PicsArt Monthly January 2014 Issue

Monthly Issue #04 | January 2014

Using Double Exposure to Tell a Story

Interview with Photographer Tom Robinson

Create Your Own Animal Hybrid with the PicsArt App PicsArt Monthly | 1

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Based in Mountain View , CA , PicsArt is a fun and full-featured mobile photoediting and drawing app for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

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Editor-in-Chief | Arusiak Kanetsyan Art Editor | Cristina Gevorg

Cover photo: Tom Robinson

Meet our team...

Designer | Ina Sarko Copy Editor | Satenig Mirzoyan Editorial Contributors | Mark Gargarian, Heather Parry, Miki Ross Karakla Special Contributor | Lou Jones In-House Photographer | ma_lina Address: SocialIn Inc., 800 West El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040

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Publisher: PicsArt Photo Studio

Copyright of Socialln Inc. ( PicsArt Photo Studio ) 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be re-used without the written permission of the publisher. The content of this magazine is for informational purposes only and is, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of publication. PicsArt Photo Studio does not claim any ownership right for the photos in the Magazine. All photos,if not mentioned otherwise, are the property of respective PicsArt users. The PicsArt username or photo owner is cited on each photo. PicsArt Photo Studio has a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, limited licence to use, modify, add to, publicly perform, publicly display, and reproduce PicsArt users’ photos, including without limitation distributing part or all of the Magazine in any media formats through any media channels.

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Welcome!

The new year is here and PicsArt Monthly is excited to help you make 2014 the best yet for the photographer and artist in you. This issue is here to fill you with excitement, inspiration and ideas for ways to capture every moment of the new year.

But before we plunge into 2014, we must pay homage to 2013, a big year for PicsArt. At the end of the year we completely redesigned our app for iOS7 and released some exciting new features for Android. Read up on these achievements in the New in App section.

This month, to help you excel your photography and editing skills, we share some insight on how to achieve the best lens flare and give your photos a vintage, retro feel. As Valentine’s Day approaches we demonstrate how PicsArt can help you surprise your significant other with a customized Valentine Card- DIY or digital. We also bring you godly editing powers this month as we show how to use PicsArt to create your own hybrid mystical animal.

To inspire you, we have gathered a collection of double exposure images by PicsArtists, one of the latest photography trends. The saying that art is what you make others see rings true in this trend, particularly as these images leave it all up to interpretation of the viewer.

New places are always cause to whip out your DSLR or smart phone, and aspiring travel photographers will receive some guidance on how to make it more than a hobby from Tom Robinson, a travel photography veteran and inspiration.

Explore our January issue to get the details on all of these features and more. @ma_lina

Enjoy reading and feel free to send us your feedback at info@picsart.com.

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Pro Insight 08 | Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night Inspiration 16 | Using Double Exposure to Tell a Story 46 | Express Yourself PicsArt In Action 24 | Four Transformations Tutorials 26 | Lens Flare Photography 32 | Use PicsArt to Create An Animal Hybrid 36 | Draw a Samurai Using the PicsArt App 42 | Design Your Own Valentine Card with PicsArt New In App 52 | PicsArt for iOS 7 with Slick New Design 56 | New Android Update Interview 60 | A Photographer Tom Robinson Feature 68 | Self-Portrait is a Sea of Feelings 70 | Travel to Peru 76 | DIY Valentine Frame 80 | Monia’s Sentimental Posters

CONTENT

Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night In learning to photograph architecture, the good thing: IT DOESN’T MOVE. When you are beginning to take pictures seriously and searching for exceptional subject matter, the fact that a civilization’s history and accomplishments are on display in its bricks and mortar, buildings and structures is tremendously picturesque. Architecture affords you the luxury of remaining stationary and doesn’t change its mind while you fidget with dials and buttons on your camera. You can take your time.

So if you are looking for something more significant and less self-indulgent than pictures of your kitten, lunch, party or “selfies”, look no further. By showing the world human achievement made of steel and concrete, wood and glass, sticks and stones, that search is over.

