Momathon Blog

Dear Pinterest, I Want to Go to There

Planning your next trip just got easier and more fun with Pinterest's newest feature, PLACE PINS. I think the new pins will make even moving to a new city more interesting too. I've got step-by-step directions to guide you through the process of creating your own PLACE PINS and PLACE BOARD below. 

I tested it out today by adding locations to pins on my Ski Bum Mum board. Check it out for cool pics and videos of ski destinations around the globe. Plus a few of my favorite places to stay. You can identify a PLACE BOARD by the small maps icon (it looks like an upside-down raindrop) located on the upper right corner of the board description. When you click on the board link you will see the PLACE PINS and a large map on the right.

I subscribe to a variety of PLACE BOARDS created by other pinners. Here are a few of my faves—in no particular order:

Family Travel (NatGeo Travel), London (Conde Nast Traveler), America's Best Hot Chocolate (Fodor's Travel), New York's Finest (Travel + Leisure), Bucket List Happy Hour Spots Around The World (Matt Long), The Ultimate Paris (Fodor's Travel), and Travel - Our Beautiful World (JD Andrews) 

 

Step-by-step directions to guide you through the process of creating your own PLACE PINS and PLACE BOARD. 

To create your own PLACE BOARD:

1) Select ADD A MAP when you create the board. Or you can also edit an existing board—go to board settings and select ADD A MAP.

 

To create or add your own PLACE PINS

1) Click on a Pin you want to add to a place board 

2) Choose PLACE BOARD, click Pin It.

3) At this time you can't immediately pin the location, first you must go back to the board and  find the pin you want to add the location.

4) Click on the + (plus icon) on the Pin.

5) Type in the city and then select the correct city from the scroll down list of cities on the right.

6) Directly below the city location you enter, type in a more precise location—a restaurant, a hotel, a store, etc.

7) Select the correct location from the list and you will see the location on the map to the right. 

Have fun Pinning!  You can find the Pinterest special feed of a featured PLACE BOARDS here. 

Cafe Dogs: Binkie the Frenchie

If you are a dog lover like me, then happiness is bringing your dog along for lunch at an outdoor cafe. Binkie (featured above) loves tagging along because like many French Bulldogs he is a sociable pup. When he's not following his human pal, he loves to hang out on the sofa.

Binkie also just happens to be the newest pet illustration on iPhone cases, laptop and iPad skins, throw pillows and more in my Society6 shop. Come say hi at my shop:)

xo Chris and Binkie

 

Images: Illustrations of Binkie the Frenchie featured above by me, Chris Olson and are available at my Society6 shop. Feel free to pin images on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

Oscars 2013 {I'm Tired of the Bullying on Twitter}

I started working on this post with a sketch of Anne Hathaway on the red carpet. I planned on writing about the gorgeous dresses at the Oscars. But after seeing all the negative commentary about Anne on Twitter I decided to change my focus here. 

On Sunday night during the Oscars the negative comments about Anne began building. Some comments were about hating her dress. Then even more tweets chimed in saying she is annoying because she acts too "perfect." And others made snarky comments about her face... Really? 

Of course, I could just ignore the mean stuff being said online, but I'm a mom. And maybe some of you will think I sound a little too preachy here, but that is what moms do some of the time. 

In a culture where young girls (and boys) are bullied daily for how they look and act, I think it is time for the grown-ups to set a better example online.

I know in the US we take pride in the fact we have the right to express opinions. Even opinions that are very controversial. Social media has made it very easy—maybe too easy—to criticize people publicly. Eventually all the hate from strangers online starts snowballing to the point the criticism takes on a life of its own. And in this case, I think the online commentary of hate is not so much about Anne, but just about bashing someone—as if this person were a thing. 

I'm not the only person who thinks all this online "Hathahater" negativity is growing old and even becoming baseless. Check out Samantha Escobar's comments on the The Gloss and Ann Friedman's piece on The Cut and Daniel D'Addario on Salon.

