Photography

WhipperBerry’s Favorite Photo Apps for Instagram

0 · May 12, 2014 · 4 Comments

+ Photo Apps for Instagram +

It’s no secret… I LOVE Instagram. I am a photographer at heart and so Instagram is my social media of choice. Secretly, I wish I could send Facebook a tacky break-up text but I’m to classy for that. I just keep going back to my gramming love.

I love sharing what I’m up to visually, I love crafting or cooking in real time with my followers. I love sharing my highs and sometimes my lows. I love sharing my cute kiddos, I love sharing local or handmade businesses. I love coming together as a community to help lift one another like last week when the social world rallied around Baby Boy Bakery in the tragic loss of her son with the #redballoonsforryan movement. I love that I can share what fills my spirit with joy.

When we moved to Nebraska, I would have to say that I hit a point where I was a little blue with the move. It was fast, it was unexpected and it kind of rocked my world. Instagram saved me. I drove around our new little town and I Instagrammed all of the beautiful things I could find here until I actually started to fall in love with this quirky little city. It was my life saver.

It’s no secret that teenagers can be a bit of a challenge at times (or all the time.) Believe it or not, Instagram saved my relationship with my daughter. It sounds silly, but it did. It gave us common ground. It was a safe place where we could just share what made us happy and it was miraculous!

With all that said, I thought I would share some of my favorite photo apps that I use when Instagraming. You know me, I can never leave things alone, I have to tinker just a bit until I have a photo that has just the right WOW factor. I’m pretty basic most of the time. I like to share good clean photos most of the time with just a little bump from a fun filter. Other times when I have time to sit and play, that’s when I like to get fancy.

I have taken one photo and dressed it a bit in each of my favorite apps. I’ve kept it pretty simple, but each of these app have aaamazing features that you’ll have to dive in and check out further. Here are my favorite photo apps in no particular order…

PicTapGo

PicTapGo is my go to photo app about 75% of the time. The reason being… It’s simple and easy to use. I can easily pull in a photo, bump up the exposure, add a quick filter, crop and send right on over to Instagram. I love it. You can send over photos that aren’t sized right for Instagram directly from PicTapGo which is another GREAT feature. PicTapGo cost $1.99 in iTunes and you can buy it HERE.

Litely

Litely is rather new to me still, but it is a fabulous app that can take your humdrum photos and kick them up a notch with lovely film like filters. I love that their filters are more natural looking and their basic editing features are fabulous. The design of the app is very appealing and it’s super easy to use. This is defiantly one to look at. Litely is free but it does have a few in-app purchases that are $1.99 each. You can download it HERE.

Camera+

Camera+ is a very dynamic app that is packed full of all kinds of goodies. The one feature that it is known for, is their Clarity feature. In my photo above, the only thing that I did to alter the photo is add the Clarity feature. See how it can take a muddy, lifeless photo and add new life! Just look at the detail. This app is huge and it can take your iPhone photography to a whole new level. You can shoot like a pro. Camera+ is $1.99 in iTunes you can purchase it HERE.

Typic+

I ADORE this app… Typic+ is one of my favorite graphic apps that combines a snipet of photo editing along with some stylish fonts and graphic elements that you can add to your photos. It’s a visually appealing app that is easy to use and has a real bang for your buck when it comes to Instagram photo creation. It’s simple to use, anyone with even a basic understanding of navigation through apps can use it to create some real masterpieces. Typic+ is $0.99 in iTunes but they do have a few in-app purchases that are between $0.99 – $4.99 you can buy it HERE.

BubbleFrame

BubbleFrame is a real gem from Fresh Produce LLC, the skies the limit with this app. You can create all kinds of fun layouts with shapes, add all kinds of graphic backgrounds, add video, create fun word art, you name it, you can do it with BubbleFrame. It’s easy to navigate but it does take a little bit of time to get to know all the ins & outs of the program. But it is soooooo worth it!! You can purchase BubbleFrame in iTunes for $1.99.

Rhonna Designs

What can I say about Rhonna Designs app… It’s just the bees knees when it comes to graphic design on your phone! Rhonna has created along with Fresh Product LLC one of the most amazing photo apps out there. You can create stunning photos with her app and you can create aaamazing word art. The title image for this post was actually created in Rhonna Designs. I have several blog friends out there that use her app to add graphics to their photos for their blog. I’ve even created some fun printable word art with the RD app. You can purchase this app through iTunes for $1.99 but there are in-app purchases that you will need to make to have all of the design elements at your finger tips. You can find The Rhonna Designs App HERE.

