Tag: iphone

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How To Create Multi-Frame Run Photos

I’ve been creating running photos like this for a while now and recently people have been asking how it is done.

It started off with a fascination with floating photos, where both feet are off the ground. I expanded this to pull multiple frames from the same video and stitch them together to create images like above.

The complete process is carried out on an iPhone using apps Snapseed and Over. These apps are free and are available for both iOS and Android.

The Process

When I first started posting floating shots, the technique behind that was to take some slow-motion video (to provide the most usable frames) and screenshot the frame I needed.

This process builds upon that. You start with some slow-motion video, ensuring the background does not move. Then screenshot a number of non-overlapping frames from the video.

Before merging begins, you may want to enhance the individual frames in your favorite mobile photo editor. I use Snapseed for this task.

If you decide to crop, ensure each frame is cropped identically. I recommend leaving cropping and any straightening until after the merge stage.

To merge the frames I use Over, as it supports layers in a project. I load in the first image, and then immediately load the second image, ensuring it is sized and positioned correctly.

For some reason, Over adds subsequent images a little smaller than original size. To fix this, use the resize tool to increase to 125%. Be careful, not to move the photo.

Once it’s positioned correctly, use the mask tool to remove just enough of the 2nd photo so you can see yourself underneath. If you use the feathered mask tool, it will blend a lot better.

If you are a bit too aggressive with the mask tool, Over has a reverse mask tool to allow you to put pieces back. You can also zoom in to work on more intricate areas.

Continue the process of adding images for as many frames that you captured. Once all layers have been merged, export the image from Over.

Once exported, I usually bring it back into Snapseed to straighten and crop. It is now ready to post on your socials! I would love to see your creations, so please tag me if possible!

Here’s a video of the process I made while processing one of these images.

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My Running Apps

There’s so many good apps out there for running these days, and every runner has their favorite. These are the apps I use on an almost daily basis.

Garmin Connect

If I’m running, my Garmin Forerunner watch is recording it. Garmin Connect is the app that my watch syncs with to upload my run data. You can use Connect on your phone, or the slightly more featured web version.

Connect gives me the most details about my run, and various reports to help me track progress over the month, year, and so on. It also tracks my steps, weight, and sleep patterns.

The social networking side of Garmin Connect seems to be a bit of an after-thought though, which is the why I sync my runs with a couple of other applications.

Strava

I’m quite new to Strava, but I love it. It has, by far, the best social networking features. It’s easy to follow friends on there and comment on their activities.

I like how Strava will group runners together who ran with you, on your feed. It also analyses your route and lets you know if you’ve ran it faster or slower than before.

While Garmin has an implementation of Segments, it feels like Strava has done a better job of this and is probably one of the Strava’s greatest strengths. You are able to see how you compare to the rest of the Strava universe on certain sections of your routes – for example – I was able to tell I was the only Strava user to have attempted those hills in Boone this year!

Nike+ Run Club

My first love. The Nike+ Run App was the first app I used when I began running. I have a lot of connections on there so I don’t want to give it up just yet.

Nike have a great online running community as well, and their app developers provide the best and fastest support in my experience.

They also have cool sharing options complete with stickers, to post your runs to Nike itself, or facebook, Instagram, etc.

So, I have my Garmin Connect app automatically sync my runs to both Nike+ and Strava and everything seems to work seamlessly together without issue.