The bad thing about photographing architecture: IT DOESN’T MOVE. Therefore, everybody tends to copy the same images of the more famous buildings. When starting out, it is a time-honored practice to try and imitate the masters but eventually you want to strike out on your own.

More to the point, photography should not be relegated just to action. There is a potential world of imagery not going anywhere, i.e. landscapes, artwork, monuments. I happen to be partial to still lifes. They combine my love of graphics, composition, storytelling and stuff.

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PRO INSIGHT

You can set up a still life with unique props or found materials, juxtapose them in intricate, clever ways and take all the time in the world to get your desired results.

I think about what might look good for days, weeks, and months. I draw sketches of my ideas in a little book I carry with me everywhere. I enjoy searching for and acquiring just the right objects. The care and attention I put into placing and moving each item is enjoyable and meditative. So many decisions go into the perfect tableau.

So many visual problems need solving. Whether it is simple and clean or complicated and luxuriant, I am totally in control.

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Before there was PhotoShop I spent a whole afternoon in the produce department of a mom and pop store inspecting cherries, one by one. Everyone in the store thought I was a creep but I eventually found the perfect shape, color and stem. I bought maybe two dozen “selects” but when I got back to the studio that one was still obvious.

Many photographers, who would rather not engage in confrontational photography or rely on living beings, find beauty in inanimate objects, i.e. sculpture, doorways, graffiti, distressed interiors, trains, peeling paint and make wonderful abstract photos that transcend the original scenes.

I led a workshop of photographers to Europe a time ago. Everybody ran helter skelter around the towns to capture local character and characters. But one lady toddled about, never venturing far from the tour bus. On top of her unwieldy tripod a 35mm camera was always pointed straight down. She photographed the street, cracks in the sidewalk, trash on the ground, tiles, anything lying around. Her pictures were exquisite. (I still cannot explain why she paid to go halfway around the world for something she might have found at home.) But since she couldn’t bear the anxiety of photographing people, she had found her own niche.

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Besides our magnificent rural landscapes that change only with the season, we have the urban cityscape.

Documenting our everyday surroundings has tremendous appeal for some. Your camera can give insight into how a society thinks, acts and feels. Close-ups of details or wide shots of vistas tell a story.

You never have to make an excuse to a flower or a tree. Their colors or ecosystems are excellent subjects for your untamed imagination. Out in nature or in the studio flora presents ever-changing new facets and never gets boring.

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Lou Jones is a Boston-based photographer with more than 43 years of professional experience.

His award-winning work has been exhibited in museums and collections around the world, and he has published multiple books of and about photography. In addition, Jones lectures and teaches workshops all over the world.

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@kae132

INSPIRATION: Photo

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Using Double Exposure to Tell a Story Double exposure, or the blending of two photos into one, is one of the latest photography trends that is also widely popular among the PicsArt community.

It can be achieved using a DSLR camera, which may have a built-in multiple exposure mode or using PicsArt's Add Photo and Photo Blending features.

Double exposure doesn't simply blend the second image over the first. The key is in the light and dark areas; a true double exposure is created by repeatedly exposing the same image. So, the second image will only show through the first in the underexposed (or dark) areas.

The great thing about a double exposure is that every photo carries its own meaning or feeling, and when two photos are combined, their individual personalities either compliment or contrast each other to create images with meanings of their own. These images have blended human outlines with nature or buildings in interesting and thought-provoking ways.

This gallery shows that art is up for interpretation and can mean something different to each set of eyes.

These double exposure images are created and shared by talented PicsArtists from around the world.

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@gizemkarayavuz

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@gizemkarayavuz

@vaun-fiedler

@gizemkarayavuz

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Transforming Digital Pixels to Paper Pages PicsArt effects transform your photos with a stroke of the finger. We have used four effects from the Paper section of the Effects Menu to demonstrate how the same photo can be edited using PicsArt's preset effects. These effects give the illusions that your photo was printed on paper, and the results have a wonderful tactile and nostalgic feel that is a sharp departure from digital HD images. Sometimes as an artist, you want your photo to look retro or old-style, and these effects harken back to the age of print, when there were pages in place of glowing screens.

