Here's the sixth Istanbul diptych, which continues the musical theme from the previous one. And in case you're wondering, these items were glued to the outside wall of a cafe, along with quite a few other 45s, old cassettes and other bits of musical ephemera.

I was going to post another Istanbul diptych today, but as it was -23.8°C this morning – the coldest weather I've ever experienced – I thought I'd post this one instead: another Hipstamatic shot, taken yesterday morning from our lounge window.

As you can see from the original, this one was edited, mostly to change the colour balance – I wanted the scene to seem colder – but also to modify the border. And I know that these Hipstamatic shots aren't to everyone's taste, but I am pleased with how this one turned out.

There's no cash prize, but heaps of kudos to the first person who can correctly identify both the scale and content of this shot.

This is the first of two iPhone shots I'll be posting this weekend: another Hipstamatic shot from Istanbul, taken using the Chunky lens and Ina's 1935 film. Unlike some of the other Hipstamatic shots I've posted this one was altered in Photoshop, but only slighty (using a single curve to add a bit more contrast and lighten the shadows). Other than that though it's pretty much a straight shot.

This was taken from the roof bar of the Four Points Sheraton hotel on Sheik Zayed Road in Dubai, the location from which I shot one of my favourite night shots in Dubai. Unlike that shot though, which was all about capturing as much detail as possible, this one was an attempt to create a slightly different impression: shallow depth of field, the reflections in the glass, and so on. I don't think it's anywhere near as successful as the previous image but, as an alternative way of capturing the location, I am pleased with how it turned out.

Let me know what you think.

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7.47pm on 15/11/11 Canon 5D Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 24mm f/2.8 1s aperture priority +1/3 evaluative 100 no RAW Camera Raw Photoshop CS5 none 1x1

Here's another iPhone/HIpstamatic shot taken during my recent trip to Istanbul, taken with the Chunky lens and Ina's 1935 film.

And in case you're wondering, it's a canvas, leaning outwards onto the window of a shop.

This is my second iPhone shot of the weekend, and probably one of my favourite Hipstamatic shots from our recent Faces and Places Photo Tour to Istanbul. There are two main reasons I like it. First, because I like the end result, but secondly, because it typifies why I like shooting with Hipstamatic.

As I've mentioned before, when shooting with Hipstamatic you choose a lens and film combination, each of which has specific characteristics, before you take the shot, and in this case I used the oddly named Roboto Glitter lens and the Pistil film (which added the cross-processed look).

Personally, I find this great way of shooting as all the decisions regarding framing, appearance, mood, and so on need to be taken in advance, freeing you to concentrate on simply getting the shot. And I know I've said this before, but if you have an iPhone, get hold of a copy of Hipstamatic, it's a great little app.

On a different matter, I've just launched our new photography and post-production blog and would be really grateful for some feedback on my first entry. Head on over and take a look.

This is the first of two iPhone shots I'll be posting this weekend, both of which were taken with Hipstamatic.

Unlike tomorrow's image though, which is a straight shot, this one was fairly heavily edited, mostly because it was very flat, but also because I decided that the colour version didn't work that well. Both problems, if I think about it, were entirely my own fault as I used the Chunky lens (which adds 'light leaks', thereby lowering the contrast) and the Ina's 1935 film (which adds a range of rich, warm tones).

Anyway, while both choices seemed like a good idea at the time, during the editing I decided that I'd have been much better off choosing a lens/film combo that added contrast and either no colour, or colder colours, as both seemed to suit this image a lot better.

As for what it is: I suspect it's fairly obvious but, if not, feel free to guess :)

This was taken during our recent trip to the Shipka Memorial, about 150 steps down from the monument (see this shot). As you'll see, the processing was quite extensive, particularly in terms of bringing out the detail in the wall, but this was definitely a scene that needed a bit of help given the dull, flat lighting.

On a different matter, our latest Critique Slot Screencast is now live, featuring an image supplied by Doug Stroud. If you're unfamiliar with the screencasts, the basic idea is that one of our subscribers submits an image (as both a layered PSD file and the original RAW) and I offer a critique in the first section, then reprocess it using the original RAW file in the second section.

