3 Free Apps To Spice Up Your Smartphone Photos

If you have an iPhone, then you are probably familiar with Instagram, the free photo sharing application with cool filters that spice up your photos. For those of you that don't have an iPhone, but are wondering how you too can create Instagram like photos, you're in luck because there are plenty of alternatives out there. Below, you'll find my top 3 Instagram alternatives.

Pixlr-o-matic: Pixlr-o-matic is a free photo enhancing application with tons of custom filters and frames that will allow you the freedom to create and apply countless effects to your photos. You can use Pixlr-o-matic to snap a new photo or you can simply upload a saved photo and customize it as you wish. Available for both Android and iPhone users, and as a download for Windows and MAC as well as a Chrome web app. Pixlr-o-matic is easy to use and highly recommended.

Retro Camera: If you're looking to produce vintage style photos from your Smartphone, then Retro Camera is the app you want. Retro Camera transforms your smartphone into 1 of 5 different vintage cameras, each with a classic vintage effect. It's fun and easy to use, and your friends will be amazed when they see your vintage style photos. Free versions available for both Android and iPhone users. Retro Camera is a great app, I highly recommend it.

Camera360: Camera360 is another great option for Smartphone photographers. Camera360 includes many popular photo effects,as well as a ton of fun filters that will spice up your photographs. The Ghost filter is a ton of fun! Camera360 is easy to use with free versions for both Android and iPhone users.

If these applications are new to you and you're having trouble deciding which one to try, why not install them all and give yourself all the coolest effects to choose from! Which photo application do you prefer to use on your Smartphone?

Hurry! Save 20% On All Prints

Are you still looking for that perfect gift so that you can wrap up your holiday shopping? Well forget about parking jams and long lines at crowded department stores when you can shop online and save!

For a limited time, I'm offering 20% off of any and all prints on my website with no minimum purchase required! Simply choose your favorite prints over at www.toddbryan.com and then enter the code HOLIDAY20 at checkout to activate your savings. It's that easy!

Happy Holidays!

-Todd

Happy Halloween Photographers

Ready or not, Halloween is upon us, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

What I love most about Halloween is all of the creativity that gets stimulated between the costume creations, the yard decorations, and best of all the pumpkin carving. As a photographer, I always enjoy following up with photographs to help share all of that wonderful creativity with the rest of you. This year, I seem to have fallen into the "not ready" category.

While I do have the yard mostly decorated, I'm a bit behind on carving the 12 pumpkins that are sitting on the hearth. If that's not enough, I also don't have any new spooky Halloween photos to share yet. So, like a grave digger, I'm grabbing the shovel and I'm digging up some great photos of carved pumpkins of years past.

2007 Carved Pumpkins - The pirate skull was a blast


2008 Carved Pumpkins - Two giant pumpkin eating pumpkins


2009 Carved Pumpkins- Evil Tiger is my favorite

While I'm at it, I may as well share a couple of links to the spooky yard decorations. Make sure to check them all out, and hopefully I'll be able to get some spooky photographs of the new ghouls that I have haunting the graveyard this year.

Cemetery Gates
Things That Go Bump In The Night
Tales From The Crypt

Happy Halloween everyone. Please stay safe.

Please help me to continue adding to this site by using these links to Amazon and Adorama to get all your photography gadgets. Using these links will cost you nothing extra. These online stores have the best prices and great service, which is why I personally use them exclusively for all of my photography purchases. Thank you. -Todd

American Classic

Classic car shows, like the Cajon Classic Cruise, are filled with finely painted and polished cars that appear to be flawless, however, it's the cars that show their age that seem to have the best stories to tell. Nothing screams American classic more than this old naturally weathered Chevrolet grill.

The faded paint of the Chevrolet emblem combined with spotted chrome on the radiator grill make this old Chevy grill absolutely perfect!

Please help me to continue adding to this site by using these links to Amazon and Adorama to get all your photography gadgets. Using these links will cost you nothing extra. These online stores have the best prices and great service, which is why I personally use them exclusively for all of my photography purchases. Thank you. -Todd

Crimson Classics

What's a custom car show without some crimson cruisers? Along with jet black and competition yellow, competition red is hands down one of the most popular colors for custom cars. Rightfully so I might add. Deep red paint really does pop when combined with shiny chrome and polished aluminum accents.

Recently, at the Cajon Classic Cruise, a weekly car show that meets locally in El Cajon, CA., I was able to get some photographs of some really impressive custom cars. Please enjoy tonight's "Crimson" theme, and let me know how you enjoy viewing these beautiful classic cars through the unique perspective of my cameras lens.

Chrome grill and V8 hood ornament of a classic Ford



Headlight and turn signal indicator of an old classic



Mustang 2+2 emblem of a classic Ford Mustang



Chrome grill and hood ornament of a classic Plymouth



32 Ford grill and hood emblem

If you enjoyed the photos, please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Please help me to continue adding to this site by using these links to Amazon and Adorama to get all your photography gadgets. Using these links will cost you nothing extra. These online stores have the best prices and great service, which is why I personally use them exclusively for all of my photography purchases. Thank you. -Todd

Wedding and Wine

Last weekend I traveled to Paso Robles, CA to attend my cousins wedding. She had a very nice non-traditional wedding at Meridian Vineyards. The weather was gorgeous as was the scenery around the vineyard. The reception was held in one of the wine cellars. For the most part, the lighting in the wine cellar was not favorable for photography without a flash, but I did manage to get a wonderful shot of Carol and James as they walked into the reception. James entered the building so humble, and Carol just couldn't keep her eyes off of him. You just couldn't ask for a better entrance.

Carol and James enter the reception



Candle lit bridal bouquet



Delicately lit water and wine glasses
This photo was taken by my 11 year old daughter

Please help me to continue adding to this site by using these links to Amazon and Adorama to get all your photography gadgets. Using these links will cost you nothing extra. These online stores have the best prices and great service, which is why I personally use them exclusively for all of my photography purchases. Thank you. -Todd

Garden Treasure

The warm weather has arrived and the garden is starting to produce daily treasures for the dinner table. While we enjoy filling our baskets with delicious treats each morning, the big harvest is yet to come. It should only be a couple more weeks before the purple passion fruit start to ripen. I can't wait!

Here are a few pictures of this weekends harvest along with some fun pictures from the garden. Enjoy!

Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, Purple Dragon beans, peppers, zucchini, and squash




Fresh tomatoes, green beans, and Purple Dragon beans




Homegrown strawberries ready to pick and eat







Pomegranate flowers about to bloom

Please help me to continue adding to this site by using these links to Amazon and Adorama to get all your photography gadgets. Using these links will cost you nothing extra. These online stores have the best prices and great service, which is why I personally use them exclusively for all of my photography purchases. Thank you. -Todd