Today’s iPhone Challenge shot is another from my new Meadow Garden that I’ve started in my yard. I love the graphic designs that mother nature puts into it’s creations!

When shooting flowers and plants I find it effective to get in close to your subject and try to go with a shallow depth of field by focusing tight on one flower. This will help add impact to your picture.

Photo was shot with Hipstamatic on the iPhone 5s using the Helga Viking Lens with the Pistil Film and post processing was done in Photoshop CS6.

Today my sister and I took Damion to Subway for lunch and when someone came in or went out the door he’d say “Ding” and tilt his head and do it a few more times. Besides hats and trains he loves bells! The moment made for a great picture! By the way, the umbrella behind him was a “Kite” according to him!

A great memory captured for all time! Oh, it was his birthday today also! He turned two and this Saturday we’re taking him, his sister and cousin Xavier to Holiday World for Damion and Elaina’s birthday party… guess what Saturday’s challenge photo will be from!

Photo was shot with the Hipstamatic App using the Helga Viking Lens with the Pistil Film setting. Some post processing was done in Photoshop CS6.

All kinds of toys and today Damion was content to just play with the dirt!

When photographing kids or adults, always keep an eye out for the things that happen that make for the unexpected photograph that will again, make for great memories down the road. That’s what photography is all about!

Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s and processed in Photoshop CS6.

Sometimes the simplest things make for a good picture.

Today I captured this shot of a hanging lamp during the West Kentucky Photography Club’s weekly Tuesday lunch.

As we sat there eating I noticed the hanging lamps over each table and booth and decided that with the right background and placement that it could make an effective photo for today’s iPhone Challenge picture.

This was over the booth next to us and I closed the blinds to help make the lamp stand out better and also shut down on the glare from the outside. I also tried to keep the lamp positioned between the vertical slats to make the image more graphic and interesting.

Always keep your eyes open for the commonplace things around you as sometimes they can make the best pictures!

Photo was shot with Hipstamatic on the iPhone 5s using the Helga Viking Lens and Pistil Film setting.

Today’s challenge photo is of Damion and his cousin from Atlanta, Georgia, Billiejean (BJ), as they played cars together on his train table.

I love the interaction between the two of them and especially the look on BJ’s face. For me it’s a great moment between the two of them.

When you’re photographing family members, or anyone for that matter, your goal should always be to capture a moment that shows the emotion of some sort between your subjects.

Photo was shot with the iPhone 5s and processed in Photoshop CS6.

Sometimes the best pictures of kids are the quiet ones such as today’s iPhone Challenge photo of Damion.

He’d had a great time at church today and by the time we arrived at our lunch spot he was sound asleep in his car seat.

I hated to wake him up, but he loves his grilled cheese sandwich with fries and one of his favorite treats that he calls a “Sticky.” It’s the rice crispy treat that comes with his meal and that in itself will be a picture sometime down the road.

Photo was shot with the Hipstamatic App on the iPhone 5s using the Helga Viking Lens and Pistil Film setting.

Damion and Elaina were having a ball today playing with their Aunt Jamie and I got several nice shots. So many that it was really hard to choose one for today’s iPhone Challenge picture, but this black and white version with my sister April sitting in the background won out over the others.

Damion and Jamie were counting and of course Elaina wanted to get into the game as well.

When capturing family moments, try to position yourself and the camera in such a way that you can see the faces. It makes for a much stronger picture.

Photo shot on the iPhone 5s using Hipstamatic with the Lucas AB2 Lens and the BlacKeys Super Grain Film.

Today’s challenge picture is of my nephew Kenneth who arrived last night for a summer visit. Being a teenager with no real responsibilities for the summer, this is one of his natural states, at least in the mornings.

Of course since there’s two little ones, his niece Elaina and Damion, in the house this year that kinda make a lot of noise, he usually stays up late after they’ve gone to bed. Besides, it’s summer. Still I love capturing a shot or two of him sleeping as I’ve done this every year for past several. Again, a nice memory well worth capturing on camera! They sure do grow up fast!

Photo shot with the iPhone 5s and processed in Photoshop CS6.

I really like how today’s iPhone Challenge photo turned out, of a teen running with a football, at the Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville, Tn. Plus the folks with the Segways, clouds, bold lines of the steps and the railings leading the eye into the picture, all work together in this shot. My only wishes were that the buses weren’t in the background. Sometimes you go with with you have in front of you and make the best picture you can.

Photo shot with the iPhone 5s and processed with the Snapseed on the phone.

What can I say… Elaina was playing on the floor, surrounded by her and her brother’s toys, and I couldn’t pass up shooting this picture after her mom gave her something to drink.

When I stepped over her to shoot the picture she gave me this adorable look and I knew I had the shot I wanted. I only got off about 4-5 pictures before she was bored with the camera and off to other things.

Photo shot with the iPhone 5s and processed with the Snapseed App on the phone.

Today I shot another Veterans portrait for my upcoming exhibit at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts in the Anne P. Baker gallery this November here in Madisonville, Ky.

This little guy decided that my camera bag was quite comfortable and decided to make itself at home. Always keep your eyes open and be quick as you never know what will  present itself as a picture. The more you shoot with your camera phone, or any other camera for that matter, the better your pictures will get.

By the way, the exhibit will open on November 11th with a reception at the gallery. Everyone’s invited. It will be a series of 100 black and white portraits of Veterans from Hopkins County.

Photo shot with the iPhone 5s and processed in the Snapseed App.