by André Hermann | Sep 11, 2013 | Andre H, Featured Articles
Refining Observations: An Interview with Michael Christopher Brown by Andre H
In a world where nearly everyone is a photographer, and we are inundated with millions of images a day, its hard to keep track of who’s who, and, more importantly, the critical stories being told throughout the world. You all may recall earlier this year when I sat down with Ed Kashi to discuss mobile phone photography. It was during that interview that Ed introduced me to another photographer who was also using the iPhone to tell important stories. What later caught my attention was that this particular person had recently been accepted as a nominee into the legendary Magnum Photos with a portfolio dominated by mobile Phone images. Exciting, right? After reviewing his images, I wanted to know more, as I’m sure you do. So, lets do it. Everyone, Michael Christopher Brown.
AH: So tell us, who are you, what do you do, and why photography?
MCB: I use photography in areas of conflict. Photography, because it is the best way for me to communicate.
AH: Where are you right now? What story or project are you working on as you respond to these questions?
MCB: Thailand. I just photographed a friends wedding and am in the north now with my girlfriend. These past couple months I have not done much photography wise, just working on updating the stock archive and looking forward to a project in the fall.
AH: The explosion of mobile phone photography is beginning to settle now as it finds its place in the photography ring? What are your thoughts? Is mobile phone photography a blessing or a curse?
MCB: Well it depends how somebody uses the phone – in certain situations the phone helps and in other situations it hinders. But with respect to the mobile phone as an additional tool for photographers and artists, it is a blessing. 
AH: As a working pro do you feel the mobile phone has leveled the playing field between dedicated pros and the average enthusiast? Why, why not? Is really just another tool, or is it something much more?
MCB: Taking professional looking photographs is easier and faster with the advent of the iPhone. There are tons of apps that make your picture looking ‘pretty’ in a matter of seconds, without having to learn Photoshop or other complex computer based imaging applications. So yes, it is possible for an average enthusiast to compete with a pro. But pretty pictures are not always good pictures, so in general it is not about the recording device that levels the playing field; It is about the developed eye and craft and the way a project is assembled that separates the pro from the enthusiast.
AH: When you’re not out in the field covering conflict what other types of subjects or genres are you shooting?
MCB: People I know, family and friends. I am not inspired now, as in the past, to do much street photography or photography of others I do not know beyond the projects that interest me.
AH: When did you first start using a smartphone professionally? What were your first thoughts on the process? How much have you changed since that first time?
MCB: I began using the phone in late 2010. I was attracted to the simplicity of operation, the size, the high ‘aperture’ (everything was in focus) and how, when using certain applications, the images would look like medium format transparency or color negative film in a matter of seconds. The quality was much lower than say 6×6 medium format, as it is still, but the benefits seemed to outweigh the drawbacks. The phone was particularly useful when photographing people, as it still is, because the public perceived a phone differently from that of a camera – they did not see it as an effective visual recording device so they were unafraid. This opened the opportunity to take certain kinds of pictures, for example the Line 2 subway series on my website. Most of the people in those images were unaware that I was taking their picture, generally from several inches away.
AH: How has the mobile phone camera changed the way you perceive photography and the world around you? How has the your mobile phone work changed the way the world perceives your work, and the issues you cover?
MCB: I used to take photography too seriously and the camera controlled certain aspects of my life. Removing the camera created a certain independence and I was able to see the world from another perspective, perhaps one more true to who I am. I am not sure if the mobile phone work changed the way the world perceives the work, perhaps the photography world but not necessarily the world in general. Images of war are images of war and for the most part it is about the content and if it is 35mm or Medium format. But I hope with this soon to be published book, Libyan Sugar, that I will be able to share something a bit different, at least with the photography world, and that the Libya work will be perceived a bit differently (more than just a body of war work created with a phone) as a result.
AH: You were recently nominated into Magnum Photos, an organization known for their traditional ways of shooting film. How will this affect your use of the mobile phone in your work? Was this considered in the acceptance process?