I don't know Anne. Her public persona—the one so many are criticizing for being too perfect—may be very different from the "real" Anne. I do know that I admire her for supporting the anti-violence organization One Billion Rising. Her eagerness to look poised and gracious on camera doesn't annoy me because that is her professional persona—I don't imagine she acts perfect all the time. She may not act like the self-effacing and funny celebs we wish we had as best friends. But those same celebs probably work to portray that persona too. In other words, what we see and so easily judge about celebs is not the whole story. We are all just people. And hearing cruel words hurt us even when no one thinks we are listening.

I love the line in the movie Notting Hill, when Julia Roberts playing the movie star character Anna Scott says:

"I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

I'm hoping a Twitter trend around liking people—even loving people—will gain momentum. 

Well, I've talked long enough today. If I go on and on I know my kids' eyes will start to glaze over. Thanks for listening. xo Chris

 

Images: Illustrations featured above by me, Chris Olson. 

I Want To {Laugh More}

 

Do you have a silly side? My goal this year is to nurture that silly side of me. And to do this the whole family is unplugging their tech more often—especially during meals. Who knows what fun things will develop... Maybe even Mr. Napkin Head will stop by. 

•  •  •  •  •

Okay, I know I just talked about unplugging more, but I have to give a quick shout out to two apps that helped me create the image above:

1) I used the new Flickr app for my iPhone to create the purple-ish effect on Mr. Napkin Head (my husband) using the Chinchilla filter. This app has a set of photo filters similar to Instagram.

2) I used the Over app to add the stylish text next. (Want to see what this app can do?  On Twitter check out @madewithOver and follow the hashtag #madewithOver.)

IMAGE: Photo and design by me.

Snowy Day Project

Is it snowing in your neighborhood? Cold and blustery here. And when it snows I load up my "squirrel-proof" bird feeder with seeds and enjoy the show out my kitchen window. Recently I decided to capture the scene in a movie. 

My venture into iMovie film making turned out to be a fun snowy day project. However only a few weeks ago I never would have dreamed of trying this. My past movie-making projects were disastrous even with all the how-to tips I consulted online. Then I went to the amazing Alt Summit SLC class with filmmakers (and bloggers) Alison Faulkner at The Alison Show and Jenner Brown of Lumineux Films. Jumping into film making takes energy—so fortified with the yummy treats during their hands-on Alt class, my brain was inspired!

Okay, I have to tell you two things before you watch my attempt at film making:

First, if you have a short attention span, then you are in luck because my movie is EXTRA short—barely 1 minute long

Second, don't expect a masterpiece. It is probably best called a "work-in-progress" because I know later I can go back and edit it some more.

Well, that said, here it is! 

Snowy Morning from Momathon on Vimeo.

Be sure to check out Alison's super fun videos on her blog here. Jenner has some great work on many blogs. I really love this "Joy & Ruby" video he did for the Small Fry blog here.

So what did I learn in the class by Alison and Jenner? Lots! Here are just a few of the iMovie 11 tips via class:

• Add some sugar :) A supply of donuts on hand inspires creativity (Alison and I agree on that one!)

• Use "Show Advanced Tools" option. When you first set up your iMovie, go to "Preferences" and click on "Show Advanced Tools" this allows you to do cutaways, picture in picture, and green screens. (If you don't select this, when you try to add a logo in iMovie the pop-up window won't show up .)

• Add an interesting custom logo or title artwork. In Photoshop or another design program, create an interesting logo/title  and save it as a PNG image with a transparent background. You can add it to your movie by selecting the PNG file, dragging it over to the movie clip near the start of your movie and click on "Picture in Picture" option. Once you get the PNG image in, you can adjust its placement on the clip. (If your PNG image turns black, you probably clicked on "Fit." To fix this, click on "Ken Burns Effect."

• Boost the stabilization of shaky footage. If your film footage is shaky—that's usually my style—then in iMovie double click on the film clip, open up "Inspector" and select "Stabilization."

