by Josh St. Germain | Sep 2, 2014 | Josh St. Germain, Stories
I would like to take you back to October 15th of 2012 of my life. My wife and I closed on our first house together that morning. We had spent a taxing ten months looking at every house that came onto the troubled real estate market. We were fortunate enough to finally step into one and know it was home. We knew this was where our family would grow… and so it did.
Two months prior to finding our new home, we had started trying to get pregnant again. It was two days after we held our new house keys, that my wife came to me with the news of a positive pregnancy test. I spent the remaining week and half painting and preparing for our move after work each day. I’ll be the first to admit, it was an overwhelming time for all of us.
During the days of moving our material lives from one place to the other, my wife called me on her way in to work and hesitantly told me that she just didn’t “feel right”. Neither of us wanted to believe that anything could be wrong. After tense days of blood work, doctors visits and unbelievable anxiety, we received the call that we feared. It was October 31st, Halloween, as we were getting our two kids ready in their costumes, in our new home, that we knew our family wouldn’t be growing as soon as we expected.
7/11/14 4:57 am
I cannot pretend to know the truth of how a miscarriage affects the mother. I’ll say this… watching my partner, my love, go through it, broke my heart every day. The doctor said we’d need to wait at least two months before considering trying again. Emotions ran high as we entered the holiday season and remained as strong as we could for each other and our two children.
After Christmas passed, we decided to continue trying. I believe we both shared an unspoken fear that this road may end in heartache once again. Knowing that were both unwilling to give up and that no matter what happens we had two wonderful children that brought us so much joy, we knew it was the right decision.
Eleven months came and went as twenty seven days of hope followed by one day of knowing that this month wasn’t the one. November 17th 2013, my wife’s birthday, that 28th day brought something different this time. I’ll never forget being woken up by my teary eyed wife who had just seen the test results that she thought she may never see again. I hadn’t breathed that deeply in over a year.
Thirty four weeks later, seventeen days earlier than expected, my wife came home from work and began having contractions. Her scheduled appointment for a repeat c-section wasn’t for ten days. To say we weren’t prepared would be an understatement. It was just past midnight when we decided to head to the hospital.
7/11/14 3:59 am
Among the few things I managed to grab on our way out the door, was my smartphone. The obvious reasoning was to be able to contact family and friends with updates from the hospital. What I didn’t consider at the time, was that I’d be able to capture a timeline of moments from this unexpected event. The images shared here are of both significant and mundane moments during our early visit to the hospital…
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by Todd Leban | Aug 31, 2014 | 1000 Words, Stories, Todd Leban
Welcome to the ninth edition of the GRRYO 1000 Words Facebook Showcase! Since the creation of the Facebook group, we have seen it grow and watched inspiring work being posted daily. We are happy to be able to showcase some of the outstanding work that is being shared.
GRRYO believes that mobile photographers/ artists tell stories through the photographs/ images and art that represents their families, their environment, themselves. This is important because of the level of communication that is portrayed in imaging today.
We want to support the mobile arts community by having a place for artists to share, discuss, and critique (if requested by individual). These dialogues help the individuals and the community to grow.
We look forward to you and your art. We thank you for your contribution to the mobile photography/ arts community. To submit your work click here.
Veronica Hassell
I have been exploring the water element this summer with my lifeproof shooting a lot of underwater shots and this was an afternoon when we just finished shooting. It was early evening and we were losing the last bit of natural light so as my model sat shivering, I decided to take a few more shots. I actually used the snappeed in app camera and used a preset in the grunge setting. I then used the tilt shift preset for some slight blur. Unionapp was used to add and blend the flowers, which I also shot in the snappeed camera and edited in grunge. This original shot was taken in a swimming pool with all those edges of the pool just beyond the models head in view. A little cropping and blending created more drama and the feel of some deep blue pool in Bali which is what I was hoping for.
This shot is part of a series on Flickr called “Skin Divers” which is from the writings of Anne Michaels.
I think as time goes by I’m realizing more and more that it doesn’t matter how many apps you use, sometimes beauty can be created with the most simple subject. It’s a challenge I’m enjoying quite a bit: finding beauty in simple moments.
// instagram // Flickr // Veronica Hassell//
Elaine Taylor
This shot was taken early Summer’s evening at one my boys’ favourite spots to play. A place where they automatically run, climb, jump and create little adventures together. No technology in sight (apart from my cheeky iPhone!). It’s what they enjoy doing more than anything. I love capturing those precious moments.
I took a few shots that evening. When I looked through the camera roll this one jumped out. I loved Billy’s hand; like he is beckoning his big brother. The original image felt a bit gloomy though, and didn’t reflect the actual moment captured. It seemed sad. Ominous. The boys with their heads down under a moody sky. It just didn’t feel right. So, I turned to Mextures to add something colourful to the sky; something uplifting.
My boys under a rainbow sky off on an adventure together to discover new and exciting things. That’s what I see when I look at this image.
Apps Used: Procamera7, Snapseed, Mextures, Union
Process:
I shot this with ProCamera7 on my iPhone5S. As I do with most images, I took it into Snapseed first: cropped and straightened it, then increased the contrast a little. Next step Mextures to create the rainbow colours in the sky (can’t remember the details – Mextures is still new to me so I would’ve been playing around for quite some time). Finally, I took the image into my favourite blending/masking app Union to bring out the original silhouettes.