@darkm

With PicsArt, this can be achieved with the ease of scrolling through a menu, allowing you to experiment, explore, and even customize each effect individually until it looks perfect. Nothing is permanent until you apply and save it, so let your imagination be your limit.

Stenciler 1

Stenciler 2

Stenciler 4

Stenciler 5

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TUTORIAL: Shooting

Lens Flare Photography How to enhance your photos with the use of flare Lens flare is the phenomenon that occurs when photographers shoot directly at the sun but are focusing on something else. You’ll have seen this technique used extensively in fashion and retail photography, mainly for summer and spring clothing lines, where lens flare is used to saturate the image in a slight overexposure, implying that the sun is around and is here to stay. However, it can be used in a number of other ways and for many different effects.

This photo tutorial teaches how to get a greatlooking lens flare on your photos.

Catch the sun at an angle, not straight on Shooting into the sun is key when attempting to catch a lens flare, as this is what causes them in the first place, but shooting directly into the sun can hugely overexpose your image,making it unusable. While shooting early in the morning or late at night can sort this problem out for you, it can be difficult to properly catch the light when shooting in the middle of the day.

The optimum way to see what angle gives the best lens flare is to simply move your camera around while keeping your intended subject in the frame. Move slightly to each side, tilt the camera, and aim at the subject at a slightly different angle each time. The perfect lens flare will present itself at one of these angles, and then you can compose your picture around it.

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@kelleyskys

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Expose your image properly for the lens flare

@semblance

As mentioned above, shooting straight into the sun, though necessary for lens flare, can in fact horribly overexpose your image and white out most of your picture.

However, one of the most popular uses of lens flares these days is to allow the rest of the photo to bathe in an ethereal, slightly overexposed light balance. If this is your vision, then underexposing your image will be just as deadly. So what to do?

It’s important to shoot in manual for this sort of shots, as auto modes will leave a lot of your image looking too dark. For a diffused flare, you should use a wide aperture, keep the ISO as low as possible, then play around with the shutter speed until your desired effect is achieved. Bracketing can also help you here, so that you can shoot several shots at different shutter speeds, just in case.

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@charitamsrfil

Choose the right lens for your shot If your aim is to catch lens flare, ensure that any lens that you use does not have a hood. You can, however, use a filter, as this actually increases the instances of lens flares thanks to the extra glass. But which lens is best to catch a lens flare? A wider aperture will always help you to catch a creative lens flare, so an f1/4 or f/2.8 will be very useful for this endeavor. In fact, as lens flare is “technically” an error, you will actually find that older lenses are best for achieving this. Remember, the older, the better!

If you can’t quite catch the correct lens flare on your photo, you can always apply any of PicsArt’s Lens Flares in your photo editing afterwards and your picture will look just as awesome.

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Use PicsArt to Create An Animal Hybrid With PicsArt, you can pull off some really wild photo manipulation with surprising ease. Play doctor Frankenstein and make a super beast from the parts of different animals. Make pigs fly and horses meow, break all of natures rules and have fun along the way. Thinking of what animals you want to mix may even be the hardest part of the process. This tutorial shows you step by step how it’s done using the PicsArt app.

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TUTORIAL: Editing Upload a Photo of the First Animal

@lorenanr

Upload an animal photo to supply the first half of your beast with an appropriate background, whether it’s a cloudless sky or tall-grassed field.*

Add Photo of the Second Animal Select the Add Photo icon from the menu bar below the screen and upload an animal photo to supply the second half of your beast.

When added, you will be prompted with editing options, choose the scissors to free crop your photo.

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Free Crop Choose between free crop options.

You can use your finger to paint the piece of the animal you want to keep in red or you can use the lasso tool to trace the contours of the piece you want to select. You can adjust the brush size and zoom in for precision and combine both tools for more exact selection.

Confirm when done.

