A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 2)

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by Lisa

I’m pretty sure I read hundreds of “how to” articles before starting this blog in January of 2013 but only one piece of advice really stuck in my head,  “never apologize.”  At first I thought this was just a throwaway line from the kind of person who thinks manners don’t matter on the internet but once I got to the content part of the post I actually agreed with what they had to say.  People choose to spend their precious free time reading blogs for many reasons but most of us are connected by the desire to experience something different.  A moment to look through someone else’s eyes, take an armchair adventure around the world or escape into a new piece of fiction.  Of course you can’t truly escape when your chosen blogger spends most of their post complaining about the very same things that drove you to find escapism entertainment in the first place.  Opening each new post with an apology for being late or not keeping a regular publishing schedule is a surefire way to drive people away so all of this is my long-winded way of acknowledging my postings have been few and far between lately but I’m trying not to bore you with apologies.  This blog has become my creative home and I am so thankful that you’ve chosen to spend a few minutes of your free time reading and watching as I continue to explore my corner of the world.  I treasure the friendships and conversations that have grown from such a diverse global community and while I can’t promise multiple posts each week I can promise each one will be full of something that interests me and hopefully entertains you. 🙂

I started this random photo of the day series in February as a way to shake myself out of a creative rut and spark some new ideas for the year ahead.  My plan was to find one thing interesting in each day and take a photo that I would then post “as is” without any post-processing, shifting my focus toward composition and storytelling instead of editing.  I decided to take each photo with my iPhone using Hipstamatic and its “shake-to-randomize” feature further removing myself from editing choices because part of the fun of the app is that I don’t even know if the image will be black and white or color before it “develops” and appears on the screen.  I really have to take what I get so composition is everything.  In the beginning I wasn’t sure how long I could continue the one photo every day pace but somewhere around the 6 month mark I decided to finish the year.  Now I’m thinking about a fun way to recap the entire series once we reach February 2016 but don’t worry, I won’t republish all 365 photos!  Maybe a top ten post or some greatest hits.  Any ideas?

The first photo this week is a corner of our mantle decorated for the holidays, and Monday’s picture made me think somewhere out there is a sad little princess missing her sparkly tiara.  You’ll have to take my word for it that this was bubble gum pink with lots of glittery rhinestone accents. Tuesday brought the darkest day Seattle’s seen in the past 10 years.  Apparently there is a light measuring device on a rooftop at the University of Washington and we’ve been setting records. 😦

Wednesday’s photo is a close up of Ryan’s sling and Thursday you get to see what I saw looking up while Finn did his business on the tree trunk below.  Friday night I walked past this lonely piano wishing someone was playing it and Saturday morning found me finishing this custom order for a lucky young girl’s Christmas present.  Our Etsy store has been keeping me busy but we’re off to a great start and I can’t wait to share the new items we have ready to list next month!

Each photo was taken with my iPhone 6 using Hipstamatic’s “shake to randomize” function then posted without any additional editing. If you like a particular combination and want to try it at home just click on the image to see the lens, filter and flash used.  For variety I continue to add new lenses and filters so if you want to try Hipstamatic but are unsure how to start let me know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

 

 

 

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Lisa

26 thoughts on “A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 2)”

  3. No need to apologize, Lisa. I agree, we blog because we enjoy being creative. I’d rather not post than to come up with something no one wants to read. When one of my posts makes someone laugh, even if I only get a few likes, I consider it a successful post. 😀 It is not about the numbers.

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    1. I agree, Patrick the connections and conversations mean much more to me than likes and views. I’m pretty sure if I looked at the stats from my favorite posts they would be some of the quietest in terms of views but it doesn’t matter in the end. It’s the process and the people that count. 🙂 Please say “hi” to Maggie from me!

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      1. I would have to agree on my favorite post verse those with the most views (my rat post is the most popular by far). Gave Maggie your hello and a scratch behind the ears. She was quite happy. Merry Christmas to you and your family if I don’t catch you in the blog-o-sphere before the 25th!

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  4. Love your lanterns! And I think you can be excused for blogging delays when you are getting a business started and have a family to care for! I always enjoy your photos whenever they appear. Have a good Christmas Lisa however, wherever you celebrate it and here’s wishing you a happy, healthy and successful 2016!
    Jude xx

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    1. Thanks so much, Jude. 🙂 The lanterns were from my in-laws house so they mean a lot to us and look quite pretty on the mantle this time of year. I don’t want to complain about being busy when I’m the one who initiated all of this so instead I’m trying to take a breath and be confident that I’m doing my best. It’s really nice to hear you enjoy my photos when they are ready to post and I appreciate the good will and happy Christmas wishes! Same to you and have a wonderful New Year. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I hope you have fun with Hipstamatic, Peter. 🙂 The app comes with a few lens and filters included and right now they also have a great starter pack for purchase that will give you plenty of good options for more photos. Let me know what you think!

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    1. Thanks, Janet! I have more photo apps than I care to count but there’s something about Hipstamatic that’s got me hooked. You’d think after almost a year of daily photos I’d be tired of the look but it hasn’t happened yet. 🙂

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  7. I’ve enjoyed this series for 2015. Well done on keeping it up and I love how you share photos of nature and random things around you. Very nice to hear things are going well for you on Etsy. Blogging is certainly hardwork, but like you, I love the community here, always so supportive. Best wishes for the year ahead 🎉😊

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  8. The photo of your mantel would make a lovely Christmas card!
    I agree, keeping up on one’s blog can be hard at times, but the deadlines we set are our own. Everyone needs occasional breaks and time for life to happen. I think most bloggers become very attached to their blog friends, and it’s fun to get to know each other this way. It’s the community feeling that keeps us going!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family, Lisa, and have a wonderful holiday!

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    1. Yes, I keep reminding myself that any and all deadlines here are self imposed… After a week away it’s the people I miss the most and those personal connections are what keep me coming back to the computer at the end of the day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with plenty of good food, great wine and some successful home improvement projects. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. It’s hard not to apologize when, hypothetically, you promise a recap of a week long adventure and only deliver posts covering Days 0 – 1 six weeks after said adventure. 😦 I am absolutely spinning these days. Mercifully, my last flight of 2015 happened Thursday night. Now to put up a tree and do my Christmas shopping. :-S

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    1. Your posts are well thought out and entertaining when ever they come, the time between doesn’t matter at all. 🙂 Have fun with shopping and decorating, I’m off to do the same! With a small break for Star Wars Sunday afternoon…

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