Links:
// AMPT // Flickr // IG // EyeEm //
Erika C. Brothers
This image is one of hundreds I have taken of my kids this summer, in fact I could say that is my favorite of summer 2014. I really enjoy taking water photography and enjoy the results I get from the effects of water. This particular photograph was taken with the iPhone standard camera and edited on a iPad first using Camera+ to adjust contrast, after I used iColorama to highlight the effect of flow, and for final filter effects VSCOcam.
IG // FB //
Tommy Wallace
I don’t usually shoot cars yet here I was in the backyard of an abandoned farm house with three or four surrounding me. What was I to do? This shot was taken with the sun through the window giving a nice glint of light on the horn ring of the steering wheel.
Taken with the Camera-FV5 app on my Samsung GS4, I let this gem sit on my feed for months before I did anything with it. For editing I used HandyPhoto which is one of my favorite editing tools. This app is available on android and iOS.
It’s been awhile but I’m thinking on this one I first cropped then darkened the photo, while increasing contrast and sharpening slightly. I’ve really enjoyed working with textures and applied a few of them gently to get a darker effect and to give some vignette on the edges.
As I edited this I began to focus on the glow from the light reflected on that horn ring. I love the way the reflected light splashes across the steering wheel.
I try to title photos from personal experiences as well as something that is unique to the shot itself. The fuel gauge is setting on the “E” in this shot, of course. When I was growing up and started driving I learned a new phrase: “Flat on empty.” The car I drove was in that condition more often than not. As I’m old enough to have driven a car with a horn ring like this, I thought “Flat on E” was appropriate.
On Instagram, Eyeem, and Twitter I’m @pastortwallace. On Flickr just drop the @. You can also see some of my stuff at amptcommunity.com/profile/TommyWallace. I appreciate the opportunity to participate with the Grryo community. The storytelling aspect of photos is so powerful and I’m glad Grryo celebrates that.
Patricia Larson
Photo taken with iPhone 4s
This photo was taken on a trip to a beach in Texas, the picture was completely minimalist so I decided to play with the editing, it was a beautiful evening and it was not time of vacation so that the sea was in complete tranquility and could perfectly capture the photo.
Apps Used: Camera+, Circular
Facebook // EyeEm // Flickr // IG // phoneart.com
Andrea Koerner
There really isn’t any inspiration per say behind my photos it’s more an intuitive thing that I do. I just start with a photo and “play” with various apps until I get a photo that speaks to me. This one started out as two Hipstamatic photos that I combined in Superimpose. I then added more elements thru Superimpose and put the finished photo thru Brushstroke(I painted it and upped the Saturation). From there I took it into Elasticam and manipulated it to give the figure the effect of wearing a hood/cowl. Lastly I took it into Textures+ and added the graffiti effect.
// Instagram // Flickr // Facebook //
by Hayami Nishigaki | Aug 21, 2014 | Stories
Chloe woke up with tears in her eyes.
by Jen Bracewell | Aug 19, 2014 | Jen Bracewell, Stories
Chloé fell asleep. Her head pressed hard against the train’s window, the Leica bound round her neck, a metal albatross bouncing in time to the reverberations of the train track.
She dreamt of a male hustler named Paul who she had met on the streets of Istanbul. He was English and smelled of cheap, drugstore cologne and clove cigarettes. Paul had been stabbed to death, through his ubiquitous plaid scarf, with a pair of scissors that pierced his vocal cord.
by Jen Bracewell | Aug 10, 2014 | 1000 Words, Stories
Welcome to our third themed Instagram 1000 words showcase! There are many talented artists on Instagram and we wanted to tap into their creativity and showcase their work here. I chose “Still Life” as the theme for this showcase. I’m very impressed with the images that were submitted. It was difficult to choose just a few!
Grryo believes that mobile photographers/ artists tell stories through the photographs/ images and art that represents their families, their environment, themselves. This is important because of the level of communication that is portrayed in imaging today.
We want to support the mobile arts community by having a place for artists to share, discuss, and critique (if requested by individual). These dialogues help the individuals and the community to grow.
We look forward to you and your art. We thank you for your contribution to the mobile photography/ arts community.
Welcoming Committee
Inspiration came to me for this image from 3 spherical shapes that stand sentry at my entryway. They rest in a concrete sculpture of a large rhubarb leaf that I created years ago. I love the peaceful face that hints at whimsy, and welcomes everyone who enters.
The editing process was very simple. Originally I thought I would take it to black and white until a Mextures formula seemed to bring it to life. Then I added a simple VSCO filter and it was complete. – Tricia
. . . and the call never came
On a recent venture, down a dirt road in rural Perry County, Arkansas, I came to a favorite place to photograph. This wasn’t my first time at the old abandoned farmhouse. It was a fantastic setting, complete with outbuildings, junk cars, and other ancient artifacts scattered about. I had only shot from the front of the house before but this time wandered around to the back. I took a few shots of the old cars and the back window of the house before sticking my head in the open door of an old shed. There it was. An old black rotary dial phone lay covered in dust and grime. The natural light coming in through a side window made this a great shot. Using the Camera FV-5 app on my Samsung GS4 I snapped a few angles of this great find.
Like some other “great shots” in my gallery, it sat there for months. Recently going through some old stuff I pulled this one up into the HandyPhoto app. I dropped the saturation to make it a black and white and adjusted contrast and sharpness slightly. I then decided to add some very slight cloud texture to give it a little bit of a dusty feel in the air. This photo reminds me of the days of my boyhood when rotary phones were the way we stayed in touch . . . or didn’t. – Tommy
Untitled
This image was taken a few months back on Isla San Miguel, Panama back when we had just begun our vacation. Now we’re back in Panama with only a few days before going home! It was a blast! Met many super people, saw some great places, bought a house, and can’t wait to do it again sometime! – Frederic
Untitled
This is a photo of Hopkins Marine Station located in Monterey, California. The original photo was taken in December 2013.