• Make your film more interesting by including background sound, a voiceover, or music. To do this, move your cursor over to the "Music Note" icon (center right in iMovie screen). A box appears in the lower right portion and you can choose between iMovie/iLife sound effects and iTunes. If you want to add favorite music track from iTunes beware of copyrights. Next, select the sound clip you want and click on it, hold it . A sound icon appears. Drag the icon over to movie and drop it in. Two options for sound placement—you can place the sound clip on a specific portion of the movie (a gray strip appears below the movie clip) or attach it to the entire movie (the space surrounding the movie turns green). Use theiMovie voice over tool (microphone icon in the middle of the iMovie screen) to add your commentary later. 

• iMovie works with still images too. As you might have noticed with my fim, the entire movie is made using photos and including the "Ken Burns Effect." This effect adds panning and zooming to still imagery in the video production. Too add more interest you can modify how the still imagery appears by changing the panning/zooming area selected from the start to the end of the clip by adjusting the cropping marks appearing on the image in iMovie. You can even change the length of time the clip appears to add variety. 

IMAGES: Photos by the talented Alt Summit photographer Brooke Dennis and the short movie by ME on Vimeo here :) 

Guide to Instagram Filters: Willow Filter

Are you looking for a filter to use with portraits, still life, and landscapes? The monochrome Instagram filter Willow warms up an image with soft purple-pink hues and adds subtle white glow effect.

Many Instagram reviewers have focused on the purple tones in the Willow filter, but I think the filter has a mixture of purple and pink. What do you think?

The two monochrome filters with Instagram are Willow and Inkwell. Each offers a unique effect. If you want a softer look, go with the Willow filter. If you want to boost the contrast, try the Inkwell filter. 

Here is a snapshot summary of the Willow Filter:

Filter effect: 
This monochrome filter adds a purple-pink tone and features a soft white glow effect.

Works best:
Portrait-style people shots, still life, and architecture photographs—think scenes with contrast

Similar filter:  Inkwell

IMAGES: The Instagram images are by  me, Chris Olson using an iPhone + Instagram. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Nashville Filter

 

No Filter  Amaro Filter  Rise Filter  

Hudson Filter  X-Pro II Filter  Sierra Filter  

Lo-Fi Filter  Earlybird Filter  Sutro Filter  

Toaster Filter  Brannan Filter  Inkwell Filter  

Walden Filter  Hefe Filter  Valencia Filter 

Nashville Filter  1977 Filter  Kelvin Filter  

Willow  Mayfair

Walden Filter

Guide to Instagram Features

 

 Enhance Colors and Details with Lux 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Tilt-Shift Focus

Newest Instagram Features

Comparing 9 Instagram Filters {The Puppy Edition}

 

Back to School: Smart Tech Gear Under $75

The iPad was on my mind when I put together this week's roundup of tech gear under $75.

1) Kids can stow books and tech gear in the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag. Ballistic Nylon bag keeps gear organized with organizer pockets inside.

2) Do your kids use an iPad to write reports? The built-in keyboard on the iPad is ridiculous to use for writing longer documents. I like the options that turn your iPad into a mini laptop with a separate keyboard that also works as a stand. Before you buy, make sure the case fits your model of iPad. Here are three keyboard and cases I like:

• Zagg iPad2 Folio Case with Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad
• ZAGG iPad 3 Keyboard Case/Folio Cover with Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard
• Hipstreet iPad 3rd Generation/iPad 2 Case with Bluetooth Keyboard 

3) Your kids can learn how to play the piano with the ION iCK05 Piano Apprentice 25-Note Lighted Keyboard connected to your iPad. 

4) Etch A Sketch turned 50 this year. Check out the Headcase Etch A Sketch Hard Case is designed to protect your iPad. (iPad not included.)

5) I admit, I like to work with some music in the background. So I don't object when my kids study while listening to tunes too. The Nova Mini Portable Speakers by TegoAudio.com amplify sound to fill a room and yet are small enough to fit in your pocket. 

6) Ensure your tech gear is safeguarded against damaging voltage fluctuations, surges, and spikes with the Belkin 8 Outlet Surge Protector with USB: Electronics

7) This tech item is a memory card your kids can wear and works with laptops and computers. The USB flash drive is almost as important as pencil and paper in schools these days. The problem is kids are always losing them. That's why I like the wearable USB flash drive that doubles as a bracelet/wristband by MemoryOnHand.com.

