My Sketch iPhone / iPad app - Free for a short while

My Sketch iPad / iPhone App


Just found this app which is free for a very short while. It takes a colour photo and turns it into a sketch with a choice of 20 slightly different effects. Needless to say I couldn't resist trying it out while it is free (normally £1.49) and was absolutely delighted with the results. One example:


   


I tend to transfer photos from the PC to the iPad for some processing as there are some great easy to use apps. This one has one disadvantage at the moment. The photo can be cropped but seems to have a fixed aspect ratio. If the original is not that shape some will be missing on the finished result. Not a problem unless the original is closely cropped to start with.


If it interests you then search for My Sketch on the iTunes app store.

Macro on Monday - Guess What

Brilliant! Once again all five guesses were correct in identifying the frog last week. Congratulations and virtual  go to Keith, Adrian, Wilma, Matron and Glo.



What a lovely patient subject it was as I poked the lens within a few inches and once again the Panasonic TZ7 performed beautifully on still and movie settings. There are many times I feel I get better results from this little camera than I do from my Canon equipment costing ten times as much.




And now, as they say, for something completely different. There is nothing macro or micro about this inanimate object.

Guess what:


 Just for fun, no prizes for a correct guess. Just that glow of satisfaction and a virtual gold star.

Friday at the Flicks - Red Admiral Feeding on Ivy

Some weeks, like last week, there is plenty to video. Others there is nothing until the last minute, like this week. Until midday yesterday I had no new video clips when I spotted a Red Admiral butterfly on some Ivy near the bottom of the garden. I needed a camcorder with a powerful zoom so I dug out the Panasonic with its 70x optical zoom and, even though it hadn't been used for nearly a year, found the battery was still fully charged. I started filming trough the kitchen window and then gradually moved closer. Fortunately the flutter stayed for quite a long while. The only problem with the 70x zoom is some purple colour fringing round high contrast areas otherwise it does a decent job. The camera was tripod mounted so movement is the result of a breezy day.



I missed another opportunity to snap the Grey Heron this morning. Spotted it cautiously making its way to the garden pond but it noticed me and when I got it nicely framed as it took off - the camera refused to take the shot! Such are the frustrations of nature photography.

Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you wherever you are.

Wings for Wednesday - Those Goldfinches and a Comma

 Really bustling activity at the Birdy Bistro this morning.







 



 To finish with, a Comma Butterfly which actually waited while I got the mobile phone near enough for a decent shot.

Macro on Monday - Guess What

Great, all five guesses last week were correct so Adrian, John, Keith, Wilma and Glo are all awarded my congratulations and a   for correctly identifying the garden snail.

Yes Wilma. That was the eye stalk. Once again the photo was taken with the TZ7 and small crops used. Thank you Glo for the witty explanation as to why you were later than usual. (Follow the link in last Monday's comments)

 

On to this week's puzzle picture. I am sure you will not need any clues from Miss Piggy to help with the identification of this creature.

Guess What:


 Just for fun. No prizes except a virtual gold star for a correct identification.

Friday at the Flicks - Windy, Caterpillar, Hedgehogs, Greenfinches

It is nearly a week since the remains of Hurricane Katia passed over the country. Fortunately, here anyway, wind strength was well down on those forecast as possibilities. Mainly gusts in the 35 to 45mph range. We had stronger winds last January. For wildlfe it matters not what the weather is like, life must go on and they have to eat.



In spite of the wind it was a glorious sunny day. As I checked out the garden pond a movement in the grass caught my eye. At first I though the grey shape crawling through the grass was one of the newts but on closer inspection it turned out to be an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar. They are large, stretching to about 3.5 inches ( 90mm) long. Every so often it would stop and investigate the vegetation and the ground. I read somewhere that they bury themselves underground to pupate and remain there through the winter. Holding the TZ7 steady was difficult in the blustery conditions.



I said earlier in the week I had managed to take some video of the adult and juvenile Hedgehogs so here they are. Focussing a bit iffy in places as the camera was on manual focus and I couldn't find the switch while I was filming from the darkened kitchen. Notice how perfect their table manners were while they were being filmed - not once standing in the dish. Most unusual.



Finally a short clip of the Greenfinches which are a very welcome sight as it shows their numbers are recovering a bit after two years of finch disease. This goup of seven or eight are mostly juveniles.



Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you wherever you are.

Wings for Wednesday - Greenfinches Return

Until two years ago I always had Greenfinches visit the Birdy Bistro. That was until the first outbreak of finch disease (Trichomonosis) two years ago which reduced the numbers of Goldfinches and Greenfinches drastically. That was followed by another outbreak of the disease last year. Since then I have rarely seen a Greenfinch, until this past week or so,

The Goldfinch population has recovered, exploded really, here. I can get up to fifty arguing over the twelve perches on the Niger seed feeders. Now about six Greenfinches have joined them which gives hope that their numbers have started to recover as well.









I can ony hope it is too late in the year for a new outbreak of finch disease in this area.