Saturday, April 21, 2012

Alu-Chips!


Camera App: 645 pro

Additional Apps used for post processing:
Moku Hanga HD - for a Moku painting version
procreate + Nomad brush - to repaint parts of the picture because I wasn't fully satisfied with the outcome of the Moku painting. Procreate is really a brilliant app! I love it! Unfortunately it only supports up to 1920x1408 resolution and no 1:1 format but this isn't a problem. Just import your 1:1 basic photo and when you're done crop it back to 1:1 format in Squaready.
Squaready - for the cropping.
TouchRetouch HD - for some touchups.
Pixlromatic - for a special b/w effect.
Blender - I used Blender a lot to blend the b/w version with the color version quite a few times. The color version was a bit too brownish for my taste.
Camera+ - for the frame, which I cropped down to a smaller frame using Squaready.
A+Signature - for the usual copyright watermark.

In the former German Democratic Republic people used to refer to their coins as being "alu chips" because the 1, 5, 10, 50 Pfennig pieces as well as the 1 and 2 Mark pieces had been made of a lightweight alloy that sure contained a lot of aluminum. But not all coins had been made of that alloy. In my picture you can see a big 20 Mark coin as well as a reversed 5 Mark coin (Meißen) which had been made of a Nickel alloy. I still have a good hand full of GDR coins which are linked to some very special memories of mine because my beloved wife is from GDR. Back in 1985 GDR still existed. I lived there for 7 weeks after a long 5 1/2 month separation from her because the Commies didn't grant me a VISA anymore after she had filed in her official request to marry a foreigner (me). But luck was on our side and could marry the same year. December 24, 1985 I received the most wonderful Christmas gift of my life as my wife could leave GDR to move to Luxembourg where she arrived on December the 24th.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Madame, mir hun Iech gär!


Camera App: Hipstamatic with Melodie lens + Dream Canvas film
iPhone model: 4S
Accessories: Ollo Clip Wide Angle Lens

Apps used for post processing:
Moku HD - for the painting effect
VinstageScene - for the old photo effect
iPhoto - for fine tuning, repair and duo tone effect
PicGrunger - for the metal structure and metal frame
A+Signature - for the copyright watermark

I borrowed the title for this picture from Luxembourg's former Prime Minister Pierre Dupong, who welcomed our former Grand-Duchess Josephine Charlotte with the very same words on April 14th, 1945 as she finally returned from exile in Canada, where she spend the war time with the grand-ducal family. The words "Madame, mir hun Iech gär" translate as "Madam, we love you".

Through all of her life, the Grand-Duchess was extremely popular in Luxembourg. So is her son, Prince Jean, later Grand-Duke and father of the actual Grand-Duke Henry. He landed with the Irish Guards in Normandy June 11, 1944 and fought his way with that unit through to Belgium. He entered the City of Luxembourg on September 10, 1944 together with US troops. As soon as the population identified Prince Jean, they left the buildings and cellars where they sought shelter from the still ongoing fights between the Americans and retreating Germans. But as soon as Prince Jean stepped off a US military vehicle, the streets had been crowded with the cheering masses, giving him a very heartily welcome. It was an important moment for the moral of the population. Prince Jean was back home again, the Germans fled from our American liberators.... But still the war wasn't over as the Battle of the Bulge was yet to come in the hard Winter of 1944/45.

Grand-Duchess Charlotte was born January 23, 1896 and died July 9, 1985 at the age of 89.
I made the photo that served me for the creation of this picture last summer as I took the occasion for a photo walk through Luxembourg City while my motorbike was the garage for maintenance. It shows the Memorial of Grand-Duchess Charlotte with Notre Dame Cathedral in the background. The beautifully sculpted bronze statue stands at the "Place Clairefontaine", next to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the center of Luxembourg-City. Designed by the French artist Jean Cardot, it got inaugurated April 29, 1990, by the grand-ducal family in presence of Prime Minister Jacques Santer and other officials.

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Sunday, April 8, 2012

Dandelion



Camera App: Hipstamatic with Ina's 1969 film + JamesM lens, flash off
iPhone Model: 4S
Accessories: Ollo Clip Macro Lens

Apps used for post processing:
Moku Hanga HD - this is JixpiPix' new app! It comes with the same good user interface known already the other apps made by JixiPix. I love this app! It offers a lot of new creative possibilities to every iPhonoegrapher.
Blender - one of my all time favorite apps. Like so many times before, I used this app a lot on this picture too.
Photo fx Ultra - to enhance the colors as well as to create a pencil version.
PhotoForge2 - for a High Pass Filter. I saved that version to blend it in Blender with the previous color version. This was done to enhance contrast and sharpness. Then I was blending that result with the pencil version I had created with Photo fx Ultra to bring out the Moku structure a little more.
TouchRetouchHD - for a minor correction. I removed a simple black spot from the picture.
Squaready - to crop off the original Hipstamatic border. I cropped it off so late because I wanted to keep it first, but then I found it didn't look good on that picture anymore.
Camera+ - for the Vintage border.
A+Signature - for the Copyright watermark.

Well, it's finally Spring time and with all the Easter Bunnies hopping around also the Dandelion is blooming. I love that plant! It's blossoms are beautiful and it's semen is a little masterpiece of Mother Nature when it ripens and flies off on tiny little "parachutes" to secure the continued existence of this wonderful plant. Also one can make a very tasty salad from its leaves and tea from it's roots. Dandelion is a very valuable herb used in medicine by Native Americans, Chinese and Europeans. If you're interested to learn more about the values of the Dandelion I suggest you following this very informative Link to a page of the Medical Center of the University of Maryland.
I had a lot of fun making this picture. Once the blossoms will be gone, this and many other Dandelion will sure end up in my salad bowl ;o).


The photo serving to create this picture was made of the lower one of the three blossoms.