 

Vintage Finds: Retro Beach Radio Speaker Box for iPhone or iPod

Place your iPhone or iPod inside this retro AM/FM speaker box when you want to play tunes on the beach or poolside. The case with speakers keeps your gadget free of sand and salt and sunblock. The water-resistant plastic cover on the Swansea Beach Radio snaps tight, keeping your tech toys safe and sound. Speakers by SunnyLIFE and available at Anthropologie.com. Perfect for Father's Day. $39.99

For more Father's Day gift ideas, check out Father's Day Gift Guide—Summer Styles, Gadgets, and Fun.

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(The graphic above was created by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!)

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 18 with Kelvin Filter

 

The Kelvin filter on Instagram is versatile and works well with a variety of images including landscapes, cityscapes, your favorite bakery goods, and your adorable pets. The filter adds a retro look—boosting the earth tones of green, brown, and orange—without sacrificing the brilliant blues in the sky or ocean. If you like to include the optional Instagram filter border, play around with adding the Kelvin scratchy border to frame your image.

I used the LUX feature with Kelvin to bring out details in sun shining through the leaves in the tree photo in the lower left. The LUX feature boosts the details and contrast in images of plants and building exteriors when photographing gardens, neighborhoods, cityscapes, etc.

For more information on the LUX feature plus a handy list of how to use other features including the focus, frame, and more, check out my Guide to the LUX feature here.

I adjusted the focus in a few of the photos by tapping the "tear drop" icon or "Tilt-Shift focus" icon located up on the upper right of the Instagram camera interface to give you the ability to focus on a particular part of your photo. You can find more about using this focus feature here.

When Instagram made updates to the filters to make them faster and high res, some of the filters were tweaked more than others. The Lord Kelvin filter became the Kelvin filter. This name change highlights the significant change to the filter from the previous version which had a super-saturated vintage look with a strong sepia vibe. I know many Instagram fans are not happy with the changes. I like the new Kelvin version, but perhaps they could have kept the old Lord Kelvin too. 

Your Instagram photos can help shelter dogs

If you like to take photos, grab your iPhone and stop by your local animal shelter. Snap some cute pics of the adoptable dogs with Instagram. Then post them on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest with a link to the animal shelter. If you can, please include a search-able hashtag with the breed of dog (eg., #lab or #dachshund) and then also add a hashtag with #adopt_dogs. You can even add text to the photo with apps like InstaText.

The adorable dog mix featured above is Harley. If he is still available for adoption, you can find him at this animal rescue and on Petfinder Adoptable Dog: American Staffordshire Terrier named Harley.

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here

INSTAGRAM FILTERS

Walden Filter

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Nashville Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

 

GUIDE TO INSTAGRAM FEATURES

Instagram Guide {Finding the Best Filters for Each Photo}

Enhance Colors and Details with Lux 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Tilt-Shift Focus

Newest Instagram Features

Comparing 9 Instagram Filters {The Puppy Edition}

Tips on Adding Typography and Art to Instagram Photos 

 

Tips on Adding Text and Art to Instagram Photos

 

 

Images: Photos using the Kelvin Filter (#kelvin) featured above are by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to pin images on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

 

Walden Filter

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Day 1: No Filter 

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

Day 19: Willow Filter

Enhance Colors and Details with Lux 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Tilt-Shift Focus

Newest Instagram Features

Comparing 9 Instagram Filters {The Puppy Edition}

 

>• A note about the photos •<

I am delighted to have my images from this blog re-posted but please always credit MomathonBlog.com as the original source when re-posting to your blog, Pinterest, Tumblr, or any other site. Please also credit with a link back to MomathonBlog.com. Please ask permission before re-posting exact text, instructions, recipes, or diy's from MomathonBlog.com. Thank you.