MCB: The portfolio submitted included only phone pictures from Libya and Congo, though I am not familiar enough with the details to comment on the acceptance process. So far it is a great relationship and I hope it continues into the years ahead. I applied because I have the utmost respect for the agency, the work of Magnum photographers was what inspired my initial interest in photography as a primary and worthwhile means of communication, but my acceptance will not inspire any further or lesser use of a phone.
AH: Can you please give me a brief breakdown of what the story was you pursued in the Congo. Why did you feel it was important? Why was this body of work submitted for consideration to Magnum over another story?
MCB: Initially I went for TIME magazine, working on a story about conflict minerals and the effects on the population in the Kivu provinces of the D.R.C. I proposed the story for TIME, to be included in their first every wireless technology issue. I photographed in Uganda, Rwanda then the D.R.C. in part of July and August, then returned again to theD.R.C. in November when the M23 rebel group took the city of Goma. I returned again in March and stayed until June, documenting mostly the population. Much of the conflict is never seen and inaccessible due to the fact that they do not want press there, it happens in the jungle and away from the main cities. I felt it was important for TIME as it showed where much of these minerals necessary to mobile technology was extracted from, and that it was important to show those involved and effected by that extraction. I submitted it to Magnum, along with the Libya work, as it best showed the direction my work was heading. Also I just spent a couple weeks in Egypt and plan to return to continue photographing the aftermath of the military takeover and the Egyptian population.
AH: How do you think mobile phone photography will continue to change the professional visual storytelling world?
MCB: Well it is not necessarily phone photography that is changing visual storytelling in the mobile world. It is the applications, the delivery platforms, and as they evolve so will visual storytelling.
AH: What is the “standard script for war reportage?” How is the iPhone changing that?
MCB: That phrase, the standard script for war reportage, may be looked at in different ways. It might, among other things, refer to the equipment being used, to the approach to war reportage in terms of the distance inspired by the equipment, or both. In this case it was both, but the importance of that work is not so much that a phone camera was used. The work takes on another meaning in book form, where the images set the stage for an experience expressed through journal entries, skype/email conversations and sms/facebook messaging. That experience takes place during the Revolution and it is about a young man going to war for the first time, searching for that age-old desire to not only be near a conflict but to get as close as possible to it in order to discover, quite purposefully, something about war and something about himself – perhaps a certain definition of life and death. So the 80 or so Libya iPhone images on my website does not do justice to that body of work. The book is sized and presented more like a novel than a photo book, and one has to go through the text to get the full message of the work. So this is all to say that it is not about the phone camera but the type of work a phone camera may inspire.
AH: You continue to shoot with hipstamatic? Even though it is known for its slow processing time, what’s your rationale forusing it in conflict zones? Why not another app? Other photographers covering conflict have been scrutinized for using heavy filters and hipstamatic when covering news worthy topics. What are your thoughts on walking this fine line between photojournalism and the fine art world?
MCB: Hipstamatic used to be very slow, about one picture every 15-30 seconds. But I enjoyed that process because it slowed me down and enabled a different way of seeing. I miss the slow version. Now one can take nine frames before having to wait for it to process, and it is interesting how the process has become lazy as a result. I did contact Hipstamatic at some point regarding the heavy filters, the splotches and vignetting, which I think looks terrible, but they were not interested at the time. When another friend and colleague then contacted them later, they worked with us to create a better lens and film though I have yet to try it out.
AH: What’s your work flow when using the iPhone. Break it down for us. What’s app(s) do you use in what order? Do you post only to IG or other photo sharing sites?
MCB: I have used the app 645 Pro. I like it because there is a spot meter and the exposure and focus can be locked, but it is slow compared with Hipstamatic. I still defer to Hipstamatic as I have yet to find an app that has less ‘shutter lag’ than Hipstamatic, though the regular camera on the iPhone 5 is now as fast if not faster than Hipstamatic, but it does not have the square frame. I post mostly to IG and sometimes will use IG to share on Facebook and Tumblr.
AH: Explain your initial reaction of being one of the 5 photographers chosen to cover Super Storm Sandy by TIME magazine with a Mobile phone. Had you already been using an iPhone to cover conflict? Was it business as usual for you, or did you have to change your workflow?
MCB: I had used a phone before on assignments, in conflict and at the time had just finished a job for TIME in the Congo using a phone. Sandy was the first time I was given an assignment to post to Instagram and I was assigned to specifically cover Manhattan. Though I could not venture out to the coast where the most intense wave action was happening, I was able to find enough to photograph, sometimes due to the Instagram comments of followers.
AH: Please explain your thought “shooting with an iPhone is similar to keeping a notebook.” What does this mean?
MCB: During the photographic process, I don’t take the phone as seriously as the camera and that makes a big difference. It starts with the physical aspects – it weighs less, has no moving parts and slides effortlessly into and out of the pocket. Then there is the photo bag – there is none, and there are no other lenses, memory cards and such to worry about. There is just one button and the world. Much like a notebook, just a pen and the world.
AH: You’ve mentioned that the limitations of an iPhone can also be beneficial? Please explain.
MCB: Well a vice is a virtue. From an artistic standpoint, the limitations are the limitations of any other camera with one lens. Because the photographer is given one focal length and ‘look,’ making a cohesive project can be easier because, beyond a certain physical distance that is then necessary, determined and perhaps predictable due to the lens and vision of the photographer, the photographer is not only mindful of the end result, how a scene will appear photographed before actually photographing the scene, but becomes a non-participant at the technical end of the photographic process. So throughout the process a photographer is never a technician, but an observer, and this role reduction refines the observation.
AH: You were quoted “ I am convinced that a photographer’s professionalism lies in the approach taken to the work, not the equipment used.” Some people may argue this point especially those who spend thousands of dollars on high quality ‘glass’ and other equipment. Why do you feel the approach is so much more important than the equipment?
MCB: I was partly referring to photographing people, when approach is everything. Body language, what you say and how you say, largely determines access and the way in which people respond, not equipment. I was also referring to the vision of the project and, in reference to the above, that equipment can negatively interfere with the quality and intensity of observation.
by Anna Cox | Sep 10, 2013 | Anna Cox, Featured Articles
Satisfying Your Palette with Olia Hercules by Anna Cox
Meet Olia, not only is she absolutely fantastic but she is also a fantastic and innovative chef for a sweet little start up called the Recipe Kit in her hometown of London. I am constantly amazed at the people I get to meet through mobile photography and Olia is no exception. From the first conversation there was an ease to our conversations. She even took the time to coach and encourage me through weaning my son. That right there is one gooooood lady. You all may or may not know that, one, I LOVE to eat and, two, I love a good still life. [Enter Olia’s IG feed stage left] I was blown away and hungry all at the same time. It is a feast for the eyes and palette with little snapshots of Olia’s sweet boy thrown in.
A: Tell me the basics about you, where you are from, what you do etc
O: I was born in the Soviet Union, in a tiny town in southern Ukraine. I was fortunate enough to have the hardest working parents, who made it possible for us to move to Cyprus during the dodgy 1990s. I then moved to the UK to do a BA and Masters degrees in languages, and lived in Italy for a year. I am now based in London, but still consider myself to be a complete cosmopolite. I live here with my husband Tom, who is also a chef and is originally half Thai half Laos, and our son Sasha who is turning 16 months next week.
My main hobby is taking photos with Hipstamatic. I do not use anything else, I tried but it did not feel right. I love black and white photography, but when I shoot food I often go for the somewhat lurid Watts-BigUp combo, it really makes the colours pop. Instagram kept me sane and gave me an outlet for my creativity, especially after giving birth and staying at home with my son. As amazing as it was, babies can’t talk, and often I felt lonely. Having an enormous amount of incredibly supportive Hipsta friends was incredible luck.
A: How did you end up with your current job with The Recipe Kit?
O: I worked as a film journalist for a couple of years, then the economic crisis hit the industry upside the head and so began the redundancies. I survived five rounds of redundancies when I had an inkling that I may be next. I then quit my job, retrained to be a chef, got a divorce from my rather oppressive first husband and went to work in the kitchens. I’ve always wanted to be a food writer, but being as obnoxious as I am, I decided I had to prove myself I could conquer the hardcore 18 hour-day, low pay, misogynist world of professional kitchens.
