yoga Skill Drill

Lego Man Joe works on his early morning yoga skills.  A little headstand position to help strengthen those core muscles.  I debated whether to use the photo like this or to turn in 180 degrees and have Joe hanging from the ceiling.  It seems to work either way--try it, just turn your head upside down and see how the "hanging from the ceiling" version looks to you.

Yoga skill drill

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, Retouch, PhotoStudio


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Original Image

Got lemons? Make Lemonade!

From the remains of the fresh water party punch bowl...  Got lemons?  Make lemonade!  Well, we didn't, we just served water with a little taste of lemon along with some color in the bowl.  That will do for today.  We will do lemonade another day.

Got Lemons?  Make Lemonade!

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native camera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Up and Over

When you have to get concrete around the house and into the back yard there is the old fashion way of carrying it around in wheel barrows or the "save the yard" way of going up and over with a concrete pump. Yep, I would always take the pump too.  Having a big pump in the quiet neighborhood makes for quite a sight--especially when nature provides a gorgeous sky for the background.  I could not resist stepping outside and taking a few photos.

Up and Over

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR Dramatic, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Flying High

This Chevy hood ornament makes for the final image from the car show series.   A close-up of the bird with its neck outstretched and its wings in power stroke position--you can just feel the need to be out on the open road flying down the highway in your vintage Chevy taking in the fresh air and enjoying the journey.  It just doesn't feel right to be sitting at the park with the engine not even running.  This bird wants to fly--high and fast...

Flying High

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native camera, Snapseed, Filtertorm, PhotoStudio


Original image:

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Jalopy?

1932, are you kidding me?  That makes this vehicle 82 years old.  Wow, is right!  That's old enough in my book to officially call it a jalopy.  Boy, this was around before my parents were even born.  Now that was a long time ago indeed...

Jalopy

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native camera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


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Integrated Hood Ornament

This is what I call an integrated hood ornament.  It is built right into the hood.  No wise guy is going to come along and twist it (which I always used to do to my family members cars), or worse, break it off.  Just have to keep it shiny and waxed...

Integrated hood ornament

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR Lively, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


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Now THAT'S a radiator!

All chromed out, shiny, front and center--that is a nice looking radiator on this Chevy!  They just don't make them like they used to which is why these car shows are so much fun.

Now THAT'S a radiator!

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original image

Hood Vents

This is the old fashioned way an engine would breath--encouraging air flow through hood vents.  This car show ready treasure got even more fancy by the time I finished post-processing the photo by saturating the colors and helping them pop off the page.  I could shave using those chrome vents as my mirror...

Hood Vents

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Mean Wheels

These are some mean looking wheels.  They remind me of the old Ben Hur chariot racing nemesis.  Okay, you're right, that really does date me.  I remember an early James Bond movie with some mean wheel cutters too.  Well, that was an early Bond movie with Sean Connery so that dates me too.  Anyway, don't be standing too close as this car drive by...

Mean Wheels

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Big Dreamer

Down at the local car show this fellow gets the prize for Biggest Dreamer.  The license plate says it all.  He must have been dreaming since he was a kid because he is just a young father with two of his kids in the passenger seat--they look like they are about 3 and 4 years old.  No gray hair on this driver.  And not a speck of dust on his shiny big boy Lamborghini toy....

Big Dreamer

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native Camera, Snapseed, Image Blender, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Woody's Alive and Well...

Woody is indeed alive and in exceptional condition.  I have not seen one of these close up for....well I can't even remember.  This restored baby has everything except the surf board racks--but it does not need them because it is a convertible so the surf boards can just stick out the top on the way to the beach.  Time to get out my Beach Boys album....

Woody's Alive

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


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Viper in the Grass

The local annual car show was this weekend.  I captured plenty of photos--enough to last for several daily posts over the next little while.  So buckle your seat belts, keep your head and arms inside and hold on, the car show theme is now here.  I found this Viper in the grass just soaking up the June sun...

Viper in the Grass

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, Image Blender, Retouch, PhotoStudio


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Happy Flag Day

Happy Flag Day today!  Celebrating the day the U.S. Flag was adopted in 1777.  And long may it wave!

