Experimenting with Another Hipstamatic Lens in Oamaru, New Zealand

A while ago I mentioned that I was having fun trying out all the different Hipstamatic lenses, films and flashes on my iPhone. For those who don't know, Hipstamatic is a photo app that allows you to take square photos with all sorts of funky effects, ranging from mildly vintage to downright demented. It differs from apps such as Instagram, Snapseed and Camera Plus in that you have to pick your effects beforehand; you can't edit your photos once you've taken them (not unless you export them to an editing programme first). Needless to say, this gives you limited control over the finished product, which can be frustrating. With practice, though, you'll learn which combinations work for you, and when to use these combinations to their best effect. And in the meantime you'll have a lot of fun exploring the myriad possibilities!

One of the first Hipstamatic lenses I explored, several months ago now, was the Kaimal Mark II, which I used (in combination with Ina's 1969 film) on a quick stroll through the lovely old town of Oamaru, New Zealand. As I soon discovered, the Kaimal Mark II lens turns your pictures red, unless you use it in combination with some funky colour gel (I've had interesting results using Kaimal Mark II + Float + Cadet Blue Gel). Truth be told, I'm not crazy about the red cast of these photos, nor about the yellowish frames that come with Ina's 1969 film, so I doubt I'll use this particular combination again. That said, I do like these quick pics from Oamaru. As snapshots go, they're OK, I think.



Zebra crossing. I can never resist a combination of geometrical patterns and words.



Hearts carved into a door leading to an artist's studio.



The coolest number plate we came across in New Zealand.



Oamaru, where heritage tourism is big business, is one of few places in the world where you can still ride nineteenth-century penny-farthings. This is not a penny-farthing, obviously, but it has a nice old look to it...



Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand, 2012
iPhone 4s + Hipstamatic (Kaimal Mark II + Ina's 1969)

Linked to Ruby Tuesday