@charliebrowntheclown

Position the Second Half

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Adjust the size and position of the newly imported section of your animal, whether it is the head, or legs.

Fuse the Halves Drag and position the newly imported second half, attaching it to the first photo. Adjust the size, so that the two halves fit snugly together. Try out different blending modes to combine the photos and adjust the opacity, if required.

Apply Effects Apply any PicsArt effect to make your photo look more realistic. Your new beast is now ready to try its luck in the wild.

Congratulations, it’s alive!

*If your first animal doesn’t have the appropriate background, you can initially upload a background photo and then add two different animal halves to it using the Add Photo and Free Crop functions.

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How to Draw a Samurai Using the PicsArt App PicsArt Drawing Tools are equipped to satisfy experienced and beginner artists alike, due to the combination of their expansive variety, customizability, and easy to use interface. Most importantly, the final results look fantastic and can completely change your idea of what you think is possible in mobile editing.

In this tutorial, you will see, step by step, how PicsArt can be used to create a stunning portrait of a Samurai. You’ll learn how to work in layers to make sure that your armor shines and your smallest details look fantastic down to the tassels hanging off of the sword casing. In just eight easy steps, you can create an eyepopping piece of artwork without breaking a sweat!

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TUTORIAL: Drawing Open the PicsArt Drawing Tool Select “Draw” from the main screen and then select “Draw blank” to start a new drawing. You have the option of choosing the precise width, height, and orientation of your drawing before entering your work space.

Draw the Basic Shape Draw a very rough Samurai outline, vaguely shaping everything from the position of his body to the shape of his helmet and armor.

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Refine Your Outline Reduce the opacity, and in a new layer, trace your rough outline with a more precise outline, choosing how you want your samurai to look. When done, reduce the opacity again and create a new layer.

Draw Final Outline Trace the final outline, using the previous two outlines as a guide. Use clean and deliberate strokes to ensure that your armor is smooth and add all of the extra little details that bring it to life. Delete previous outlines when finished.

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Background and Shading Add 2 new layers for your shading and background.

On your samurai, use a translucent spray brush with a black or very dark grey color to add shading.

Pick a direction for your light source, and shade all areas that are not directly exposed to sunlight.

Color your background layer.

Add Color Add another layer between your shading and outline, then hide the layer that has shading.

In the new layer, color in your outline. To color fine details and add lighting, simply add layers higher, so that you can tackle each task individually.

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Finish Your Background In your background layer, create an ambience by using colorful streaking brushes. This can add movement to your drawing, depending on what angle you draw them in. Reduce the opacity when you are finished, so as not to oversaturate the drawing with color.

Touch Ups Add whatever details needed to make your drawing pop: extra touches of lighting, empty spots of color. You can also erase any extra lines that don’t add to your drawing.

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Design A Valentine's Day Card for Your Significant Other Using the PicsArt App We know everyone loves holidays, and as Valentine's Day is fast approaching, you can use PicsArt to create the perfect card for your loved one in time for the holiday.

@elminibrahimli

Plan in advance and capture a romantic photo to use as the base of your card.

Once you have picked a photo you can use many Valentine's Day clipart, stickers and frames available in PicsArt to give your significant other a memorable, 100% personal and unique card, designed by you!

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TUTORIAL: Design

Open Photo From the Photo section of the main menu, open a romantic photo to act as the foundation of your Valentine's Day Card.

Frame Select the Frame icon from the menu bar, and choose a frame from Love package in the succeeding pop-up menu. You can download the package for free if you don't have it yet.

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Stickers Decorate your card with romantic stickers, by accessing them from the menu bar. Customize their size, opacity, hue, and tap your finger to place them in the desired location on the photo.

Photo Effect Select the Effects icon and choose the Twilight Effect from the Fx section to create a nostalgic romantic hue in your photo.

Fade it for more subtle final touch.

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@jackmack830

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INSPIRATION: Drawing

Express Yourself The drawings in this gallery were created by various artists and shared in PicsArt's social network. It is amazing to acknowledge that all of them were done exclusively using mobile devices and the PicsArt app.