I ended up at Ottolenghi, a rather famous restaurant in London. It was hard, so hard I swear giving birth to my son seemed more bearable than it could have been had I not raised my stamina as a breakfast chef-de-partie, banging out 100 covers pretty much on my own on a busy day. I met Tom there, we fell in love and had our little boy very soon after we met.
I worked all throughout my pregnancy, pretty much up to my due date. Next time I’m pregnant – fudge that. I will be sitting on my behind eating custard tarts from day one, thank you.
I was a stay at home mum for a year (with a short stint in a wicked cookery show Red, Hot and Yummy for the Food Network) and then unexpectedly I was offered a full time job as a recipe writer and food stylist for a cool little start-up called The Recipe Kit.
It’s incredibly tough trying to juggle a full time job (my parents are in Ukraine), being a mum and having a life. But I keep saying – I can do it. Rosie the riveter-inspired head scarf helps to remain strong.
I love all food. I am crazy about underused, obscure cuisines. One of the dishes I made up at work was based on my research on the Mapuche people.
At home we eat a lot of Thai and Laos food, I cook Middle Eastern and Georgian dishes. We love Indian and Caribbean food, Greek and Italian.
My son never had purées. I gave him real food (sans salt) from 6 months. My dream is to raise awareness that children do not have to be fussy and be fed special kids meals. Sasha went from breast milk to chicken gizzards and grilled squid, and not once complained. But of course, maybe I am just lucky. I was a terribly fussy eater when I was a child.
A: What does a normal day look like for you?
O: My normal day starts at 5:30 am as this is when Sash is up and ready to pull my hair, pinch my nose and give me a couple of smacks across my face to wake me up. We listen to some Pixies or Jazz FM, I cook him breakfast (porridge or blueberry and banana pancakes are his favourite), then I cook lunch for him and his child minder. Then I’m off to work where I…cook again. I write recipes, then I test them, develop and edit them for our recipe cards. On Fridays we do a photo shoot which is the hardest but also my favourite part of my job. I come home, put Sasha to bed, and more often than not crawl into bed myself. Rock and Roll.
A lot of my recipes mean a lot to me personally. The Kao Soi (Chiang Mai noodles) styling was inspired by a dish we had when visiting Tom’s family in Thailand, Nahm Dtok is Tom’s favourite dish. A couple of recipes passed down to me by my mother have recently been published in The Guardian, one that was published is contained below. That brought a tear to my eye. Born in an obscure tiny Soviet town, now living my dream in London – sometimes I want to pinch myself, or maybe I’ll just let Sasha do it tomorrow morning.
Sasha tasting picture is a game we sometimes play – I lay different veggies and edible flowers on a tray and he helps himself.
If you are in the London area check out The Recipe Kit for Olia’s awesome creations to be delivered right to your door!
Crispy aubergine, mejadra with a peach, cucumber and celery salad
250ml sunflower oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
150g green lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
150g basmati rice
50ml olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Slice aubergines into 2 cm rounds, brush generously with olive oil, sprinkle over the garam masala and season well. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelised on top.
2. Meanwhile heat 5 tbsp of veg oil in a pan and shallow fry for 1 minute. Drain on some kitchen paper. Place the rice, lentils, spices, salt and pepper and add 300ml of water. Cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve with crispy shallots as a garnish.
3. Mix the nectarines, cucumbers, mint and lime juice, season well with salt and pepper.
by Anna Cox | Sep 4, 2013 | Anna Cox, Featured Articles
I struggled to write an introduction worthy of Erin so I turned to friend and fellow photographer Josh to lend me a helping hand. – Anna
To be an artist, takes more than just creativity. It takes passion. Erin truly exemplifies this combination and adds in a heaping dose of love for the community. In getting to know her, I’ve seen more and more how much of herself is in her work. She brings thought provoking and surreal images that draw you in and challenge you to understand the message. Erin is a teacher by trade and a true artist through and through. – Josh St Germain, fellow AMPTcommunity member and _uxter
——————————————————————————
Soundtrack: Royals by Lorde
A: Do you have any influences within your work?
