Quantcast

“Pin” Your Moments with Pincam

October 17, 2012 By

I love trying out new apps on my iPhone. I’m a bit better then I used to be. I was an “app-o-holic” until I needed to do an update on my phone. My phone had too many apps and in order to do the update I had to literally remove just about everything. Slowly I’m adding back on the apps that I use frequently. Other apps I uploaded on my phone, played around with and then never touched it again. Those apps I’m not uploading again.

I love apps that have to do with photography and video. A huge chunk of the apps on my phone were related to photography and videos. I would use my phone more then I’d use my camera to take pictures or video. After all, my kids are getting older. There are only so many precious moments left with them before they are grown and on their own. Sigh…

I’ve been “test driving” a new app called Pincam. It’s currently a FREE app that allows you to make highlight reels from your videos. When I say I’m giving it a “test drive”, I simply mean I’m still trying to “perfect” it. It took a little bit to figure out but now I think I’m getting the hang of it.

I know that Pinterest is a popular website. Please note that Pincam has nothing to do with Pinterest. :-)

Did you ever take a video and have a moment from that video that you’d like to share with family and friends? For example, your child’s first steps. You might not want to share their stumbles and falls, but you do want to share their first few steps. With Pincam you can “pin” spots on your video, that when combined will create a highlight reel. Another good example might be your son’s football game. Instead of sharing the entire play with family and friends you can ”pin” the moment he catches the ball and “pin” the moment he gets to the end zone. When you watch the Pincam highlight reel you’ll only see those two moments.

Another fun feature is that the app comes with 20 different effects so you can jazz up your video. Some of the effects include snow, bubbles and a effect that makes the image look like a drawing.

Here is a brief video that I did of my cat. Please keep in mind that I’m still learning to master the app and playing around with the different effects. This is just to give you an idea. I used four different effects in this video. You don’t have to use any if you don’t want to.

 

I know that my video won’t win any awards :-) , but hopefully you get an idea of what I mean about a highlight reel as well as a glimpse into some of the cool special effects. The drawing one is pretty cool.

If you are reading this via e-mail you can find the video here, http://bit.ly/V9fW3m.

I’m sure once I can master the app I’ll be able to create some awesome video highlight reels.

You can edit your videos directly from the app. When you are finished you can either save it to your phone, e-mail the video to family and friends or upload it directly to Facebook so that you can share it instantly.

There are better example of video highlight reels created with Pincam on their Facebook page. They also welcome user submitted videos too.

The application is currently free and available on iTunes (click here) or you can visit the app store directly from your phone (search for Pincam).

So far I think the app is fun to use. It does take a little bit to figure out, but once you know what you are doing it’s fun. If you are like me and had a hard time finding the effects they are located in a small box. Here is a brief “map” that I made with screen shots.

The only downside to the app that I see so far is that you can only take brief videos. I wish it had the ability to take much longer videos.

The only other thing that might be an issue is pinning the perfect moment. Those special “moments” happen in the blink of an eye and if you are not fast you might not “pin” the moment in time. For the highlight reel the app does capture a few seconds before and after you “pin” a spot on the video, but sometimes that might not be enough. I’m sure the more I play around with it the better I’ll get at it and faster I’ll become at “pinning”.

As I mentioned this is a new app that is currently FREE. I’m not sure how long it will stay that way so if you are interested you might want to upload it to your smartphone before they start charging for it.

I’ll give Pincam two thumbs up. It has it’s quirks but so far I am enjoying it.

Kimberly

 

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts
Filed Under: Applications, Photography, Reviews, Technology Tagged With:

New Lay Flat Book from SnapFish

August 14, 2012 By

I love creating photo books. My husband started me off with a photo book he created for me as a gift. He took many of the photos from my first press trip to LA when I met Sir Elton John and turned it into a cool photo book so that I’ll be able to look back on that amazing trip with fond memories.

Since that first book I have gone on to create other books including a book filled with photos of my husband with our children (Father’s Day gift) as well as book with various photos from the course of the year.

I just finished creating a photo book for 2012. I’ve taken photos from the start of the year until now and turned them into a book. I plan on using photos from this point on until the end of 2012 and put them in another book. I had so many wonderful photos that I wanted to not only preserve, but also share with others, that there is no way I could fit a whole year into one book.

Check out some images from the book I just make including the front cover (I covered up our family name for safety reasons), a couple of interior pages and the back cover. The back cover features a smiley face that was made in a bowl using ketchup at a restaurant called Johnny Rockets. My husband and I were on one of our rare “dates” and the waiter made the smiley face with the ketchup. I thought it was cute and took a photo of it. I thought it would make a great ending to this book.