Each one is the product of a talented individual with his or her own unique inspirations. They depict only a small glimpse of the diverse potential of what is possible with PicsArt Photo Studio.

PicsArt Drawing Tools can take the form of any paint or brush in your hand, so that every stroke can be personalized to fit your style or vision.

In addition to the standard options of size and color, artists can choose from a long list of textures and adjust the opacity of their brushes, making difficult things like shading and lighting effortless and fun.

It is a full art studio capable of producing the complex textures and details of a realistic painting, as well as the energy and character of more abstract drawings.

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@fredsagoe

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@nahuelnanusilva

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PicsArt for iOS 7 New Design New Experience

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NEW IN APP

PicsArt Has Arrived on iOS 7 with Slick New Design!

The completely redesigned PicsArt for iOS7 has arrived. PicsArt’s user-interface has been optimized for Apple fans. The new design is more comfortable for iPhone and iPad users and places the social network features at the very center of the application.

Launched in January 2013, PicsArt for iOS is quickly gaining momentum and catching up with the massive install base of the Android version. Combined, PicsArt has over 100 million installs between the two platforms. While the initial iOS design was the same as the Android one, the recent release is tailored specifically to iOS7, following the new operating system’s user-interface guidelines of deference, clarity and depth.

The release came at a key time for PicsArt, which, less than a year after its iOS launch, has already earned high user-ratings and a loyal following. PicsArt's new release makes creating and sharing artwork more accessible and exciting than ever before.

The new design displays a pastel and white color palette, doing away with the original black background. Black-based interfaces are suited for advanced professional editors, while this brighter and more vibrant makeover gives the app a softer, friendlier, and more welcoming visual feel. This is much more in-line with PicsArt’s inclusive strategy to create an app where not just pros but anyone can become a great artist.

At the core of the redesign is PicsArt’s decision to put its social network at the center of the application. Users now have full access to the social network directly from the start-up screen, where they can explore featured photos, connect with other artists, and enter art contests. The original editing menu options remain just a touch away, accessible from anywhere and at any time using the central button in the new toolbar.

Finally, PicsArt has also streamlined access to its free and paid add-ons like stickers and fonts. All add-ons are now available for purchase or download within the editor, allowing users to continue creating and editing without the interruption of leaving to visit the Shop. This change is important for the company, which provides all of its editing features for free and relies instead on these small in-app purchases as a non-intrusive way for the company to monetize and maintain its rapid pace of development.

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New Android Update The PicsArt's latest update for Android has a whole host of new features and enhancements that make editing and drawing easier than ever, while providing you with new exciting and fun features.

Enhanced Drawing Tool The Drawing tool is now better than ever, giving you more freedom to experiment with our new Undo Layer Changes feature, and letting you work at your own pace with the new ability to save your project file.

Use the undo function for individual layers, so that you can always come back to earlier layers and undo the latest changes you made on them.

We have made a major change to our drawing tool. Now you can save drawing projects that are still in progress, reopen them and work on your drawing at your own pace.

Fireworks Package Overlay spectacular fireworks onto your photos seamlessly to add a festive and celebratory feel to photos from any event.

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Enhanced Stickers We have included a bunch of great new stickers in this update.

Moreover, now you have unprecedented control of your stickers with the ability to choose from multiple blending modes, adjust their opacity, change their color, and scale them to your taste.

With the new stickers you can create your own masks, add bokeh of any size and color, or blend stickers so that they become a part of your photo.

Add Multiple Photos at Once

@vanessaart

@darkm

You can now add multiple photos at once into your workspace when using the Add Photo function.

New Cinerama effect The Cinerama Effect creates a warm and vivid image, and brings your photos to life.

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@angiemessedup

App Design Changes We have redesigned the shop. Now you can download new frames and clipart directly from the Frames or Clipart sections of the editor, making your editing smoother and more fun.

The contest section is now filtered by contest types, making navigation between past contests easier.

New Masks We have also added some new masks, giving you an exciting new set of ways to enhance your photos and add atmosphere.

