Thin

I was hard pressed to come up with a photo for this last theme before the month ended--and then I found this swan with it's long thin elegant neck. It was sailing through rain-swollen Paper Goods Pond. Swans look graceful, but they can be vicious; this one hissed at me as I aimed my iPhone at it. I used PhotoForge to soften the shot and to make the swan the focus.

Flood stage

It's been raining for days now, and today we got belted with a nor'easter. The Connecticut River is over its banks and hasn't crested yet. I took this picture with the iPhone from the shelter of my car, but I still got drenched in the short time I had the window down. I used the ClassicToy app to capture the image.

Simplicity

There isn't much simpler than a wet leaf on a wet pavement. Taken with the iPhone, the image was processed in Best Camera.

Circular

I know this is stretching the theme--but this is an iPhone photo of my younger grandson at my son's birthday party. It brings to mind the circles of life. It's hard for me to believe that my baby boy is 23; it seems like yesterday that he was the same age as his little nephew is now. Processing was done in PhotoBag and TouchUp.

Palm Sunday

The exuberant Father Mike blesses the congregation at the beginning of the Palm Sunday vigil Mass. (I have already been lectured by my daughter about whipping out my iPhone in church; but I promise that after this, I put it in my pocket. I was the narrator for the Passion, so I had to pay attention.) At any rate, the photo was processed in PhotoForge & PhotoBag--after church!

Conspicuous

The town decided that the dead branches on this old maple tree were dangerous, so they cut it down. The orange trucks and vi-vis vests were conspicuous on an overcast morning. I used TiltShiftGen on this iPhone shot to help focus the attention on the truck and crew.

Disorder

I have no idea why, but I keep finding the clocks at our office off the wall. Yesterday, there was one on a windowsill in the lunchroom; today, this one-still keeping perfect time!-was on the floor near one of the recycling bins. My co-workers must be used to my eccentricities: no one acted as if it were odd that I was squatting down taking pictures of what appeared to be the bottom of a garbage can with my iPhone. Or maybe they were just afraid of agitating the lunatic. At any rate,I ran it through TiltShiftGenerator to add some drama.

Packaging

I always thought that vending machines were mysteriously filled at night, by elves maybe. Turns out there's a vending machine dude! The photo was taken with the iPhone (subtlety being one of its strong points) then I applied one of the effects from CameraBag.

Apple orchard in spring

The orchard is responding nicely to the rains of March. PhotoForge was used to process this iPhone photo.

March

After a delightful weekend of sunshine and temperatures in the 70s, the weather has returned to what one expects in March in New England-raw, grey and drizzly. I used the iPhone to snag this shot of a small budding tree in the parking lot as I hustled into my car after work. I used the Hipstamatic app to capture it, but it wasn't too impressive, so I played around with it. This is my favorite end result. It was done through PhotoStudio and Mill Color. I like it because to me it looks like an etching.

Spring

Spring has sprung earlier than usual this year. One of the first signs is the sprouting of these tiny snow crocuses (croci?) The photo was taken with the iPhone using the Hipstamatic app.

Glorious Day

We just don't have this weather in March in New England-sunny and mid-70s. Yesterday, we bought kayaks. Today, we took them out on one of the lakes in town; after that, we went geocaching. On the water, I was separated from my camera and my iPhone-what with my being on my second 365 challenge, that was traumatic. But I was able to take the iPhone on the hike, where I snagged this picture of geese floating on the lake. Processing was done in PhotoForge.

Wine

We went out for pizza with friends. This place serves a wonderful dark dry chianti. I snapped a picture of the glasses with the iPhone, then applied a filter from PhotoBag.

Nothing beats...

...romping with a granddude! This picture of Aidan, taken with the iPhone, got a quick tune-up in PhotoForge; then I used TiltShift Generator to put the focus on his face by using a blur and vignette.

St. Patrick's Day in NYC

We all played hooky, along with two of Sierra's friends and went down to NYC for the parade. The weather was just gorgeous-as were the pipers. Captured by the iPhone, the picture was tuned up a bit in PhotoForge and framed in PhotoGene.

Evening

A streetlight glows on the road as evening deepens into night. I used Format 126 on this iPhone shot.

Guess who loves Uncle Chris?

That would be Aidan! Somehow I managed to get them to slow down long enough to snag one shot with the iPhone. I processed it in Iron Camera, which has some pretty funky effects.

Window

A waitress rings up the tab at a restaurant in West Hartford Center this afternoon. Taken with the iPhone, the processing was done in PhotoForge.

Rain

This afternoon, we went to see Riverdance. Afterwards, we waited in the lobby until the crowds thinned out. Using the iPhone, I snapped some pictures of people leaving in the rain. This was my favorite. Processing was done in PhotoForge and FX Photo Studio.

Stacked

The chairs are stacked on the tables in the lunchroom at the end of the week. A few basic adjustments were made to this iPhone photo with PhotoForge.

Blue

I stayed home today, pretty miserable with bronchitis and laryngitis. Under the circumstances, I was hard pressed to come up with a photo-so, using the iPhone, I took a picture of leaf of red lettuce growing in my AeroGarden. Maybe it's the effect of the virus, but I started playing around with the filters in PhotoStudio and came up with this. To me it looks more like a butterfly's wing as opposed to a leaf of lettuce.

Hands

One of the cool things about cell phone photography is that the phones are inconspicuous. So-called smart phones like the iPhone are used for so many tasks that people tend to have them in their hands--which facilitates "stealth photography." At a meeting this evening, I snagged this shot of the well-worn hands of on of the other committee members. Processing was done in PhotoForge and Tilt Shift Generator.

Religion or Faith

This remarkable and uplifting statue of the Risen Christ is usually on the altar of out church. It has been removed to another room during Lent. I used PhotoForge and TouchUp to add drama to the iPhone photo.

Unexpected

Spring-like weather has arrived, so I took my bike out for the first time this year. I rode down to Paper Goods Pond, where I spent a few minutes taking pictures of the geese floating on the water. As I was turning to leave, I caught the shadows of myself and my bike--something I hadn't expected to see. In the end, it made the more interesting photo. Taken with the iPhone, it was processed in PhotoStudio.

Umbrellas

These brightly colored umbrellas were on sale in the gift shop at the Hartford Athaneum. Processing for this iPhone photo was done in PhotoForge.

Old Fashioned

We saw this exhibit today at the Hartford Atheneum-paintings that had been done as pairs but that had been separated over time but were hung together for this show. The photo was taken with the iPhone using ProHDR, then processed with MillColour.

Addiction

John and I don't gamble, but from time to time, we like to browse at the shops at the casinos here in Connecticut. I did get told that taking pictures of the slots was not allowed; but I'd gotten off this shot with the iPhone before I was stopped. It was processed in PhotoBag to pump up the garish glare.

Metal

The sink at the lunchroom is made of stainless steel. Processing on this iPhone photo was done in PhotoForge, including its Sin City filter.

Birch

I've always found birches to be among the most beautiful of trees. I use PhotoForge for some basic adjustments to this iPhone shot.

Orange

This piece of equipment, temporarily parked near our office, matches the billboard in the distance. The photo was taken with the iPhone and processed with BestCamera.

Worn

This barn with its worn paint and overgrown weeds is testimony to our town's agricultural past. Taken with the iPhone, the photo was edited primarily in CameraBag with adjustments made with PhotoForge and PhotoGene.

Blessing

In these dreary days of iron skies and raw gloom, the sunny yellow of the zinnias and marigolds in the AeroGarden is a blessing. Taken with the iPhone, the picture had basic adjustments done with PhotoForge and TouchUp.