StoryCorps

StoryCorps

tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ April 12, 2015

“You read and write and sing and experience, thinking that one day these things will build the character you admire to live as. You love and lose and bleed best you can, to the extreme, hoping that one day the world will read you like the poem you want to be.”
~~Charlotte Eriksson

On March 27th, one of our favorite Facebook pages, Humans of New York (HONY) posted a short piece about StoryCorps. The founder of HONY, Brandon Stanton is both the photographer and the author behind HONY, and it’s Brandon’s thought-provoking questions that encourage and enable people to share their very private and personal stories. The comments and the support of the viewers of this page add to its overwhelming popularity. Brandon is now encouraging people, especially teachers and family members, to use StoryCorps to record conversations and memories to add to this oral history project.

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Dave Isay is the founder of StoryCorps, and his TED Talk can be viewed here. Listening to his TED talk will educate you about the history behind StoryCorps and its importance.

What is StoryCorps? From their About Page:

“StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 50,000 interviews from more than 80,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.”

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Please take the time to visit the StoryCorps website and consider downloading their app to help collect your stories. Start with their “Login Page” to create an account, and you can upload an audio file with an image from their website. We have found creating an account online helps facilitate the login process on the app.

Enjoy!

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[Tweet “With the newly released StoryCorps app, it is now easier to share memories and personal stories.”]

As an added note, here is a little more about the “man behind HONY”:

Turn It, Tap It!

Turn It, Tap It!

iPad Photography tips Travels

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 9-21-2014

This will be short and sweet.

Summer was filled with commitments, and I decided that fall would be the best option for a vacation excursion.
Shannon’s dad and I are in the Rocky Mountain National Park hiking, photographing, hiking, horseback riding, hiking, exploring, hiking, and breathing deeply.

We have been getting out early to get into the parks with the rising sun,
and we try to leave as the largest crowds arrive.
It truly has been just us and other photographers and artists.

As we make our way back to the parking lot, I have seen so many people using devices to photograph the natural beauty of fall in the mountains, and I wish I could help them with a few tips.

#1: When you are shooting video, turn your device, whether it is your phone or a tablet,
to landscape (sideways) mode.

Please.

And while we’re at it, notice the term “landscape”.
Use that to take pictures of “landscape” and “portrait” (up and down) for, (you guessed it) portraits.

Please RotateMost of the time, though, I would recommend landscape for everything,
especially those shots where you place  yourself in front of a beautiful background.

If you ever want to use your pictures to add to a video or slide show,
this will help eliminate the black borders on the sides you so often see.

#2: After composing your picture, tap the screen where you want to focus.
This will autofocus the point that you want to emphasize and will help center more light there.

Bonus Tip: Divide your picture into “thirds” horizontally and/or vertically.
Avoid putting your subject in the “center” of your composition.
It is much more pleasing to the eye when it is off-centered either vertically or horizontally.

We hope you take time for yourself and your family.
Get outside and so something “selfie-worthy” and practice these three quick, easy tips.
As for me, I am headed up the mountain to do the same!

“Stitch It”

Holiday iPad2 Photography tips

Sunday Sit, Sip, and “Sync” ~ 11-27-2011

It’s time to share all of the hard work and creativity you put into that decorating!

We’ve found a fun and free way to do that.

Hurry over to “Photosynth” and download this app to your iPhone, iPod Touch, or your iPad2.

I downloaded it as soon as I bought my iPad2, and drove to our cabin to take a spring panorama shot of our lake. I could not believe how EASY it was!

Before this app, I used Photoshop to stitch together my photos, and was amazed at how much easier Photosynth was! It even takes the pictures for you! The more images you stitch together in your panorama, the better your final image is. It not only captures the scene in 360˚ view, but up and down, as well.

(Photoshop:  Now THAT is a program that should generate a two-year degree. I need to add that to my “bucket list” of goals to achieve. What a powerful, but oh-so-overwhelming list of options for one program! However, I can remove stains, wrinkles, “face-shine” and “red-eye” in my photos like nobody’s business.)

If you find Photosynth is “just right” for you,
we would love to see you share your shots on Facebook with us!

It’s time to “show-off”!

Don’t hold back!

We would love to see your classroom, your home, your porch, or whatever you wish to share!

Just send us your link or email your panorama images and we’ll post them in our gallery.