Hey I just thought this was pretty useful for people like me who live by #allmymoneygoestocoral and is not buying a sweet camera we promised ourselves we will purchase one day.
This is also for people who loves to show off like @unsung.sung on Instagram.
We know darn well that our mobile screen is completely washed with blue when we try to take a picture of our oh so beautiful coral under actinics.
I use two things to make the blues less blue and so people can actually see the coral’s fluorescent colors.
The two things are Instagram and something called “Blur and Mosaic”
I like have my photos look dark to make the subject stand out more. This is also why people use black background for reef tanks.
Here are some successful photos using iphoneX (no you don’t need such expensive phone to take decent pictures because I only see slight difference between my upgrade from Iphone6+*), Instagram filters + built in adjustment tools, and the Blur App.
IMPORTANT NOTE NO.1: GO TO INSTAGRAM > PROFILE > SETTINGS > ORIGINAL PHOTOS > SAVE ORIGINAL PHOTOS. YOU WANT THIS TO BE ON!
Take a picture of the coral and it’ll be great if it was a close up pic without zoom.
Go to Instagram and go to the bottom center button to choose your desired photo.
I like to first adjust the brightness a bit, turn up the LUX and use the LOFI filter (tap again to adjust*)
IMPORTANT NOTE NO.2: IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE FILTERS - POST BUTTON > SELECT IMAGE > SWIPE ALL THE WAY RIGHT UNTIL YOU SEE THE MANAGE BUTTON > CHECK ALL FILTERS ON!
Then you go to the STRUCTURE and SHARPEN and turn it up to make the subject stand out a bit.
After all that you play around with the HIGHLIGHT and SHADOWS to make the coral look more appealing.
Then you press SHARE which will save the photo you just edited to your phone’s camera roll or photos app.
Please delete that photo right after it is done posting public because not a lot of people follow you to see a blue screen
Nice, very good still blue washed photo! Ok now go back to the post button and choose the photo you just edited.
ALL FUTURE ADJUSTMENTS ARE STACKING ON TOP OF PREVIOUSLY EDITED PHOTOS!
You may adjust the LUX again to make the coral look more appealing.
Now choose the PERPETUA filter (tap again to adjust*) to get rid of that nasty nasty blue that’s covering your coral.
You may play around all the adjustment tools until you get the desired photo.
Then repeat over and over and over... (even one repeat is just fine*)
Yay now this post just made you use 5min
Now go to BLUR AND MOSAIC APP (there are probably better applications and tools to blur out background but I’m too lazy to try so I just use this one since it gets the job done*), tap on the right circle button and choose desired edited photo.
I like to use the first blurring tool, choose the second or first intensity, and get the largest size to blur out the whole picture.
Then grab the eraser tool with smallest size and start erasing the blur from your coral only. You may use two fingers with spread motion to zoom for easier erasing. There is undo button and redo so you won’t cry.
Now save your blurred pic to your camera roll and that is all.
I like to go back to Instagram and do more refining.
Aaaaaannnddd yea that is all. Have fun with this and you will surely improve. Thank you for your 10min.
-sung
This is also for people who loves to show off like @unsung.sung on Instagram.
We know darn well that our mobile screen is completely washed with blue when we try to take a picture of our oh so beautiful coral under actinics.
I use two things to make the blues less blue and so people can actually see the coral’s fluorescent colors.
The two things are Instagram and something called “Blur and Mosaic”
I like have my photos look dark to make the subject stand out more. This is also why people use black background for reef tanks.
Here are some successful photos using iphoneX (no you don’t need such expensive phone to take decent pictures because I only see slight difference between my upgrade from Iphone6+*), Instagram filters + built in adjustment tools, and the Blur App.
IMPORTANT NOTE NO.1: GO TO INSTAGRAM > PROFILE > SETTINGS > ORIGINAL PHOTOS > SAVE ORIGINAL PHOTOS. YOU WANT THIS TO BE ON!
Take a picture of the coral and it’ll be great if it was a close up pic without zoom.
Go to Instagram and go to the bottom center button to choose your desired photo.
I like to first adjust the brightness a bit, turn up the LUX and use the LOFI filter (tap again to adjust*)
IMPORTANT NOTE NO.2: IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE FILTERS - POST BUTTON > SELECT IMAGE > SWIPE ALL THE WAY RIGHT UNTIL YOU SEE THE MANAGE BUTTON > CHECK ALL FILTERS ON!
Then you go to the STRUCTURE and SHARPEN and turn it up to make the subject stand out a bit.
After all that you play around with the HIGHLIGHT and SHADOWS to make the coral look more appealing.
Then you press SHARE which will save the photo you just edited to your phone’s camera roll or photos app.
Please delete that photo right after it is done posting public because not a lot of people follow you to see a blue screen
Nice, very good still blue washed photo! Ok now go back to the post button and choose the photo you just edited.
ALL FUTURE ADJUSTMENTS ARE STACKING ON TOP OF PREVIOUSLY EDITED PHOTOS!
You may adjust the LUX again to make the coral look more appealing.
Now choose the PERPETUA filter (tap again to adjust*) to get rid of that nasty nasty blue that’s covering your coral.
You may play around all the adjustment tools until you get the desired photo.
Then repeat over and over and over... (even one repeat is just fine*)
Yay now this post just made you use 5min
Now go to BLUR AND MOSAIC APP (there are probably better applications and tools to blur out background but I’m too lazy to try so I just use this one since it gets the job done*), tap on the right circle button and choose desired edited photo.
I like to use the first blurring tool, choose the second or first intensity, and get the largest size to blur out the whole picture.
Then grab the eraser tool with smallest size and start erasing the blur from your coral only. You may use two fingers with spread motion to zoom for easier erasing. There is undo button and redo so you won’t cry.
Now save your blurred pic to your camera roll and that is all.
I like to go back to Instagram and do more refining.
Aaaaaannnddd yea that is all. Have fun with this and you will surely improve. Thank you for your 10min.
-sung
