Number Two-Hundred-And-Forty-Four: Raaaar!

I loved how Essie's dinosaurs looked as if they were rampaging in the sandbox!

I used Camera+ to take the shot, then used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and the Sun-Kissed filter from Effects.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Forty-Three: Rounded Roundup

I haven't done an Instagram Roundup in a while. I've likely mentioned it before but I often don't use the Instagram camera; I just use the Instagram editor on pictures I took using Camera+. This is a collection of shots from over the last month celebrating the advent of warmer weather. After I selected all the shots I liked I combined them in a tetraptych using Diptic

Number Two-Hundred-And-Forty-Two: Serendipity Strikes Again

Sometimes the iPhone thinks it can take a better photograph than I can and I discover odd shots in my camera roll that I don't recall taking. Mostly they're pocket shots but then sometimes there's a weird and wonderful shot like the one I found today after taking some photos in the backyard. I loved the way it stretched and curved the trees, giving them even more movement than they already had.

I (?) took the photo with Camera+ and after I discovered it I cropped it to get rid of a bit of a thumbshot in the lower left. Then I used the Backlit filter from the Scenes menu and the Diana filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Forty-One: Contrasts

We were on a drive tonight and the sun was setting so beautifully that I had to grab this shot at a stoplight. I liked the way the towers and lines looked against the extravagance of the sunset.

I took the shot with Camera+. I cropped it a bit, then used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and the Vibrant filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Forty: Lit From Within

I took a picture of this unrealistically beautiful flower today in my mom's front yard. I just can't get over the colour of these things. They glow!

I took the picture with Camera+ and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu on it. I didn't want to mess around with any other filters and end up changing the colour because it's just so lovely.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Nine: Planet Ant

The peonies in my mom's front yard are getting ready to bloom. They're amazing at this stage, like a leafy galaxy of ant-covered planets. I love looking at these little spheres with all the bustling insects crawling all over them like something straight out of The Little Prince.

I took the shot with Camera+ and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Eight: Impermanent

Directly after I photographed this Essie ran over and blew on it.

I took the shot with Camera+, cropped it to a square, used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and the Vibrant filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Seven: Queen Of Spring

It's hard not to love the apple tree after it puts on a show like that.

I took the picture with Camera+, cropped it and used the Faded filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Six: Golden Days

So we're trying to spend at least SOME time each day out in the backyard although Essie's foray into being three means she says no to everything, just on principle. Of course that means being unwilling to go outside, then unwilling to come back inside. And so I inch closer to insanity.

She's really cute in-between, of course, so I forgive her all that and get to take lovely photos of her being a sweetheart and enjoying the sun and grass and fresh air.

I took the shot with Camera+ and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu. After that I applied the Chromogenic filter from the I Heart Analog set in Effects.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Five: Magical Daisies

On our walk to Essie's day care today we passed this cluster of small daisy-like flowers growing through a fence onto a walkway. Essie was charmed and kept telling me what 'beautiful flowers' they were and asked me, "Take a picture?" She doesn't miss a trick, this kid, and knows I take pictures of special things. So of course I obliged her. I know she thought they were something very special.

I took the picture with Camera+, cropped it just a bit and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu on it. Then to impart some of the magical beauty that Essie saw in these humble flowers I used the Purple Haze filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Four: Holding Hands

I took this photo of Essie and Andrew crossing a small bridge in Perth the other day . Essie was ready to play and have fun and do her best to get herself into the water (which she was not allowed to do even though we ended up having to drive back home with her pantless and sockless and shoeless due to getting wet which must have looked awesome when the RIDE program stopped us) but this small moment crossing the bridge pretty much captures what is sweet and best about her and how much she loves her father.

I took the photo with Camera+ and cropped it, then used the Vibrant filter from the Scenes menu and the Black And White filter from the effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Three: Turtle!

While on a drive today Andrew pointed out a turtle on the road ahead of us. I insisted he stop so I could put the turtle in the grass on the side of the road he appeared to be heading toward. He was freaked out and pulled everything into his shell, of course. When I got back to the car I noticed my iPhone had fallen on the ground and I held it up to Andrew to demonstrate this, who said, "Oh, did you take a picture of the turtle?"