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3.09pm on 28/12/11 Canon 5D Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 34mm f/8.0 1/60 aperture priority +2/3 evaluative 100 no RAW Camera Raw Photoshop CS5 none 1x1

While yesterday's image was a straight shot (well, straight out of Hipstamatic at least), today's was edited to add a mild increase to the saturation and contrast.

What is also worth mentioning, and this goes back to what I was saying yesterday about the way in which the lens and film combo you choose in Hipstamatic affects the appearance of the final image, is that the original scene was pretty much black and white. In other words, the colours (red, green and yellow) and the apparent lens flare around the top left corner of the gibbet, are artefacts added by Hipstamatic.

On a related note: it's a while since I attempted to post an image a day (2006 or thereabouts), but I thought I'd give it another go this year. I'll be mostly posting stuff from 2011 for the rest of this month and new material thereafter. I also thought I'd reserve the weekend for iPhone images.

Anyway, all that aside, let me know what you think of this image and/or Hipstamatic. I'm a big fan of the app (and other lo-fi camera apps on the iPhone), but you may well have a different view.

Oh, and this one was shot using the Chunky lens and Ina's 1935 film.

This was taken using my current favourite camera app on the iPhone, Hipstamatic. If you're not familiar with Hipstamatic, it allows you to choose a lens and film, both of which have specific characteristics. For example, the 'Chunky' lens (one of my favourites) simulates the light leakage you might get with a 'toy' camera, while the different films all have their own peculiarities. Ina's 1935, for example, adds a range of red, yellow and green tones depending on the tonal range and balance of the original scene.

The thing I really like about Hipstamatic though, and this is what sets it apart from a lot of the other 'toy' camera apps, is that you need to decide which lens and film you're going to use BEFORE you take the shot. In other words, you need to have some understanding of the different lens and films in order to work out approximately how the shot will appear. For me this is a much better / more creative way of working than simply clicking a whole heap of filter or preset buttons once the shot has been taken.

If you're interested, this shot of a traffic cone was taken using the John S lens and the Pistil film.

As always, let me know what you think.

I spotted these two labels on a shop window just round the corner from the Creative Live studio in Seattle when I was over there in October presenting my Dramatic Post-production workshop. I'm not quite sure what the message refers to, so please let me know if you've come across the OMG label elsewhere.

Update: this label is for sale here, but I'm none the wiser about exactly what it refers to ... if anything.

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2.15pm on 4/10/11 Canon 5D Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 45mm f/8.0 1/60 aperture priority +2/3 evaluative 100 no RAW Camera Raw Photoshop CS5 none 1x1

This was taken back in September during my Creating Dramatic Images workshop in Blackpool. It's a shot of Blackpool's Central Pier, taken from the North Pier, and while it's not an especially dramatic seascape I do like how it turned out, particularly in terms of the detail in the foreground waves.

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3.44pm on 17/9/11 Canon 5D Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 70mm f/3.5 1/1600 aperture priority +1/3 evaluative 100 no RAW Camera Raw Photoshop CS5 none 1x1

Since getting an iPhone a few months ago I've downloaded a huge range of camera and post-processing apps, and have developed a few firm favourites including ProCamera (a great alternative to the built-in camera app) and Filterstorm, a fantastic post-processing app with a curves tool, masks, layers, history tool, and so on.

I've also downloaded a lot of other camera/processing apps that are a bit more specialised – HDR apps, panoramic cameras, special effects cameras, low-fi cameras and so on. My definite favourite, and the one I used for this shot, is Hipstamatic. If you're unfamiliar with it, here's how the Hipstamatic team describe it:

"The Hipstamatic for iPhone is an application that brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty, and fun of plastic toy cameras from the past."

The key thing about Hipstamatic though, and this is what makes it my absolute favourite low-fi camera, is that all the creative decision making takes place BEFORE you take the shot. With a lot of apps, as you'll know, you take a shot then work your way through a range of filters and effects until you come up with something that looks good. With Hipstamatic you choose a lens and a film, both of which have specific effects, and then take the shot.