History: Hopkins Marine Station was founded in 1892, making it the oldest marine laboratory on the US Pacific Coast, and the second-oldest in the US. I work directly across the bay from this historic building and I have had the opportunity to photograph it through the changing seasons. On this particular day, I was watching some storm clouds approach and though it would make a pretty impressive picture.
Technique: Taken with my iPhone5, the photo is a two-exposure HDR rendered in ProHDR. The “looking glass” image was added using Juxtaposer and colorized using ColorFX. The dodging, burning and blur effects were done using PhotoToaster, and final touchup was done in PS Express- Jim
Still Life, Number One
“When I once read about still lives I happened to find out about Vanitas still lives.
Vanity might kill us all.
Or America.
Or we do it ourselves.
Or we live forever.
Or we buy space rockets and find a special box which has a glowing pink gem in it. The gem gives everybody on earth the power to fly while sleeping.
After the fourth flying dream all people got a letter in which they found a message:
“That would be such a senseless thing to be able to do! I never explain what I mean with my pictures.”
But here are two facts about the ashtray:
No. 1: my parents stole that thing years ago.
No. 2: since I can remember I loooooooooooovvvvve Coca-Cola so much – everyday!!!!!!!” – Michel
A Tattered Room All Undone
The last time I visited Bodie I was 19 years old but it has stayed with me till I returned last fall over three decades later. I can’t believe I waited so long to return. The last ten miles in is now very rough road, but worth every bump and all the dirt and dust. Pack light, but bring water and full tank of gas, no over night camping.
These rooms are fascinating and not open to the public. This photo and a series I photographed were taken by pressing my I phone against the windowpane and shooting. As I peered in the windows I was struck by fragments of life left in each room and the stories they tell, of family, friends, love, loss and history.
The park rangers and volunteers that look after this amazing old town refer to the state of affairs here as arrested decay, nothing is repaired or painted, but an occasional board to prop up a wall or roof line will be done as needed.
I remember reading a story about the little girl who moved to Bodie, she had written in her diary: “Goodbye God, going to Bodie” when her family moved there from San Francisco. Apparently back in the day – it was a pretty tough, and unforgiving mining town, and at one point boasted a lively population of 10,000 folks.
I had an amazing week in the beautiful Sierras, visited Manzanar, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Independence, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, June Mountain, Bodie and Bridgeport – the 395 is a gorgeous stretch of highway filled with mountains, nature and history layered and inspiring on so many levels – a perfect brew.
Photo taken fall of 2013 / Bodie Ghost Town
About me – A Modern Maverick/Karen Baxter
I have a passion for the new, the old, different cultures and far away places. I am in love with the creative process, and consider myself an idea person with strong visual and conceptual influences. I am drawn to the underdog, the forgotten or voiceless and have been advocating on behalf of criminal justice reform, Brandon Hein and The Innocence Project for many years. I am motivated by my deep care and concern for humanity, social responsibility, planet earth and her environment. My favorite city is my hometown Santa Monica, California. My first love and influence was my Grandmother Martha “Mattie” Burkett Baxter born in 1890 in Oklahoma (formally Indian Territory) for her late night storytelling that lasted into the wee hours of the night, and throughout my life – she claimed as a child I did not care much for fairytales or storybooks, and that I often said “Grandma tell me only the true stories”….not much has changed since then. – Karen
Untitled
I hope my editing description isn’t too vague. I did most of the editing months ago and can’t remember everything I did. Haven’t been able to get out much to take new photos lately so I’ve been going back to older ones on my camera roll.
I took the original photo using ProCamera. I applied a couple filters in Afterlight. Then I used the blur tool in Filterstorm to blur everything except the flag. – Dave
Last Days
I shot this image just recently whilst on holiday in the Aveyron region in southwest France. I’d picked a big bunch of lavender the day before and put a few extra loose pieces in a glass on the windowsill. The old cottage we stayed in with its ancient rough-cut stone walls served as a perfect backdrop for many still life images during my stay. I chose to use the Tintype SnapPak from Hipstamatic as the antique feel of the lens and film complemented the stone as well as the faceted crystal of the glass. I was really happy with the amount of focus on the surface of the water and the light glinting off the glass. This hipsta combo is recommended for portraits but I shoot landscapes, still life and everything else with it. It’s very atmospheric! This image is unedited, so I guess it’s a purehipsta shot! – Jennifer
Protect the animals
This once majestic creature hangs high on the wall in a busy bar in North London, forgotten and surrounded by lights and human paraphernalia. In Native American symbolism the steer/bull head respectively stands for courage and protection. The ironic way this beautiful steer skull is placed, still and with no voice; in the busy bustle of a bar, haunts and inspires me to have a voice.
Apps used Hipstamatic (Lowy, Blanko BL4) Snapseed and Mextures – Karla
by Grryo Community | Aug 5, 2014 | Stories
Street Photography and the Cinemagraph by Matt Coch
A Cinemagraph is a still photo that contains a subtle element of video motion. The movement within the image continuously loops similar to the motion of a GIF. A really effective Cinemagraph will play with the viewers perceptions. Is it video? Is it a photograph? It’s both really.