Fuzel

If you are looking for a good collage app, I’m a fan of Fuzel. This is a pretty powerful app that can transform your photos into something really special. They have all kinds of layouts, traditional and non-traditional. It’s pretty easy to use and a must have if you love taking LOTS of photos. This way you can post a whole bunch of photos in one image and not get called that nasty “overgrammer” name! Fuzel is designed well, pretty easy to navigate. Fuzel is free to download, but there are in-app purchases. You can find it HERE.

Flipagram

Last but not least is Flipagram. This is a slide show app that I really like. It’s fun and super easy to use and is a great way to share a lot of content in one Instagram post. It’s like an Instagram flip book…

You can easily add commentary or music that is right on your iPhone. It’s perfect! This is a free app that you can find HERE on iTunes.

So that’s it… The photo apps that I use the most. Now, keep in mind, I am an iPhone user so I tend to stick pretty close to Apple and their iTunes store. I know that there are many android users out there. Most of these apps are available for Android, you’ll just have to check them out in the Android store.

Let me know if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them if I can!

Come find me on Instagram and let’s be friends!!

Disclaimer // This is not a paid post, I’m just a fan and thought I would share!

New Project Life Just Add Color Kit Perfect for Instagram

3 · Sep 9, 2013 · 7 Comments

// This post brought to you by American Crafts & Project Life //

I adore Becky Higgins and her Project Life brilliance! Raise your hand if you have also fallen in love with the Project Life system. It takes chore out of documenting life and turns it into something fun and enjoyable. Here is a post that I wrote a while back talking about Project Life, how to use it and why I love it. I've even used left over cards to create some fun projects for my little guy, like these Flash Cards. Needless to say, I'm a fan!

This month the Project Life crew is introducing a new kit with a whole new twist on HSN (the Home Shopping Network.) It's the Just Add Color kit on HSN. You are going to love this kit and especially love the price!

Soooo… other than the fun new colors and graphics, do you notice something different? If you've been working with Project Life before, you'll notice the new square format perfect for Instagram photos. Here's a quick run down of what's new in this new release…

I decided to take my very first Instagram photos and work on a few pages…

Gager's was so small back then, just a baby! I LOVE how the fun 2×2 squares and the stickers add so much to the page. Check out some of the stickers, they are great…

Not in the mood for color? Don't worry! This kit has a stunning collection of black and white cards as well…

These black and white cards were perfect for when Gage broke his leg… I'm still not feeling to colorful about that. 😉

Isn't this kit so fun? Don't forget… A Limited amount of Just Add Color kits will be available at an amazing price at HSN on September 17th. Shop early because they will sell out for sure!!

Disclaimer // This is an American Crafts sponsored post. I received product and payment for this post however, all thoughts, idea and opinions are my very own. I will only post about stuff that I adore!

My Favorite Camera Bags for Women // the Jeanne Oliver Mia Bag

0 · Jun 25, 2013 · 4 Comments

Jeanne Oliver Mia Camera Bag Review // I'm super excited to share one of my favorite finds with you guys today. A couple of years ago, I bought a new camera and with a new camera… I needed a new bag. First I googled "camera bags for women" and found a few bags, but nothing really hit the spot. Then I hit the Twitterverse and asked if anyone knew of some great, stylish camera bags that I should check out. Within just a few minutes, someone (I wish I could remember who) messaged me back with an amazing (new to me) find… The amazing Jeanne Oliver and her stunning bags!

My Twitter friend showed me the now retired camera bag that I've been using for over a year now.

This bag is not only my camera bag, I've used it as a purse, diaper bag, conference bag and carry-on. I LOVE this bag!! Recently Jeanne launched her new line of bags and with this new launch she has introduced a new camera bag called the Mia Bag. From the minute I saw the new bag on Instagram, I fell head over heels.

Isn't it just divine? The fabric, the colors, the workmanship… I just love it all! Here, I'll give you a quick tour!

