A little Renoir for you

I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the Art Institute of Chicago to learn that I was allowed to take photographs in most of the areas. One of the photos I captured was a detail shot of Renoir's beautiful Chrysanthemums. It's so lovely I decided to incorporate it into my May calendar freebie.

Just click on the image above or click HERE and you'll be taken to the calendar's Flickr page. Click on the All Sizes link, where I recommend you choose the "Original" size to download. This will print out to a full 8.5x11 inches, perfect to stick on your bulletin board or fridge. I hope you enjoy it!

Would you like to win this book?

Who doesn't like to win stuff?

Susan Tuttle has a new book and it looks positively wonderful to me. It's called Digital Expressions and is for sale right now on Amazon, but if you're feeling lucky, you can try to win yourself a copy. Susan just did a blog post announcing this giveaway; click HERE for the scoop.

The book is all about creating digital art using Photoshop Elements. Some of my favourite artists are contributors too, including Richard Salley and Marie Otero.

I can't wait to get my hands on this!

iPhone news

We interrupt this ongoing Chicago travelogue for some breaking news: I have discovered a new iPhone app! (Oh dear. I can hear a collective groan. Would it help if I told you it's only 99 cents?)

I was having a look through the numerous Flickr groups to which I belong earlier today when I spied some photos that I thought were taken with an iPhone. I wasn't sure because the effect wasn't familiar. Turns out the photographer was using an iPhone; he'd made his photos look shabby and worn using an app called Pic Grunger. Of course, I had to have it!

It's very easy to use -- you just open up an existing photo in your Camera Roll, then choose from several grungy effects. Simple as that. (Should you choose to get this app and have a 3GS iPhone, like me, make sure you go into your Settings, scroll down to find the listing for Pic Grunger, and tell it you have the 3GS; this apparently ensures you get the proper resolution.)

Both photos above were ones I had taken using the Hipstamatic app. The captain and I were out for dinner with our son's girlfriend the other day and she and I thoroughly appreciated the crayons on the table; photographs were taken (are you surprised?). I think every restaurant should provide crayons!

The crayon image was created in Pic Grunger using its "acid" effect, while the wish image features "cracked".

This photo was taken using the ShakeitPhoto app, while I waited in the car as the captain ran some errands. I love taking photos wherever I am. Tonight, I brought the image into Pic Grunger and chose "streaked". I don't use ShakeitPhoto often, likely because I tend to immediately tap on the Hipstamatic app when I reach for my iPhone. Shakeit is fun; you get to shake your iPhone as you "process" the photo!

Lastly, this photo was taken as we were driving around, using the Toy Camera app (set on random). I then launched the CameraBag app and applied the Lolo effect. Then, tonight, I brought that into Pic Grunger and chose "blotched".

One photo -- three apps! Using multiple apps on one image is fairly new to me, but I think I'm going to be doing it with great frequency. I really like the results.

Spring in the city

When I was in Chicago, it was the architecture that constantly captivated me. When I perused my pictures after I was home, I noticed that in some of them, the signs of spring in the city were obvious. Chicago's Millennium Park was awash with white flowering trees and beds of pink tulips were planted beside all the subway entrances along State Street. I saw a lot of grunge in the city, but I saw beauty too. These two photos give you a peek at the prettiness.

Travels with my iPhone

My trip to Chicago last week was the first vacation for my iPhone. I didn't use it as often as I would have liked as it was too awkward to try to manage both it and my regular camera at the same time. I most often pulled the iPhone out when I was sitting down -- in the airplane, for example, and in restaurants -- although I did whip it out of my purse on occasion when the mood struck.

All square images in this post were taken with the Hipstamatic app, while the others were with the Toy Camera app, set on random.

Bella Bacino's is a terrific Italian restaurant about three blocks south of our hotel, located in "Chicago's New East Side" or so the sign read. We thought we were in The Loop, so who knew?

The cocktails at Bella Bacino's were splendid, while the salad and pizza were delicious; Leslie and I ate everything. One wall is completely lined with the wooden panels from wine crates, an attractive touch, as were the colourful padded bench seats stretched down one side of the restaurant.

Here's a tip for the next time you're on a lengthy walkabout and need to stop for refreshment. Try having a smoothie instead of something with caffeine. Leslie and I stopped at a small Japanese takeout joint across the street from Utrecht Art Supplies called Osaka Express; we had reached that point in the afternoon where you feel you've hit a wall.....tired, thirsty, in need of a break. These fruit smoothies were an incredible energy boost, more rejuvenating than a coffee ever would have been.