I recently had the opportunity to play with the Cinemagraph app on the Nokia Lumia 1020 and had some interesting results. To shoot one you simply hold the camera still for a few seconds after you depress the shutter. The results can be quite fun. You can also tweak the images by masking areas you would like to see move or by erasing areas within the frame that contain motion you want to freeze. It’s that simple.
While shooting I found that certain scenes lend themselves better to the Cinemagraph than others.
Neon
In this scene the crowd under the neon sign are obviously moving as some are captured mid-step. Although they are frozen in time the neon sign continues to flash, strongly enhancing the strange illusion. Neon signs are good subject matter because the looping motion of the cinemagraph allows for less error.
Remember the loop or have a happy accident.
My first cinemagraph was of this street scene in Time Square. I took the picture without any thought of how the end result would look. I wasn’t thinking about the looping motion. It starts, ends, then repeats. So the result was the “Dissapearing Man” who vanishes just before crossing the street. Not exactly a good cinemagraph, but a fun little accident all the same.
Wind
Windy days are good for playing with cinemagraphs. You can shoot a frame that has lots of motion and then select the items you would like to freeze.
A little harder to achieve was this woman’s blowing hair and jacket. Trying to isolate all the people milling about while only masking what I wanted to move, took a little bit of work but I’m happy with the result.
Reflections
All kinds of reflections work well with cinemagraphs from windows and mirrors to puddles. This was probably the easiest one to achieve because the puddle had nothing else moving around it and could be masked quickly.
Subtlety
Some of the best cinemagraphs are so subtle you barely notice them for what they are. In this image of Rockafeller Center I kept the motion of the flags blowing and the water fountain flowing but froze the ice skaters, one captured mid-stumble.
Have Fun
There is a little bit of a learning curve with cinemagraphs. But as with anything a little practice and patience goes a long way. It helps to have a little foresight before taking the picture, imagine what the end result will be and then work towards achieving it. The most important thing to remember is to just have fun with it!
by Todd Leban | Aug 1, 2014 | Stories, Todd Leban
What’s In A Name? Volume 1 curated by Todd Leban
Whether you are aiming to be creative, clever, humorous, emotional, or are simply identifying the elements of your shot, the title for your image is an important element that deserves some thought. In this first installment of an ongoing series, I have asked a handful of mobile photographers to select one of their photographs, and share their process of selecting its title. Please join me in discovering more about these artists and their images from around the globe.
Chuck Rose
Title of Image: My Reflection and a Piece of My Heart.
This picture is of my only son. I was thinking about how he will reflect some of who I am – that how I treat him and others will be reflected in the way that he treats people, and what a huge responsibility that is, and what an invaluable gift he is. It also made me think of how I want to be a reflection of God, my heavenly Father.
My process for naming an image generally happens one of two ways. I either have a thought in my head that I want to share, and look for or create an image to accompany it, OR I look at or create an image, and a thought comes to mind. One of my primary goals on Instagram, and in life is to encourage others. As I am thinking about a caption, I try and ask myself if the caption will in one way or another encourage those who see it – either by making them laugh, or making them think, or by sharing a part of who I am.
I know that some artists prefer not to use a caption….to allow the viewer to take what they want from the image. Though that is sometimes true for me, more often than not I want the caption to provide the viewer a deeper glimpse into some thought I had when creating the image.
AMPt // Instagram // Flickr // Twitter
Louise Fryer
Title of Image: Don’tcha Look Back
Naming an image is quite a new thing for me, until recently I believed that it was better to leave the perception of an image up to the viewer and not influence in any way. I am currently working on creative self portraits and especially for this genre, I find the images I create don’t seem finished until they have a title. Choosing a title is a very individual process and they can come from pretty much anywhere.
The images I’m concentrating on right now usually have some kind of emotional significance and sometimes I’ll find a title comes to me quite easily, music is a great inspiration to me, and this image is titled from the last lines of ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac. As this image is quite personal to me in what it represents ‘Don’tcha Look Back’ is perfect being that it is about moving forward, looking to the future and not looking back.
Website // Twitter
Philip Parsons
Title of Image: A Window to the Ordinary.
I tend to keep my titles to one of three styles: simple and to the point, references to song lyrics and registration numbers. I usually deliberate over a title for a while, because I feel that a title is a vital part of a piece, not just an add on. Nevertheless, although I want the title to enhance the image, I still want the image itself to be the dominant method of communication. I also find it hard to write short, pithy titles without them sounding glib, cheesy or just downright pointless. I find that songwriters often express what I want to say far more eloquently than I ever could.
The title for the image I’ve chosen doesn’t fit into one of the three categories I usually pick. This image is a comment on photographic composition as well as a reflection on the way I see many people viewing the world around them. The focal point of the shot is clearly the window, but what is seen through the window is plain, ordinary and uninteresting. The interest is in the frame. The details that the viewer should be observing are peripheral. Sometimes, individual circumstances can become so dominant that it is easy to miss the multiple elements that compose our existence. I feel that I frequently need to take a step back and look at the wider perspective.
All links to my social networks can be found via my website.
Armineh Hovanesian
Image title: Two faces for the price of one!
I decided to use this photo. A typical portrait shot however, when I looked at it and worked on the edit, I realized that I’m seeing two faces! Myself and my dad, whom I lost in 2011.
Generally, my photos are not planned in advance. Sometimes, I do have an idea and at other times, I just shoot and deal with the results later. That said, the titles always come to me as I’m looking and editing the photos. Depending on what kind of a feeling they convey some titles are literal, others thoughts and feelings. I tend to speak and communicate with my photos.