Well, what a good idea! So I fired up Camera+ and took a couple of pictures. I cropped this one, used the Vibrant filter from the Scenes menu and then the Fashion filter from the Effects menu. I'm having a slight Fashion obsession recently. Anyhow, this is the turtle basically telling me to piss off already.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-Two: Painted Dandelions

My mom's lawnmower broke recently and so the backyard got a little wild over the last week. Essie enjoyed it but the dandelions enjoyed it even more so, I think. I was out there reading this afternoon while my mom was out buying a new lawnmower and I took the opportunity to get a few pictures using the camera in Camera+ before she got back and mowed. I really liked this particular shot of some of the dandelions and while I was playing around with it in my art apps I loved what the Oil filter in Corel's Paint It! Now did with it.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty-One: Lines On Blue

I'm a bit of a sucker for photos or paintings of power lines against the sky. Don't ask me why but I know other people do too, considering the number of them I have seen out there. I'm sure there's a nice, neat explanation to be had from a psychologist somewhere.

I took this photo on an evening drive somewhere along Princess Street (near where the Herbie's used to be, for you Kingstonians) with Camera+. I cropped it a bit and used the Backlit filter because I liked how that one looked.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Thirty: Bros

I love this shot of Mongkut and Shelley snuggling on the rocker together. We got Shelley way back when as a playmate for Mongkut since Mong treated us humans as if we were cats and played too roughly. Shelley was the perfect solution and Mong loved him from the second they met. It took Shelley slightly longer to warm up but as you can see, he did.

I posted an Instagrammed version of this one on Twitter and Facebook earlier today but couldn't resist playing with the original a little bit in Camera+ as well. I cropped it and used the Depth Of Field filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Nine: Bucket Full Of Sun

Essie was playing in the backyard this evening when I noticed this bucket in the garden where she'd left it, lying in just such a way that it was full of sunshine. I loved the glow of it and jumped to take some pictures. I'm glad I did because in just a few minutes the light had changed.

I took the photo with Camera+, then used the Auto filter from the Scenes menu. I played around with a few other filters (like Clarity and Backlit) but it really didn't need much to enhance it at all!

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Eight: I Bwow It, Mommy!

Today's picture was taken out in the backyard. Essie's cousin Rowan has taught her the joy of blowing dandelions that have gone to seed and she spent a lot of time doing that today. I think there is nothing cuter in the world than a toddler working very hard to blow the fluff off of a dandelion.

I took the picture with Camera+ of course, then used the Fashion filter from the Effects menu. I loved this shot; the composition and the mood feel just right to me. Essie had a bug bite on her cheek, though, that I thought distracted from it. So I imported the processed picture into PhotoWizard where I used the Clone tool from the Tools menu to remove the blemish, then created a selection in the Mask function where I used a Gaussian blur from the Effects menu to smooth things out.

It might not be the most expertly done retouch but it worked! Here's the original for comparison:

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Seven: Junior Entomologist

Essie is a lot more interested in bugs this year and if we're out on the front step she spends a lot of time chasing after ants, trying to pick them up or trying to convince them to climb on sticks. They aren't very cooperative but she tries!

I took these shots with Camera+, cropped them and then used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menus. Then I imported them into Diptic to create this triptych.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Six: Evening Drama

Another picture taken while on a lovely drive. I was in the passenger's seat this time, wanting a bit of an opportunity to admire some scenery instead of drive through it. We stopped to make a turn and the sun behind these evergreens just struck me so I hurried to get a shot. I love the way it's glowing through the dandelions that have gone to seed.

I took the picture with Camera+, cropped it to a square and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Five: Neighbourhood

I took this photo the other evening as we were about to go for a drive out in the country. I liked the shape of the rearview mirror and after taking it liked the reflections within reflections even more.

I took the shot with Camera+ but imported it into Instagram where I cropped it and used the Brannan filter on it.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Four: Elephants In Sun And Shadow

I took this photo this afternoon during a fortuitous moment of light and happenstance. The sun was reflecting off a surface outside and through the living room window, creating a shadow with some elephant chimes my mom has against the wall where a piece of cut-paper art I made for her hangs.

