Steam Radio

Camera Apps used:
645pro - for the main picture on this page (above) as well as the b/w version of it (below).
Hipstamatic and Hipstamatic D-Series - for all other pictures.


Accessories: Ollo Clip 3in1 lens system, Macro lens.

Additional apps used for post processing:
PhotoForge2 - for the usual High Pass filter
ArtistaSketch - for a clean sketch to enhance the outlines in the picture a bit.
Blender - to blend High Pass version with the original photo for smart sharpening. Later, Blender was used again to blend in the sketch version to enhance the outlines. Setting was very low to avoid overdoing the effect.
SimplyHDR - for a slight HDR effect with a smooth result.
Photo fx Ultra - to enhance the picture further. Filters used: Polarizer and Fog.
Pixlromatic - for the Janine film effect and later for the Dim frame.
Photo fx Ultra - I loaded the picture again to apply the Day for Night filter. I used only slight settings to tone down the colors a bit with a dark blue overlay.
PhotoToaster - for the vignetting. I love PhotoToaster for vignetting because it allows precise control of the effect.
TouchRetouch - for some minor touchups plus removing the actual date stamp in two of the Hipstamatic photos made with the BlacKeys B+W film.
A+Signature - for the usual copyright watermarks plus insertion of new dates in the previously mentioned Hipstamatic photos.


The main picture of this article shows four of the glass tubes that work in an old radio. It's a Loewe Opta Venus-Stereo Type 4771W build from 1959-1960. My set is still working fine, although its case would need some good restoration work to be done because it's in quite a bad condition. But the electrics still work fine. I thoroughly cleaned the interior before snapping my photos and I was amazed of the brilliant sound quality once more as I switched the radio on again after such a long time - WOW!

You can get additional information about this radio type at the RADIO MUSEUM.

This is the original manual, photographed with the Hipstamatic on top of the radio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I enjoy experimenting and I love the Hipstamatic so I tried a lot of combos and D-Series types. But I made the main picture with the 645pro attached to my tripod because I used it in low light condition to get the light effect from the glowing tubes and the light bulbs inside of the radio. I was setting the 645pro to night mode and I used the timer to avoid touching the iPhone. You can see some more Hipstamatic pictures below:

This is the version that I shared on Instagram. No post processing. Just a straight Hipstamatic shot.

Combo: MattyALN+BigUp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series, Dreamy. 

The transformer is behind the tubes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series, Dreamy. 

The turn-able ferrit antenna was used to eliminate disturbing parasite noises when listening to long wave and .medium wave stations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series, Dreamy. 

The electric current selector. You had to set the tension manually by loosening the screw and moving the little metal arm to the correct position. The circuit was protected by a little melting fuse of  0.6 Ampere also shown in this picture. The big tube partly visible on the far left reads "Made in Germany". Sadly, in our modern times everything's made in China, or other Asian countries now. The tubes had been manufactured by Telefunken in Germany.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

This picture show one of the resistors. This one has a value of 2 Kilo-Ohm with a tolerance of 10% up and down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

The external antenna connector, slightly damaged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

Detail of the ferrit antenna. Copper winding around an iron core.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

Detail of another resistor above some diodes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

The top of one of the tubes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

Detail of the middle part of one of the tubes, glowing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

Detail of the lower part of one of the tubes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic with Loftus/DC combo + Ollo Clip macro lens.

Another detail shot of a tube.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

I love that camera!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

Details of the wires on top of the transformer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

A b/w shot of the complete ferrit antenna unit. Note the strings running on pulleys to turn the antenna when you turn on the radio knob.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

The tubes with the transformer and one of the stereo speakers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

Tubes, ferrit antenna and the connectors for an external antenna (left) as well as for a tape recorder (right).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

645pro for the original photo, but the b/w version was made from the finished color version using Pixlromatic. I applied two b/w effects here: Agatha and Joyce. Used the Clip frame.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you got questions about my pictures please don't hesitate to contact me. Additionally you may find me on Facebook as well as on Instagram. Just search for "quaffit" :o).

Buttercup Bud

Camera App: 645pro
Extras: Ollo Clip 3in1 Lens System, Macro Lens

Additional Apps used for post processing:

PhotoForge2 - for a High Pass filter version
Blender - to re-sharpen the photo a bit by blending the High Pass version with the original photo in Overlay mode
ArtistaSketch - for a clean pencil sketch version
Blender - to blend the pencil version with the previous version to enhance sharpness, contrast and colors
MokuHD - to see what result Moku will give me...
AristaOil - to see that my picture will look like in oil...
Blender - to see what the result will be when blending the Moku version with the Oil version - and I liked the outcome a lot!
Blender and Blender again - to blend that version with the Sketch version again, then with the Oil version again, then with the original photo again to enhance details...
Camera+ - for the beautiful vintage paper frame
Pixlromatic - for the Perga frame. I love the Camera+ frame a lot but I wanted to make it look a bit different on  this picture.
A+Signature - for the copyright watermark handwritten signature as well as the markings on the composition of the steps I took to make this picture.

