MobiWorkshop MW8 - Instant Abstract

FundyBrian

FundyBrian

MobiLifer
Mobi Veteran
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Real Name
Brian Townsend
Device
iPhone 8 Plus
Onsite
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The object to this workshop will be to create an abstract image using a camera app that has live effects that you can preview before pressing the shutter. You don’t make a standard image at all. You go directly to abstract. You preview the effect on-screen and commit to the result before pressing the shutter. No editing necessary to abstractify your image.

It’s OK to do minor image tweaking after the image has been made but no effect editing can be made. That’s the whole point of this exercise - to see how close to a final result you can get just by selecting the right subject material and pressing the shutter. You are supposed to be making abstracts not simply photographing things that are already abstract on their own.

Apps such as KaleidaCam, aremaC, Decim8, Olli, MegaPhoto+, MoonShadow, and I’m sure several others, show a good preview of your selected effect allowing you to scan the subject area and interact with the subject to get the best from the effect. This is where the main magic happens, interacting with the subject while viewing the effects.

Of course you can probably also make regular photos with weird colours with these apps so you need to keep the abstract concept in mind as you photograph. Give it a try and post some results. Have some fun.

Edit: add Glitché to the list. And Tiny planets.
 
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Industrial office hallway.
77D513E2-08D2-4146-8998-B61ECF92CF0A.jpeg

This “hallway” is made of repeated and recoloured views of the front panel of my old MacPro desktop computer as seen with MegaPhoto+. The hardest part was timing the shutter release as the view was moving fairly quickly like a video game - running down unknown hallways, making abrupt turns, avoiding obstacles. Constantly changing.
 
Fun with KaleidaCam.
AD749556-765A-49E0-B063-672D5E0C487D.jpeg

This is the bottom side of our ironing board (blue legs) as it leans against the wall.

4153FD4E-8F2D-4E01-9BAE-DBF899AF499B.jpeg

Lampshade in the livingroom.
 
Destruction with Decim8.
983A3298-873B-48C5-995E-BDB6E79826F2.jpeg

The electrical cord of the sewing machine laying on the floor.

511A4E53-F9AD-4B96-8797-11E6D3A12F23.jpeg

Broom and mop handles leaning against the wall.
 
FundyBrian said:
The object to this workshop will be to create an abstract image using a camera app that has live effects that you can preview before pressing the shutter. You don’t make a standard image at all. You go directly to abstract. You preview the effect on-screen and commit to the result before pressing the shutter. No editing necessary to abstractify your image.

It’s OK to do minor image tweaking after the image has been made but no effect editing can be made. That’s the whole point of this exercise - to see how close to a final result you can get just by selecting the right subject material and pressing the shutter. You are supposed to be making abstracts not simply photographing things that are already abstract on their own.

Apps such as KaleidaCam, aremaC, Decim8, Olli, MegaPhoto+, MoonShadow, and I’m sure several others, show a good preview of your selected effect allowing you to scan the subject area and interact with the subject to get the best from the effect. This is where the main magic happens, interacting with the subject while viewing the effects.

Of course you can probably also make regular photos with weird colours with these apps so you need to keep the abstract concept in mind as you photograph. Give it a try and post some results. Have some fun.
Click to expand...
Sigh, off to the App Store..
 
FundyBrian said:
Surely you have some live effects apps already? Some of them sure not “serious” apps.
Click to expand...
Of course, I started messing with Slow Shutter and couldn’t stop. Unfortunately that’s not enough to keep me from the App Store if I see and app I never heard of. :confused::confused::confused:
 
Hipstamatic Pablo 1 lens
88D6948F-E9C8-4F50-8A6C-ED86A1E11D93.jpeg

Mega Photo
33510EF3-94DF-4E9B-8136-4587A418F8AA.jpeg

Toon Camera
003DA35D-A60E-452E-8AAF-887A01170DCE.jpeg

Does anyone recognize this? I can’t remember how I did this.
E2CAB9D9-DADF-448B-807D-8CD6ECF9B994.jpeg
 
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Starzee said:
Hipstamatic Pablo 1 lensView attachment 122386 Mega PhotoView attachment 122383 Toon Camera
View attachment 122385
Does anyone recognize this? I can’t remember how I did this.View attachment 122384
Click to expand...
The last one, you mean. It looks to be sliced up in strips and the pieces rearranged. I have something similar and I can’t remember what app I used, either.
7D5F3F55-1F21-4F40-94BC-99C4BF6A6B53.jpeg

According to the metadata on the original photo it says Hipstamatic. But no specifics on the combo. Interesting effect, though.
 
Starzee said:
Of course, I started messing with Slow Shutter and couldn’t stop. Unfortunately that’s not enough to keep me from the App Store if I see and app I never heard of. :confused::confused::confused:
Click to expand...
Yes, I did the same to see if there were others I had not heard of. Apps often don’t do a good job in adding useful search keywords so if you don’t know the actual name of the app it can be really hard to find.
 