I included photos from our condo. Our condo is on the market in hope that we can sell it and buy a house upstate closer to family and friends. Since taking photos around our home is not something we’d normally do I thought it would be nice to take some photos for the photo book so if we are blessed and lucky enough to move and buy a house we’ll also have photos of our first home to look back upon and reminice about.

Of course I had to include photos of my children and my four-legged children too. :-)

I used SnapFish to make my photo book. I love the quality of the books so they are always my “go to” source to make photobooks. I love the variety of sizes, pages (colors/designs) and other features that they offer. Not only that the prices are great.

SnapFish has a new lay flat book. That is the kids of book style I used for my most recent creation. I love the idea of being able to open up to a specific page and lie it on the table to look at rather than hold the book open with my hands.

The lie flat book can have from 20-90 pages and include up to 15 photos per page. It’s SnapFish’s largest book and features premium quality binding. This is the perfect book to hold family memories or perhaps showcase photos from a special occasion like a wedding, birth of a child or a once in a life time vacation.

The book starts off at $49.99 for 20 pages. For each additional page there is an extra nominal charge.

The quality of photo books from SnapFish is amazing. These are books that will last for many years to come and can be passed down from generation to generation. One day I want to find pictures of my grandparents and great-grandparents and create a special photo book about them that I can pass on to my children so that they have photos of the relatives they were never fortunate enough to meet. I also want to make photo books for each of my children that contains precious photos from their childhood.

From now on I’m going to use the lie flat book option. I think it’s a great way to view the pages of the book.

If you would like to check out SnapFish and see what other great photo products they offer visit www.SnapFish.com. You can also check them out on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SnapFish) and on Twitter (@SnapFishbyHP).

When my photo book arrives I’ll be sure to share images of it here on my blog. :-)

Kimberly

*I received a free photo book sample in order to do this post/review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and are not ifluenced in any way.

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts
Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Household, Photography, Reviews

Dove’s Show Us Your Skin – Special Event May 10, 2012 #BeautifulSkin

May 8, 2012 By

Have you ever stopped and took a moment to look at your skin? I’m not talking about the skin on your face. I’m referring to the skin all over your body. Just like a snowflake, each women’s skin is different and unique, just like them. We might have similar skin tones and colors, but if you look closely you’ll notice freckles, birthmarks, scars and other “imperfections”. Some people have tight, toned skin and others have soft and sagging skin. Some people have dry skin and others have perfectly moist skin.

Every now and then I’ll look at my skin. When I see all the freckles I think about my summers growing up and how the word “sunscreen” was not even in my vocabulary. I also look at the numerous scars and think back to the time when I received it. I am also seeing a few age related spots on my hands (ugh!) which is a reminder that I’m getting older.

No matter what your skin looks like you should always be comfortable in it. When you feel like your skin is beautiful it helps boost your confidence. Also, when women look and feel their best and have confidence they like to show it off and share with others. When you look good, you feel good, inside and out.  

Dove “Show Us Your Skin” campaign is the company’s largest campaign that features REAL  women. Women like you and me.

On May 10, 2012 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Dove representatives will be at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, Long Island (NY) looking for women to participate in a mini-photo shoot as part of the “Show Us Your Skin” campaign. May 10th is also National Moms Nite Out. The Roosevelt Mall is participating in the Moms Nite Out event, so I hope that women attending the event will stop by and visit the Dove representatives and have their picture taken. Participants will also recieve free Beauty Bar products so they can take home the product and see the difference it makes to their skin themselves.

Dove Body Washes and Beauty Bars give women beautifully soft and smooth skin they will want to show off. That is because Dove Body Washes contain NutriumMoisture technology that goes beyond moisturization to nourish skin deep down.

As part of the “Show Us Your Skin” campaign, every woman who submits a photo will appear in a Dove ad – including billboards, digital ads and more! Photos can be uploaded at www.Dove.com/ShowUsYourSkin. *Photos must meet all requirements outlined in program rules.

Every woman who uploads a photo will get an email with a snapshot of their photo on a Times Square billboard. How cool is that! Participants can also share the image with family and friends in hopes it will encourage them to want to participate as well.

 

Women can also search for their photo in the Dove gallery located on the special Show Us Your Skin web page on the Dove website (same link as above). 

Women can also head over to Dove’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/Dove, and upload their photo there.

Women everywhere are encouraged to have the confidence to show off their beautiful skin. I hope that all the women who are reading this post want to participate. Please encourage your family and friends to participate too. I think it would be wonderful if you could inspire your mom, grandmother and daughter (or granddaughter) to participate too.