Sometimes it pays to put your work aside and let it sleep for a while if you aren't completely satisfied with it. In this case I was playing around with some apps for a while but I wasn't satisfied with the outcome of my picture so I dropped it, but I didn't delete the files. That was about two weeks ago. Now I had a different idea. I created an Artista Moku version as well as an Artista Oil version and I liked the outcome a lot. Then I was blending both versions in Blender and I was blown away by the beautiful result I got. Playing around with Blender a bit more I finally created a picture that I really loved. What about you? Do you like it?

The composition above show you some of the steps I took to create this picture. If you got questions about techniques used please feel free to leave your comment. You may also find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/quaffit. Add me as your friend and we may discuss iPhoneography in detail if you like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geranium...After the Rain

Camera App: CCD
Extras: Ollo Clip 3in1 Lens System, Macro Lens
Nomad Brush: to paint on masks

Additional Apps used for postprocessing:
PhotoForge2 - for converting the original TIFF file into JPG format to process it in Blender because Blender cannot read TIFFs. Also I created a High Pass version of my photo to use it in Blender for the usual sharpening process.
Blender - to sharpen my photo a bit more using the High Pass technique. I usually create a High Pass version in PhotoForge2 where I apply a High Pass filter with a setting of something between 100-200. I save that version and blend it in Blender with the original photo in Overlay mode, original photo on the left side, High Pass version on the right side. Moving the slider quickly shows the change in sharpness and contrast. Settle where you like it the most and save the result. You don't need to save every step you took in Blender before adding another layer (version of your picture) to blend with the previous one. All you need to do is holding your finger on the screen until a menu appears where you can choose "flatten" from. Then your blended picture goes to the left side and the right side is free to add another version to it. Tapping your screen once brings up the menu to choose from editing or arranging of your layers. You may change your top layer's position and size, or in edit mode you may apply a mask. The pencil behaves in relation to the zoom factor. The more you zoom in, the smaller the pencil will be, hence the more detailed you can work with it. Strokes may also be erased again, indeed.
Photo fx Ultra - to use the Polarizer filter for enhancing the colors a bit.
ArtistaOil HD - to create an oil painting version
ArtistaSketch HD - to create a clean sketch version. I used a dark violet pencil this case
Blender - to blend oil and sketch and previous version again and again with different slider settings. Also I applied a mask in Blender to save sharpness in the center of the picture.
RippedHD - for the frame. I use my Nomad brush a lot when editing pictures. It's very handy for painting masks precisely or for defining the ripped off parts in a picture when using RippedHD.
A+Signature - still my favorite app to apply my copyright watermark.

Bad weather actually - too bad for riding my bike, so I used the occasion to play around a bit with my Ollo Clip macro lens once again. The flower looks big on the picture but in fact it's only a small part of a Geranium flower that I pictured with the Ollo Clip.
CCD is really a great app if you want to get maximum picture quality in RAW format without any effects applied to it. Most camera apps as well as the integrated software of modern compact cameras optimize your photo before it is being saved. that's why you get stunning results when using camera programs. Usually only DSRLs are also capable of saving your photo in a clean format, without any optimization, which is called the RAW format. You need a RAW converter, a special software usually provided by your DSLR manufacturer to convert your RAW files into a format usable in other software, such as JPG or TIFF. Currently there are two camera apps available in the app store that are capable of converting RAW data into a format usable for post processing. These are "645pro" and "CCD". While the 645pro simulates a well done camera with many settings plus some films and different picture format settings it's current version (1.11) unfortunately runs very unstable. If you take another photo before the previous one had been fully saved in TIFF format, which takes a little while, the app usually crashes and no picture will be saved. This is not the case with CCD. which is very quick and very reliable. You can take up to 4 pictures in sequence before the indicator turns red, but the files in memory are quickly saved so you don't need to worry too much about this. Other than 645pro, CCD saves only TIFF files, no JPG. In 645pro you can set your picture quality to save uncompressed JPGs + TIFF, which needs processing time. The 645pro generally is really an outstanding app which I only can recommend to buy. Currently it's only disadvantage is instability but I'm sure it's developers work already on this to correct it with a future update of the app. I especially love the black and white films of the 645pro. The great thing about RAW format saving is that the 645pro saves you a b/w JPG but also the RAW file in color.

Got a question? Please leave me a comment and I'll answer it. Or you may find me on Facebook. Just search for "quaffit".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~