How to: Create Cool Looking Grunge Style Pics

Camera Apps:
Hipstamatic with Helga Viking lens + C-Type Plate film
PureShot

Additional Apps used for post processing:
SnapSeed - for most of the work
PhotoToaster - for the vignetting of the PureShot pics
A+Signature - for the copyright watermark. This great app has a really cool feature that helps you to adjust multiple items added to your picture. For instance, to add copyright watermarks to all of the photos included in the collage shown above, A+Signature provides lines to snap the next item to in case you're adding multiple copyright watermarks. The items don't only line up horizontally but there's also a vertical help line appearing when you're adding items. I thought about adding one bigger copyright watermark spanning over all of the six pictures but then I decided to add a watermark to each of the pics. The snap line feature helped me a lot to align my watermarks correctly.

Ok, so here's the trick to create cool looking grunge style pics quickly. What you need is a Hipstamatic grunge combo, like the Helga Viking lens + C-Type Plate film. Then load your Hipsta photo into SnapSeed and chose TUNE IMAGE, then AMBIANCE. Pull the scale 100% to the right, then tap APPLY. Now chose DETAILS and STRUCTURE. Again pull the scale 100% to the right. Do you see the picture details coming out nicely, including the grunge effects of the Hipstamatic combo? Tap APPLY again. Then chose GRUNGE! Maybe the first given result will satisfy you. If it doesn't you can tap the crossing arrows on the left of the scale until you find a result that you like. Alternatively you can move the scale by wiping with your finger across the screen horizontally. Also you can change the texture by tapping one of the four included textures again and again until you like the result. When you put your finger on the screen and move it vertically, you get access to STYLE, BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, TEXTURE STRENGTH and SATURATION. I used a setting of about 25 for most of the values in all of my pics. Don't forget to tap APPLY when you're done, then SAVE your work. Alternately you can add a FRAME. Unfortunately SnapSeed doesn't include a vignette filter so I use PhotoToaster for that. Oh and if you're not satisfied with the HDR effects after applying AMBIANCE  nd STRUCTURE you may repeat this again and again if you like. To give you an example of the AMBIANCE + STRUCTURE + GRUNGE effects that SnapSeed proposed here's an sample image from SnapSeed:

I did nothing else but applying AMBIANCE and STRUCTURE 100%, then I was chosing GRUNGE and I saved the picture with the first proposed result. Nice, isn't it?

What comes now are the single pics that I did after the procedure explained above. It's very easy and it's quickly done. The result speaks for itself, doesn't it? I'm a professional locomotive engineer. Two days ago I was asked to transfer engine #2217 from the workshops back to the railroad yard, but works on the engines hadn't been finished as I arrived so I had to walk back to the railroad yard, hence I took that chance to shoot some pics.

Pictures based on Hipstamatic photos:

Pictures based on PureShot photos:

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Summertime...

Camera Apps used: 645pro, BracketMode and Hipstamatic with Jane lens + Ina's 1982 film

Additional Apps used for post processing:

And now I'm in trouble, cause I don't remember all the steps I took to create the pictures on this page, except for the Hipstamatic shots which are left unprocessed. For the rest there was:
iPhoto - for local corrections. I love iPhoto for that feature!
Photo fx Ultra - for color corrections, fog effect and other.
Blender - to blend the different versions to obtain different results, as usual. For instance, I added the frame in Camera Awesome but blended the result with the previous version to reduce the frame effect by 50% because I found it too strong.
Snapseed - very useful for the detail functions, like "structure" which is about the same as the pseudo-HDR function of other apps is. I did two versions, one using SimplyHDR and one with the "structure" function in Snapseed and the outcome was about the same. Also Snapseed is great for creating b/w pictures. The b/w version of the above picture had been created using Snapseed with neutral filter but 25% of grain setting.
Pixlromatic - for various retro filters which I mixed in Blender. Don't remember what combination I kept in the end, I'm sorry.
LensFlareHD - to enhance the sunlight reflections in the chrome on the headlights, the fuel level indicator cap on the gas tank and on top of the rear view mirror. I did not add it to the reflection on the handle bar close to the risers and left it as it is. To place such light reflections precisely, move them in bigger size with two fingers to the destination, then use the controls panel to adjust size, brightness and rotation. After saving your picture, LensFlareHD reduces it a bit from 3264x2448 to 3072x2304 but you can easily get your original resolution back. Load any photo that has original size on the left side in Blender, then load the version you created with LensFlareHD on the right side. Pull the slider all to the right in "normal" blend mode and save your picture. If you check it with apps such as ExifWizardPro or the free PhotoSize you will see that it is back to original resolution.
ProHDR - I did some photo sets with BracketMode but in the end I disliked the outcome of the HDR picture as I put them together in ProHDR so I used only the overexposed version for this photo.
A+Signature - for the usual copyright watermarks. I also use it to mark my Hipstamatic shots with lens/film combo so I don't need to repeat this again and again when posting the photos to various Facebook groups.