Usually I like to participate in monthly challenges where each day is given its own name, mission if you will. This way, when shooting, I have an agenda. As for the rest and most of the time, how a title enhances and supports an image that would entirely depend on my mood, state of mind and kind of day I have had.
Michelle Robinson
Image title: The Secret Story 8/23
This is an image from “The Secret Story”, a set of images that speaks of a life story, many loves ago. Whilst it is an image that is “in-your-face”, it is one that was created from a place of peace. For me, having found creativity and some kind of artistry after a “brain crash” (because a “nervous breakdown” is not close to describing what I went through), my early artwork was very raw as I channelled all the decades of repressed emotions. To be able to be removed enough to tell that part of my life is a huge personal achievement for me.
This year I decided to not give titles to my images, especially since I started my Creative 365 Project for 2014. I’ve used quotes to support many of the images and when I have needed to give a title to them, I have abstracted from the quotes. Part of the reason for doing this is due to laziness and also to lend credence to my own belief that I’d rather people see what they want to see, if they see anything at all.
If I could, I would name all of my images “untitled”. I think titles are important because it helps direct a viewer to a sentiment or state of mind. In many ways, the use of quotes is the same, I guess; except that I actually search for the quotes after I do the images. I’d like to think that my images can simply stand on their own untitled and to give freedom to interpretation. I am quite happy if people don’t ‘get it’, and often times, they take from it something that is wholly different from my original intention. To me, that is “art”. I spend a lot of time creating with heart and soul and from instinct and the sharing of images on a public platform is like releasing a balloon up into the air for the wind to take it to … wherever. Likewise, I share and expect nothing in return. There are people who view images quietly and follow my journey – if they take anything from it, it is already a gift in itself. I prefer not to dictate how people should interpret or feel about my images. I don’t seek for approval and neither should they if they interpret something right or wrong. The surprise is when someone sees something profound which I hadn’t in my creative process.
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*If you are interested in being a part of future volumes, please send me an email. – Todd Leban
by Grryo Community | Jul 30, 2014 | Stories
The Abandoned Kingdom of Camelot by Andy Butler
I was inspired by the subject of abandoned photography by Anna Cox‘s interview with Mike Hill in Mobiography magazine back in August last year. Mike talked about the theme of the abandoned and showcased a selection of his amazing imagery from several locations including the famous Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and the Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans. The stories behind these atmospheric locations got me thinking about searching for old and abandoned locations that I could explore for myself.
It is the history and stories that lay behind a building or location and the idea that nature reclaims them that fascinates me. Inspired by this idea, I set out to find my own abandoned project. My quest led me to ‘The Magical Kingdom of Camelot’.
The Towers of Camelot
Camelot, a local theme park, was once a bustling tourist attraction. It was based on the legend of King Arthur and opened its gates in 1983. It grew in size and popularity before finally closing in 2012, due to a downturn in visitor numbers. This downturn was blamed on a combination of the UK’s economic recession and several seasons of bad summer weather. Personally I feel the extortionate entrance fees played a major role in the parks demise.
During the summer of 1991 I worked at the park so in a small way I have a fond connection to the place or at least some fun memories of doing hand brake turns in milk floats as we stocked up the various food outlets at the end of the day.
My interest in Camelot as the subject of an abandoned photographic project was ignited following a story in the local press about local opposition to the land being developed into a large housing estate. My appetite was further fueled following the discovery of a series of photographs of Camelot on the Abandoned Playgrounds website.
I had to get inside the walls of Camelot and check it out for myself before it was gone forever.
My opportunity came one spring morning which saw the day breaking to clear, sunny blue skies. My dawn raid on King Arthur’s Camelot saw me enter the park through a large hole on the fence at the back of the complex. After a short walk across a field I entered the animal centre. This was the same farm I visited with my son only four years before. Once full of life with all sorts of inhabitants roaming free, I now found it to be a desolate and empty place. An eery ghost town.
King Arthur’s Animal Centre
Leaving the animal centre, ahead of me stood the towering framework of Knightmare. Once the jewel in the crown and centre piece attraction of Camelot, this landmark was visible for miles around but now it’s steel framework stood proud and rusting.
Photographically Knightmare presented thousands of photo opportunities everywhere you looked but there was an air of sadness to see it in such a state. Four years previously it had been full of screaming and had a buzzing atmosphere but now it was quiet and bleak with its only customers being the birds and rabbits.
Your Worst Knightmare
As I headed deeper into the kingdom of Camelot I came across the Dungeons of Doom. The dungeons was a small ghost ride of sheer terror which as I remember wasn’t actually a very scary experience. However, in its now abandoned and derelict state it presented a much more eery atmosphere with plenty of photographic opportunities to be had.
Dungeon of Doom
Onwards my quest led me to the jousting arena which in its day played host to daily displays of jousting and swordsmanship before a baying crowd of onlookers. King Arthur would sit on his thrown, observing the battles between the red and black knights. Again, four years previously I was part of that crowd. I have fond memories sat with my son as the court jester entertained the crowds.
King Arthur’s Jousting Arena
As the sun broke over the trees I began to make my way back through a small village once ladened with souvenir shops but again an air of sadness engulfed the place as the memories of a vibrant atmosphere long faded into the distance of time.
Camelot Village
The thing that struck me about shooting an abandoned location is the unique atmosphere it presents. It has memories embedded into the fabric its being. There is a contrast between something that was once proud and majestic against something that is now decaying and neglected as the passage of time and nature takes over.
This was my first experience of shooting an abandoned project and the first of many I hope. I have since returned to Camelot on several occasions and intend to a few more times before it is gone forever.