You can't crop the image and you can't apply any additional filters. You get what you get. Well, there is a random element – if you take the same shot twice it will look slightly different – but there are no options to alter the shot it's been taken. There's a large range of built-in lenses and films but you can also buy additional HipstaPaks, each of which contains a lens and film or two, each of which has specific characteristics that determine the appearance of your final image. For example, I chose the Chunky lens (part of the Soho HipstaPak) and Ina's 1935 film (part of the Mission HipstaPak) for this shot. The Chunky lens has a pronounced light-leak effect, and Ina's 1935 is a warm, rich film that complemented the colours in this shot.

So why do I prefer choosing a lens/film combo before taking the shot rather than applying a range of effects afterwards? There are two reasons. First, it's congruent with the experience of using a 'real' toy camera. This isn't especially important, but there's definitely a nostalgic pleasure in working this way. Second, and this is a lot more significant, it forces you to learn the app – to know how each lens and film will render the scene at hand. For me this is a lot more interesting than randomly trawling through a long list of presets and filters after taking the shot as it forces you to think about what you're shooting, how it will look, and what sort of effect you want to achieve. In short, for me at least, it seems like a much more creative way to produce images.

If you've used Hipstamatic, let me know what you think.

Oh, and this is a shot from the roof terrace of the hotel Troya, the one we stayed in during our recent Faces and Places photo tour of Istanbul.

I arrived in Istanbul yesterday evening to run a Faces & Places Photo Tour with my good friend Bobbi Lane, and while I don't have any local shots to post yet I do have this one, taken on the way to Sofia airport yesterday afternoon.

I'll be posting some shots of Istanbul at some point this week but let me know what you think of this one in the meanwhile.

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4.31pm on 6/11/11 iPhone 4 ProCamera f/2.8 1/15 400 no Photoshop CS5 Topaz Denoise 1x1

This isn't the sort of image I usually post, not because I don't think it has merit – I do – but because it isn't really a stand-alone image: it just looks like a quick shot of an old Lada parked outside a Lidl's supermarket. And that's exactly what it is: taken with my iPhone while shopping, then five minutes processing in Photoshop, then blogged.

Despite its apparent lack of merit I've posted it is because it's an exemplar of one of the types of images I feel I should be shooting, but refrain from doing so on the basis that they're "not bloggable" – they won't generate many comments or start any interesting discussions – simply because they don't work on their own so won't tempt too many of you to open the comments window to read what I have to say.

What's missing is the backstory: the context within which this image, or images like it would make sense. In this case the story is a simple one. As most of you know, we've been living in Bulgaria (on and off) for the last three years, in a small rural village about 20km away from Veliko Tarnovo, the former capital of the Second Bularian Empire.

One of the things I find most fascinating about the country is the split between the old and the new. For example, some of the larger towns are quite close to their western European counterparts in terms of the availability of goods, things to do, contemporary culture, and so on, while in many villages it's still quite common to transport things around using a horse and cart, fetch water from the well, and grow most of your own food.

And it's that split that makes this image interesting for me. Admittedly, it's not a shot of a horse and cart parked outside Lidl's (a supermarket chain that only arrived in Bulgaria during the last twelve months), nor a shot of a Trabant – probably the most dated East-European car we still see driving around the towns and villages – but it is a shot of a car that represents the "old", parked outside a supermarket that represents the "new".

Whether that's sufficient justification to blog this shot is debatable, so let me know if you'd like to see more of this type of image. And don't worry, I won't be offended if you say no. Do let me know though.

I wasn't planning on posting another creepy doll but couldn't resist this one. I've also added this one as our latest Mini-PSD as the processing was quite interesting (I used a combination of the Channel Mixer, a Curve, and the Selective Color tool to desaturate the image and odd the colder, darker tone).

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6.17pm on 12/8/11 iPhone 4 ProCamera f/2.8 1/160 80 no Photoshop CS5 Topaz Detail 1x1

My apologies for the absence of recent updates, but it's been a really hectic few weeks.

Most recently I spent three days working on something that I thought would take a lot less time, a promo video for my forthcoming Creative Live workshop in October, which will be free to watch live online.

