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Showing posts from August, 2023

Ansel Adams and Mona Lisa

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I needed some "stock" images for a couple of presentations I am building.  So why not generate them using the Midjourney AI tool?  I'm teaching a session on editing photos in October and thought of using a 'photo' of Ansel Adams doing his photo editing work in his darkroom.  Also, I am working on material for my next iPhone photography group and wanted to generate some whimsical generated 'photos' e.g. in case you were wondering why Mona Lisa was smiling.  

Viceroy Butterfly

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I found this lovely viceroy butterfly sunning himself on a golf ball drying towel.  Not terribly happy with the background I decided to run the original photo through the Prisma app on my iPad.  This was is output from Prisma.

Ship's Wheel

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I don't often use the MySketch app on my iPad but this ship's wheel turned out OK with that app.  The original photo was taken a couple of week's ago whilst on a photo outing at the HMCS Haida in Hamilton, Ontario.

Peaceful Setting

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 I asked the AI generator to create a photo of two Adirondack (Muskoka) chairs on the end of a dock and I was presented with a few peaceful scenes like this one.  The other setting I requested was a 16:9 aspect ratio and the AI engine complied. 

Happy Baby

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Still finding my way through AI generation of photo realistic images, I decided to ask the AI engine to produce a happy baby playing with toys.  Here's what came out.

Multiple Editors

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To get the dated look of this old typewriter, I used three different editors on my iPad: Snapseed for the basic setup, DistressedFX to provide the distressed look, and then Prisma to generate a variety of finishing looks.  I do love playing with photo editors!

Blue Heron

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This was taken last Monday morning on the golf course (just before I took my next shot and plonked my ball into this pond).  The blue heron was hanging out near my ball as I walked up, so I put the iPhone on "live" and took a series of images as he flew away.  I wasn't entirely happy with the results so I let the Prisma app have a go at some post processing.  This is the output from Prisma on my iPad.

How Does AI Fit With Photography?

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I did not take this portrait of a King Charles spaniel.  I generated it (very simply) with an AI tool.  Some people call this 'Synthetic Photography'.  Many say that it is not photography in any sense.  And some feel that it is closer to computer programming than it is to photography.  In any case it is a rapidly evolving art form.  I started playing with this less than a day ago and am shocked at the power of the tool.  What is the product created?  I'm not sure what to call it, but it is impressive .... and it is only early days for this new technology!

Port Side

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Here is a port side view of the HMCS Haida, now a historical site at its berth in Hamilton Ontario.  It is a fun, inexpensive tour through our naval history on this majestic destroyer.  It's also a wonderful place to go on a photo outing!

Engine Order Telegraph

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Whilst wandering the engine room on the HMCS Haida, I spotted this Engine Order Telegraph.  Also known as the E.O.T. or Chadburn, this is a communications device that enables the ship's pilot to order engineers in the engine room to power the vessel at a certain desired speed.   Always curious to see what the Prisma app can do with my photos, I ran the original photo through Prisma on my iPad and selected this version from the ones I created in the app. 

Turnbuckle on the HMCS Haida

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Yesterday some of the members of my iPhone photography group went on a photo outing to the HMCS Haida ship in Hamilton, Ontario.  It was my first visit to the ship and I was astounded by the photo opportunities around every nook and cranny. In addition to photos of the ship, its guns, the crew quarters and the engine room, there will little gems like this turnbuckle.  The original photo has been edited in DistressedFX and Snapseed to give this result.  After I sort through the rest of the photos from yesterday I'll add more shots from around and onboard the Haida.  

Playing with the Lighthouse

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I love the simple-to-use Prisma app on my iPad.   I can sit watching a baseball game on TV and, with one button, generate dramatically different artwork from the same photo.  Here are three examples of a photo I took a month ago at the Cape Spear Lighthouse in Newfoundland.  I also added a light beacon in on of the photos using the LensLight app.

Hungry Red Fox

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I spotted this rather skinny, white-tailed red fox wandering in the neighbourhood last week and it occurred to me that he must be looking for breakfast.  Hope he finds a squirrel or chipmunk to eat.