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A distorted reflection of a street scene on a shiny, red metallic surface, adorned with rivets, creating a wavy and abstract visual effect.

Four orange pumpkins with bumpy textures, striped delicata squash, two red tomatoes, and several other fruits on a white wooden table outdoors.

An abstract reflection and some produce of home garden. August, 2024.

Halide Process Zero + some Apple Photos adjustment.

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Rejection of Computational Photography as the Sole Creative Path Forward for iPhone Photography

Over the last week I’ve explored Halide app’s new Process Zero (PZ) feature.

For the first couple of days I misunderstood what the PZ image was and how to get it. I even tooted a comparison of a RAW image processed by me along with an “Apple Processed” image, both captured in Halide. Apparently I wasn’t the only one confused, as per the discussions in the official subreddit.

I thought that the PZ adjustments were in the RAW file but they are actually only in the HEIC / JPG file, that is “developed”, and essentially redeveloped every time one makes adjustments in the app’s Image Lab interface.

Once I had this clarity I tried it in various scenarios, and finally appreciated the result instead of just the theory and examples presented in the announcement.

So far my favorite PZ images have been a couple of black and white photos I shared in this post a few days ago.

A black-and-white photograph of a room with a tufted ottoman in the foreground. A cat is lying and sleeping on top of the ottoman, partially illuminated by sunlight. Behind the ottoman is a wooden bookshelf filled with books and board games.

I also shared the one above on Glass and had a small conversation with Tom that started to crystallize my thoughts on it:

It’s a nice option to have in the toolkit but of limited use for someone like me. If I was a phone-only photographer I might be more excited. Also, I like the lack of computational photography but I have no nostalgia for older digital cameras.

Grain, in film, was a limitation that became an aesthetic, and in the digital age, an emulation. It appears that digital noise is going down the same road for some photographers and is part of their nostalgia for older digital cameras. The interest in that aesthetic is also a rejection of computational photography (with its artificial look) as the sole creative path forward for photographers on the iPhone.

While a photographer’s admonishment of computational photography is usually commentary, Halide’s admonishment comes in the form of Process Zero. It is a breath of fresh air in the current environment of computational photography. It embraces constraints, which is a powerful force for creativity.

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A black-and-white photograph of a room with a tufted ottoman in the foreground. A cat is lying and sleeping on top of the ottoman, partially illuminated by sunlight. Behind the ottoman is a wooden bookshelf filled with books and board games.

A black and white photo of a room with a modern table lamp on the left, a vinyl cover on the wall above a white textured cabinet, and a vinyl record player and small diffuser on top of the cabinet. Sunlight casts shadows on the wall.

Evening at home. 18th August, 2024.

Halide Process Zero (and Image Lab) + Desaturated. No other adjustments.

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A serene black-and-white image depicts a person walking with a dog along a calm reservoir surrounded by tall coniferous trees casting long shadows on the water.

Mt. Tabor Park, Portland, Oregon. 8th July, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Fujifilm Acros 100 (Expired)

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Cyclists are participating in the Providence Bridge Pedal event. They are riding along a closed-off city street under a large banner that reads “Providence Bridge Pedal: You Belong at Providence.” Event staff and spectators line the route.

Cyclists ride on a bridge under a partially cloudy blue sky. The bridge has traffic barriers and structures typical of an urban setting, with a distinctive arched, white bridge seen in the background. Buildings, including a notable orange and gray one, are visible near the bridge.

A large group of cyclists riding on a highway, with a cityscape and green hills in the background. There are also scattered walkers and a few other types of vehicles. The sky is cloudy with some patches of blue.

Biking workout summary with a duration of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 12 seconds, starting at 7:31 AM. Distance covered is 22.35 miles (35.97 km). The user burned 781 active calories.

Another great bridge pedal ride today! We look forward to it every year.

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New version of Mimi Uploader with a redesigned upload flow is out 🎉

This version introduces a modernized, intuitive, and faster upload flow which takes you from uploads to recent uploads with zero taps!

The new flow unifies the uploads screen and the recent uploads screen into the main app screen. This provides immediate access to your uploads right after uploading for so you can move on to exporting or adding alt text right away!

I’m loving this new design very much and I hope you like it too.

This has probably been the longest beta cycle for any release as I ironed out the design and updated other parts of the app to match. So, thank you for your patience.

And as always, thank you for your support! 😊

Get it from the App Store!

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A mural on the side of a building depicting a person wearing a hat and looking at the viewer while holding a vintage camera. The background features a grayscale cityscape with vehicles, while the person is partially colored with vibrant, multi-colored stripes.

Stumbled upon this lovely mural of Vivian Maier while riding in a car a few days ago.

📍 Chicago, Illinois. 7th August, 2024.