The day before yesterday I felt for making some new pics of my bike, especially because it now has the Metzler Me880 Marathon tires mounted and because it had a different derby cover for a while. Usually it wears the Willie G. Skull derby cover but mine had been scratched so I wanted a new one but that one needed some time to arrive so I used the cover with the big bad Nr.1 on it. It's nice, but I like the skull cover much more. Yesterday I finally changed the cover and I made some more pics.

This is the b/w version I created using Snapseed. 

No filter but 25% of grain. I like that!

The photo from yesterday, with the Willie G. Skull derby cover. Photo made with the 645pro camera app. This time I was finally able to snap about a dozen shots before the damn app crashed again. I guess it's having a memory problem. If you close all apps that ran in the background, then reboot your iPhone the 645pro runs fine, until a given moment when it crashes again. And that's when the memory is filled up. I hope the developers will get that problem solved soon.

 Hipstamatic photo with the Bad Nr.1 derby cover

 Hipstamatic photo with the Willie G. Skull derby cover

Hipstamatic photo of the Willie G. Skull derby cover in detail.

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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.

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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

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Hipstamatic D-Series, Dreamy. 

The transformer is behind the tubes.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

The external antenna connector, slightly damaged.

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

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

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

Detail of another resistor above some diodes.

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

The top of one of the tubes.

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

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

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

Detail of the lower part of one of the tubes.

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

Another detail shot of a tube.

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Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

I love that camera!

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Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

Details of the wires on top of the transformer.

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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.

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Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

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

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Hipstamatic D-Series BlacKeys44.

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

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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.

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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).

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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At Last!

Camera: iPhone 4S
Camera App: Bracket Mode

Apps used for post processing:
Pro HDR - to create an HDR picture from the shots made with Bracket Mode
Photo fx Ultra - for most of the work. I don't remember all the steps I took to create this picture. I had been playing around with a bunch of apps, but in the end I found Photo fx Ultra provided me almost everything I needed.
FilterStorm Pro - to remove some noise in the sky as well as for some minor touch-ups using the clone tool.
Photo Toaster - for the frame.
A+Signature - for the copyright watermark.

After a long time of total abstinence I could finally ride again today - Yeah! The last time I danced with my big beautiful doll was on November 20, 2011, which means I had to wait for this moment exactly for three long months. What a pleasure to fire that baby up again, hearing the gnarling Big Twin again on low rpm, purring like a cat at 3000rpm, roaring like a beast beyond the 4000... But I rarely pushed it that far today. Weather was beautiful and sunny, but still it was cold, and still there are wet spots on the roads, especially where they pass in the shadow of buildings, hedges or the woods. Such places are to be passed with care because they can be slippery. Had no adherence problems though. I enjoyed a nice little 50 miles tour across country roads with a photo stop on the road between the villages of Schandel and Grosbous. How nice to hear the buzzards screaming in the air as I shot my photos, but even nicer was it to hear the cranes again! I heard them long before I saw them but then I spotted a huge flock of cranes flying north. They return, which means winter's on retreat, and I can ride again more often - Oh Yeah!

I did no photo shooting for weeks because the weather was so bad and today I wanted to finally play around with the Hipstamatic again but I got badly disappointed by it because it did not stop crashing after I shot only a few photos. So I dropped it to shoot my 1:1 format photos with the 6x6 camera app as well regular format photos with Bracket Mode. After I returned home I realized that the Hipstamatic hadn't finished the processing of my full film roll yet. It kept on crashing until I finally did a reboot of my iPhone. It's too sad - the more new updates with new lenses and films the Hipstamatic developer team releases, the more unstable the Hipstamatic becomes. I remember a time when I had much fun photographing with the Hipstamatic on my old iPhone 3GS. Less lenses, less films, rare crashes, but much fun!

At least I could make some photos with the new Hipsta pack Americana lens + US1776 film:

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In the Shadow of a Crumbling Heart

Camera App: Hipstamatic with Loftus lens, DC film, Jolly Rainbo 2x flash (flash physically triggered)


Apps used for postprocessing:
PhotoStudioHD - for a pencil drawing effect.
Blender - to blend the pencil drawing with the original photo which added the structure to the picture. Again I used Blender a lot to create this picture and I don't recall every single step anymore. I also created a version where I applied the Exclusion effect and I used that version again to blend it with the previous one. I created a b/w version in MonoPhix to blend it in too...
Photo fx Ultra - to add a slight Smoque effect which enhanced the light on top and behind of the heart cookie.
TouchRetouchHD - for some minor corrections.
Camera+ - for the Vintage frame as well as for some color enhancement.
Crop Suey - to crop off part of the Vintage frame which was a bit large after my taste.
King Camera - to add frame #12.
A+Signature - for the copyright watermark.

