My GPS Camera Phone

One of the biggest issues with camera phones is the rigidity of the lens. In some cases (like the Nokia 5610), you can get a mechanical zoom or macro, but that’s about it. Well, here’s some good news for the iPhone and G1 photographers.

I found a great feature on Gadget Venue that discusses magnetic camera phone lenses! Seriously, this is huge for photo enthusiasts like myself. Choose from wide-angle, fish-eye and telephoto lenses. The best part is that you can get this incredible upgrade for under $20.

You can save your money and try using some binoculars, but I wouldn’t recommend it. How do I know? You’ll have to come back later and find out the rest of the story.

USB Fever.com lens catalog

After a stellar showing yesterday for my 18th Wordless Wednesday, I decided that it was time to show some love to a community that has made Hump Day so much more meaningful. Since you’ve been so good to me, dear readers, here are my “secrets” to becoming a blogging supernova (or at least a dwarf planet).

1. Add your link to the list early – the higher to the top, generally, the more hits. Yesterday, I was 4th out of 626, which referred 57 visitors. However, I’ve been in the 300s and still get respectable numbers.
2. Link directly to the post page, not your home page. That way, if you decide to post later in the day, visitors won’t have to search for the post, especially if it’s hidden below-the-fold.
3. Be consistent with your name when adding your link. Some people choose to use all caps or other special characters to stand out among the hundreds of links. Either way, pick something and stick with it. Personally, I just use my site name with no frills – My GPS Camera Phone.
4. Leave a comment on the WW blog when you post (which I totally forgot to do yesterday). It’s another way to post your link and validates your participation in the event.
5. Post an interesting or noteworthy photo if you can. Abstract imagery has worked well for me.
6. Make every attempt to comment on the sites of at least those who comment on your photo. The WW community is great and comments are usually reciprocated.
7. Try being consistent and participate often. I’m on 18 entries now and I see some of the same return visitors each Wednesday, some of which have translated into regular visitors.
8. Realize that it’s not a photo competition and take each participant’s entry for what it’s worth. This isn’t the place to be critical (unless of course it’s requested by the photographer). It is, however, a great place to discover new blogs.
9. Don’t try to game the system – like I said, the community is smart and can spot a cheat.
10. Have fun with it! Even if you end up being the last one on the list, you will still get traffic.

And a hearty thanks to all those who shattered my comments-per-post record, which now stands at a whopping 22 23:

Dianne – Bunny Trails
Pamela
CatSynth
Robert
Lorelee
Jan @ Bold & Free
Regina
Serena
Leonard
The Right Blue
Diane
Janese
Kelly
Joe
Cathi
Patty
Marsha (at JustMe 1947)
Raven
FXSmom
Shiera
Nangents
Soapbox Mom (the mom formerly known as BMG mom
Tink*~*~*

I’ll get to posting photos and such again soon, I promise. In the meantime, here’s a few recommended links to get your photo fix:

• Take a peek at Gale Rainwater’s nature photography. It’s an incredible showcase of photos that easily rivals those of National Geographic quality. Don’t miss the amazing panoramic shots in the gallery.
• Snow getting you down? Susanne has the cure for you.
• I’ve been away for awhile, but my recent visit to jungl’s Photos from Northern Norway reminded me of why I went there in the first place. He’s also started an interesting project called Musings from a Male Knitter. I want a pair of those socks.
• Photography by KML has loads of photos on every genre, but some of my favorites are the textures. How can you not like this worn-out basketball?
• Suwat’s site header says, “If one photo can change a person life, that’s good enough.” How can you argue with that? Digital Shutter Mania has a great collection of digital photos and easy-to-use and effective tricks. My favorite trick ever: the pop-up flash diffuser. How incredibly simple.

Expansion on an article originally published at 99 Bloggers

Simply opening a photo and changing the color mode to grayscale might be the most efficient way to get from Point A to Point B, though it’s not always the best. The shades are more gray and washed-out, often resulting in a flat and uninteresting image. The kicker is that once you’ve removed the color information, it’s gone for good, along with any color adjustment options. While this works and is an acceptable way to make a black-and-white image, it can be done better.

To start off, I’ll be opening an image in Adobe Photoshop®. Duplicate the master layer and then set visibility to the copy. Instead of going straight for the Mode->Grayscale menu option, try going to Adjustments->Desaturate. The image turns into what appears to be a grayscale image, yet the color mode (RGB) is retained. More data means better quality, which is obvious in a side-by-side comparison. The Mode->Grayscale conversion method results in a lighter image as seen on the left, while the desaturated photo on the right holds on to more of the darker tones.

If you’re using Picasa2, simply open the image, select the “Effects” tab and then “Saturation.” Move the slider all the way to the left to desaturate the image. If this isn’t to your liking later on, no worries – Picasa2 saves a backup of the original in case you ever want to go back.

For GIMP 2 users: After duplicating the original image layer, go to Colors->Desaturate, and then select “Lightness,” “Luminosity” or “Average” based on what result you prefer. Apply this to the copied layer only and the color layer will remain untouched.

Personally, I like to keep one working version of an image if possible. Using the desaturation method accommodates this preference nicely by keeping the color image intact, allowing me the luxury of having a color layer and a grayscale layer. Since there’s color information still in the photo, I can apply photo filters, adjust hue/saturation, select color or any number of things that would not be available had I used the Mode->Grayscale option. This way, I can always go back and change something in the color layer if the first try doesn’t work, without having to search for a copy of the master source file or start over from scratch.

You could also use adjustment layers, but that’s another post.

If you need to print and the job doesn’t call for 4-color, simply open the desaturated image, change the mode to grayscale, then save as another file. The gray levels are nearly untouched, resulting in a better black-and-white image.

Increasing efficiency and usability in your imaging workflow is important and this is only ONE way to accomplish this task. Do you have a preferred method?