The path to the Arena
by Josh St. Germain | Jul 29, 2014 | Stories
To understand where Chloe is now you need to understand where Chloe began her journey and where it is headed. The Reinvention of Chloe is a collaborative effort by much of the Grryo team to realize a dream our dear friend Ale began before his death. We do hope you enjoy the journey.
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All that remained within was nothing
Nothing
She looked inward into this nothingness and saw freedom. There was now nothing in her way. Walking through the ashes of the pain inside of her she was a feather awaiting a summer breeze.
Nothing suddenly became everything
Nothing. Everything. Chloe was reborn
As she turned and took that first step, a phoenix, she was reborn from the ashes of ink and paper smoldering in her shadow.
That was the deepest breath Chloe had taken in years
by Grryo Community | Jul 28, 2014 | Stories
Harness the Spark
How It’s Done, An Interview with Brandon Kidwell by Mike Hill
M – Introduce yourself!
B – Hmmm… I guess I would describe myself as a normal guy with an abnormally overactive imagination. I’m from Jacksonville, Florida, US but I’ve lived all over the states including Maryland, California, Missouri, and the Chicago area as well as many friends couches off and on for a few years in my late teens, early 20’s. I’m a happily married guy with three incredible kids, a mini farm and I work in Financial Reporting for a large company. I daydream often and my wife would say I’m still a child at heart (or in everyday actions).
To Find Truth Sometimes You Have To Reach Into The Darkness
M – Right? Nothing wrong with being a big kid, guilty! But your artwork is that of a seasoned veteran. I’ve seen both straight photography to very edited from you, both done with precision. Do you prefer one over the other? And do you have a photography background?
B – Oh man, thanks, that really means a lot. I don’t have a photography background which I think is why I enjoy all styles of photography. I feel like I’m still green so I want to be a sponge and absorb all that I can learn about photography while leaving myself outside the confines of labeling or styles. This is really just a way to fulfill a creative need and express myself while hopefully learning more about myself and the world around me through photography. I don’t want to close any avenues and explore all roads because you never know, some of the photos I tried that felt completely foreign or unnatural at first, later became some of my favorites and pushed me into areas I was once uncomfortable with. I think that over time I’ll find my vision and my photos will become more consistent.
Morning Battles
M – Nice, that’s a good attitude, and I always say that photography is better approached as a hobby. On Instagram, your part of a group called Silhouette Creative, what can you tell us about it?
B – Silhouette Creative is a great Instagram community that consists of some incredible and inspiring friends. Jonny @jonnylove8js, Elaine @sunflowerof21, Marko @mmmarac, Jeff @postaljeff and Jess @jess1fer are all my talented teammates. The group started with a conversation with Jeff after he saw a few images I started tagging #silhouette_creative from my old Instagram feed (now gone). I was using the tag because the only time I had to shoot was on the way to work or on the weekends before my wife and kids woke up. Living in Florida I naturally compiled a ton of silhouettes and started getting very creative with them and wanted to organize them. From there Jeff tagged a few of his photos and shared the tag. I had a conversation with Jonny who also shared my knack for getting creative with silhouettes and @silhouette_creative (SC) was born in mid 2013. Jonny and I featured Elaine then naturally asked her to join. SC wouldn’t be the same without Elaine, she keeps us organized and focused, I’d say if we were a company she’d be our COO. We added Marko shortly after, he is a true artist and has an incredible eye for aesthetics. Jeff was later added and brought his creative genius to the team. Jess was the latest addition who’s talented and uplifting attitude was a perfect fit. We never wanted SC to be anything other than what it is, a community that likes silhouettes of all kinds. We don’t use tags or promote, we just like to celebrate and help share artists that inspire us and hopefully help others make some connections.
Driftwood Sunrise
M – Speaking of Instagram, you deleted your profile a few months ago, then after a while started a new one. Why? You and I pretty much agree on what Instagram has become, but what made you decide to come back?
B – I love the connections I made through Instagram, it’s where I found photography because I didn’t have the time or the money before my iPhone to enjoy and learn to capture and create in such a convenient way, it made it all accessible. On the other hand I got caught up in the “Instagram” of it all. The influence of what’s popular on Instagram started bleeding into me and I didn’t see it until I had to take a break for Thanksgiving last year. I noticed that I wouldn’t post a picture because it didn’t look right on my feed or was reluctant to post something I didn’t think was popular. In a sense, I took a step back and felt I lost my way. I had no purpose and no end game for photography or Instagram, it was merely a way to record scenes I thought were interesting, capture my corner of the world how I see it or create an image that conveys an emotion or a story I want to tell. I stopped doing that and started just taking what I thought were just pretty pictures that had no significant meaning to me. After I deleted my feed I started up on Flickr and iPhoneArt, and got much more involved in AMPt and started my own website to organize my photography (I’m very inconsistent and open to any style that fits the emotion or image). Through these communities I found my way back to why I was interested in photography in the first place and fell in love all over again. When I rejoined Instagram it was with the intentions of following all of the people that inspired me from my prior feed and occasionally posting to advertise for WeAreJuxt (now GRRYO) or AMPt and help support the communities I enjoy, but I found myself posting more and more over time but using Instagram just as a tool to share and connect, a means, not an end.
Devan
M – My introduction to your photos started with your double exposure work, this was back before everyone was doing it, now it’s EVERYWHERE. There’s a lot of ‘follow the leader’ in photography, and specifically in the Instagram circles. What inspires you to stay creatively forward thinking, and not getting mixed up in the latest artistic trend?