Happy Flag Day

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Shadow Play

Lego Man Joe practices waving to his fans from the spotlight on stage....  Actually I just caught him making shadow puppets under the bright light.  A little experimentation with Curves in Filterstorm turned the white light into shades of purple for the final image.  P.S.  When was the list time you made shadow puppets?

Shadow Play

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Original image

Blinds--shhhhh, don't tell

Shhhhh, don't tell anyone....  I was adjusting my Olloclip camera app trying to figure out the magnification feature that lets you zoom in to focus before taking the picture (my Olloclip lens was not on the camera) when I snapped this image.  I really don't use this camera app much so I was just pushing various icons to see what would happen as I walked over to my patio door on the way outside to take my planned photo for the day.  As I walked by the door covered with blinds I happened to push the shutter release icon and captured this image.  It really was an image shot from the hip and shot accidentally.  However, in reviewing my images later I really fell in love with this mis-fit photo.  It did not even need much post-processing--just cropping to the square and desaturation (and of course my added frame).  But, shhhhh, don't tell anyone this image of blinds was just a fortuitous accident.  

Blinds

Details:  iPhone 5S, Olloclip camera app, Snapseed, PhotoStudio

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Original image

Lego Man Joe takes his "coolness" with him (with post-processing video)

Lego Man Joe has figured out how he will beat the summer heat.  He decided to take his own "coolness" with him where ever he goes.  Spend a little time in the freezer at night and he remains "cool" all day long... Yep Joe is on ice and just rolls around during the day--but he does stay "cool!"

For a video tutorial of exactly how I went from the original image from the camera to the final image in post-processing, see this YouTube link:  http://youtu.be/YQBwvtQH2yE  Be nice, it is my first attempt at a video tutorial. There may, or may not, be more in the future.  Let me know what you think in the comments.

Lego Man Joe takes his "coolness" with him

Details:  iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio (see http://youtu.be/YQBwvtQH2yE for a video of the post-processing steps)


Original image:

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Things have changed...

Sorry, but I have to post another image from the old restored Buick convertible I recently saw.  This car was restored and in such beautiful shape that I could not resist capturing many images of the vehicle.  Maybe it is the trip back in time that appeals to me.  Looking at the dashboard of yesteryear one certainly notices that things have changed over time.  Some for the better, some not so much.  The simple elegance of this sparkling dashboard is worth relishing for at least a few moments....

Things have changed...

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Original image

Buick Reflections

This old restored Buick offered several nice images.  This one is a simple reflection off the wheel cover of the spare tire mounted between the front hood and front fender.  The reflection shows the car parked adjacent to the Buick, my beautiful, sweet wife waiting patiently while I take my photos (she does that a lot...) and the gorgeous afternoon sky.  I like reflection images...

Reflections off an old Buick wheel cover

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


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Big Buick

While standing in the street as a young boy about two years old and looking up I imagine that I just may have seen something like this intimidating big Buick grill as the car screeched to a halt just prior to mowing me over.  Yep, I am old enough that big beasts like this were roaming the streets at my young age.  I don't know who restored this one but it is in showroom original condition.  What a beauty!

Big Buick

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Original image

Scarred or wrinkled?

A close-up look at this tree trunk and what do you see?  Is it scarred from life?  Or is it just wrinkled with wisdom?  Now that I have a lot of both scars and wrinkles, these are the kind of thoughts that run through my mind when looking at an image like this.  Must be part of this stage of life because that certainly would not have been my thought process during my 20's and 30's or even 40's...  

Scarred or wrinkled?

Details:  

iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio

Original image:

original image

Fly Boy

Lego Man Joe has been on vacation and has not made an appearance in a little while.  When I finally caught up with him again I see that he has taken up flying lessons--well, ballooning lessons anyway.  And yes, I have always wanted to do something like this although I would hook the balloon to a chair since I don't have quite the arm strength as does Lego Man Joe.  With this new found hobby his friends have given him the nickname of Fly Boy.  Now all he has to do is avoid landing in the yard when the neighbor's cat is out and about...

Fly Boy

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original image (what?  you thought I would really risk losing Lego Man Joe?)