iPhoneography has become a passion of mine and with a little time and patience it has become easy to produce fun, creative images with a little-known digital photography app called Hipstamatic. Beautiful landscapes, architecture and people come alive withe numerous filters and lens that a throw back to an era that was fading fast. You can load your mobile device with camera gear that allows you to hone your skills without carrying thousands of dollars in camera equipment.

Hipstamatic as a digital photography application that uses the phone’s camera to allow the user to shoot square photographs, to which it applies different software filters to make the images look as though they were taken with a vintage film camera. The user can choose among a number of effects which are presented in the application as simulated lenses, films and flashes. Several of these are included with the application, while others may be acquired through an in-app purchase.

So how do you use @Hipstamatic….well I will tell ya!
- When you open the app you will be looking at the back of a camera. You will see the viewfinder, the shutter, flash and the film window. To change the film, hit the film icon in the menu and swipe up and down.

2. The front of camera can be accessed by tapping the curved arrow in the bottom right corner. The lens



FUN FACTS!
Hipstamatic can be a little overwhelming at first, trying to understand how all the different combinations work and what kind of effects you can create using the app. The app comes with a few pre-set lenses, film and flashes, which you can use in any combination of your choice.
You can purchase additional ‘HipstaPaks’, which usually shouldn’t cost you more than $0.99 a pop. HipstaPaks will have at least one film and lens, but some also come with flashes, and camera cases if you want to jazz up your app a bit. The app itself will cost you $1.99, although it’s occasionally available on sale for $0.99.


Film photography inspires me! It makes me slow down and think. I have to pay attention t0 the lighting conditions, my settings, loading the film and most importantly taking the lens cap off. You can laugh…the first few times I did. Digital cameras and cell phone cameras have made me complacent and I am determined to go back to the basics and get this right. Yes, I am a home grown photographer and I am proud of it.
Fast forward to 2016, I came across a cheap Diana F+ and a Holga for less than $80 bucks, new in the bo mind you, and it was on. I have made mistakes and I share these stories to remind myself to slow the hell down. I didn’t do any research before I loaded my first roll of expensive a$$ 120 Lomography film. I didn’t know how to load the damn things. I didn’t know where to get them developed. All I knew is that I had to do something before I lost my mind. Well, it was an expensive lesson and it taught me to slow down. Twenty rolls in and I have finally figured out where to get the film developed. I have learn that you don’t shoot multiple shots of anything or it will come out of your pocket. For sure I have learned to take the darn less cap off….and it still happens if I am in a hurry. I also learned that those cute little clips on the side of the Holga will cost you a brand new 3 day old camera.
So I have returned from my travels to Mew Orleans and a Mexican cruise courtesy of my amazing parents. I am feeling triumphant because I packed all of my fun toys and returned with a baggie full of film all prepped and ready for drop off. I am anxious to see the images of Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.
I am proud to say that I used all of cameras on this trip and I took six or seven for variety. I learned a few things about each one. The least expensive of the lot my Fuji Instax was the most fun and drew people like a magnet. The looks on my fellow travelers faces when they saw a photo pop out of of the top of the unit was worth every photo that I gifted to my new friends. So this camera is a must- have for every trip from now on. The settings are a no-brained and the pics come out soft and perfect.
So this camera is a must- have for every trip from now on. The settings are a no-brained and the pics come out soft and perfect. Buying film for this camera in bulk from 

I have had to dig deep into my past to get a handle on film photography. I’d gotten accustomed to snapping photos with my iPhone that the basics got away from me. It’s the little things that trip me up…taking the lens cap off and reloading on the fly. It will be really interesting to see the prints when they come back. I am not discouraged it is all a part of the journey back to film. Lomography has made exploring the 35mm film format that much more accessible with the launch of their super -cheap cameras that produce dreamy, light-straked photos. This week I am exploring the world of black and white.
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season?!…. red Hunter boots pick up the color and make a casual outfit pop! Grab your favorite leggings and sweater or those white skinny jeans from the summer….pair them with red Hunters add a denim jacket and you are set! Light snow on the ground….red
My natural hair journey has been long but satisfying. I love trying new things but I stay away from any and everything lye-based. It has been 5+ years that started in Afghanistan. I spent a year working in Kabul, Afghanistan and the work was very meaningful but my hair suffered greatly. The water was hard and my lightened strands to a serious beating. So, I did what I always do and turned to the Internet and researched a solution. I came across and advert for 

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I have written many blogs on my love of photography and I am always on the hunt to add a new twist to my craft. So here it is I am done with grad school with a freshly minted Emerging Media Master’s from
quickly became my go-to. Milk Makeup allows my natural skin to shine through and takes minutes to apply with your fingers. Tap tap tap and off you go in all of your natural glory! Next…the hair! I wear my natural kinky, curls in the summer and it takes as much work as my winter hair. After a much needed haircut I knew I was in for a hair adventure. I had to find summer hair products that would allow me to co-wash, define my thirsty curls, springy coils and stubbornly unidentifiable nape all before I run out the door for work.
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using the shingling method
I am at heart a photographer! I love the feel of a camera in my hand and I carry one everywhere I go. I was trained as an Army videographer and was told that I am a good one. I chalk that up to great Army training, a steady hand and breath control are the result of my years in uniform behind a camera capturing things that go BOOM! I wouldn’t trade it for the world but my heart is in photography. I use my iPhone 6s Plus and my
The summer season and all its adventures and activities will guide you just follow your eye.