It's only a four minute video - a summary of my workshop and an invitation to take part, live in Seattle - and I thought we'd be able to produce it quite quickly. Anyway, to cut a long story short, it took ages to put together but I'm pleased with how it turned out. Take a look, especially if you can make it to Seattle on the 7th-9th October. If you can't, just enrol for the workshop and watch it live :-)

It also forced me to finally learn how to use video on my 5D Mark II. I don't know why, but it's just something I never seemed to find time to do, but it's actually easier than I expected (at least at a basic level), and a whole lot of fun. If you're interested, here's one of the unedited clips that I used in the video:

I've also been doing some additional work on our new member's gallery. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at some of the great entries.

Libby and I have also been working on some new workshops and one-to-one training dates for 2012, including a Faces and Places workshop in Venice that I'll be running with Bobbi Lane. The final details haven't been finalised yet, but we'll be heading over there in February to photograph the carnival. If you'd be interested in finding out a bit more about it, email Libby and we'll keep you informed: libby AT chromasia DOT com

As for this shot, it's another iPhone shot, of Tabby and Harmony (in the background) playing around in our minibus. If I'd shot this using my 5D Mark II I probably wouldn't have bothered to edit it, mostly because there's a lot of missing details in the highlights. I did like the shot though, and after playing around with it in Photoshop for a while I'm happy with the end result.

As always, let me know what you think.

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2.59pm on 30/7/11 iPhone 4 ProCamera f/2.8 1/160 80 no Photoshop CS5 none 1x1

It's been a while since I blogged anything, but I have been busy: coding a new gallery to showcase some of the best images produced by the photographers who have attended one of my workshops, subscribe to our online tutorials, or who have had some one-to-one training. If you haven't seen it already you should definitely take a look:

http://www.chromasia.com/training/gallery/

And if you have the time, please leave a comment on any images you like. I'm hoping that it's going to develop into a really dynamic and inspiring gallery, so the more people who contribute the better :-)

Anyway, while I haven't had a great deal of time to get out and about with my 'proper' camera, I have been playing around with my new iPhone, including trying out a whole heap of different camera apps, various sharing apps, and more post-processing apps than you can shake a stick at.

For example, this one was taken using ProCamera (my current favourite camera app), edited with Filterstorm (which is fantastic), and then shared using Instagram.

And in case you're wondering, yes, the doll's eyes really are pink. I think they were blue when we bought it, but after been left out in the summer sun for a few weeks they ended up looking like this. If it was down to me I think it would end up in the bin, but both Tabby (4) and Tiggy (21 months) both love playing with it so I haven't had the heart to give it a decent burial ... at least not yet :-)

This was taken during my landscape photography workshop at this year's Gulf Photo Plus training event back in March, as an aid to demonstrating how to pre-visualise an image based on its post-production. And if you take a look at the original you'll see why this is a good image to use: there's not much merit in the original, and very little apparent detail. With the addition of a couple of curves though, one of which is almost vertical, the latent detail in the scene becomes much more apparent. The end result isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it is a whole lot better, and does illustrate the importance of thinking through how to transform a scene, rather than simply accepting it at face value.

If you're interested in the specific steps I went through to post-process this one I've added it as this week's Mini-PSD.

On a related note ...

We're offering a 20% discount on our tutorials to celebrate the 4th of July: on our annual subscriptions, lifetime memberships, and lifetime membership upgrades. If you're not currently subscribed to our tutorials then this is definitely worth checking out as we'll be increasing the price of our annual subscription on August 1st – our first major price increase since 2007. If you already have an annual subscription, or take one out before now and then, don't worry, it will remain at £25.00 for the lifetime of your subscription.

We're also discontinuing our lifetime memberships. Again, if you already have one, or take one out before August 1st, it will remain valid, but we're not going to be selling these, or any lifetime membership upgrades, beyond the end of this month.

In short then, it's a great time to sign up as our tutorials will never be this price again!

For further details, take a look at our main tutorials page:

http://www.chromasia.com/tutorials/online/

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2.36pm on 10/3/11 Canon 5D Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 50mm f/5.6 1/40 aperture priority +2/3 evaluative 100 no RAW Camera Raw Photoshop CS5 none 1x1