Improved Fish Eye and Caricature effects We have made some enhancements to Fish Eye and Caricature effects. Now you can customize them by choosing their placement within your photo and increasing or decreasing the radius of the area affected.

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Interview with Photographer Tom Robinson From Marrakech to Mexico Tom Robinson is a London based location and portrait photographer, who travels extensively. He works for magazines, advertising, hotels, restaurants, and PR. Tom takes spectacular shots from around the world that capture stunning vistas, local traditions, and the eccentric moments that occur throughout everyday life.

We interviewed Tom to ask him about his work and photography.

How did you first get into photography?

I first studied photography at school when I was 16 but decided to study graphic design at university and subsequently spent the best part of ten years working in advertising. Photography remained my hobby though and in 2008 I packed my bags and hit the road, travelling for over a year with my girlfriend through South and Central America, as well as South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. It was one hell of a trip. During that trip I amassed a portfolio of work and put together a website, which is how I began receiving commissioned work.

You are from London, but your photographs are from all over the world, and you even say that you feel most at home abroad sometimes. Is there a particular location that you have shot where you felt most at home, and if so why?

That’s a statement I wrote a few years back. It’s still true, but I think it’s more accurate to say ‘I feel most alive when in countries that are nothing like home’. My senses seem further heightened when on the road and I tend to ‘see’ so much more than when I’m back at home. It’s a hard one to quantify, but I think any person who genuinely loves exploring will understand.

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INTERVIEW

South America is a vast continent that you have explored and photographed quite a bit, but your photos seem to penetrate deep into its far corners and locals. Do you have a method for exploring vast places you have never seen?

I was lucky enough to spend five months in South America, which allowed me to get away from the much-fabled Gringo Trail. Generally, I find smaller towns, a few hours away from the larger cities great places to experience the ‘real’ life of countries. As fewer tourists visit these places the locals are also much more welcoming and are happy to have their photos taken. Although I dare say it’s the same in the UK too.

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One of your many stunning galleries is of the shots you took from Dia del los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). Can you talk a bit about what this experience was like for you?

I can honestly say it was probably the most incredible night of my life. We didn’t really know what to expect and I was concerned we may not find anything at all as we didn’t really know where we were going. Luckily a local guide pointed us in the right direction and we stayed up til 8am, visiting local graveyards. I remember being struck by the atmosphere – while quiet and calm, people were celebratory and more than happy to have their photos taken. This would certainly not be the case in England. Every year I look back through the photos and remember what it was like.

I’m keen to go again, perhaps when my daughter is older.

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Marrakech was the first place you ever traveled to, and you say this trip was at the root of your love of travel. What was it that struck you so strongly in Marrakech all those years ago, and how intertwined is this with your photography?

Yes my big sister, who had already travelled lots and was actually living in Thailand at the time, took me on my first ‘travelling’ experience around Morocco when I was in my early twenties. My camera at the time was my trusty Olympus OM20 and I shot three rolls of HP5. I looked back at the shots recently, they’re ok, nothing amazing, but certainly still resonate my recent photography work. We explored towns and villages. Took a wide variety of transport. Stayed in terrible accommodation ate amazing food and got food poisoning. We’d taken the boat over to Morocco from Spain. I guess I was struck at how much your surroundings can change after a few hours on a boat. It began my intrigue to see what was out there in the world and to experience it first hand.

Which project are you most proud of and why?

I still feel my South and Central America work is some of the best shots I’ve taken, which is slightly annoying as I took them back in 2008. But I’m also very happy with my India shots from 2013 and the recent activity based shoots I’ve done, including ice climbing in the Arctic Circle and canyoning in Madeira.

I have a strange relationship with my photographs and am my own worst critic. My thoughts tend to sway from ‘these are the best photos I’ve ever taken’ – usually shortly after taking them. To ‘these are terrible, am I ever going to better those photos I took in South America (five years ago)’.