I took the photo with Camera+, cropped it, then used the Fluorescent filter to take out some of the yellow.

This one is reminiscent of Shadow's work on Shadow A Day where she's capturing a year of shadows. Visit her and see what she's finding every day!

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Three: Sunburst

Dandelions. So maligned, but so bright and cheerful. Essie picked one for me recently and I loved it so much. It's nice how kids just see them as flowers.

I took the photo with Camera+, cropped it to a square and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu. I'm finding that's all that's necessary for the outdoor shots I've been taking lately.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-Two: Tiny Gardener

Taken in the backyard during an afternoon of 'gardening' with her Aunt Mimi. Essie has discovered digging for worms as a result and isn't afraid to get dirty! It was a pretty hot day, though, so we all took a break for some Tim Horton's refreshment.

I took the picture with Camera+ and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu on it. That's it.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty-One: Painted Rain

Today's picture was taken last night using Camera+ in the parking lot of a grocery store through the car window. It was a rainy evening and I liked how the light caught in the raindrops on the glass. Because it was so dark out, though, the picture was kind of grainy so I cropped it to a square, used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and then imported it into Corel's Paint It! Now where I used the Modern filter on it.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Twenty: Not Tired Of The Apple Tree

I took this photo while sitting under the apple tree today, trying to avoid a sunburn. Well; more of a sunburn after getting a bit of one yesterday. I'm just so enamoured of the blossoms on the tree this year. I wasn't taking as many photos at this time last year and so didn't get any shots of how pretty it is. I'm trying to make up for that.

I took the shot with Camera+, of course. That has really become my main photograph-taking app of choice. Then I rotated the picture, used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and finally the Sunkissed filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Nineteen: Blossoming Further

The apple blossoms on the tree in the backyard are opening up and I love the delicate colours of them. I'm going to try to get another picture of them before they disappear.

I took the picture with Camera+, cropped it and used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu to give it a bit more life.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Eighteen: Stylish

I recently bought this pair of sunglasses on a trip home when I was doing a fair amount of driving and finally admitted to myself I wasn't going to find the pair I lost a long time back. Essie decided to try them on today and had a great time modeling them for me. Lately when I take out the camera she immediately says, "Say 'smile'!" I don't correct her because that there is funny.

I took the pictures using the iPhone camera but had it off of HDR so they weren't great quality. I imported them into PhotoWizard and cropped them then used the Mixer 5 setting in the Cross Process filter to get this processed effect. After that I imported the pictures into Diptic and made a tetraptych out of them.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Seventeen: There's A Hole

This is a picture of a tree trunk that I took at Lake Ontario Park a few weekends ago. I loved how there was a little world going on inside the hole in the trunk.

I took the shot with the iPhone camera and imported it into Snapseed where I cropped it and used a Drama filter to highlight all the texture in the bark.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Sixteen: Umbrellas And Boots

Mom bought Essie an umbrella while we were at a dollar store the other day. It has elephants on it so I guess she couldn't resist. Essie loves the umbrella and insists on having it open at all times so she can have me hold it over my head and tell me I look pretty. Mom also bought Essie an adorable pair of ladybug rain boots a while back and the current weather necessitates them for backyard playing.

I took all the pictures with Camera+ and edited them all using it as well. Then I selected the three I liked best and brought them together in a triptych using Diptic.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Fifteen: Hello Spring

Blossoms on the apple tree in the backyard. I really look forward to it dropping its apples on our heads again this summer.

I took the shot with Camera+ and cropped it, then used the Clarity filter from the Scenes menu and the Vibrant filter from the Effects menu.

Number Two-Hundred-And-Fourteen: Colourful Wallpaper

Today's piece is a callback to Day 151. I wanted some more pictures taken through the friendship ball for another project I'm working on and this was one I ended up making into a wallpaper for my iPhone. The beauty of this is that you get an amazing range of colours just by moving your camera a few centimeters. I wanted something with a darker feel to it than this bright, toy-like result.

I took the pictures with the iPhone camera (with the HDR turned on) and then imported it into Camera+ where I used the Vibrant filter from the Effects menu. I love the primary colours in this one.