One of the treats of this trip was getting to visit a diner I discovered by watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. I so wanted to eat at Glenn's Diner and was very happy when Leslie was interested too. Fresh seafood is the specialty -- Leslie's halibut and my sturgeon were proof-positive of the chef's expertise with fish -- but I think we were perhaps most delighted by our before-dinner drink. More on that below.

The restaurant's low lighting was charming but proved troublesome for my iPhone; shooting in such a dark space was quite problematic. I did learn that by switching the lens in the Hipstamatic app I could generate better results.

Now, about that drink. My Big Fat Bloody Mary is an absolute must should you ever visit Glenn's Diner. Not only is it a deliciously spicy concoction, it is also generous. It is served in a large milkshake-style glass, rimmed with what I believe was celery salt mixed with old bay seasoning. The drink includes a wedge of lime, a large celery stick, a large carrot stick plus an enormous half-moon of melon. But that's not it. Five large shrimp are also skewered inside your drink. Yes, five! It is truly an appetizer pretending to be a cocktail. I don't think I will never find another bloody mary to top this one!

Keeping time in Chicago

I took so many photographs in Chicago a few days ago that I have been at a loss as to how to share them with you. Rather than bombard you with random images, I am going to try to keep each blog post focused on a theme or topic (operative word: try). Today's subject: clocks.

Chicago is a city blessed with amazing architecture. As you walk the downtown streets, gazing up and back and all around, you can't help but notice the numerous clocks along your way. The above two are both from the famed Wrigley Building on North Michigan Avenue, on the Chicago River. The clock tower is visible for many blocks around and is a quick way to check the time, while the other clock is featured above an entranceway and is not so easily seen.

Below, some department store history.

These two photographs are taken one block apart; the first at State and Randolph, the second at State and Washington. This block features the original flagship Marshall Field & Company department store, bought a few years ago by Macy's. The original signs, proclaiming it to be Marshall Field's, have been left intact, as have these beautiful clocks. As you can see, it only took me about six minutes to walk this block!

Below, the Jewelers Building. (Yes, apparently there is no apostrophe.)

This gorgeous clock juts out from the amazing building found at 35 East Wacker Drive. It is apparently known locally as the Father Time Clock, referring to the winged statue of Father Time positioned atop the clock. Only upon researching this online today did I learn that Father Time was often shown with wings, like an angel; this seems to have been popular in the 19th century. You learn something new every day!

I need to go back to Chicago and shoot some close-ups of this beauty! You can read about the building's history HERE, including its Al Capone connection and the special automobile elevator that took cars up to the various floors (this was so the jewellers could leave their offices with their valuables and safely go straight to their cars).

Finally, the Old Republic Building.

Leslie and I spotted this beauty as we were walking back to our hotel on our last afternoon in Chicago. This is the Old Republic Building, on North Michigan Avenue. At this point I was tired, my back was sore, and I just wanted to get back to the hotel and rest up before dinner. But still ... I had to stop to shoot this clock.

More Chicago images in the coming days; check back soon!

Not your typical city photograph

If you read my post yesterday, you may have also had a peek at the comments. In particular, you may have read Leslie's lovely remarks about our Chicago getaway, which included a somewhat mysterious snippet of information; "....not even a few dropped M&M's on the sidewalk are overlooked," she wrote.

She's right. When there are brightly coloured candies gleaming in the sunlight on a busy city sidewalk, I am likely to spot them. And there were. And I did.

Proof, above.

Stay tuned. More "normal" Chicago photographs are scheduled for tomorrow.

My kind of town (Chicago is)

Go on, sing along. I know you know the lyrics.

Chicago is indeed my kind of town.

The reason for my trip to Chicago is summed up in the above photograph. I have been pining to see the William Eggleston exhibit -- Democrat Camera: Photographs and Video, 1961-2008 -- and was disappointed to have missed it last year when it was at the Corcoran in DC; I knew it was headed for the Art Institute of Chicago and vowed not to miss it again. Leslie wanted to see it too and so we set off on Monday, returning yesterday.

I am SO glad I went. To see William Eggleston's work up-close-and-personal was an amazing treat for me. I won't forget it. His photographs seem simple and mundane, but they draw you in, make you think. In my opinion, he's a photographic genius. Tim Connor, a photographer based in New York, has an excellent blog, Looking at Photography, and I urge you to read his take on this exhibition and Eggleston's work. It's well-written and thoughtful and echoes my own opinions and interpretations of Eggleston's photography.

