Heather has not fallen victim to the iPhone app rabbit-hole that some of use have fallen into. She shared some great autumn-themed photos from her recent 6wk Alaskan roadtrip. We are all envious of the trip and locations she visited.
Photos shared during UCSD PhIG monthly meetings
Cathy enjoys the iPhone photo apps Reflect and BeCasso and shared some of her nicely done creations. She also managed to quickly post-process some Moon-rise photos from our Sept 17th outing.
This group of images Cathy generated using the Reflect App on iPhone. Images are conversions of her original digital photographs edited using Reflect’s tool library and effects.
These AppArt images were processed using BeCasso, an iPhone app that applies painterly-effects to the image.
Gary enjoys the output of the Waterlogue app he started using last month. He continues to generate some creative watercolor-styled images. The first image of autumn leaves is not AppArt. The others show the original photo and the applied painterly-effects.
Since I setup the themes, I tried to represent and share at least one image that fits. The hardest was artificial light – I hoped to get out and photograph some neon nightscapes but it didn’t happen. I did photograph some shows at night and dusted off my Panasonic point-n-shoot. It’s the only type of camera that is allowed in concert or show venues other than cell phones. Cell phones do a great job but to have an equivalent 500m lens helps get some tighter-in shots. Unfortunately, the slower lens aperature is not great for capturing fast action like Olympic gymnasts. But overall, I am happy with the results especially after post-processing noise-reduction.
I also included some AppArt photos: Brushstroke and Waterlogue are the apps I play with. Photo purist would balk at their use but I consider myself more of a visual artist. I’ll use whatever tools and software are available to me. One exception – completely AI-created images – that’s where I draw the line.
Other artificial light images are photos taken in Tokyo’s TeamLabs immersive/interactive art installations. The lighting effects were phenomenal and the photos cannot do them justice. This is a must-visit if you are in Tokyo.
Jim used the iPhone app Brushstroke to apply a illustration-style effect for his photos.








Jerry shared some recent photos taken at Sunset Cliffs in La Jolla. He visited the shoreline when the clouds caught a wonderful sunset. Including pelicans definitely elevated the images from just beautiful snapshots. It reminds me to always be patient and watch for unexpected or unplanned elements to make a good shot great.
Cathy did a beach walk-about, people-watching with her camera. La Jolla Shores can be crowded and she used her long lens’ perspective to emphasize the density of people enjoying the sun, sand, and ocean. She also shared a wonderful fireworks photo of Sea World’s short summertime fireworks show. Fireworks photography is always a challenge and she got a great shot. Here are the photos she shared:
I have been struggling to be motivated to take photos lately. The monthly meetings are actually motivation for me to make an effort to take my camera out. Without my usual travels lately, I’ve felt less interested in photographing locally. That’s a mistake. Fortunately a lack of theme-related images in my archives for this month’s “summer/beach” motivated me to bring my camera during a beach walk. People-watching at the beach can be fascinating with such a diverse crowd. Trying to catch moments with your camera is fun and challenging. Here are a few of my recent favorites:
Gary spend a lot of time outdoors and on the water. Much of his photography is focused on his trips and travels, even locally. He has a 17ft skiff he’s renovated and uses regularly around San Diego Bay. He shared photos of his beloved boat on the shoreline of San Diego Bay. Additionally, he’s been experimenting with an iPhone app, Waterlogue, that converts photos into watercolor images. He’s been really happy with the result and how easy the app is to use. Here are the photos he shared: