If you’re fortunate enough to own a web-connected Samsung Smart TV or Blu-ray player, you may have already downloaded our special TV app and enjoyed Woven on your big screen. Woven’s Samsung TV app uses your phone or tablet to control your screen, a delightfully simple and fun experience. Watch our demonstration video if you’d like to see this in action.

But, what if you don’t own the right kind of TV or Blu-ray player? We’re working on some interesting solutions, but one of the easiest if you’ve already got an Apple TV box is to tap its existing ability to “mirror” the screen of an iPhone,  iPad, or iPod Touch*. With mirroring, you see on your TV exactly what you’re seeing on your mobile device—including photos from your Woven collection.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and your Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On your iPhone or iPad, double-click the Home Button to display your recently used apps.
3. Swipe your recently used apps twice from left to right until you see the  icon.
4. Tap the  icon to display a list of screens available for mirroring.
5. Activate mirroring by tapping the name of your Apple TV, then toggle the on/off slider to “ON”.
6. Open Woven as you normally would.
7. Enjoy your photos!

Let us know how this goes for you. If you have any questions or feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

* Minimum requirements: iPhone 4S or iPad 2 (and later) with iOS 5 and later, Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) with software version 5.0 or later, and an 802.11a, -g or -n wireless network

We understand your desire to share your photos and albums—and, as of the latest Woven update, we’ve got a tool to help!

Sharing single photos is a cinch—note the new sharing icon in the top right corner of your screen. Tap the icon and you’ll see options ranging from Facebook and Twitter to email and text messaging. Multiple photos and even entire albums are equally simple to share. Gently tap and hold photos or albums until they become highlighted—this means they’re ready to share. Tap the sharing icon and you’ll again see your available sharing options.

So … update Woven to our latest version, rediscover some favorite photos, and get sharing! Your friends and family will thank you.

PS – Woven for Windows Phone users … you’ll have this sharing tool in your next app update. Thanks for your patience!

We’re excited about our fun new video introducing Woven and showing how useful it can be! Please give it a look and let us know what you think. Better yet, show it to your friends and help us spread the word!

***

New Years Eve is quickly approaching, and some areas have a fireworks display to bring in the new year.

Photographing fireworks can be a challenge. It’s often frustrating to witness a spectacular display, and come home with disappointing results. There’s a simple way to capture awesome fireworks.

I’ve never deviated from the formula I use. The following technique is for use with a DSLR. Always bring a tripod and if possible a cable release. Set lens to manual focus and adjust it to infinity ∞. Use bulb exposure, and set aperture to f/8. Bulb is crucial to get good firework photos by slowly capturing the intense colors and long trails of light. Three to four seconds is a good exposure. Camera settings are at auto WB, ISO 100, and no flash is used. I recommend shooting JPEGs to capture more shots. When you take the shot, continue holding the shutter button or remote until the trails (lines of light) come to an end, and then release.

When shooting with a compact camera, you might have two options for shooting fireworks. No matter which technique you use, you MUST use a tripod to avoid blurry pictures. Many compacts these days have a FIREWORKS scene mode. This slows the shutter speed, and sets the focus to infinity. If you have a manual setting, you can have more control. Set your camera to the following: Exposure to 3 or 4 seconds, ISO to 100, aperture at f/8.

You can zoom in and just capture the burst, or get a wide angle shot to disclose your location. Wide angles are great in big cities like New York pictured.

After you upload your photos to your favorite social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr, you’ll be able to view them anytime on your Woven app with your Android or iOS devices, Nook, Kindle Fire, Windows phone or Samsung Smart TV.

We’re extremely excited to announce our first foray into the living room scene with the new Woven for Samsung Smart TV. Now, instead of passing around your NOOK or huddling around your iPhone, you can take your photos straight from Woven and share them on your TV. Download the free app from the Samsung TV Apps store, connect it to your (updated) Woven app on your phone or tablet, and you’re off and running. Family reunions, trips to Florida, your tuna tartare with avocado and shallots from last night—they’re all the new stars of your living room.

Jack Harvey, our EVP of strategy and development, points out, “Everyone enjoys solo photo browsing on their phone or tablet, but viewing and  storytelling with loved ones is much more social and engaging on a large screen. In collaboration with Samsung, it’s exciting to deliver a simple and fun viewing experience on both a consumer’s smallest and largest screens.”

Check it out!

With all these ways to share photos, you may wonder, is there any form of sharing we haven’t hit upon? As a matter of fact, there is, and we’ll tell you all about it … soon.

Yet while we’ve managed to greatly expand our Woven family, there was one conspicuous absence at the dinner table. Suffice to say, it’s not for lack of want, and today we’re happy—nay, ecstatic—to announce “Woven for Windows Phone“.

Woven gathers your photos from all over–Facebook, SkyDrive, Picasa, Shutterfly and even all those shots that have been gathering dust on your hard drive—and captures them neatly in one place, ready for you to view on your phone, tablet, or e-reader. Wherever you are, chances are you can see your photos, because it works whether you’re online or off. No more dropped signals, no more hunting for Wi-Fi. Just all your photos with you, all the time.