B – I try to make it a point to step out of my comfort zone and try something new or let myself be open to try new things, sometimes they turn out better than you could have imagined and open you up to new realms of creativity. Honestly, the double exposure interest has always been there but it was at the time that I deleted my Instagram feed that I took the time to play around with some photos and ran across a tutorial for a double exposure setting within the Canon Mark III, and I thought I could mimic that within Filterstorm, and was hooked. I wouldn’t have found that if I didn’t take a step back to clear my expectations and open myself up. I think no matter what is trending if you are creating something that’s meaningful to you it will show in your work and it will be original. I think it’s a great idea if you feel you’re in a rut to clear every photo from your camera or your phone and just go for a walk or a drive, rediscover the world with a blank slate and clear eyes.
Where Is My Mind?!?
M – I agree, and do the exact same thing where I clear all photos and start over. It helps to reboot. You recently had a new addition to the family, the birth of your new boy. Congrats again! With the birth of Brayden, has that changed your creative flow?
B – I can say he’s been the greatest distraction from my creative process I could ask for. He’s definitely inspired me to create but I don’t want to miss anything so I’ve kept the phone and my cameras on charge more and left the exploring and photo adventures for another day. I look forward to seeing everything fresh through his eyes in the coming years. Our two oldest and myself are a bunch of kids at heart. My wife is great and enjoys the fun with us but she’s our ground control, keeps us on earth from time to time, she’s incredible. I’m sure my photos will be filled with cute and silly stuff with lots of family for a while. In the meantime I keep busy with random photos when convenient, I’m always shooting something.
Lil Dragon
M – You and I have spoken many times about the significance and future of mobile photography, specifically the term “mobile photography”. Do you think it will last as a separate thing, or will it all eventually merge into just photography?
B – I’m not really sure where my photography will go but my interest in photographing people is growing. I’m not sure what that really means but there is something about a well done portrait that is starting to speak to me more and more as I grow with my photography. I think that we will see compromises on both sides until it merges eventually into one field. Right now the mobile cameras cannot compare to professional cameras but they have the advantage of being portable and more versatile in situations that you wouldn’t have a professional camera. I know there is a lot of discussion about this right now but that happens anywhere there is change. I’m sure DSLR’s were frowned upon for die hard film lovers when they hit the market and mobile is just the latest evolution. I think the term mobile will eventually lose its distinction and we’ll all be equipped with devices that any photographer or digital artist can use anywhere. I think it’s empowering and limiting at the same time depending upon what school you come from. There is an indubitable art to shooting with film like there is a DJ still spinning vinyl. I think how we do something becomes a different kind of appreciation for the artistic process but at the end of the day it’s all about the finished product, the story and how well it’s captured and translated through your art either for yourself or to an audience.
Uncovered Truth
M – Man you sound just like me, haha that’s a scary thought huh? I’ve said pretty much the same thing. It’s good to know someone thinks the same way and isn’t afraid to admit it. Thanks, dude, for taking the time to shoot the shit with me once again. In closing, is there anything else you wanna say?
B – You know what they say, great minds and all that haha. Thank you, Mike, for letting me share a bit about myself. I don’t think of myself as overly interesting but I hope if you’re reading this you walk away with something new. I’ll take a note from the gentleman Ben Staleys book and leave you with a quote.
“The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is proof that he exists”. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Dragon Boat Racing Along The St. Johns River
Thanks for reading. You can find more of Brandon’s amazing work these places:
Website // AMPt // EyeEm // Instagram // Grryo
by Josh St. Germain | Jul 27, 2014 | 1000 Words, Josh St. Germain, Stories
Welcome to the eighth edition of the GRRYO 1000 Words Facebook Showcase! Since the creation of the Facebook group, we have seen it grow and watched inspiring work being posted daily. We are happy to be able to showcase some of the outstanding work that is being shared.
GRRYO believes that mobile photographers/ artists tell stories through the photographs/ images and art that represents their families, their environment, themselves. This is important because of the level of communication that is portrayed in imaging today.
We want to support the mobile arts community by having a place for artists to share, discuss, and critique (if requested by individual). These dialogues help the individuals and the community to grow.
We look forward to you and your art. We thank you for your contribution to the mobile photography/ arts community. To submit your work click here.
This month’s submissions showed us that the quality and creativity of our artists is growing exponentially and shows no signs of stopping! Last week my wife and I were happily surprised with the birth of our son… 10 days earlier than expected! Due to my time spent in the hospital and getting us settled in back at home, I was unable to give my selected artists the usual amount of time to submit the stories behind the images I had selected from the group. Due to this, there were a few that were unable to meet the short deadline. So, I am asking our audience to please take a few moments to go view the GRRYO – 1000 Words Facebook Showcase – Submission group and see the brilliant work being submitted.
Thank you as always for the participation and support!
“She Thought She Was Safer This Way” by Meri Walker
EyeEm // Website // Flickr // Blog
Apps used : longexposure, cameramatic, afterlight, afterfocus, mextures
After four years, making photographs and paintings with my iPhone remains one of the strangest things I do. I say this because when I go walking with my phone camera, what I’m doing is waiting for a call.
The experience of walking with any camera in hand has always felt to me like a kind of “hunting” and being hunted – at the same time. But, from the beginning, walking with my iPhone, with no special lenses, no extra filters, no “gear,” I have felt free, like a child, to look and listen for someone/something to call me – without words.
