Taking HDR photo with iPhone

Pano < price: $2.99 (¥350) developer: Debacle Software iTunes

How do your think if HDR images are able to be made on iPhone with using panoramic photo app “Pano”? It's true. Left Image is the one of my HDR works made in iPhone.

Photographer's latest expression method HDR (High Dynamic Ranged Image) is processed from some piece of photos taken in different exposure. PhotoMatix and Photoshop or other software working on Mac /PC build REAL dynamic ranged image inside and compress it into normal range with tone mapping. I like to make HDR with using these software. Peace of photos for HDR should be taken by tripod fixed exposure adjustable cameras. Well processed HDR remind impression of landscape which photographer saw inside his mind.

Taking photos for HDR is so trouble not to be able to take everyday for us because tripod and cameras are heavy to bring everyday and taking process is not so quick to make your wife to wait.

But now, we can get the camera processing "HDR" inside with only one shooting sequence necessary. The camera name is panoramic app “Pano” and following is the way of making HDR photo on iPhone.

I've met great sunset today. In sunset composition, always buildings are too dark if I took sky like as following left image, and If I make building to center, sky will be taken white as right one.

Because I wanted to express both of these, I launched Pano and start sequense. Taking pieces divided into different exposure in each sequence carefully. I sat 1st horizon to bottom border where will be blended with next cut. 2nd shot's composition was automatically sat as sky is placed upper border. And took 3rd with my back-lighted hand which normally photo can't expose color.

After Processed panoramic photo keeps each exposure and blended naturally.

Processed photo tone was ajusted to be normalized. I rotated and touched tone up with using Photogene. If took work was my favorite work, iPhoto 09's is waiting at home.

These are the way of make HDR on iPhone. Of course this method can't compress tones from different exposed cuts manually and not suites complex composition, in addition, resolution of Pano processing is not so large. I don't have idea which Pano handle real range inside. Some person will say it's not HDR. Yes I think so in narrow meaning. I often say this as "pseudo HDR".

But the fact is, if you have iPhone, you can take picture of sky and ground in one picture with impressive color. without tripod and heavy camera.

Pano and iPhone gave us HDR camera which is able to take "HDR" anytime. Following images are my pseudo HDR shots. Enjoy!

Physical photo in my hand

JellyPics price: ¥230($1.99) size: 0.4MB developer: BeInteravtice! iTunes

Image distortion is one of the most pleasure on iPhone, but if application makes me frustrated in slow processing?

JellyPics is fast and excellent interactive image distortion application.

The way to use JellyPics is easy. Taken or imported photo is able to be shaken like jelly with your finger. With flicking, a part of image will follow to your finger and releasing will spring back with tiny effective animation. In order to freeze image distortion, tap another part of screen during your finger on screen. For example, flicking forefinger and tap with thumb. This feels like push a pin to image. Not only 1 finger, you can use 4 fingers to shaking image.

Shaking iPhone resets image distortion. Basically, I don't like the action shaking iPhone but I enjoy shake to reset with using JellyPics.

JellyPics will make many funny images but quick responsibility is enough to use for artwork. JellyPics make me feel physical photo on my hand. Not so many function-fully software, but it's worth.

Developer BeInteractive! [website] is known skilled ActionScript developer. Not only BeInteractive!, many Flash developer act important position in Japanese iPhone developer cluster. In Japan, Flash is implemented into many Japanese cellphones from early terms of Flash lite and large number of games released. I don't know if many of they worked for developing cellphone games, Flash developer is important in Japan anyway.

Cézanne, Monet nor Gogh. Paint like yours

Oil Canvas price: ¥230($1.99)FREE! developer: BIG CANVAS Inc. iTunes

Oil canvas make impressive painting from photo with simple operation.

User interface is very simple, importing image from your photo library with tapping top-left button, and painting with scratching screen automatically picking color from template photo and when you think it's finished, save or share it.

Though Oil canvas have 5 sized brushes which shapes are simple, I feel not only it's enough, this simple interface is necessary to concentrate to paint it. If oil canvas have more 3 type of shape and painting opacity, I would gave up to spend to change tools. I suggest start from XL size brush and fill all part of canvas, and paint where you want to show with selecting brush getting smaller and smaller.

A tip here, Try color re-touching before import to oil canvas. Painted color is picked from template photo then contrast is lower than your imagination. Left image is made from high contrasted and blurred with using PhotoGene and Photo fx.

iPhone is not fixed concrete set-top box like gaming terminal or many other cellphones, though clipboard is lacked, data is able to be gave hand to hands on many cool applications.

Now (1, Mar, 2009), this simple but wonderful application is free until 50,000 download as which developer's gratitude for their nifty app PhotoArtist's sales.