I have to find a picture that I could use. I really want to participate. I think it would be a lot of fun to see my picture in a Times Square billboard. That is such a cool idea! :-) !

If you live in the Roosevelt Field Mall area please join Dove on May 10th during Moms Nite Out and enjoy a mini-photo shoot with Dove representatives. If I lived closer I would love to attend. Sadly the traffic just getting to that mall alone would do me in.

Do YOU plan on uploading your photo and participate in this special campaign? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Kimberly

*I am being compensated for my participating in this campaign. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and are not influenced in any way.

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts
Filed Under: Around the Web, Beauty, Household, Photography

Celebrating Spring with a Snapfish Party

April 23, 2012 By

I am obsessed with taking pictures. I take pictures almost every day. I love taking pictures of my children (much to their dismay – you have to love teens…). They grow up so quickly that I want to be able to remember all the little moments as well as the big ones. I also like taking pictures of my pets when they do something cute or funny.

When we’re out and about and I have my camera with me, watch out! Plan on stopping numerous times why I try and snap the “money shot”. My husband jokes that I’m the only person he knows who’ll take 200 pictures of the same butterfly. What he doesn’t understand is that I’m hoping to capture a few impressive photos. The rest of just delete (thank goodness for digital cameras).

I’ll share some of my favorite pictures here in this post. Sadly these pictures are wasting away on my external hard drive. It’s a shame too. That is why I love being able to share them with my readers. It’s nice to “see” them again.

I would have to say that 95% of my photos never get seen outside of my immediate family. Once I show photos to my husband and kids they get transferred to my external (one of many) or burned on to discs. It’s almost as if I shouldn’t bother taking photos. But the fact is that I LOVE taking pictures. I just don’t know what to do with them after I take them. 

My husband gave me a photo book for Christmas 2010. Since then I have become hooked on photo books. We have several in our bookcase. I make up photo books for my trips to LA, the kids, our family, “the year in review” and so forth. They are fun to look at over and over again. I love how you can add text, group photos together and create a truly one-of-a-kind book. They are much nicer then traditional photo albums. We have about 30 photo albums that we barely look at. We look at our photo books all the time.

Photo books make great gifts. They are fun to give to the grandparents filled with photos of the grandchildren over the year. They are also fun to give to your friends. I had the idea of giving one to a childhood friend of mine with photos of us through the years. That would be a fun way to take a walk down “memory lane”.

I have always wanted to get a few of my photos made into a canvas print so I can display them around my home. I love how they look. Framed or unframed they really make photos come alive. Ideally I would love to have a family portrait done on a canvas print.

For some odd reason I tend to take better nature and animal photos then I do my children. I would love to have canvas prints made up of my entire family. 

I really need to get my photos off my hard drive and on to something that showcases them so that I can proudly share them with family and friends. This is why I am super excited to announce that I was asked to host a Snapfish at home party to help celebrate Spring with family and friends. I cannot wait to share my photos with everyone as well as explore all the fun ways we can share out beloved photos with one another.

I was actually looking to Snapfish to create invitations for the party. I wanted to order but I’m not sure if they will arrive in time for me to mail them out to everyone. Plus I’ve already spoke to everyone so an invitation at this point might be redundant.  My daughter’s birthday is coming up. While I was looking for invitation for this party I found a few my daughter might like. We just need to finalize what she wants to do for her birthday. 

Snapfish offers so much more than just copies of your pictures. They have jewelry, home decor, office products, stationary and more.

When people think about photos on every day objects they often think about mugs, calendars or mouse pads. Snapfish does offer these products but they also offer t-shirts, aprons, posters, “skins” for your smart phone or laptop, playing cards and ornaments, to name a few.

Father’s Day is coming up soon. I saw a few things I’d like to create for a Father’s Day gift. I love the desk organizer and desktop calendar. I think I’m going to use Snapfish to make those up for my husband for Father’s Day.

Did you know that you can have your Snapfish order sent to your local Walmart, Duane Reed, Meijer or Walgreens for pick up? I didn’t know that. That is great to know. We have a Walgreens a few miles from where I live.

When shopping on Snapfish look for the icon that says “Pick up in store” and you can have your order ready for pick up the same day you order it in most intances. Some of the products include posters, photo books, cards and of course prints.

My Snapfisih party is scheduled for May 6, 2012 at 1:00 PM in the afternoon. I’m going to share the party with my readers through photos and possibly video. I’ll share with you the fun ideas we come up with plus anything I learn to help bring you photos out of hiding on hard drives and out for everyone to see and enjoy.  I am super excited about this. I’m very passionate about photography and I’m excited to see how Snapfish can help me to showcase my favorite photos for all to see.