Starzee said:
Hipstamatic Pablo 1 lensView attachment 122386 Mega PhotoView attachment 122383 Toon Camera
View attachment 122385
Does anyone recognize this? I can’t remember how I did this.View attachment 122384
Click to expand...
Found it. It is the Pablo Mark I lens in Hipstamatic.
Here’s Pablo Mark I + Delaunay 1941.
A8B25C06-8615-480E-9F27-E8391DC9B305.jpeg


And here’s Pablo Mark II + Delaunay 1941.
9221F446-91C8-4EEF-B32C-C6F9A6454460.jpeg


The subject in both cases is the quilt on the bed, which is already full of shapes. I’m not sure if the effects are always the same or somewhat randomized.
 
FundyBrian said:
Found it. It is the Pablo Mark I lens in Hipstamatic.
Here’s Pablo Mark I + Delaunay 1941.
View attachment 122390

And here’s Pablo Mark II + Delaunay 1941.
View attachment 122391

The subject in both cases is the quilt on the bed, which is already full of shapes. I’m not sure if the effects are always the same or somewhat randomized.
Click to expand...
Aha!!! So the one I posted and labeled Pablo I was probably Pablo II. I did try both.
 
It looks like Glitché is another candidate for direct camera abstracts but so far I’m still trying to figure it out. Sometimes I get a picture and other times just black.
238BCCFC-D4F9-4C89-923C-D4CE26ACF8A2.jpeg

I think Glitché is quite limited unless you buy the exceedingly expensive Pro features.
 
Starzee said:
Actually, shortly after I posted and replied to FundyBrian , I found it on my phone when I was closing the 2 million apps I had open. It was Decim8.
Click to expand...
I’ve never seen Decim8 do that, but I guess if you keep pressing the button you will see everything eventually. Now the trick is, can you call up that effect again? I tend to stick to a few presets I have saved that have given me good results in the past. Some of the presets tend to be too glitchy for my taste.
 
FundyBrian said:
I’ve never seen Decim8 do that, but I guess if you keep pressing the button you will see everything eventually. Now the trick is, can you call up that effect again? I tend to stick to a few presets I have saved that have given me good results in the past. Some of the presets tend to be too glitchy for my taste.
Click to expand...
I haven’t ever saved any presets. I’ll have to check it out.
 
Starzee said:
I haven’t ever saved any presets. I’ll have to check it out.
Click to expand...
I did that quite a bit when I was using Decim8 for the Time Stamp logo pics. I didn’t want them so fractured that the text could not be read or the clock become completely unrecognizable. So when I found something that worked I saved it as a preset. You understand, of course, that the preset is pretty general in what it saves and there are still the numerous variations that that one preset goes through. One of them will be the thing I liked and the rest just variations that may or may not be anywhere close to what I wanted. This is the one thing that bugs me about Decim8 - not having more control of the parameters. I would like to know how this particular result is achieved. But Decim8 isn’t about control, it’s about randomness, and maybe a bit of luck, and a whole lot of persistence.
 
FundyBrian said:
I did that quite a bit when I was using Decim8 for the Time Stamp logo pics. I didn’t want them so fractured that the text could not be read or the clock become completely unrecognizable. So when I found something that worked I saved it as a preset. You understand, of course, that the preset is pretty general in what it saves and there are still the numerous variations that that one preset goes through. One of them will be the thing I liked and the rest just variations that may or may not be anywhere close to what I wanted. This is the one thing that bugs me about Decim8 - not having more control of the parameters. I would like to know how this particular result is achieved. But Decim8 isn’t about control, it’s about randomness, and maybe a bit of luck, and a whole lot of persistence.
Click to expand...
Yes, I understand the randomness. I can’t remember where I saw the tutorial on Decima8, but it was a good one. I had no idea the random buttons were for different things and didn’t know you could change the blend mode. I opened it today and found that at some point I did save one preset. I agree with the lack of control is frustrating. When going through the wrecking, I sort of get trigger happy. I’ll be hitting the random button see something cool, but hit the button again. AHHHGGG! Opportunity lost. I would appreciate at least a back button.
 
Starzee said:
Yes, I understand the randomness. I can’t remember where I saw the tutorial on Decima8, but it was a good one. I had no idea the random buttons were for different things and didn’t know you could change the blend mode. I opened it today and found that at some point I did save one preset. I agree with the lack of control is frustrating. When going through the wrecking, I sort of get trigger happy. I’ll be hitting the random button see something cool, but hit the button again. AHHHGGG! Opportunity lost. I would appreciate at least a back button.
Click to expand...
How many time I wished for a Back button in Decim8! Sometimes if you cycle through the random parameters about 50 times you might find another similar one, but maybe not. What a way to fill up your camera roll. So many looke useful - for something, someday, maybe.
 
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