Smart Phone Photo Phobia: Cured

Taken with Android phone

You are out and about when suddenly the most amazing thing happens. But, when reaching for the trusty camera,  I sometimes come up empty. No time to try and figure out where my camera might be. The pic is that important and a must take. Putting down my phone I realize that hey it’s got as camera. This used to cause a strained looked of disappointment meets disgust to wash over my face.

That was until recently, I took a smartphone photography class at Capture 12  with Stephen Gittins in his office in the amazing monOrchid. Think Art Gallery meets hip office space.  The discussion was on how to improve the quality of images, how to share them. Since the class, I have now ventured into the world of camera apps to get better control of my images. and downloaded two apps for my driod and contemplating a third. It was fun and easy to get over my smartphone photophobia and to meet with others interested in documenting their environment with the convenience of at the ever ready cell phone. No if only I can keep it charged up!

Phoestivus: Open-air market

Phoestivus: Open-air Market

Thank you to all that made the first night of Phoestivus a great success! It’s great to see it continue to grow and this the 3rd year is bigger, better and has more vendors,a beer garden and it is local.. local... local. Going on from 4-8p on Wed Dec 12! That is this Wednesday! It will wrap up the 3rd annual Phoestivus. You don't want to miss this one. It’s at the Downtown Phoenix Market at Central and Pierce in the shadow of the Westward Ho at 14 E Pierce. I’ll have more shirts with Arizona icons on them and have a few canvas bags with images on them so you can tote so you can tote around your acquisitions.

Steam Before it was Punk

Did you know that Arizona holds the distinction of the being the home of where the first motorized bicycle was created? Meet Mr. Lucius Copeland, it was the 1880's and bikes were a crazy new way to travel. Lucius an engineer and inventor, had an idea. Take an existing bicycle and add a hand built engine. Now it was not gasoline powered (too early,) but STEAM! That's right! STEAM... placed right between your legs was a canister of piping hot water vapor under pressure. Don't know a place, I would rather have a it. This steam powered bicycle was said to have heralded the age of rapid transit. It traveled at the break neck speed of a whole 15 miles an hour. One day Lucius was riding his unique velocipede through the streets of downtown Phoenix, on the not so smooth dirt roads when he struck a rock and was knocked unconscious for a few days. This injury was not a rare occurrence, but rather the imputes for the Good Roads Movement. A grass roots effort to create smoothly paved roads for bicycles and economic development. This was before cars dominated the roads. The first exhibition of this mechanized wonder was the 1884 Territorial Fair, which is now known as the Arizona State Fair. With the invention of the gasoline engine, the steam powered bicycle was eclipsed it never caught on and as far as the record shows none were ever sold. The only known existing example of Lucius's invention is a single engine that resides at the Arizona Science Center. Mr. Copeland with his mustache and his bicycle look like something that would be created today for the Steampunk esthetic, but no 1880's and right here in Arizona!

Here is a image highlighting Arizona's bicycle history. This is the newest addition to the Arizona Icon series from Retro Spectacular. Which are T-shirt and other apparel that you can wear to celebrate Arizona history.