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A person tending to a garden, surrounded by large green leaves, with a watering hose spraying water in the foreground. The individual is partially obscured by the plants, which appear healthy and thriving under the sunlight. The garden includes various types of foliage.

Portland, Oregon. 30th June, 2024.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A + Leica Summicron 50mm f/2
🎞️ Lomography Color 800 (Expired)

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Close-up shot of a sunflower with vibrant yellow petals and a detailed green and yellow center. There’s a small dew drop visible on the center, and a tiny black ant crawling on one of the petals.

Portland, Oregon. 23rd July, 2024.

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A military ship docked in a city harbor, with decorated flags adorning its deck. Urban buildings and a distinctive tall skyscraper are visible in the background. The water reflects the ship and buildings. The sky is partly cloudy.

⬆️

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A + Leica Summicron 50mm f/2
🎞️ Lomography Color 800 (Expired)

and

📷 iPhone 15 Pro

⬇️

A military ship docked in a city harbor, with decorated flags adorning its deck. Urban buildings and a distinctive tall skyscraper are visible in the background. The water reflects the ship and buildings. The sky is partly cloudy.

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A serene park scene with tall trees and a walking path. Two people are riding electric unicycles down a grassy hill, while two others walk with their dogs along the path. In the background, there are more walkers enjoying the park.

Mt Tabor Park, Portland, Oregon. 7th July, 2024.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A + Leica Summicron 50mm f/2
🎞️ Lomography Color 800 (Expired)

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A scenic view overlooking the Astoria-Megler Bridge crossing the Columbia River, surrounded by lush green trees. Fog drapes the distant hills under a clear blue sky.

Nighttime cityscape of Astoria, Oregon with illuminated buildings in the foreground and the prominent Astoria-Megler Bridge spanning the Columbia River in the background, against a twilight sky.

Astoria-Megler bridge at early morning, and just past sunset. Astoria, Oregon. June, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Gold 200

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Two people walk on a sandy beach, looking at a large ship passing by on the water. Logs are scattered on the beach.

Portland, Oregon. 13th July, 2024.

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This image shows a serene marina during sunset, with sailboats and their masts prominently featured. The boats are docked, some covered with tarps. A nearly full moon is visible in the sky. Trees and a building in the background complete the picturesque scene.

The image depicts a tranquil waterside scene at sunset with floating houseboats and reflective water. There are three birds swimming in the foreground: two geese and a white duck. The houseboats and water are bathed in warm, golden light.

A sailboat on a body of water during sunset with the sun near the horizon. The sky is a mix of orange and yellow hues, with the sunlight reflecting off the water. There is a bridge and industrial structures visible in the background.

A person is crouched near a waterfront, taking a photo of the photographer. The background features a calm body of water, several geese, and a house with a tin roof. The sky is clear with a gradient from blue to orange during sunset.

Met up with my friend Tim for dinner last night, and then we took some photos by the Columbia.

📷 iPhone

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A rooftop deck with wooden flooring, metal chairs, and tables, surrounded by potted plants. The deck overlooks a body of water with a visible cargo ship in the distance. A mural depicting a similar scene is painted on a wall.

This was taken at about the same time and location as another photo I shared last week, but I only saw it recently when I received film scans.

I like this composition a lot more. The shadows balance the mural wall, there are fewer rooftops in the frame and they are below the railing, the colors better reflect the feeling of that morning on the rooftop.

The square format and the film properties work together pretty well in this case.

Astoria, Oregon. 19th June, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Gold 200

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A wooden sculpture featuring a traditional canoe design, supported by four intricately carved vertical posts, is set on a grassy hilltop. It overlooks a scenic landscape with a forested area, a river, and distant terrain under a clear sky. A rock under the canoe has carved text that reads, “Comcomly”.

Replica of Chief Comcomly’s burial canoe. Astoria, Oregon. 18th June, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Gold 200

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A collage of five photos. The first features green maple leaves against a blue sky. The second shows a close-up of a tree trunk with branches. The third depicts shaded steps with a zigzagging shadow pattern. The fourth shows shadow patterns on trees. The fifth shows a green grass near a water reservoir.

Mt. Tabor Park. Portland, Oregon. 7th July, 2024.

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I like that SwiftUI and I are at the point that I can build a small app with a UI on macOS for things that I would previously write a script.

(Link to the video embedded above).

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A rooftop deck with wooden flooring, metal chairs, and tables, surrounded by potted plants. The deck overlooks a body of water with a visible cargo ship in the distance. A mural depicting a similar scene is painted on a wall.

Astoria, Oregon. 19th June, 2024.

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A black and white photo shows several large cargo ships anchored in calm water under a sky filled with clouds. In the foreground, there are rooftops and structures, including a tall metal tower, along a shoreline.

Astoria, Oregon. 19th June, 2024.