Impressive tool doesn't go behind Photoshop

re:NancyKPH price: FREE! developer: gravity loves time iTunes

Picturely effect app is popularity in AppStore. Today, cool stuff is shipped, “re:NancyKPH - woodcut/rubber plate print-” is impressive wood cut picture effect application.

This strange name is from Japanese pop rubber print artist "Nancy Seki". Her likeness portrait prints are graved on eraser rubber and printed. She died but you can see her impressive prints on Google image. Application re:NancyKPH make picture like her print from photos on iPhone.

re:NancyKPH name is built as Nancy + K(o -"ko" means small) + S(eki) and (Hirax --read below) means in literal "dedicated small app for Nancy Seki and Hirax".

Developer gravity loves time serves well designed web site for re:NancyKPH and tutorial page "re:NacyKPH Tutorial".

Launching re:NancyKPH, Tutorial baby picture is shown and automatically process works.

Tapping screen shows menu button bar at bottom. Picture effect is able to be adjusted with tapping second left button. 3 sliders shown (pity! slider meaning is not shown. If the parameter names are shown below of sliders...). When you tap slider controls, parameter names appears on control panel. From top "Smooth", "Bold Edge", "Threshold" and "Paint". Effects don't work in real-time. Update button below panel shows effects after set parameters.

Only I want developer make to implement on this cool app is real-time processing though it's not too slow.

After set outline of your print, setting color from second right button shows ink color setting panel.

This cool processing is based on Japanese famous geek engineer Hirax's one of huge archive. His humorous, informative and filled of deep wisdom blog impress many programmers in Japan. His blog “Dekirukana?(Can I do it?)” since 1998 is filled with fascinate toys for image processing engineers and programers. It's jewel box for our Japanese engineer.

Developer gravity loves time seems to decide this cool app's price to be free from his respect to Nancy Seki and hirax.

I'll keep in use NancyKPH for printing wood cut impressive picture on my hand.

Winding stroke shows your soul

iShodo price: ¥155($0.99) developer: Ubiquitous Entertainment Inc. size: 1.1MB iTunes

Japanese caligraphy “Sho-do” uses soft brush to write infinite style letters. To learn sho-do may hard from many reason like these straighten sitting “Sei-za”, knowledge of writing order of thousands kan-ji letters, spending many papers, etc... Even if you'll get respect from many Japanese people after getting skills and spirits of Sho-do, the road to sho-do seems like Jedi training.

“iShodo” is the easiest way of enjoying sho-do style drawing.

Japanese beauty wearing kimono invite you to iShodo after launching on splash screen.

To start, tapping "Write Now" buton opens white wrinkled Japanese paper (Wa-Shi) where is your sho-do canvas. Flicking screen with your finger puts ink on paper. Quick stroke will draw narrow and slowly or stop moving your finger put wide lines. This width variation expresses huge kind of expression on small number of letters. Below drawn letter is my name... Not so good.

After several stroke, you'll find ink pale down. This is simulation of real brush. In order to fill ink, tap right side to pan ink tray and water bottle area. Scrubing on ink tray fills ink to brush and tapping watter bottle fills a bit of water for smooth drawing.

In fact, user interface of iShodo is not good. Terrible point is, any clear looking button doesn't appear.

This terrible interface will make user confused at first looking though Japanese people can predict iShodo's layout from real sho-do experience and "Instruction" button is prepared on start up screen. I hope developer fix interfaces.

Though some weekness exist, iShodo simmulates sho-do on iPhone with incredible response. I was surprised at the feeling to draw on iShodo reminds me real sho-do drawing even if paper size is too small and important drawing techniques are not able to use. I enjoy it enough drwawing sho-do on iPhone.

I'm not sure developer will release next version but current iShodo is worth to take a look.

Just symmetry, it's introduction.

Symmetry price: ¥230($1.99) developer: gravity loves time iTunes

“Symmertry” make symmetric photo as app name says.

After loading photo, symmetry processing starts automatically. Flicking to right (bottom) will move left (top) source image to its direction. It's very simple. Clicking bottom right axis rotating button or flicking vertical (horizontal) quickly changes processing axis.

Tutorial and further information is developer's website "gravity loves time".

Clicking multiply axis button bellow, Symmetry reproduces new process with using latest symmetry image. With using this reproducing process, you can make fantastic image like kaleidoscope.

Simple symmetric photo made by this app may not be charming because duplicaded image tone is even in large part of photo, but strong composition is useful. I suggest re-touching with Photogene, ColorSplash or other your favorite image effect application after saving symmetric photo like below.

Application interface is clear, stable and response is quick. These are important for image processing tool. If I request something for Symmetry, supporting undo, saving session and blured edge composition.

Anyway, ¥230($1.99) is reasonable price for this small nifty application.