For more information about Snapfish visit www.Snapfish.com. You can also “like” them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/Snapfish) and on Twitter (@SnapfishbyHP).

Kimberly

*This is a compensated post, however as always I only choose to work professionally with companies that I would recommend personally.

 



Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts
Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Household, Misc. Stuff, Organization, Photography, Reviews, Technology

Fun & Fashionable Camera Accessory

March 1, 2012 By

Aside from my family I have two great passions in my life – writing and photography. I satisfy my urge to write with blogging. One day I would love to do more with it, but for not blogging keeps me happy. I have always dreamed of having something I wrote in print, like in a magazine or a book. That would be a dream come true!

Photography is also another huge passion of mine, just as much as writing. Sadly I don’t get to take photos as often as I’d like to.

Whenever we leave the house I always make sure to bring my camera with me. You never know when the perfect photo opportunity might happen. For example, the last time that whackadoodle predicted the world would end my family and I were at the mall. When we left the sky certainly looked very foreboding.

I am glad I had my camera with me to take photos of the sky. It was certainly very interesting.

I am not very good when it comes to taking close up photos of products that I review. One day I’d like to buy a photo box so that I can take better close up product pictures. I think if I have something like that they would turn out better.

I think that I take fairly decent landscape and nature/wildlife photos. I can’t imagine what the photos would look like if I had a professional quality camera. That is also on my wish list – a professional camera with all the “bells & whistles”. Someday. I have to win Lotto first.

Here are a few of my photos.

As you can see I truly enjoy taking photos. Sadly most of them just end up on my computer’s hard drive never to seen. Some day I would love for some of my photos (even one) to end up in some kind of a publication like a book or magazine. It would be awesome to win some kind of photography contest too. Ahh… dare to dream…

When I am some place where I know I am going to be taking a lot of pictures (park, city, zoo…) I carry my camera around my neck so that it’s right there when I need it. I have a camera bag but it’s too involved to get it out of the case, especially if I want to take a photo immediatly. That is why I like to wear it on a strap around my neck.

I have been using the camera strap that came with my camera (Nikon Coolpix L110). The only problem I have with the strap is that when it’s warm outside it makes my neck sweat and it irritates my neck leaving behind red, itchy areas on my neck. I think it has to do with the plastic areas on the strap that I assume are there to keep the strap from moving around on your neck. If that is their purpose they work but at the same time it irritates my skin. Sometimes its so bad that I end up carrying my camera in my hands. I don’t find the strap comfortable at all.

I have a new strap for my camera now. Not only is it much more comfortable to wear it’s also very fun and fashionable.

My camera strap is from a company called iMo Strap. What I love about these camera straps is that they come in many fashionable designs to suit anyone’s taste. I chose the animal print strap. I’m not an “animal print” kind of girl, but there was just something fun about it that I really liked. It really stands out when I am wearing it. I like that it adds a bit of a fun accessory to my over all look.

I’m a dork. I neglected to take a picture of the strap BEFORE putting it on my camera. Here is the best I could do while it’s strapped to my camera.

The strap is wide and very well made. I feel 100% confident about it holding my precious camera and keeping it safe. The last thing I’d want is for it to come undone from the strap.

I know that sometimes people’s cameras get stolen. I would think it would be difficult for someone to snatch your camera if you are using a thick, strong strap like this.

The underside (the side that goes against your skin) is made with a soft material that doesn’t irritate my skin (thankfully). Unlike my Nikon strap this strap does not have plastic pieces on it that aggravate your skin, especially if you perspire.

The only “downside” is that the part of the strap that attaches to the camera was too wide and thick. I had to trim is a bit to make it fit into the strap area on the camera it’s self. Now I have to glue the ends of the straps where I cut them so they won’t fray. It’s not that big of a deal but it did take a bit of effort to get it to work with my camera.

When it doubt you can always e-amil the company and ask if the strap you are interested in would work with your camera.

What I love about iMo Strap is that their straps are available in so many different colors and designs, from the very basic and simple solid colors to the more outrageous like fuzzy animal print and really bold patterns.

I also love that you can easily remove the strap and turn it into more like a “handle” for your camera rather than a strap you wear around your neck or over your shoulder.

The main strap can un-clip and be removed. Then simply click the remaining ends together and you have a “handle” for your camera too.

Cotton straps sell for $22. The cost is $26 for the Neoprene straps like the one that I have. It seems like they are priced well especially when you consider that it’s very fashionable.