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 15 with Valencia Filter

 

Valencia Filter on Instagram

 

If you like to take outdoor photos, chances are you will have plenty of opportunities to use the Valencia filter on Instagram which adds a subtle brown tint to images. That said, I found this filter versatile enough to use with shots of my favorite shelter dogs at an adoption fair and even bakery goods for a picnic. I don't feel I need to use the LUX feature very often with this filter because of the built-in contrast provided by the Valenica filter. I will use the LUX feature to add a nice contrast with brick and other building materials when photographing house exteriors, cityscapes, etc.

For more information on the LUX feature plus a handy list of how to use other features including the focus, frame, and more, check out my link here.

Your Instagram Photos Help Shelter Dogs
The adorable  dog featured below is a rescue dog named Rosie. For more information on adopting this dog, go to this dog rescue link. #german_shepherd

Update on Rosie: Yay! Rosie was adopted. She loves her new forever home :)

Images in this post by me, Chris Olson, using an iPhone 4 + Instagram with Valencia Filter (#Valencia)

 

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

 

Walden Filter

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Day 13: Walden Filter 

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

Willow Filter  

Mayfair Filter

GUIDE TO INSTAGRAM FEATURES

Enhance Colors and Details with Lux 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Tilt-Shift Focus

Newest Instagram Features

Comparing 9 Instagram Filters {The Puppy Edition}

>•<  Connect on Facebook  >•<  

Instagram photos by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

 

 

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 12 with Inkwell Filter

 
The Inkwell filter using the Instagram app will not automatically turn your images into Ansel Adams photos, but the filter glams up even bad lighting by adding a high contrast effect to images. Perfect for giving photos a classic black and white vintage vibe. Play around with the LUX feature to add more drama and boost the contrast.

Inkwell works well with photos of pets, floral close-ups, and landscapes. 

Images by me, Chris Olson, using an iPhone 4 + Instagram with Inkwell Filter (#Inkwell)

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

Get The Look: Add Some Glam in Instagram

>•<  Connect on Facebook  >•<  

All Instagram photos are by me, Chris Olson at Chris CoCo Media. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

 

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 11 with Brannan Filter

 

The Brannan filter on Instagram has a soft "vintage meets modern" effect. It brings out the grays and greens in a photo. Don't use Brannan if you want bright colors to pop. Instead, try it with photos of your dog or a landscape/cityscape. Fun to use on your next vacation.

I stumbled on a very cool use for the low-key Brannan filter—this filter is great for bringing out the beauty in dogs or cats with dark fur. Often the adorable faces of black labs are lost in a photo. Try the Brannan filter with or without the LUX feature. See my photo of the sweet lab mix, Lebowski.  

{ Your Instagram photos can help shelter dogs: If you like to take photos, grab your iPhone and stop by your local animal shelter. Snap some cute pics with Instagram. Then post them on Facebook and Twitter. }

(The graphic featuring the Brannan filter was created by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!)

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

INSTAGRAM FILTERS

Nashville Filter

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

GUIDE TO INSTAGRAM FEATURES

Instagram Guide {Finding the Best Filters for Each Photo}

Enhance Colors and Details with Lux 

Add Some Glam in Instagram

Tilt-Shift Focus

Newest Instagram Features

Comparing 9 Instagram Filters {The Puppy Edition}

Tips on Adding Typography and Art to Instagram Photos 

 

Tips on Adding Text and Art to Instagram Photos

 

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 7 with Lo-Fi Filter

If you like a dreamy quality to your photos, try the Lo-Fi (Lomo-fi) filter on the Instagram app. With a hint of a blurry effect and saturated colors (especially greens and yellows), this app is great for enhancing floral shots, landscapes and even food styling. For more examples of my Instagram photos with Lo-Fi filters click here.

Images above by me, Chris Olson, using an iPhone 4 + Instagram with Lo-Fi Filter.

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

GET THE LOOK series: Add Some Glam in Instagram

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Instagram photos by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

How to Add Depth of Field to a Photo with Instagram

In my Instagram post yesterday I used the X-Pro II Filter. Today I'm explaining in detail how to apply depth of field (DoF) feature in Instagram. See the graphic above for step-by-step directions. Be sure to try it out, it's fun. If you don't like the 3-D effect, you can go back to the normal focus by clicking on the "x" icon.