While this exhibition was the reason for the trip, our getaway included so much more. I did not anticipate that Chicago would be such an amazing city; in particular, I did not know that downtown Chicago features one architectural treasure after another. The guidebooks don't do it justice. It was dizzying, a true embarrassment of riches. I literally couldn't walk ten feet without stopping to take numerous photographs. Ask Leslie, she'll tell you. I was only there for a brief period and still managed to snag more than 2,000 photos.  In the days to come I'll share some of my favourites.

Leslie visited Chicago last year and this proved to be beneficial to both of us. She had her bearings and knew the locations of everything important and also had several great restaurant recommendations. That's important, you know! She was comfortable and I was thankful for her inside scoop. She even knew where I could find a Route 66 sign! Leslie, it wouldn't have been the same if you hadn't been there!

I would return to Chicago in a heartbeat. The locals are friendly, the food is fantastic, the cityscapes are breathtaking. It sure is my kind of town.

Chi-town

Off to Chicago for an art-filled getaway. See you in a few days!

More SwankoLab

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been playing with my newest iPhone app, SwankoLab. Today the captain and I ventured down to the Distillery District -- I  needed to visit the photo lab -- and I just couldn't resist pulling out my iPhone and snapping some photographs of the two old, rusty Dodge trucks that seem to be always there. Once home, I decided to manipulate two of the images using SwankoLab and my own chemical creations, a different one for each picture. Above, you see the two original images, straight and untouched from my iPhone, and beside them the altered SwankoLab results (click on the above montage to see a bigger version). This is a very versatile app!

Even though the weather is gloomy and cold, I can't complain about a day that includes iPhone fun, an outrageous grilled cheese sandwich for lunch (lobster, cheddar and brie), and the red velvet cupcake that awaits me in the kitchen. Off to make coffee!

I found a new app

Attention, iPhone fanatics! The geniuses behind the Hipstamatic app have released something new to feed our app addiction. It's called SwankoLab and, like Hipstamatic, it's very cool. In a nutshell, it simulates a darkroom -- you select an image you've already taken, then pour various "chemicals" into a developing vat and await the results. There are ready-made formulas you can try or you can just wing it and choose your own chemical stew. Imperfect results are encouraged -- over-processed, odd colours, etc.

If you wish, there are even extra chemicals you can buy for a small fee.  I've only just downloaded it and haven't yet bought this add-on, but I just know I will.

It's way too early for me to have given SwankoLab a thorough workout, but I do like what I see so far. The fork and hydrangea images, above, were taken using the Hipstamatic app, while Tippi's picture was taken using the iPhone's camera only, no app involved. Tonight I brought these into SwankoLab (along with some others, too many to show here!) and played around. I tried some of the included chemical formulations on the hydrangea photo as well as Tippi's picture, and I messed about with my own concoction with the fork photograph. It's easy and it's fun. I can just see it -- more iPhone shenanigans are in my future!

Foodie fun

Aren't those the greatest plates? I bought them in the U.S. at Target, the day after Valentine's Day when all the holiday merchandise was 50%-off. The captain surprised me Easter morning with freshly baked cinnamon buns served on these sweet plates.

Before I devoured my treat, I took the photo with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Today, I brought it into Photoshop to apply the edging and the watermark.

More fun with food. I snapped the label while waiting for our meal at our favourite local diner (By the Bluffs, in Scarborough), using my iPhone. Of course. Using the Hipstamatic app. Of course.

I then used the Pop Art Lite app to create the Warhol homage. Finally, I brought it into Photoshop, only to add the black edge and watermark.

If you haven't tried either of these apps for your iPhone, please give them a workout. So much fun!

Happy Easter everyone!

A GOOD Friday at the diner

Scenes from the diner, outside and in. All photography courtesy of my iPhone.

TOY CAMERA app

TOY CAMERA app

HIPSTAMATIC app

There are, alas, no food photographs. Why? I forgot. For those who need to know, the captain had a waffle with fruit, while I had fish'n'chips. With coleslaw. It was all very yummy. And of course, we had coffee.

TOY CAMERA app

HIPSTAMATIC app

HIPSTAMATIC app

HIPSTAMATIC app

Ah, the hands I love. Sneaky little iPhone.