The straps come from Honk Kong. Don’t think that shipping is a lot. It’s not. To ship one Neoprene strap to me is only $3.80. I have had thing in the US ship to me for triple that amount so I consider the shipping to be an excellent price.

The straps are all handmade. They ship out in a few days. Shipping to the United States can take 7-14 business days. I actually received mine very quickly and I’m in New York.

IMo Strap has an online website, www.iMoStrap.com, as well as an Etsy site, www.Etsy.com/Shop/iMoShop. Pick up more than one so you can mix and match to go along with your outfits too.

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

 

Related Posts:

Filed Under: Household, Photography, Reviews, Technology Tagged With:

Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest & Giveaway ($130 value!)

August 11, 2011 By

Have you ever tried Smuckers Uncrustables? They are one of my “guilty pleasures”. It’s super easy to make a PB&J sandwich, but I really like the taste of the Uncrustables. They need to be kept frozen so you have to let them thaw before you can eat them. I like to eat them when they are still a bit cold. I don’t know why. I just like them that way. I have also always been fascinated by how the bread comes out so nice and soft, even though it started out in a frozen state. If you have ever enjoyed Uncrustables before I’m sure you know what I am talking about.

I also like that they a great “grab and go” lunch or snack. There is no need to keep them cold or warm them up. Simply allow them to thaw out, unwrap and enjoy.

We started to purchase Uncrustables years ago when they first came out, back when my kids were little and not able to make their own sandwiches. Even though my kids are older now they still enjoy grabbing for an Uncrustable.

A funny story about bread crusts. When I was little my mom told me that if I ate the crust on bread my hair would be curly. I didn’t want my hair to be curly so I had my mom remove all the crusts from my sandwiches. The older I got I realized it was an old wife’s tale. I actually like the crust on bread. And for the record I have naturally wavy and curly hair, so all those years not eating the crusts on the bread was for nothing. Ha Ha. :-)

Our family hanging out with Dee Snider - lead singer of Twisted Sister

Smucker’s Uncrustables know that families are always on the go. Some would even say that some families are unstoppable, even long after the kids are back to school. I admire families that are always on the go and on a new adventure all the time. My family does it’s best to go on as many adventures as we can. Some people might not consider them true adventures, but for our family they are, and that is what matters most. All the adventures my family goes on create memories that will last a lifetime. For us that is what is most important. Our kids will remember the things we did as a family more so then what car we drove or how much money we spent on something.

The contest is called the Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest. This fun contest encourages families to submit a photo of their unstoppable families in action, along with a caption, for a chance to win a $10,000 family adventure for up to 3 guests to Yosemite National Park. I’ve been to Yosemite (granted it was 30 years ago). It is BEAUTIFUL there. I would love to take my family there some day. Talk about a great adventure and a lot of special memories. Yosemite would certainly fulfill that for our family.

Our family at an amusement park in Lake George, NY

To help launch the contest, Smucker’s Uncrustables has partnered with Olympic gold medal figure skater and mom-of-two Kristi Yamaguchi. Parents can get a glimpse of a day in the life of her unstoppable family, check out her on-the-go tips, plus enter the Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest at www.Uncrustables.com now through October 5, 2011.

Everyone will have the opportunity to vote on the best photo and caption in January 2012. 

To kick off the Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest I have an Uncrustables Adventure-Ready Survival Kit to give to a lucky winner. The kit is valued at $130 and contains the following fun products.

- BUILT lunch bag

- 5 coupons good for free Uncrustables sandwiches

- Sandwich holders

- ‘Fifty Plates from Fifty States’ car game

- Moleskin Journal (a great way to record your family adventures!)

- 2GB memory card (ideal for storing all the photos of your amazing adventures).

To enter please answer this question - If you could take your family, and Uncrustables, on any adventure, what would it be?

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- “Like” Uncrustables on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/Uncrustables. 

- Follow Uncrustables on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/Uncrustables.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about this giveaway and/or the Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest. Please include @She_Scribes AND @Uncrustables in the tweet so I can see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share this review/giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about this giveaway and/or the Smucker’s Uncrustables Unstoppable Family Photo Contest on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 21, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box) and phone number (shipping purposes only). Failure to do so will result in a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Trying NOT to get lost on our way home from Long Island, NY

Kimberly

*I will be receiving free sample products for this post. There was no compensation. Any opinions expressed are my own. Smuckers will be providing the prize package.

** Photo contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 18 or older. Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.  Visit www.Uncrustables.com for complete Official Rules.

Related Posts:

Filed Under: Giveaways, Photography Tagged With: , ,
«Older Posts