Uploaded New Work to Red Bubble

I mentioned earlier today that I was going to start concentrating on uploading images to the various selling sites I have accounts on whenever I have a little down time during my job search.(I'll probably open new accounts as well.)

I have just uploaded a new image to Red Bubble:  The Giant Robot Attack.


It's available on iPad and iPhone cases, Galaxy cases, Tote Bags, Throw Pillows and as a card, print or poster.

The FLIR One: Turn Your iPhone into an Infrared Imaging Device

Hat Tip: PC Mag

There is just no other way to describe this, it's just plain cool.

FLIR has just introduced an infrared camera that attaches to an iPhone, turning it into an infrared imaging device.  It's an iPhone case with an infrared, currently only available for the iPhone 5/5s.

It's also fairly inexpensive at $350 when compared to other infrared imaging options.  It doesn't have the functionality as those more expensive options, but that price makes it a viable option for some people that can't afford (or need) a full-function model.  It's also small enough to fit in a pocket, making it very portable.

Here's a shot of the camera in action (from PC Mag website):

The FLIR one is slated for release later this year.

Fine Art America Update: Phone Case Offerings Upgraded

Fine Art America is one of those sites that is constantly upgrading the products offered.  The latest upgrade has to do with the iPhone cases offered on its sister site: Pixels.com. 

The phone cases offered use images not specifically designed for phone cases.  The aspect ratio is different and the image is often horizontally oriented.

The latter issue has been addressed in the latest update.  Purchasers can now select the orientation of the image used on the case.  The case can be set so the image is printed horizontally.  This produces better results for many images.

The camera position is also optional.  The camera opening can be on the left bottom corner of the case or on the top right when the image is viewed in the correct orientation.  This gives a little more control over what portion of the image is excluded by the camera opening.

More Holida Gift Ideas: Smartphone Accessories

I'm not the only one posting Holiday Gift Ideas.  Digital Photography Review recently posted an on smartphone accessories as gifts for the smartphone photography enthusiast.  It's worth reading if you have someone on your gift list that gets a great deal of usage out of their smartphone's camera.  (Especially if they already have several phone cases.)

My favorite is the Gizmon case that looks like a Leica camera.

A leather carrying case with straps is also available.  Combining the two might be a good gift for someone that is constantly losing their iPhone. 

The straps go around the neck or across the shoulder, allowing for hand-free carrying of the phone making losing it after putting it down somewhere far less likely.  It never gets set down.

Determining How Your Photographs Will Look on a Phone Case

I recently wrote a post suggesting phone cases as Christmas gifts.  My Fine Art America account allows me to offer my photographs for use on phone cases.  One of the problems I have had is determining how those photos would actually look when used.

I recently created an account on RedBubble.  It offers a wider range of products than Fine Art America.  (I am planning on creating accounts on Zazzle and CafePress as well).  RedBubble offers a template for use with iPhone and iPad cases.

This template does give a better idea as to how the final product will look, but it still isn't perfect.  I decided to create a template that works better when trying to determine how an image will look on an iPhone case (based on the RedBubble template).

The white area is actually transparent.  This allows the underlying image to show through in that area.  The gray is set to 50% transparency.  This area corresponds to the sides of the case.  This portion of the image will be printed on the case, but not visible when only the front can be seen.

The black area represents an area not printed when using RedBubble.  It's there so that the image can still be used if the case design changes.

Here's how the template looks over an actual image:

The template was placed over the image for best results then cropped to the template size.  This looks like it should work well for a phone case.  The main subject is completely on the front of the case and fairly well located.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Phone Cases

The Christmas season is fast approaching.  Time to start thinking about those people on your list that are hard to shop for.

For those needing an idea, try a personalized phone case.  Mobile phones are common now days and phone cases are a fairly inexpensive way to personalize a phone.  (They run around $35.)  You will need to know enough about the person you are buying for to buy something they will like.  You will also need to know the make and model of the phone they use.

One good thing about phone cases, they can always be rotated if you have more than one case you like.  It's a good gift even if the person already has one.  (Keep in mind the saying "too much of a good thing," though.)

My Fine Art America account includes the options to sell phone cases on Pixels.com.  The product options are right on the front page, including iPhone and Galaxy phone cases.

For all iPhone cases, go here.  (Other cases are listed under Products.)

My cases are here.  Some of these images are horizontally oriented.  I try to limit offerings to those that work well on phone cases, but it is hard to determine how well horizontally oriented images translate when put on a phone case.  Images can be re-sized and moved to improve appearance.  Keep this in mind with horizontally oriented images.  The image can easily be moved left or right to reposition the subject.

If you see an image that would look better moved slightly, pixels gives you the option to do so.  Here's a shot I took of a rabbit in my backyard.

I had to move the rabbit slightly to the right on this.  The front of its face disappeared over the edge initially.