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June 6, 2011
Lumia

Capturing memories with the Nokia N8



PORTLAND, OR, United States – Now that Memorial Day has passed in the United States, “Summer” and the associated trip-taking season is upon us. Students are out of school (or will be soon) and the sun is shining, meaning it’s time to pack your bag, load up the car and hit the road.

We talked last week about planning your trip with the multi-layered Ovi Maps, but once you are in the midst of your trip, what tools help you capture the memories you’re making? Well, if you have a Nokia N8 or Astound in your pocket, you’re in luck, because these devices have the guts to take fantastic photos and shoot amazing video.

Having the N8 along with me while on vacation means I have a few less gadgets to pack. Because this device comes packed with a fantastic 12-megapixel shooter and an amazing lens, I can leave behind the point and shoot camera I used to carry in my pocket. Also, Ovi Maps will guide me in the car (or on foot) while I’m trying to find a nearby park or restaurant.

Adding Spice To Photos

First of all, let’s talk about that amazing camera and apps that can help you make the most of your experiences while you’re away.

Of course, the Nokia N8’s camera is a stunning piece of hardware. But what about those advanced camera features you’re used to if you’re more than a casual photographer? CameraPro N8 will give you more control when shooting with your N8 including RAW jogs, flash, white balance, exposure, manual ISO, macro and so on. The app, costing a mere $2.99, can even direct your videos with custom frame sizes, specific codecs and frame rates.

If you’re looking to jazz up your photos with a cool filter effect, check out Molome. This fun app lets you take photos on your camera, then add funky effects such as Vintage, Perlo and others, and upload them to Molome’s site as well as share the photos via Twitter and Facebook.

Capturing Video and Audio

We have become a video-capturing nation, whether its our child’s first trip to the beach or a first hand video experiencing a roller coaster. The Nokia N8 is simply fantastic for shooting video. In my experience with the N8 since it came out last year, the default video settings on the N8 have yielded high-quality movies indoors and out in a variety of lighting situations.

I thoroughly enjoy the on-board video editor that allows me to add background music, add titles, insert still photos and cut out sections of video I don’t want.  Being able to edit while on the go means I can already have a showable video the second I get back and upload to YouTube to share with family.

With high quality video and still photography, we often forget about the third media type that is neglected these days: audio. A simple sound recording can being back memories of that beautiful day in a National Park or on the beach. One app that can make your audio sound as good as possible is HQ Rec. This app, available in Ovi Store allows you to record audio at 44.1 kHz to make sure your sound recording is as crisp as the day you record it. One awesome use I’ve thought of this is to interview my three-and-a-half year-old daughter on her favorite part of the day at the end of each day of our vacations.

How do you capture memories while on vacation? Has it changed since the amount of technology and capability has improved so much in mobile devices?