PhotoForge

By far the closest app out there which resembles Photoshop and has a ton more features than the Photoshop app.  In conjunction with the drawing side, the photography side of the app is great. It’s very intuitive and the touch features work well. Here’s what I use PhotoForge for:

• RGB Curves: you can play with red green blue curves on top of your normal curves adjustments. I use the RGB curves like a WB adjustment to cool or warm my image.
• Unsharpen Mask: let’s face it. The IPhone camera is prone to camera shake thus creating movement blur so having the ability to sharpen your image like Photoshop’s Unsharp Mask is a no brainer.  You can control the Amount, Radius and Threshold.
• Hue/Saturation: Tweak the hue, saturation and Lightness with sliders just like in Photoshop
• Crop: I only use PhotoForge to crop my photos. it’s very easy and precise.
• Sunset/Blue Sky: a neet little feature which adds an orange (sunset) or blue (blue sky) gradient to your image. Kindda like the graduated filter in Lightroom.
• B&W and Sepia: gotta have those and they’re there and I do use it on occasion.

There are many more features like unlimited undos and tons of presets so as you can see, get a lot of bang for your buck! For only $2.99, you really get your money’s worth. What a deal! Here’s a video demo:

Best Camera

I use this app mostly to upload my photos to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and the BestCamera site. But for the last little while, the Facebook upload doesn’t work. It does have some cool automatic stackable filters but I find that, for the most part, they are overpowering and degrades the image quality fairly fast. For automatic filters, I would rather use Camera Bag. You can get the app for $2.99. Here’s a video demo:

Camera Bag

This is a fun app with some fun presets to post process images quickly on the fly. My favorite preset is Helga which puts a vignette and slightly desaturates the colors. In total, you get 10 presets for $1.99.  I sometimes save my image with the Helga preset and then tweak it a bit more in Photoforge. Here’s a video demo:

Tilt Shift

This is a great app that I use very often not just to create a tilt shift miniature effect but also to blur backgrounds. What’s great about this app is that you can also adjust saturation, brightness and contrast. And at $1.99, it’s well worth every penny.

Pano

I tried a few free panorama apps but they don’t even come close to the precision of Pano! I was very surprised by the stiching quality. I love using this feature. Seeing the app icon on my phone reminds me of panorama options that I tend to forget with my DSRL. It’s as easy as taking your photos with Pano and then clicking “make my panorama now!” button. You can take up to 16 photos with a max resolution of 6800 x 800. You can get Pano for $2.99.

iTimelapse Pro

If you love timelapse photography like I do, you’ll want this app! For $2.99, it’s a steal. I’ve used it on photo shoots and on trips. It has flexible options including overlay (onion), high resolution recording, adding music and the ability to share it on Youtube, Facebook, Vimeo and email.

Video Recording on 2G/3G

Finally, if you’re like me and you’re not an owner of an iPhone 3Gs and you want to shoot some video, I recommend getting this one by Manfred Nerurkar. For $1.99 you’ll be able to record at 15 fps and add tons of cool effects like old movie and super 8. The great thing is that you can easily share your clips on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and by email.

So there you have it! The iPhone photo apps that I use most often. I hope this will help you make some sound decisions on your next purchases.

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I’ll be focusing on the most obvious for a photography learning site like Yanik’s Photo School… photography books! We all love reading them but we also want good ones! There are some lemons out there (I have a few) so let me weed out the bad stuff and make some good old fashion lemonade!

Here are my top 5 technical books

The Moment it Clicks by Joe McNally: I can only say great things about this book! This book tops my list! I actually did a full review on this book HERE. Check it out. You’ll see why I love it so much!

Light Science & Magic No, this isn’t a book by David Copperfield. What it is, is probably best photography book I’ve ever read! It’s all about light and how light works. It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to predict results before setting up lights. This is not primarily a how-to book with only set examples for you to copy. Rather, Light: Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light to allow you to use lighting to express your own creativity. A must read but be warned that after a few beers, the content might turn into Chinese. I have the old black and white edition and I’ve seen the color edition and it blows me away! It’s on my “must buy” list.

The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby: I really like this book because each page covers just one trick, just one single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another setting, another tool, another trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. This isn’t a book of theory—it isn’t full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts: this is a book of which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and nearly two hundred of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade” to get you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with your digital camera every time you press the shutter button.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson: For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here’s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt.

The Digital Photography Book Volume 2 by Scott Kelby: A perfect follow-up to his first book, volume 2 Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today! Plus, he’s got full chapters on his most requested topics, including loads of tips for landscape photographers, wedding photographers, and there’s an entire chapter devoted to sharing some of the pro’s secrets for making your photos look more professional, no matter what you’re shooting.

My top inspirational book

If you’re looking for something inspirational or just utter awe, do I have the book(s) for you! Have you heard of Ashes and Snow by Gregory Colbert? Check out the website and get lost in some of the most inspirational imagery I’ve ever seen in my life!

Of course, you can also purchase a book or books from the Ashes and Snow bookstore, like the Santa Monica Catalogue. Enjoy!

Happy shopping and happy reading!. Hohoho!

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What you get

I received the kit in a bubble envelope which was fine since none of the parts are fragile and is basically flat. What I got was:

- Detailed instructions
- Lens cover (A.K.A. Bokehtinator! Hahahaha)
- 21 precut disks with icons
- 8 blank disks to create your own shapes
- An elastic band

Installation

Once you remove the lens cover from the plastic sheet, all you need to do is bend the three arm supports and place it over the lens. Then take the elastic band and place it around the lens to secure the three arm supports.

All you need to do after that is to add your desired disk shape by placing it in the 2 side slots of the lens cover.

