I always scoffed at folks using their cell phones as their camera. I didn't mind lugging around a full SLR with 2 or 3 lenses. No problem. I LOVE the way I can make a photo my own with aperture, depth-of-field, shutter speed, etc.
But most of the time, my photos don't really do anything. And lately I haven't been taking a ton of photos. And... I upgraded from a iPhone 3 to an iPhone 5 and, it has a surprisingly decent camera. Not nearly as wonderful as my SLR but I find myself constantly pulling this little camera phone out of my pocket, documenting all kinds of small events, things that catch my eye, oddities, beautiful things.... pretty much anything is now a photo subject, without having to lug or bring out my camera.
And... I don't take 100 of the same shot with my iPhone like I do my SLR, so in a way it simplifies things. But I still don't do anything with my photos, other than adjust them in Photoshop Express app and posting them on Facebook.
When I heard about Mosaic, it seemed to be an ideal fix: to easily and simply upload 20 of my photos and within a week have them bound in a little book. It is a simple app, on my iphone. In fact, it couldn't be simpler to choose and order. I ordered on on Sunday; I got it just now on Friday and I am so impressed. It is for Father's Day... just pics of my kids for their grandfather..... pics that I took on my iPhone so a lot it is rather random and all more of an on-the-go shots that truly reflect my kids: shots from school, from the beach, out riding bikes, at the park.... lots of just fun photos that really reflect our lives.
It arrived a day before they promised, safely in a bubble wrap envelope. I opened it, and took off the shrink wrap. It is a beautiful "apple-esqe" minimalist package. It is a natural brown 'kraft' kind of square box with some cut out overlay. You take it off, open it up and there's the black book, nestled inside. Pull the turquoise ribbon and out pops the book. It is more sturdy and substantial than I thought. It is small, 7 by 7 in size. Each creamy white page has a single photo. No captions, no clutter. No "theme" just the photos. The pages are also on a thick, white paper that seem very high quality.
All in all, I loved the experience of mosaic as well as the end result. It is perfect for my father. Perfect for any occasion. In fact, with such a quick turn-around, you could document a vacation, event, party and have a book of memories arrive on your (or their) doorstep in under a week! In just minutes to create. All with your iPhone.
This would make a great teachers' gift, a great end-of-school autograph book, a wonderful Disneyland vacation memorabilia... so many possibilities.
I can definitely see myself ordering these as gifts, or for myself to remember events, vacations, and parties. The book is 20 dollars and shipping is about 5. I think it is worth it, considering the high quality and the ease of creating it. Though I love the simplicity of the layout, it would be nice to add some words to it as well.
You can easily download the app from the app store, or for more information, go to their website. http://heymosaic.com/ . I think you'll like it. Quick, easy, fun.
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