Images above by me, Chris Olson, using an iPhone 4 + Instagram with X-Pro II Filter.

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

How to Add Depth of Field to a Photo with Instagram

Get The Look: Add Some Glam in Instagram

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All Instagram photos are by me, Chris Olson at Chris CoCo Media. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

18 Days of Instagram Filters: Day 4 with Hudson Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

The Hudson filter has a subtle vignett-y appeal with cool, blue tones. For a long time I only used the Hudson filter with outdoor shots. I especially liked the way a blue sky became more vibrant. Today I tried to put the filter to the test of enhancing images of dogs, specifically adoptable shelter dogs. I was really surprised how well the filter worked with pets as the subject.

I played around with the Instagram tilt and shift feature to highlight the faces of the two dogs on the lower right and left portion of the grid above. To use this feature, just tap the tear drop icon at the top of the Instagram camera interface, next select either the line or the spot effect, then tap or drag/rotate the image to preview how this feature adjusts the in-focus area.

If you like to take photos, grab your iPhone and stop by your local animal shelter. Snap some cute pics with Instagram. Then post them on Facebook and Twitter.

The four adorable dogs featured above are rescued dogs—Dixie, Amber, Sable (recently adopted) and Rocko. For more information on these dogs, go to this dog rescue link.

Images above by me, Chris Olson, using an iPhone 4 + Instagram with Hudson Filter.

 

You can find other posts in this Guide to Instagram series here:

Day 1: No Filter

Day 2: Amaro Filter

Day 3: Rise Filter

Day 4: Hudson Filter

Day 5: X-Pro II Filter

Day 6: Sierra Filter

Day 7: Lo-Fi Filter

Day 8: Earlybird Filter

Day 9: Sutro Filter

Day 10: Toaster Filter

Day 11: Brannan Filter

Day 12: Inkwell Filter

Day 13: Walden Filter

Day 14: Hefe Filter

Day 15: Valencia Filter

Day 16: Nashville Filter

Day 17: 1977 Filter

Day 18: Kelvin Filter

>•<  Connect on Facebook  >•<  

Instagram photos by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

Move over Instagram, make room for the Camera Awesome app

I've experimented with loads of photo apps to turn your iPhone or smartphone a better camera. The new Camera Awesome free app from SmugMug joins my list of personal faves for camera versatility and high performance, a list that includes the Instagram, Adobe Photoshop Express, and Camera+ apps. All of the apps listed here are free except the Camera+ app that costs $1.99. However, I will warn you the app is so much fun it is very tempting buy extra bonus features for the Camera Awesome— each set of nine additional (totally awesome) effects is 99 cents. The Hancock effect adds a layer of script and you can see it above.

The photo included in the post today was taken and/or processed with Camera Awesome. I tried to pick a very ordinary subject—a string of lights—and see if the app could "Awesomize" it. And, yes, that is the term the app makers use. Since I am a Photoshop geek, I wasn't sure if this iPhone app would be as versatile and tweakable as a I wanted. Turns out it was a great deal of fun to use. The so-called boring string of lights (I stood on a chair to take this shot) turned out kind of magical with the Hancock filter. I have to add one thing that I really love about this app, you can upload any photo in the app to post process. Here are my thoughts on the new app:

Camera Awesome 

• Camera app works with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S (an Android app is in development)
• Full-featured and full-powered camera app
• Free app comes with 36 free effects: presets, filters, textures, and frames
• Option to upgrade and buy more presets, a total of 297 presets available
• Image stabilization, burst mode, camera timer, and more
• Fast burst option for active shotss—camera can capture photos in quick sequences
• Works in video mode 
• All your photos can be shared on social media through the easy built-in sharing feature
• Option to use SmugMug photo archiving at full resolution 

Four Ways to Save on Your Vacation Airfare

As fuel prices rise, it is nice to know how you can cut your travel costs when you purchase your vacation flights. According to travel experts—FareCompare.com and others—the cheapest days to fly and best time to buy airline tickets are base on a few simple rules.