And that’s it! Your done and ready to shoot with your new BMK!

Shooting

To get the desired shape in your bokeh, you need to follow a few basic rules.

1- You need to control your aperture so you must shoot in Aperture priority or Manual.

2- Set your aperture to its widest setting (i.e. smallest number)

3- Try using fast lenses that have an aperture of 2.8 or lower

4- If  your background is dark, you might need to under expose your shot by a few stops. I noticed that if the background lights are overexposed the bokeh effect doesn’t work.

5- The lens cover works best on lenses that are 62mm or smaller. As you can see in this example, I used my trusty Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens.

Here are a few test shots…

My Impressions

I think that Udi did a great job with his first prototype. It ‘s easy to assemble and easy to carry in your photo bag.

The design is somewhat basic and could be improved on as I’m sure Udi is also aware of but generally speaking, it’s fully functional and a great gadget to have in your bag. I actually have some ideas using his BMK for some creative stock photography. I would like to eventually see the rubber band replaced by a velcro band or something similar.

I think that for $25 you really do get your money’s worth. The price is fair for what you get and the results it gives you. This is a unique product and I can’t wait to have a bit more free time to test it out further.

You can get all the details on the Website at: www.bokehmasterskit.com.

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What You Get

The DVD is roughly 4 hours long and is divided into 5 major themes:
- Lighting Theory
- Photo Shoots
- Business
- Travel
- Photoshop

1- Lighting Theory explores the way Joey defines his lighting style as well as enumerating what equipment he uses and how and when he uses it.


2- Photo Shoots brings you behind the scenes of 5 photo shoots with an insight on lighting and shoot management.


3- Business glimpses into Joey’s vision of building a successful career as a high end photographer.


4- Travel whisks you away to Ethiopia with Joey and his assistant and shows you what it takes to successfully shoot remote tribes.


5- Photoshop walks you through 7 detailed tutorials based on the DVD’s content.

What I think

Having seen his 2007 DVD, I was really looking forward to “Sessions With Joey L”. And I must say that I wasn’t disappointed.

Presentation

The DVD’s look and feel is just as professional as any other high end learning product out on the market. I have the downloaded version so I can’t comment on the hard copy’s packaging. The design is clean, simple and visually inspiring. Navigation is user-friendly and clear. All videos are Quicktime. One thing that wasn’t visible was the control bar to pause and play the movie. I found this annoying since I could pause the movie just by clicking on it but I couldn’t get it to play again by clicking on it. I eventually found the invisible play button on the left but it’s so small that it was hit and miss. Maybe it’s a PC thing but the control bar doesn’t show up in both Firefox or Explorer. The movies are shown in 720 x 420 which I find to be perfect for desktops and laptops.

Joey’s Teaching

Having over 10 years adult teaching experience, I was pleasantly surprised to see Joey’s teaching skills. He is very comfortable in front of the camera and his elocution is clear. His though process is organized and he stays on subject. I had to keep reminding myself that this kid is only 19! If he gave live workshops, I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up!

The Content

1- Lighting Theory: A very informative section that will please beginners and advanced photographers alike. I learned a few tricks as well! It’s not just about what he uses or where he places lights. He also touches on the “why” he uses certain modifiers or lights.

2- Photo Shoots: A nice add-on to the DVD that gives you a behind the scenes looks at how Joey works. It’s a great practical learning walk-through. Knowing what Joey has shot, I would have liked to see more high profile shoots but he probably didn’t have permission to shoot video tuts or use them for commercial projects. I know 5 shoots is a lot on a DVD but I enjoyed them so much, I wanted more!

3- Business: I can understand why Joey added this section to the DVD because I’m sure he often gets asked how he managed to build his successful photography business so quickly and at such a young age. He gives a strong message that is inspiring to any amateurs dreaming of making a living with photography. But I was left wanting more. It’s the shortest section on the DVD and seems out of place compared to the 4 other sections. Maybe I would’ve called it a “Bonus” section instead of putting it right in the middle of the DVD.

4- Travel: This was my favorite section of the whole DVD. Maybe because I’m a nomad at heart and I can relate to Joey’s adventures but I found this section awe inspiring! Not just for aspiring National Geographic-type photographers but for any photographer that wants to achieve his visual dreams. I would love it if Joey would give talks on his world adventures. I’d be buying the first ticket.

5- Photoshop: What I liked about this section it that he based his tutorials on shoots described in the DVD. It added a nice continuity. I would rate the Photoshop tutorials as intermediate with some advanced stuff exploring things like blending modes and color correction. It’s interesting to see Joey’s perspective on certain Photoshop techniques that I have done here on YPS like using the Refine Edge Tool and Using RGB Curves.

In Conclusion

I have to say that this is a great learning tool on many levels. It’s more than just lighting and Photoshop. It’s about a photographer who’s sharing a part of his life with you.

This is a well-rounded product that you’ll want to go over again and again. His vision on life and photography is refreshing and will put a smile on your face. It has a documentary style to it with Joey answering many of the commercial photo industry’s questions through his personal experience.

Is it worth the current promo price of $250? In my opinion… without a doubt. Even when the price will be at $299 on November 1st, it’ll still be a fair price for the quality and quantity of content given.

What would’ve been a nice added touch, knowing that Joey likes to goof off, is a bloopers section. But that’s just me.

All in all a great product produced by a great photographer! I strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to perfect their photography skills in Photoshop, lighting and beyond.

For more info and purchase options, click  HERE.

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Disclaimer: I’m in no way affiliated or receiving financial compensation for this product. This review is based on my professional opinion as a teacher and photographer.

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Enjoy my little amateur montage!

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