This picture was made after pure intuition as I enjoyed a cup of coffee and some Christmas cookies after yesterday's dinner with my family. My daughter brought the cookies from school where the kids bake them to sell them for a charity cause. There was that heart cookie left and I plaid around with my Hipstamatic and it's new Foodie SnapPak before I finally ate it. I end up with the photo that served as the base to make this picture from it. I had been playing around with quite a bunch of apps until I was satisfied with the result. But that's the fun part in iPhoneography - playing around with apps, testing this and testing that, until one finally get's what one was looking for. Following always the same procedures to create a picture is way too boring ;o).

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The Beast in my Whiskey Bottle!

Camera App: Hipstamatic with Lucas AB2 lens, Blanko Film, Jolly Rainbo 2x flash (set to 1st position).

Additional Apps used for post processing:
SimplyHDR - for a HDR version of the Hipstamatic photo. That version came out darker than the original photo was.
ProHDR - to make a HDR version from the darker SimplyHDR result + the lighter original photo. Looked really great!
PhotoWizard - this cool app had been mainly used to create this picture. First I applied the FX effect Symmetry X-Axis, then Whirl (slider full right), then X-Axis again. As I turned my iPhone by 180° I looked into the throat of a flaming beast, ready to swallow me - huh. I then turned the picture by 180° in PhotoWizard and saved it. Did some color and contrast adjustments and imported the previously saved picture as a second layer which I blend in Overlay mode. I must say that PhotoWizard offers the same blending options than my beloved Blender app does so if you own already PhotoWizard, Blender isn't necessary.
PhotoWizard - to apply Pattern Border #4. I then discovered some white spots in the black irregular border which had been remains of the white photo border and which I disliked.
Squaready - to crop the picture off the original white Blanko film frame. Saved the result as a 2048x2048 PNG file.
FilterStorm4 - to add a 27% black frame to replace the previous white frame. The reason why I prefer FilterStorm for this operation is that FilterStorm really adds a frame to the edge of a picture. It does not overlay the edge, like most apps do.
PhotoWizard again - now I could apply Pattern Border #4 and I really liked the result.
TouchRetouch - for minor touchups. I removed some white spots from the nose of the beast, which had been remains of light reflections on the liquid to make it look more like a nose.
A+Signature - for the usual copyright watermark.

Yesterday afternoon, the weather being foggy, wet and dirty, I enjoyed a gulp of Jack Daniels Old No.7 Whiskey, which is my preferred brand. Oh yes I know, Whiskey experts will now protest and say the only real good Whiskey is being distilled in Scotland and Ireland, but frankly, it's a matter of taste and albeit I do also love very old Whiskeys made in Scotland and Ireland I love the rather rough taste of good old Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey even more. Jack Daniels belongs to Harley riders like the milk belongs to the cow, doesn't it?
Already the beautiful amber color of the tasty liquid is fascinating to look at so I came to the idea to play around a bit with my now almost half empty bottle of  Old No.7 and the iPhone. I made some shots through the bottleneck down to the liquid with the Hipstamatic and I loved the photos. The first ones had been a bit pale so I tried the first notch of the Jolly Rainbo 2x flash which nicely enhanced contrast and colors. I also made some QuickPix shots from the exterior of the bottle, and then I started playing around with apps like TinyPlanets and iDroste, but iDroste kept on crashing all the time when I was applying it's effect so I guess it doesn't like Tennessee Whiskey too much and I continued playing with TinyPlanets and TinyTube, but I didn't like the results too much either.
I finally had big fun trying the various effects included in PhotoWizard. Symmetry and Whirl are really cool! After using them I looked into a tunnel (on my picture) and I wondered what else I can do with it until I turned my iPhone upside down and suddenly I gazed into the open mouth of a flaming beast with additional fangs waiting down in it's throat to swallow my poor soul and rip it into pieces.... Holy Cow! Yes there's a beast in every bottle of Whiskey, so beware! If you empty the bottle to make it disappear from it, you'll have it swallowed and then it takes control of you... and... ya know... so... just to give you a warning:

DON'T SWALLOW BOTTLE BEASTS AND DRIVE !!!

Btw: I wrote this blog entry 100% sober and my now about half empty bottle of that good stuff distilled in Lynchburg, TN had not been emptied that much as I made the pictures - I swear!