Here's the inside. I have one of my cameras in one of the padded pockets. Keep in mind, this is a Canon Rebel so it's the standard, non-professional sized camera and it fits nicely in that pocket. If I were to put my Canon 5D Mark II in the bag, it would fit in the main compartment and have two padded spaces for extra lenses or an external flash. But, with the smaller camera I can also fit my wallet, my iPad, a notebook AND my Macbook Pro along with other smaller items.

The bag is fully padded and has two padded pockets along with a side zipper pocket perfect for keys, makeup and other small items. It has a cell phone pocket as well as a smaller pocket perfect for items like memory cards and such. This is the perfect purse / camera bag!!

The fabric is a heavy duty upholstery fabric that is easy to wipe clean and holds up to a lot of use. The front flap secures with a magnetic closure which I love. I hate fussy closures on bags.

The bags construction is superb and is up to any challenge you have to throw at it. The strap is sturdy and comfortable to wear.

I just love Jeanne's tag inside the bag, it's just so darn pretty!

AND, the handmade fabric flower on the front flap!! I just adore this detail. I love that my bag does not scream CAMERA BAG. That it's stylish and looks one of a kind. Now that I have two of Jeanne's camera bags (I also have one of her ruffled totes that I just LOVE) I can honestly say… They are by far my favorite camera bags!

You should check out the Jeanne Oliver Designs Site… she is one extremely talent lady who has her hand in many different creative pots these days. She designs bags and has two more in this summer's collection along with a handful of other items for sale.

The Sadie Handbag and the Elsie Linen Messenger Bag

Jeanne is also an amazing artist and photographer and she also teaches some amazing classes through her Jeanne Oliver Creative Network. This site is FULL of talented friends who have a passion for their work and love to share their talents along with what they have learned along their creative journey. It's an amazing site, you should check it out. All in all, I am a HUGE Jeanne Oliver fan and just had to share one of my loves with you guys!

Disclaimer // This is not a sponsored post. I did however, receive one free bag to review. All thoughts, ideas, opinions are my very own.

Jessica Sprague // Oh Shoot 2 Class GIVEAWAY

0 · May 20, 2013 · 80 Comments

This post is brought to you by Jessica Sprague.com // Happy Monday everyone!! I'm so excited for today's giveaway… My FAVORITE online learning site Jessica Sprague is launching a brand new photography class that I am sooooo excited about. It's a class for those of you who are well acquainted with your camera but who would like to learn more about composition and advanced styling techniques.

You have a dSLR camera and have already learned out to get it out of automatic – hooray for you! Now, what comes next? How about learning more about the artistic side of taking a photograph – the things beyond the words aperture and shutter speed that can take your photos to the next level?

If this sounds good to you, then we have the perfect class for you – Oh Shoot 2! Advanced Composition & Technique taught by Candice Stringham over at JessicaSprague.com. Candice is one of my all time favorite Photography instructors. She really knows her stuff!!

This 4-week long, intermediate level class will:

Review in more detail basic compositional rules
Address color theory and how it affects the mood and look of a photograph
Learn about photographing an editorial portrait
Learn about how to photograph an event
Learn about compositional rules when photographing a location
Learn tips about tabletop (small items) photography techniques

And as with all classes at JessicaSprague.com, the course materials (videos, downloadable PDFs, etc) are available to you forever! If you want to go back and retake a lesson or even the whole class at any time, everything will be available to you.

Candice Stringham, the course instructor is the real deal. An editorial photographer turned scrapbooker, Candice is a former Contributing Editor for Creating Keepsakes Magazine and was inducted into the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame in 2006. She has a BFA in Photography and taught at a collegiate level after she graduated. Visit Candice’s blog to learn more about her and see some of her amazing work.

The next session of Oh Shoot! 2 begins June 3^rd and registration opens tonight at 9Pm EST. There are two levels of registration available. The standard class which has unlimited enrollment and the extended class, which includes comments from the instructor on your photographs. Extended enrollment fills up quickly, so be ready right at 9Pm EST to register.

Click here for more information and to register.

Jessica and her crew have been so generous and are giving away THREE level one spots to Candice's Advanced Composition and Technique Class // Oh Shoot 2… That's a $132 value!! Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The rafflecopter box may take a bit to load, especially if you are on Internet Explorer 9 or a mobile device… don't you worry though, it will load.