One Year Shot on iPhone

Dexter Portrait Shot on iPhone X August 9th, 2019
Dexter the cat. Shot on iPhone X

This is the photo that made me want to take more creative pictures on my iPhone. Previously, I rarely had fun with my iPhone and snapped photos on it. Partly because I didn’t want to be “that person” always taking photos, and partly because I thought iPhone photos weren’t “that good.”

The photo is a portrait of one of my cats, Dexter. It’s still one of my favorite photos I’ve taken on my iPhone. I snapped it on my iPhone X, the phone I have currently, on August 9th this year.

The iPhone is a Camera

Fast-forward one month and Apple announces the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. The number one feature that they touted, like every year they have a new iPhone event, was the cameras.

What surprised me this year compared to years previous was my interest and investment I had about the new cameras. I think Phil Schiller said it best when he called it “computational photography mad science.” Something about those photos they showed from professionals the films shot on iPhone kept me on the edge of my computer chair. It was honestly the most fun I have had in a while with an Apple Keynote.

Upon reading more about the new iPhone 11 Pro I began to get excited about what I can do with my iPhone’s camera system. Shortly thereafter that I saw a number of photos being shot on the new iPhone 11s. One that blew me away early on was Austin Mann’s iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review.

My New Shot on iPhone Project

All of this excitement has made me want to do something to bring photography, specifically iPhone photography, into my life.

So for the next year beginning today I will be posting one photo a day on my Instagram. I will also have a weekly roundup here on the blog if you don’t want to follow me on Instagram. I will say, that I may post more than one photo a day on Instagram. For that reason, I suggest you follow me there if you want everything.

As I sit eagerly awaiting for my new iPhone 11 Pro I’m excited to start this new journey into taking more photos with my phone. I can’t wait to share them with you all both here on the blog and on my Instagram.

Pocket Casts Now Available for Free

Morgan Wynn writing for Pocket Casts:

Starting today, podcast fans all over the world can download Pocket Casts for free. Known for its beautiful design and robust set of controls, Pocket Casts is making the entirety of its existing features available at no charge. Power users looking for even more customization can upgrade to Pocket Casts Plus for $0.99 per month ($10/year). With these changes, we are now more closely aligned with the open-access model of our public media ownership.

[…]

Pocket Casts Plus, for those power listeners looking for even more control, offers:

  • Desktop apps including macOS, Windows and Web apps
  • Cloud storage for creators and listeners who want to use Pocket Casts for all of their audio and video files
  • Exclusive app icons and themes

Listeners who currently use the iOS or Android mobile app will not experience any changes. All existing features, plus the new functionality, is available in the latest update. Those who previously purchased Pocket Casts’ desktop app will receive three free years of Pocket Casts Plus.

Three years seems extraordinarily generous to me, but I’m not complaining. Honestly I am very happy to see Pocket Casts make the transition to a subscription model. The pricing is perfect as well, $1 a month or $10 a year; well worth the price if you prefer Pocket Casts to the other options out there.

Hell, I don’t even use their apps but I am going to throw them a few bucks anyway.

MarsEdit Custom Formatting Macros

I have been only using my Mac for a little while now, and one thing that I love about the Mac is MarsEdit. This is by far my favorite app when it comes to blogging. It is dead easy to setup, and you have full control on your posts and pages without needing to use the WordPress web app. You can make pages, local drafts, and of course blog posts for your site all within MarsEdit.

One thing I didn’t realize about MarsEdit until I saw it in a recent release notes page is custom macros for formatting, and that changed my blogging game for the better.

Continue reading “MarsEdit Custom Formatting Macros” →

Moving to WordPress.com

I have long said that the open web is something I feel strongly about, and that in order for you to truly own something on the internet it has to be on your personal website. You can’t expect companies like Twitter, Facebook, Medium, or other big name social media platforms to care about that stuff. They should, but we all know that it is in their best nature to keep that stuff in their home turf and make it as difficult as possible to get it elsewhere. 

To save time, my argument for the open web boils down to this: Would you rather have all of your work in the hands of someone else, or in your own hands?

Continue reading “Moving to WordPress.com” →