Cell Phone Photography Post Processing and Scrapbook Layouts

[Kayla Lamoreaux]

Having a little fun during summer vacation and thought I would share. Yesterday we ventured out to a local amusement park and when we arrived I realized that I had forgotten to replace the battery in my point and shoot camera from the charger - ACK!

Luckily I had my cell phone camera with me. The major challenge with cell phone cameras include: lack of selective focus, setting controls, and image quality. However, when you think that we are moving more and more to the digital instead of printed side of things, it is very possible to take some great images for your blog and even scrapbook layouts (think 4x6 and 5x7) with your camera phone. Especially when you factor in what you can do with post processing in Photoshop. Here is an example image to illustrate my point:

First the negatives - with selective focus, my camera phone decided that the pine tree branches were the area of interest instead of the flowers. The exposure is too dark and the photo quality is a lot less than I would have liked.
However, open it in Photoshop and run the Faded Bliss and Golden Age actions from Holly M's Vintage Love set and you get this:

Want artsy? Take the processed image and add the Free Colorized action set from The Pioneer Woman and you get this:

The best part? Cell phone photos aren't exempt from layouts! I use my cell phone camera so much that many of my most recent layouts have photos from my cell phone in them and the photo quality hasn't been much of an issue - even when printed. Here is the photo in a layout:

Products used: Shabby Princess Cottage (paper colors adjusted), Holly McCaig Faded Bliss and Golden Age Actions (link above), Pioneer Woman Colorized Action(link above), Stamp by Rhonna Farrer, Template by Ali Edwards (Songbird Avenue APR '09).

How about you? Are you using your cell phone camera, webcam, etc. for snapshots you use in your layouts? Tell us about it!

[DIGISCRAP101]

One thing I have found is that using the free Photoshop for iPhone application (released after this post) helps a lot. I also have a lint free cloth in my purse and wipe the lens of my phone each time I use it. That also helps.

[Lynda Farabee]

Such a great tutorial, Kayla. I receive 3G pix from my NY kids all the time and HATE the quality. I'm not always pleased with my own either. I think it may be "camera shake" in low light situations? But I'm sure gonna try to try your suggestions.

[Kayla Lamoreaux]

That sounds so cool - alas I will be waiting a couple of years to be eligible to upgrade!!

[Hummie]

Great post! You rock, as always!
The new 3GS cell phone I have allows for specific focus which is so cool! I just tape where I want on the camera to choose which part of the photo to focus on.

[Katherine Lent]

Aye, Kayla! I have had this great cell phone for about three years now, I love it. It is also a Sony Walkman. It has a great camera, even tho old now, better than most current cell phone cams. My LOs incorporate many doctored cell phone pics. Here is a post about my camera phone to share with you.

http://digiscrapmac.blogspot.com/2007/09/photography-lightroom.html

and

http://digiscrapmac.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-really-mac-related-but-i-got-new.html

[Kayla Lamoreaux]

iPhone 3G although I have used photos from my husband's Blackberry Pearl with similar results.

[Jessica]

Kayla,
My phone's camera is pretty basic so I don't use it very often. What phone do you have? The pics are awesome!