If you store photos in Apple's Photo app, you may find the following article helpful. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2015/12/21/get-photo-out-apple-photos/77691766/
Jim Hamm
OLLI: Beginners Workshop--Working with Photos on an iPhone
As seen in the OLLI catalog under Workshops 39) Beginners - Working with Photos on an iPhone Fri, 1/29-2/12, 9-11am Bldg: NAU/PV, Rm: 148
Facilitator: John Carter Limit: 15
Learn how to breeze through taking and editing photos and videos on an iPhone using a variety of apps. Discover the nuances of how the iPhone organizes media and how to create albums to organize media your way. Learn how to transfer media between the iPhone and a Mac or PC laptop using iTunes and other file transfer apps. Share your media using Mail, Dropbox, and other methods. Bring your iPhone (any model) and, optionally, your laptop and iPhone cable. All the above also applies to an iPad. Note: This learning group is meeting at the NAU building in Prescott Valley, 7351 E. Civic Circle.
John R Carter Sr
Please note: In order to sign up for this learning group, you must be a member of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). The contact information is as follows: http://yc.edu/v5content/lifelong-learning/olli-prescott/default.htm
A New "Kid" on the Block
Aurora HDR Pro is a new Mac app that is going to change how you edit photos on a Mac.This new app will offer so much more than any other HDR photo editor out there. Power, flexibility, speed, creativity are yours for the taking. Intrigued? Learn more about Aurora HDR here. Available on November 19, 2015, you can pre-order now for a discount price of $89. (This is a third party app and is not available in the App Store.) John R. Carter Sr.
Cool Stuff - Google Photos, (but read this)
"If you plan to use Google Photos to store your photos, here's another review that will be helpful. Although I'm not the photo buff in our family, all that I've read seems to say that Google Photos is a great program to try out. Since it's free, what's to lose?" says Jim Hamm. See here, http://www.wired.com/2015/06/coolest-stuff-didnt-know-google-photos but read page 3 carefully under "Licensing" and note the ToS, Terms of Service. You have been warned and this applies to all of Google's services.
A Few Days With Google Photos
"Here is a review of Google Photos that basically gives it a "'numbs up.' If you have pictures stored somewhere, you may want to look into storing them in Google Photos as well." These are Jim Hamm's brief comments, but take a look here:
https://medium.com/@ahatzz11/a-few-days-with-google-photos-5b858af6d13c
Illegal Drone Photos
Jim Hamm found some fascinating photos from India, Russia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary. The headline reads "37 incredible drone photos from across the glove that would be totally illegal today." You'll want to see it here: http://uk.businessinsider.com/illegal-drone-photos-of-the-most-beautiful-places-on-earth-2015-3?op=1
The photographer Chapple took advantage of the drones during the 18 months when it was legal to fly drones anywhere. In 2014 the FAA made it illegal to fly drones for commercial purposes, including photography. Other countries followed suit.
Thanks to the Internet we can see amazing views and learning interesting facts.
Photos Tutorial
And who would be sending this info? John Carter. "Not to be outdone, Noteboom Productions has a 43 lesson tutorial on Photos going through every possible detail of the app. Check it out here. Of course, this one isn’t free."
Astrophotography with a Smartphone?
John Carter has more to say about photography, "Someone has been quite successful in taking images of Jupiter using his iPhone, an 8” telescope, and a couple of apps on his computer. Get the full, brief, story here."
Editing Photos in the New Photo App
"MacMost.com has done an excellent job of briefly demoing the features in the new Photo app. Check it out here. Hey, even I learned something, and now I have a lot less to complain about," comments John Carter.
Want a Camera?
John Carter announces, "For Sale! Canon 60Da, body only. Used. Includes strap, battery, battery charger, AC-Adapter, manual, CD, cables, original box. $1,200.00 (List price, $1,499 in Amazon) S/N 6596B002AA Available circa May 8
Contact: John Carter, 928-458-0570, john@jrcarter.com"
Learning the New Photo Application
John Carter sends this announcement of Tutor for Photos for OS X: We are happy to announce we have our Tutor for Photos for OS X available for members! Learn all about Apple’s iPhoto replacement including importing from iPhoto, syncing with iCloud Photo Library, managing multiple libraries, and showing the sidebar to make it more like iPhoto. We also look at organizing your photos into albums, smart albums, faces, folders, and even how to hide your photos. Photos includes extensive editing tools and we show you how to use them. These tools include enhancing photos, adding filters, straightening photos, cropping photos, and making adjustments to your photos. We also show you how you can compare your edits to the original photo. When you are ready to share your photos we take a look at the different sharing options including creating books, calendars, slideshows, and ordering prints. Login to view the tutorial.
Questions About iCloud Photo Library?
Jim Hamm has found some interesting info. "Should you have questions about Apple's iCloud Photo Library, here is an article you may want to read. What with Photos for Mac and iCloud Photo Library, it all can get confusing pretty quickly. This article helps to clear things up."
Improving Photo Lighting
Today John Carter writes, "I needed to get a really good photo of my office this morning, but the lighting was fairly poor with one side in near shadows and bright windows on the other side, and the room was bathed in white LED lights. I looked to see what was possible with Photoshop CS6, and sure enough, right here is a published review and tutorial on how to get the best results using three bracketed photos. I am really happy with the result."
Take Command of the Photoshop Basics
John Carter has some good news, "CreativeLive is offering a FREE online course in Photoshop.
"Don’t let Photoshop overwhelm you! Get to know the power, functions, and features of this incredible image-editing program.