“She Thought She Was Safer This Way” started with me and my dog, Blaze, walking along Bear Creek late in the afternoon. It was early in June and the long low light filtering through the fresh green leaves was highlighting patches here and there in the gathering dark. Giant thistles had begun fluffing out and the one in this shot was lit like she was on her own little stage. I stopped to watch the wind blow her and was surprised to see that nothing happened to her hairdo. I climbed over some vines to get closer and made several shots from different positions, using LongExpo to gather all the light and detail I could in the low-light situation. The more shots I made, the more I noticed how tough her helmet of hair was.
Many of us who love plants but aren’t botanists carry around fanciful notions that these thistles are soft, sweet and feminine, standing passively in fields, waiting for a child’s soft hand to pick them and blow their seeds to the wind. However, spending time with this little beauty, she used my phone to tell me that her 360-degree helmet was more like armor than some gauzy, fancy-girl headress. At this stage of life, I could easily identify.
When I got home and looked carefully at the images, I imported the best shot into Cameramatic, a quirky little square-format app I recently learned about from Eloise Capet that has some interesting black-and-white films and lenses. Then I used Afterlight and Afterfocus to bring up contrast and clarity in the thistle structure and suppress detail in the surrounding areas. helped add a little unifying texture without compromising the detail.
As is so often the case for me, as I approached the end of the apping process, I heard the image title whispered into my right ear. It almost doesn’t freak me out anymore when an image calls me with its title. It’s like a little blessing. As I said, having a camera in my phone – and a phone in my camera – remains one of the wierdest experiences I’ve had in this life.
“Enlightened Men Always Escape” by Stephane Vereecken
Website
The “Enlightened Men Always Escape” picture was created in the studio with two models. Then reworked on photoshop touch for duplicate characters and add prison bars, hand-drawn. And this is Repix and Snapseed applications , that were used to process the image.
I worked for about two years with models wearing masks to express deletion of the individual and of the human person, crushed by the mass of people on earth. The individual alone and lonely is no longer possible … We are part of a greater whole and our move is watched constantly.
I am also at this time, actually going to make some experiments on social networks for this purpose. And it’s very interesting how people react.
This is my new lab.
This picture shows the characters imprisoned and only a person realizes that he can escape. Because this person, who has a clear face, and light out of his head, is the only one with knowledge. And because without knowing things in life, and the world, it remains in place and imprisoned.
And masks monkeys bring us back to our beastly origins and prehistoric.
We must escape and then show the way for others.
“The City Without You” by Aldo Pacheco
Flickr // EyeEm
the title came after I almost finished the edition and because my love ones are on a trip back home (Lima Peru). express for me some kind of sadness, the sensation of not to being with them for a month and a song of one of Joaquin Sabina (spanish singer/song writer) “Calle Melancolia” (Street Melancholia) that talks about a lonely person that life in that street and he wants to move to the Street Happiness, but always is to late… anyway…. it’s a city without you
Edition :
The photo edition starts with 2 different photos, the first on is a selfi of me and my daughter (Sabina) at the airport the day they left and the second one was of some mechanic games at a ribfest fair in Toronto. For both of them I used Clever Painter app to get the thick brush. I worked also with the selfi in Repix with Drips and Spray edition tools.
In iColorama I combine and mix the second (after and third photo, and re-combine the result with the previous one. as a result of that we got the “buildings”. Next step was the drawing lines done with Scketchbook Mobile app. Finally Snapseed for image tuning, crop, grunge and retroflex filter
“At Days End” by Rob Depaolo
This image was taken at Salisbury Beach Reservation in Massachusetts earlier this summer while walking the shore with my family one evening.
As I was taking various shots, this young girl walked down into the water before quickly turning and running back out. There was something about how she was approaching the water with caution at first that grabbed my attention. I snapped away and managed to get this one image that really captured the feel of the moment.
All editing was done in Filterstorm Neue on my iPhone (the shot was originally taken with PureShot). I cropped the image in a bit to better frame the girl, converted to black and white and made a few typical adjustments to the levels and contrast. I used the clone tool to remove a part of another person that remained in the left side of the frame. Finally, I added a bit of vignetting (I love a vignette!) and that’s it! I like to keep thing relatively simple in my editing workflow.
“Safari” by Kathy Clay
This image was inspired by a recent trip we took to a Game Lodge near Kruger National Park in South Africa. The experience was amazing. We went out twice a day in open jeeps and saw more animals than I ever imagined.
I took hundreds of photos and the one thing that was constant in many of the photos was the back of the Trackers head (his name was Peter). He sat on a small fold up chair attached to the front of the jeep. I tried to capture the beauty and silence of the open savanna in the photo.
The apps I used we’re Superimpose, Snapseed and IColorama.
“Tubos” by Patricia Larson
Instagram // EyeEm // Flickr
Photo taken with iPhone 5s
This photo was taken at my work, this structure belongs to a machine that generates electricity with gas, daylight shines on the structure with much sunshine. It did not require any editing, just put it in black and white with the filters of camera+
App used : Camera +
“Turn Away Before He Sees You” by Andrea Koerner
Instagram // Flickr // Website
This photo came about when another mobile photographer reminded me about the double exposure feature of Hipstamatic. I’ve always loved Hipstamatic and it turns out the double exposure feature is terrific for the self portraits I love to do. This one was done using the Hongdae HipstaPak(Yoona lens and Blanko 012 film). One of my favorite combo for taking photos of flowers in a vase. This one was a self portrait double exposed with a flower that was past it’s prime. The title came about from the intensity of the eyes in the photo.
