Fun #Photo #App--#InstaFrame by Karen Rose Smith

The InstaFrame App

I'm an animal lover.  I also enjoy finding peace and beauty in our gardens and cooking a variety of foods.  When I began to establish a presence on Facebook, I began picking up the camera I'd used on my last research trip, a Canon Powershot SX210.  It had produced beautiful photos of the Southwest.  I began photographing whatever I thought would make a good post--our three inside cats, our feral cats, hummingbirds in the evening, roses just opening, new recipes that I wanted to blog about.  Picking up the camera is an easy habit now and I invested in another Canon PowerShotSX260 with a 20X zoom.  Along with my phone camera, I'm all set to capture whatever strikes my fancy.

Cats and dogs are a focus in my Caprice De Luca mystery series for Kensington Books.  I wanted to do more than post photos of the animals in each book.  I wanted to make the photos special.  I found the InstaFrame app on my Ipad and began playing with it.  (I'm NOT a techie so whatever I use has to be easy.) I not only created attractive "framed" photographs but have also developed these photos into mouse pads and magnets for giveaway during the June launch of my second mystery DEADLY DECOR. (I'll be doing giveaways on my blog and Facebook page.)  Karen Rose Smith Books Facebook Page

Here are a few more of the framed photos that I created.

I hope you have as much fun with this app as I have!!!

Read Karen's new mystery. Her sleuth, Caprice De Luca, stages houses, decorates, loves to cook and is an animal lover too!

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©2014 Karen Rose Smith

How #Photography Enhances #Writing and Life

I'm always looking for inspiration. When I'm inspired, writing flows more easily. My interest in photography began with pictures I took on research trips to remember everything about the settings.  It wasn't difficult to take beautiful pictures of the Red Rocks in Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon as well as the sage, columbine, jack rabbits and big horn rams in the area.  I even managed a photo of a black bear!  Back home, those photos became my screen saver because they brought back memories and helped me add details to my manuscripts I might not have remembered otherwise.

I began taking lots of photos when my BFF visited with her daughter and when close friends visited with their children. Instead of just having the pictures for memories, I ordered prints and for two years filled albums for each of them for a different kind of personal Christmas present they could treasure.

We had two inside cats at that time and I always enjoyed trying to capture their antics.  When I began a reader newsletter, I could insert those photos.  Last summer when we rescued and adopted a kitten, I also began shooting photos for my blog and Facebook.  One of my past times is gardening.  Over the years my husband and I have planted seasonal perennials and annuals to keep color blooming from spring through fall.  I began with photos of our roses.  Soon I found that our hummingbird garden helped me actually take photos of hummingbirds if I was patient.  Butterflies on zinnias were easy to capture.  Most recently I'm enjoying capturing antics of our three feral cats (Watching Over Feral and Homeless Cats ) and sharing them with friends and readers on social media.

Memories are precious.  Taking pictures helps me hold onto them as long as possible.  I can honestly say each picture I take enhances my writing because I note that bee on a sunflower, realize the infinite shades of green in my gardens, appreciate the crystalline blue of the sky, the ruff of fur around a cat's neck, a quirky smile on a child.  Seeing and saving photos and filling my mind with the beauty all around me aids the creative process daily and adds richness to my life.

P.S. I use a Cannon Powershot to take almost all of my photos.

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

 

 

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IN TOUCH with Karen Rose Smith newsletter, Summer Edition

I've posted the summer edition of IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH at the link below.  Click on it to learn the latest news, see new photos, and enter a brand new contest for a Landau charm bracelet and print edition of HER SISTER, which is available in ebook and audiobook, too!  I hope you enjoy your summer and good luck with the contest!

Summer 2103 Edition of IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH

©2013 Karen Rose Smith