"In his three-day live class, Photoshop Hall of Famer Ben Willmore will not only introduce you to Photoshop's interface and essential tools, but will also show you how to make simple changes that will have a big impact on your images. You'll learn how to:
"In his three-day live class, Photoshop Hall of Famer Ben Willmore will not only introduce you to Photoshop's interface and essential tools, but will also show you how to make simple changes that will have a big impact on your images. You'll learn how to:
• Retouch stray hairs and brighten eyes
• Combine separate images into a panorama
• “Open” closed eyes in a group shot and more!
"If you feel intimidated by Photoshop, this beginner-level class will give you the skills and confidence to take command of the program for amazing results. RSVP Now!
A Fan of Photoshop?
"If you're a fan of Photoshop, following are comments from a blog I follow that might be of interest, " Jim Hamm begins, and he goes on to explain, "I've not checked any of the websites, but I fully trust the guy writing the suggestions (I know him), so you might see if any of this would be helpful."
(You'll find that word FREE by the end of the quotation!)
"I’ve mentioned some of this before, but for you Photoshop aficionados, or you Photoshop newbies, or wantabes, I’ve come across some great tutorial sites for you to take a look at. http://petapixel.com/2015/01/08/photoshop-playbook-50-short-video-tutorials-fundamental-skills-photoshop/
"Don’t have a copy of Photoshop and think it’s too expensive? You can go here:
and download a free, licensed version of Photoshop CS2 for either Windows or Mac. It’s about 340 MB and took me less than 30 minutes to download on a 3G connection. Be sure and grab the License Serial Number further down the page."
Learn About iPhone and Its Apps
On August 2 in the Prescott Library Founders Suite starting at 1 PM, John Carter will be talking about the iPhone and the millions of apps that are available. Okay, 1.2 million as of June, 2014. Most of them are probably copycats or lame gadgets, so that pares it down to probably less than a few thousand useful apps.
John will focus on the 24 standard apps and some others that he has found useful with categories in Astronomy, Business, Communication, Education, Entertainment, Finance, Internet, Lifestyle, Music, Navigation, Photography, Productivity, Reading, Social, and Utilities, probably none of which are in the top 100 apps for the iPhone for 2014 (but he will show you the list of 100.) Games will not be talked about, unless you like Sudoku.
He will also cover the upcoming iOS 8 and what features you won’t be able to use if you don’t have a Mac.
This talk follows John's monthly Digital Mac SIG which is in the same room, starting at 10 AM. Please attend and harass John just enough to keep him awake. (Who said that!)
Take Pictures with Your iPhone
Smart Photo Download Tip
"Did you find a photo on the Internet or in your email that you want to save?" asks John Carter. He's going to tell us what to do. "The best place for that photo is not on your computer in some picture folder, but in iPhoto (or even Aperture). Here's how.
"If the photo shows up in your Facebook account (from a friend or family), or it's just sitting in some website that you came upon (like that fantastic image of Comet ISON in Astronomy.com), first, right click on the image. In the menu that pops up, select "Add Image to iPhoto Library":
(Remember you can click on this screen shot to enlarge, then do Esc to come back to this page.)
John continues, "If the image is in an email message, click and drag it into the iPhoto icon in the Dock.
John continues, "If the image is in an email message, click and drag it into the iPhoto icon in the Dock.
"And don't forget to rename the image, add a description, and give it some keywords to help you find it in the future.
"More on this in November's General Meeting when I go into detail about how to manage and organize your iPhoto library."
"More on this in November's General Meeting when I go into detail about how to manage and organize your iPhoto library."
So be sure to mark your calendar or check your Calendar on the Dock for the November 16 meeting at 10 a.m. at the Prescott Public Library. John will give us more help with photos.
Here's the Help You Need
John Carter is a busy guy. You've heard his PMUG presentations, maybe his SIG ones, too. But John can give you personal help for those pesky problems that are slowing you down. At Saturday's PMUG meeting former Prez Howard LaPittus was bragging on John's helpfulness. Email John here. And he passes along the following info, too. Zenda Sergo is another local resource for anyone looking to take a formal class on how to use their Apple device or to learn a particular app like iPhoto or Pages. Zenda has a website that shows what classes she is offering. All classes are 2 hours in length, and she provides handouts ("Unlike me," comments John. "but then I don't have a formal class schedule to work from."). Click here for her website.
Photography: Apps, Edits, Files
Of special interest to photographers, John Carter describes his up-coming presentations. "My take on presentations that teach people how to use a computer are about apps that are simple and do things that they are interested in.
"How to download images from a camera, make simple edits, and email the photos seems to be high on the list.
"To accomplish that, one needs to fully understand the hierarchy of the computer, where the photos are saved, and how to attach or retrieve a photo using any given email client whether it be Outlook, Thunderbird, or Microsoft Mail, or whether it be Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, or Google Mail on the Internet. They need tips on using photo editors and photo browsers — the kind they have on their computer or that they can get for free.
Here John shares some practical and personal examples, "I recently went on vacation to Texas and Missouri followed by a short trip to Las Vegas. Lots of photos. Getting these organized in albums with keywords and descriptions is critical to finding them quickly out of the more than 7,000 photos I have (it's a small batch, I know). Learning how to do that was easy for me, but is daunting to many others.
"The format of the image as created by the camera and how any given photo browser or photo editor app deals with them is very useful information."
And here's what you've been waiting to hear: John announces, "With that in mind, I'll prepare such a presentation for the September 28 Joint PCS/PMUG meeting. I already do this for my regular Mac Digital Photo SIG that I host on the first Friday morning of every month, and Phil Ball of the PCS club does a lot of this in his monthly Digital Photo SIG (usually the second Saturday from 1-3 PM), which I think any of the PMUG members would also enjoy."