Usually though, a few months after the shoot, I look back at the photos and then, with a fresh pair of eyes, pick out the shots I’m most happy with and add them to my website and update my printed portfolio.

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What has been your single most challenging moment as a photographer?

A few months back I was on a ten day shoot in Quebec, Canada. A lot of planning had gone into the trip and it was for an important client. The weather was terrible. I was meant to be photographing the ‘perfect train journey’, but we were going through thick a bank of fog and all I could see out of the windows (which didn’t open) was blanket grey. That was pretty stressful and that fog seemed to follow me for four days. Ultimately there’s not much you can do about these situations, and the client knows that, you’ve just got to try and get the best shots you can and re-work the schedule where you can. Saying that though I put a lot of pressure on myself to get great shots, so when that’s not happening I usually get very grumpy.

What is your favorite part about being a photographer?

Going to amazing places, meeting interesting people (and getting paid to do it).

Simple.

Are there any subjects or places that you would love to shoot in the future that you have not already and if so why?

I find photographing specific events or activities most enjoyable – like the kite festival in India I shot, or ice climbing in the arctic. It gives me a much clearer brief regarding what to capture, plus I get to have a great time experiencing the activity first-hand. It doesn’t always go to plan though – on the canyoning shoot I broke my 5D III. Although I did throw it off a waterfall. Lesson learnt.

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Do you have any words of advice to give photography enthusiasts that want to create great photography?

Photos by Tom Robinson

I’m often asked how to get into travel photography. The honest (and simple) answer is to go travelling.

It’s quite amazing how many people don’t realize that. You should be super critical of your own work – only putting up your best pieces and editing your choice heavily, constantly trying to take better photos. Above all you just need to practice, practice, practice.

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Feature: Photo

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FEATURE: Photo

A Sea of Feelings: Gizem Karayavuz’s Self-Portrait The photo of the month is this piece titled “Self Portrait” by Gizem Karayavuz (@gizemkarayavuz). Gizem is a very creative artist who knows how to put PicsArt’s editing tools at the service of her imagination. Here she has submerged herself in a churning sea of water, skillfully weaving images, subjects, textures, and soft lighting to create a pale, glowing, and surreal piece of self portraiture.

She tagged her image with a quote from author Diane Hardy, “We all have a sea inside us; Can you hear it? Can you hear the ocean roaring?” Following the quote, Gizem explained that 2013 was a hard year, but that she sustained herself through her artwork, and the support of others from the PicsArt community. Gizem's fragments of self-expression put together with this image resulted in a complex and powerful self-portrait, putting on display where she is and how she feels. Struggling under water, but finding meaning through creation and beauty: this is our Photo of the Month.

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Travel to Peru Exploring the Country through a Photo Walk Say the name “Peru” to most people, and their minds fill with images of Mayan ruins and the famous Inca Trail, popular with all types of travellers the world over and dramatic in its intensity as well as its beauty. But, for the photographer especially, Peru is a place of great interest even outside of its Mayan heritage. In fact, you’ll be so busy soaking in this amazing country, that you won’t even know where to lay your camera while you enjoy you pisco sour with a bowl of ceviche.

Miraflores, Lima

To the uninitiated, Miraflores provides a fantastic introduction to the beautiful madness of South America, as you can still munch on cooked Guinea Pig, the country’s best delicacy, and hunt for bargains in a dusty mercado, but after a long day on a photography tour around the neighborhood you can also splash out on a good bottle of pisco with a nice meal at the end of the day too. Oh, and it’s covered in cats, if you like that sort of thing.

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@stephaniesosa20

The most striking thing about the Miraflores district in Peru’s capital city of Lima is just how un-Peruvian it seems. With its clean, wide streets and modern architecture, cafes, wine bars, modern buses, and oodles of amazing street art, Miraflores wouldn’t look out of place in Berlin, Bilbao or Barcelona–and yet it’s only a short bus ride away from Lima’s most bustling (and most Latin American) market and even a (admittedly much longer) bus ride away from some actual ruins just outside the city. In Miraflores, you’ll get some of the most un-Peruvian pictures of Peru.