Another travel tip is to shop for only ONE passenger's airline ticket at a time to get lowest rates. Why? The airline reservations systems lump your tickets together and highest individual price in your group will determine the cost. 

More ways to save:

You can find more ways to save in my post about using airfare alerts. If you use technology to notify you when prices drop and comparison shop, try using travel sites like these:

• FareCompare
• Expedia.com
• Priceline.com
• KAYAK.com
• Orbitz.com
• Hotwire.com
• ShermansTravel.com

Image above created by me, Chris Olson with yellow flower image by D Sharon Pruitt.

6 reasons burglars love Facebook and Twitter updates

 

It's human nature to enjoy telling our friends about our trips, but telling our friends on Facebook or follows on Twitter when we leave home is also great news to burglars. Here's why:

1. Writing updates about your travel plans that includes the dates you leave and return is just like putting a huge sign up in your front yard announcing: "No one is home now--please rob this house.
2. You might think you know your friends on Facebook or follows on Twitter, but a British insurance firm studied the issue and determined that very few social media users in the study made the effort to screen the individuals they have on their list of friends. 13% of Facebook users and 92% of Twitter users in the study accepted friend requests or follows without checking up on the source.
3. Each time you post picture a picture that shows your house interior or features possessions--cars, computers, cameras, TVs, jewelry, and even pets--you allow those unscrupulous friends or follows check out what they might want to steal.
4. Photo location features tell everyone the exact location of your house or location of other places you visit. Smartphones love creating geotags in photos. Unless you turn OFF this feature when you take and post a photo on social media, the photo geotags store location-based data in the form of latitude and longitude for anyone to see. The tricky part is the fact you might not notice the location is listed, but smart burglars do! Adam Savage, host of the popular science program "MythBusters," posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house and said he was leaving for work. By giving this Twitter update, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land Cruiser.
5. Location services such as Foursquare tell anyone who is one of your friends or follows when you are not home. And if you are not home, burglars know they are free to rob your house. 
6. Photo geotags can give away your address, but there is one more way your address is available to burglars: Whenever your friends visit you and "check in" with their smart phone to update their status--they are giving away your exact address.

Staying connected is the appeal of social media. Staying safe means waiting to share your travel plans until you get home! 

For more information on smart use of social media, check out Momathon's tips on Facebook, Twitter, and social media

Photo above: Millicent bystander.

Tumblr and me

I joined Tumblr--the site that makes it simple to share practically anything. You can post photos, text, quotes, links, audio, and more. Tumblr is an addictive mix of blogging and tweeting. Your post of a photo or whatever might go viral thanks to the Reblog button on your post that allows a meme to spread rapidly across the blogosphere.

Setting up my Mom-a-thon page on Tumblr and selecting a page theme was so much fun I didn't want to choose just one. I'm sure I will be fiddling with the appearance for weeks. 

Set up a Tumblr account for yourself and have fun!

 

Tech review: Clicker.com finds your favorite tv shows online

 

If you are like me you probably don't have time to watch "real" television, that is, shows during their scheduled time slots. That's why I watch my favorite episodes of Modern Family and many other shows online. Thousands of tv episodes including Modern Family are available online but I don't like the hassle of searching through all the possible sources--and there are over 1200 sources! I let Clicker.com, a free web site, do the searching for me. Clicker.com currently has 24 episodes of Modern Family online. During the regular season I know I can watch certain episodes of the series online on ABC for free. However, according to Clicker, now the episodes are not available on ABC.com and I must purchase episodes on iTunes or Amazon.

I don't have ShowTime on my cable plan, but I really want to watch The
Big C with Laura Linney. According to Clicker.com, I can watch the series pilot on Showtime via Showtime On Demand for a fee or watch it for free on Crackle.com via Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Clicker.com is user friendly--only a few simple steps and you are watching your show online. When Clicker.com finds a show you searched for, the site either includes the video on their site or directs you to another hosting site like ABC, CBS, NBC, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, or iTunes. Based on your search, the site also suggests other shows you might enjoy--a feature similar to the suggested books feature on Amazon.com. You can also subscribe to a Playlist feature that will alert you when new shows in your interest area become available.