Wow, it’s July already and I promised a photography post roundup for last month’s posts so here it is. The blog explored some new areas and had a lot of fun while sharing some useful tips.

I also have a major newsflash for my favourite smartphone video editor Videoshop so keep reading.

June is summertime in the northern hemisphere and there are a lot of chances to take pictures using the brighter light, especially if you have indoor cats.

Camera Raw for Beginners

This post lets beginners get started with this versatile but unfamiliar setting in their DSLR cameras. Camera Raw (often mistakenly called Adobe Camera Raw) gives a photographer more opportunities to adjust images. This post tells you how it works.

Using a Multiple Image Filter

This post shows you how spectacular smartphone filters can be when the use more than one image.

It is so inspiring to play with filters and I was amazed at how sophisticated they have become over the past two years. You will be surprised when you see what Photo Lab can do!

Photo Fails Happen To Us All

This month’s fails are part of an ongoing series as I report on my DSLR journey including taking pictures of fast moving cats. The magic of sport mode (burst mode) can only do so much as I have discovered!

Music in Videos

This post about adding music to videos is my response to ‘silent watchers’. Yes, people do listen to videos a lot so I tell you here why music matters!

NOTE: I also encourage smartphone moviemakers to add still photographs to their movies, especially if they have no video of a subject. The *Ken Burns Effect gives motion to a still image.

Videoshop Smartphone Editor – Major Update

The iPhone and Android app Videoshop is rapidly becoming my go to app for editing movies on my smartphone.

It is smart, versatile and like any good app, it is straightforward to use when you explore its features and see what it can do. There is a basic free version that works fine, and a versatile expanded edition a paid option that is very well featured.

Some of the Videoshop Features:

• Trimming clips is easy
• You can add filters, transitions and animated titles.
• Try cheeky sound effects to make your viewers laugh out loud
• Run a clip in slow motion
• Apply a filter to a single clip
• NEW – Transition times can be adjusted
• NEW – DISTORT tool for creative visuals
• Finally, for social media on the go, social sharing is super easy.

The look of the app has been tightened up and a big positive user upgrade included.

A big plus for the app is the new one by one ‘Pro Tool’ purchase option. If you like a ‘tool’ but don’t want to buy them all, a single tool purchase option is available.

I am not an affiliate for Videoshop but I do think it is a good place to take a freebie trial and learn about smartphone movie making.

Photography Post Roundup Summary

I hope the roundup is helpful and if you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

My smartphone basics course is almost ready to roll and I know I have some keen learners already waiting. Looks at * Bear and Ellie * Now, join the hop and then head over to wish Bionic Basil’s mum a get well soon OK?

*Ken Burns Effect
The Ken Burns effect is a type of panning and zooming effect used in video production from still imagery. The name derives from extensive use of the technique by American documentary film maker Ken Burns.