I’m thrilled to introduce Kris, @movax, to all of you decim8 fans!

B: Bridgette K: Kris

B: Hi Kris!  So, tell us a little bit about yourself.  What’s your line of profession and are you an app developer by trade?  Would you consider yourself a very technical person or more of a creative type?

K:  I am a professional programmer, working mainly on mobile apps for clients.  However I’ve been involved in the creative side of coding for a long time, learning a lot about code through Demoscene, making my own games, and live visuals / artcode installations at music events.  For me, making software is one of the best ways to fuse both the creative side and the technical side of your brain.  It can be a lot of work but highly rewarding.

B: Tell us about the decim8 app and how it came about?  Where did the idea stem from?  And how long did it take you to develop and launch?

K: Its kind of funny… I actually had the idea in a dream that I was using an iPhone camera that would keep destroying my photos.  In the dream it began as annoying but then I started to think, “this is kinda awesome.”  I woke up and began work on it that very day.  The first couple of versions were pretty rough, as some of the original users will tell you.

B: Personally, I love Veth, Sigstop, Bunker, Precog1 and Vortron. Which effect is your favorite and do you have a favorite combo?

K: I have a personal spot in my heart for L225… I just love the strange fractal-esque recursion patterns it can create from such simple source material.  Interface->Blitbomb can be really cool, and a lot of the new effects can get really crazy.

B: What tips/advice would you give to new decim8 users? 

K: Well first I would probably recommend having an open mind and not worrying TOO much about seeking a specific outcome from the app.  Part of the concept, at least in my mind is to let the machines do what they are good at – and that includes randomizing in ways you might not have discovered yourself.  This is frustrating to some users but is a large part of the joy to others.

B: What other apps do you like to use in combination with decim8?  I’m a huge Hipstamatic fan and find it works extremely well together – I love the edge it gives! 

K: I do have a few go-to apps for photography, but I’m a little ashamed that I don’t explore the offerings a bit more.  Hopefully this year I’ll have more time to look into other apps and techniques.  I do use PicFrame to assemble and crop my shots, iMajiCam for some of the strange distortions, SlowShutter for cool light-trails.  I love Pano for those epic assembled-panoramas and Tiny Planets for well, making tiny planets.  And of course Instagram, the king of them all!

B:  What’s new in the recent Version 3.0 update?

K: It’s been a successful launch with only a couple hiccups for some users.  New features include:

– Total UI/UX redesign

– 7 New effects

– Create and name custom effect combinations

– Tap-to-focus

– “Torch” mode flash

– Share via twitter

– Send postcards via Postagram

– Effects preview icon and effect info screens

– Add effects one at-a-time

B:  How many new effects are there?

K: 7 new effects:

(original image is of my friend doing live visuals in Miami.. why not!)

Brainfeeder : Takes an image and echoes it while superimposing that echo each time over the rest.  It’s a feedback effect really.  Sometimes feeds back into total white noise but sometimes does really interesting things.

Doctor Ocular : was created by an idea from @docpop who suggested “chromatic distortions” and this was my take on that concept.

XEXOX : Something like a bad copy machine streaking and pulling the image in unnatural ways.

Fold 4 Rap 5 : Fold and wraps.. It’s a recursive mirroring effect.

BitBoy : uses 1-Bit dithering to completely crush your image, sometimes layering that back on top of the original

TI994X : Turns your image into an almost unrecognizable low-res “character display” version of itself.  Like a dirty Atari cartridge.

Oirectine : Harmonic color palette remapping, to take the colors into some intense areas.

B: Currently, the #decim8nday has 1,900+ photos in its gallery.  @_suzanne_ and @david_baer kick started this back in October 2011.  For all those who aren’t familiar with the # decim8nday, it occurs every Monday.  The idea is to select one of your last 12 photos in your gallery and run it through the decim8 app.  What are your thoughts regarding this gallery? 

K: I was impressed and surprised when David and Suzanne came to me with the idea, as I previously thought that Decim8 and its concept were too weird to catch on with a “day” of its own..  But people have been super stoked on the idea.  It’s analogous to the program in general: something that seems so niche-y, but I’m finding it speaks to more and more people.  Thanks and respect to those two for organizing and maintaining #decim8nday!

B:  Are there any other apps you have developed that you’d like for us to check out?  Will you work on others? 

K: I can tell you that I have some ideas that should see the app store this year.  The main one I’ve been concepting is another photo app with a totally different approach.  There’s also the possibility of video effects.  Lots of ideas these days!  Just need to find the time.

B: Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?  Are there any other platforms where we can we find you or other decim8 users?

K: Yes, definitely!  I recently ported Decim8 to the Windows phone platform, which was a great experience.  I think Microsoft has built an excellent platform with the new Mango version.  The app looks and performs great and has some features not found on the iPhone version.  My opinion is that it’s always smart to get your creations in front of a larger and more diverse audience.  Its part of the main idea behind Decim8:  Forget preconceptions; people and things can really surprise you when you look from a different perspective.

Kris Collins is a professional programmer, designer and performer of visual software. Bringing an intuitive understanding of complex systems into the creative realm, Kris creates custom software programs to achieve creative goals. His work has been the centerpiece of award-winning digital marketing campaigns as well as rockin’ eyeballs as it visually accompanies live music in arenas and alleyways.

Juxt thanks you for your work, art, and words.

Contact Information:  Instagram @movax

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About Bridgette S.

Seattle, WA

Three words that describe me are simple, social and creative – all of which
have played a part in strengthening my passion for iPhoneography. What you see
is my vision of the ordinary and not so ordinary, most of which are captured
whilst I’m out and about with my son.  As a mom to a toddler, it’s important I
catch all those milestones and have a record of our daily adventures. Having an
iPhone means I don’t miss a snap and it also means the world gets to see what I
see – at all times.  Mobile photography has also given me the chance to meet
like-minded enthusiasts both in person and on the web.  It’s truly remarkable to
see the community grow and be amongst those who offer support and inspiration.
It has opened new doors and reawakened my imagination; I embrace it and will
continue to learn in the process.

Instagram:  @sippinlattes

Twitter:  @sippinlattes