Today marks the third Anniversary of shooting my morning coffee for The Mug Chronicles, and I realized that part of the reason I love this project so much is that it chronicles my garden throughout the seasons. After all, it started three summers ago while sharing the beauty of my garden over my morning coffee. That got me thinking of all the things I love to do with my iPhone in the summer months as well as other ideas for getting the most out of  my Smartphone and exploring creativity. Many of those ideas circled right back to posts previously published here on Mortal Muses. Let me share them with you as well as tell you about an exciting giveaway I’ll be hosting here later today. Let’s go!

1. Use a Waterproof Housing for Your Mobile Device.

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I first used a Lifeproof case for my iPhone at a photo retreat in Palm Springs. I loved it so much, that last summer when I went to Jamaica for my 40th birthday, buying one was at the top of my list! It’s great for playing in water at the pool, the beach, in the lake or just running through a sprinkler in your back yard! I can’t recommend using one of these enough. Lifeproof makes cases for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Galaxy. Check out their site to learn more.  And read my post for more details on using a lifeproof case with iPhone.

2. Jumpstart Your Creativity with a Free E-Course.

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Looking for a way to jumpstart your creative process? Former muse Kat Sloma is offering her Fuel Your Creativity e-course FREE through August 31st. Although this is not a photography course per se, for a week you’ll get daily prompts in your inbox to get your creative juices flowing. All you need is a camera, phone cameras are encouraged, and something to blend up a storm using color to get the most out of the class. Kat is also offering on-location mobile photography workshops this summer too. If you’re near Oregon, you can learn more about them here. One is in the Portland area and the other in Covalis.

3. Tell Your Summer Story Using the Steller App.

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A few months ago Kirstin introduced us to the Steller App which launched earlier this year where you can share an entire series of images telling a story. Since then several of the muses have embraced the app sharing their images through stories. Vanessa also wrote about how using the app had changed the way she was shooting in Rhythm of a Story. If you want to see what it’s all about, check out Debra’s trip to Prince Edward County where you’ll learn more about her accidental series that so inspired her last week, Vanessa’s trip Southbound from Tacoma, WA to Reno, NV and see Kirstin’s story of her family’s adventures in and around Tuscany.

4. Print Your Summer Story Using the Artifact Uprising App

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I love the idea of telling the story my summer vacation by getting my mobile photos off my iPhone and into my hands in book. What better way to do this than to create a soft-bound book using the new Artifact Uprising App for iPhone. They even have an Instagram-friendly book too! Last year Kirstin shared with us her story of printing her photos in From Scrapbooks to Digital Printing, and Debra shared her printing story in Book ‘Em. Both ladies share their beautiful photo books printed through Artifact Uprising if you’d like to see some visuals.

5. Join a Colorful Collaboration

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Who doesn’t love shooting color during the sun-soaked days of summer? When muse Debra reminded me of the joys of taking advantage of summer colors – fresh berries at farmers markets, flowers, blue skies & pink sunsets, I knew I had to share the return of the color//colour project that I introduced you to during collaboration month in The Friendship of Collaboration.  Xanthe Berkley and Andrea Jenkins loved the project so much that they decided to do it again during the summer and have invited their Instagram communities to join in on the fun. They are about to kick off orange week today, so you haven’t missed out if you still want to participate. Just shoot your orange images and hashtag them #colorcolourlovers along with #colorcolourorange to play along.

6. Take a Summer E-Course on Mobile Photography

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Consider taking a summer-inspired e-course on Mobile photography with yours truly! Starting this Thursday, Big Picture Classes is offering The Phone Photography Project 2, a 28-day guided workshop filled with photo tips, app tutorials and all-around iPhone awesomeness! Join me, along with 16 other incredible teachers, where we’ll have a blast shooting fun photo prompts alongside lots of learning about our iPhones while enjoying one of the most incredible communities around.If you missed last year’s Phone Photography Project where both Jenny Graver and I were both instructors, don’t worry! You can take the course as a self-paced class through September 1st. Come back later on today to learn more about The Phone Photography Project 2 and for your chance to win a spot in the class.

I hope you’ve found some inspiration today for getting the most out of your Smartphones this summer! Don’t forget to stop back this afternoon where I’ll be giving away a spot in The Phone Photography Project 2 to one lucky reader!

Until next time,
Holly ~ Soupatraveler