FEATURE: Destination

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The Inca Trail You can’t go anywhere in Peru without people talking about the Inca Trail, and for good reason. This 5-day hike (or photo walk, if you’re one of us) begins in Cusco and takes in three separate trails before it ends at Machu Picchu, the mountain that holds a 15th-Century Inca site known as the Lost City of the Incas. The astonishing site of the wellpreserved ruins against the stunning landscape of Huayna Picchu mountain is ground-zero for photographers, and it’s where travel and photography truly come into one unforgettable experience.

The hike is no easy feat for many travellers, so one of my strongest travel tips is to pack light. No one wants to drag around a huge DSLR with 5 different lenses, a tripod and three different flashes while they’re navigating trails from a different civilization, so on this photo walk, remember that less is more. Take just one lens or two and practice some different photography techniques to get the best out of your trip!

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Pucallpa Where better to nurse your sore feet after the Inca Trail than Pucallpa? This beautiful city lies on the banks of the Ucayali River, which feeds directly into the Amazon. With beaches, the Parque Nacional, river acitivies and more wildlife than you will know what to do with, this is the perfect place to relax and truly grab some fantastic pictures of Peru.

A few days in Pucallpa will allow you to experience all this city has to offer, from the mall to the markets and everything in between, while still giving you time to enjoy some fun photo walks. Travel photography is all about capturing the essence of a place, and Pucallpa will allow you to do just that!

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Create a DIY Valentine’s Day Picture Frame/Card for Your Loved One! To make a DIY Valentine Card you need cardboard or construction paper, napkins with Valentine themed print, a photo of you and your significant other, a thick paintbrush, and multi-purpose white glue. To make an average-sized DIY card with cardboard you need one 7.87”x5.91” piece - the base; one 7.28”x4.72” piece - the slider; two 0.59”x4.72” pieces (A); four 0.59"x7.87” pieces (B) ; two 1.77”x2.76” pieces (C); and two 1.57”x7.87” pieces (D) of cardboard.

D B B

C

A A

THE BASE

B B

photos by @ma_lina

D

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Glue the two A pieces together for one thicker A piece. Glue the result onto the edge of base. Glue the four B pieces into two B pieces and glue the results (two B pieces) onto the edge of the base.

THE SLIDER

C

FEATURE: Tips & Tricks

Paint the base, the slider , D and C pieces with acrylic paint.

Cut Valentine themed squares (to fit D and C pieces) out of napkins.* You only need to use the top layer with print of usually 3-layered napkins.

Dilute the glue with water. Using the paintbrush cover the C and D pieces with the glue mixture.

Carefully place the napkin cutouts onto the surface and run over them with additional glue mixture, so that the napkin blends with the surface.

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Glue the D pieces to the top and bottom edges of the base. Glue one C piece to the left side of the base.

Take the leftover C piece and glue it to the right edge of the slider. Glue a romatic photo to the middle of the slider.

Success! Your Picture frame is now complete and should include a romantic photo in a Valentine themed frame. To make your gift even more romantic, you can turn your frame into a Valentine's Day Card by writing a special message on the inside of the base. This will be revealed when the slider is slid in and out. *The napkin can be replaced with glitter, sparkles, sequins, jewels, painted rice or anything else that you would like, your creativity is your limit!

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FEATURE: Artist

Monia’s Sentimental Posters Monia (@moniaelise) is a PicsArtist who likes to turn her most captivating photos into sentimental posters that send personal messages. She uses PicsArt Photo Studio to put the right words to the right moment, allowing her to articulate and express her feelings in a more complete way. The results look excellent, making each image extra special by inviting us to ponder a thought and a moment as a pair, perhaps provoking us to reflect on our own lives.

@moniaelise

What makes Monia’s posters work so well is also the fact that she happens to be an excellent photographer. She shoots quite a bit in black and white, and her images are always filled with life, with people as their central focus. Her shots are exquisitely framed, and the photos that she captures always seem to give us a window into moments of action, sincerity, or simple beauty.

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