“We’ve long aspired to make every one of your life’s special moments effortlessly available—regardless of where your photos are stored or what type of phone, e-reader, or tablet you prefer,” notes John Chuang, our founder and CEO. “With the release of Woven for Windows Phone, we’re positioned well as the first and only photo viewing app to support such a breadth of viewing platforms and storage locations.”

And while we couldn’t be happier to announce this today, we’re already busy working on more ways (and places) to rediscover and arrange your photos. Keep an eye on us; we’re just getting started!

***

When taking pictures, it’s natural to center the subject. The photos actually appear fine until you learn about the Rule of Thirds. This rule is used to guide you were to place your subject and other objects to create more interesting photos.

Using the Rule of Thirds, you place your subject and other objects along the lines of what’s basically a tic tac toe grid. Some newer cameras actually have a grid option to help with composition.

Above, the palm tree lines up with a left vertical line, the horizon is along the lower horizontal line, etc. The rays from the sun fan out to the tree and up toward the clouds, drawing your eye throughout the photo.

In this photo the rock formation and clouds hit several points of the grid. With the red rock not being centered, it makes way for the green-topped mountain in the background, the white cumulus clouds, and blue sky.

The point of view in this action shot also has most points of the grid covered. The umpire leads you to the catcher, which brings you to the batter, and then his bat and third base line draw your eye toward the runner on third.

There is only one thing in this photo, but being off-centered allows you to imagine the direction the moon is headed. The dark side of the moon is near a corner, leaving the light side to expand out.

Now that you have a new skill, get out there and take some amazing photos! Use a grid as your guide if it’s an option. Of course, you’ll have to upload them to one of your favorite sites like Facebook or Flickr to share them.

Once they’re uploaded, go to your Woven app (which is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire, and Nook devices), and view them on the go. Woven is great for anyone from teens sharing their pics with their besties on their cells, to pros showing clients their portfolio on tablets.

You don’t have Woven yet? What are you waiting for? Download it now, so you can enjoy your photos from Facebook, SmugMug, Flickr, Picasa, Dropbox, Instagram, Photobucket, Shutterfly, SkyDrive, and your own device all on one app. It’s convenient, and having just one icon saves app real estate and memory from multiple photo viewing apps on your mobile device. Did I mention Woven is free? Score!

***

I love looking at my friends’ pictures on Facebook, but one of my pet peeves are when some of them are too dark, not sharp, or the subject is so small that I can’t make out who or what it is.

If you’re guilty of this, I have a fix for you no matter if you’re uploading from a camera, tablet, or personal computer. By editing your photos, you can turn a mediocre picture into a beautiful photo in a few quick and easy steps.

Below are before and after shots illustrating each technique.

Cropping

Always have your subject large enough to clearly recognize. Cropping can bring more interest to your photo by enlarging the subject. The bridge on the top could be anywhere, but by cropping you can see more details and recognize it as the Brooklyn Bridge.

Contrast

Adding contrast will make your photos look more professional. Even a little extra can go a long way. The photo on the top looks washed out, but the one on the bottom looks natural.

Brightness

Some photos are too dark, and this will lighten them enough to see all objects. Used with contrast, this can save some photos from doom! Below, I made the photo brighter, added a little contrast, and straightened it.

White Balance/Temperature

Did you know light has temperature? Adding more reds makes a picture warmer, i.e. a cloudy day needs more warmth. Adding more blue will make a picture cooler. Changing the temperature can give you the right balance for a more natural look. The photo on the top was taken under incandescent lighting. Making it bluer brings it back to the original color temperature.

Photo Editors

PicMonkey is a free and easy online photo editor that will allow you to painlessly crop, sharpen, and enhance exposure (among other things). You just select a photo from your file, choose what you’d like to improve, i.e. exposure, move the sliders until you’ve obtained your desired look, and save. From there you can share on Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter, or email the improved photo.

Instagram is available at the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android, and is also free. You can do a quick edit and tie it in to Facebook or other sites.

Photoshop Express Editor is online, and they also have Photoshop Express Apps for iOS and Android devices. Both are free.

Upload your edited works of art to your favorite sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, etc. Then you’ll be able to view them all on your free Woven app photo viewer on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, or Nook devices, and show your family and friends the budding photographer you are!

***

Fall is my favorite season. I love eating butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, the crispness in the air, the smell of a freshly baked apple pie, and of course, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Most of all, I love shooting fall foliage!

Not everyone is fortunate to live in the North East (especially New England) and have the gorgeous fall display, but most people will have some change in color, so here are some tips.

Red, orange and yellow leaves can be your subject, or in the background. If they’re in the background, try to have them fill one third of the photo to add enough pop. This allows you to spotlight the subject, yet allow the colors to also tell a story.

If the foliage is the subject, you could show people jumping into a pile of leaves, or throwing some in the air, or take a close up of some of your favorites.

Frame the subject with an object above, below and/or to the sides. In the photo with the river, the guardrail in an autumn color frames the bottom, and the clouds frame the top. The trees get smaller from right to left, leading your eye further into the photo.

Capturing the fall colors is nice, but means little if no one sees them. The best way to share them is to upload them to a cloud service like Facebook, Flickr, Picasa,  Shutterfly, Instagram, Photobucket, Dropbox, SmugMug or SkyDrive. Once you have them uploaded, you can send your family or friends links to your great photos.