E: Many…too many which is probably why my style is so varied.In high school I was turned onto art when I discovered Expressionism and Surrealism. Later through university I was constantly exploring all forms of modern art including photo-based artist like Andy Warhol, Barbara Krugger and Sandy Skoglund. Surrealists photo-manipulations by Man Ray or Jerry Uelsmann have always fascinated me as well. Most recently I have discovered the environmental and photo-based artwork by artists Andy Goldsworthy and Chris Jordon. Both of these two artists marry the message with the media perfectly, engaging themselves in the environment then photographing the results of that engagement. To make art that is both beautiful and really thought provoking is my lifelong goal… and I still have to achieve it.
There have been many “real” people recently who have influenced a new found passion for creating through my interactions with them on places like IG and AMPt community. Some of these mobile photographers impress me with their skills and techniques, while others inspire me with their expressionism and creativity, but the list is long and varied.
A:How long have you been creating?
E: Creating? Since I first drew or colored as a child I guess. From a very young age I enjoyed arts and crafts of all sorts and I think like most children I was always keen to “create” something. By high school I knew I had to pursue something that allowed me to be creative, so I studied Painting and Drawing in university, and then went on to get a degree in education . Now I teach high school art….which I absolutely love, but there’s always been some creating going on in the background, when time permits. Painting was my main medium for years and for I while I enjoyed some success exhibiting and selling.
I started using my phone to create in November of 2011. I stumbled upon Instagram downloaded some apps and away I went. It has become my main form of creative expression for the past few years. I enjoy it as a hobby and an outlet for creativity but would like to see it develop into something more. Although I’m not sure what my come of it I am working on something! Top secret though…wink wink!
A:Do you have a favorite subject matter?
E: Nature comes to mind first and most of my images revolve around nature but often I edit my pics…sometimes to extreme. Its not enough for me (usually) to just be a pretty landscape. I’d rather create something with a meaning or message, even a story to it. I like to add text at times, or layer several filters to create a painterly effect. Always I want my images to feel clean and crisp though, and they are dominated by my favorite color blue. I also really like surrealistic images, so juxtaposing seemingly unrelated objects/things is a favorite technique of mine.
A: I recently read an article that said filters killing photography. Do you agree?
E: Absolutely not! That’s like saying did the paint brush kill the pencil? Cameras, mobile cameras, apps, filters etc, these are just the tools used to create something. It cannot replace the need for high quality, professional (mostly) unedited photos that are needed for large format print. However images shot with a mobile camera and edited with various apps and filters is a relatively new art form. I think that we all want to quickly define it and place it into its category to be studied in the future, but its still too young. Funny enough most of the artworks mobile photographers create are strongly influenced by some art movement from the past. It is too fresh to define and fully understand but something is there and its exciting to see it evolve. Recently I discussing this topic with some friends and came up with this; photographers tend to be technical and editors tend to be expressive, for me as a mobile photographer/editor its about finding the balance between them both.
A: What is it that makes this community of photographers so special?
E: I think what makes the mobile photography community special is that the very tool we use to create is also a tool for communication. So we are a very well connected group and because of that we are sharing ideas and developing trends fairly quickly. What also makes the mobile community great is that people come from all different backgrounds…it’s not just a group of exclusive artists, so the artsy fartsy attitude isn’t there (most of the time)
// IG // Twitter // G+ //
Buy Erin’s work: Instacanvas and Ink361
Thank you so much for your time Erin I truely enjoyed getting to know you and your work better <3
by Dilshad Corleone | Sep 3, 2013 | Featured Articles
Susan Tuttle: An Intrinsic Artistic Experience by Dilshad C.
Susan Tuttle is a wonderful iPhoneographer who’s craft is full of depth, her work has been published many times and won many photographic awards. She has showcased her work internationally and it is during one of these shows that I came across her work and completely fell in love with her photography! She describes herself as: “A momma of two beautiful children that teach me daily, married to my soul mate Howie, living in the woods of rural Maine, enjoying a simple life and the exquisite nature that surrounds me. I am the creator of VisualPoetry, a series of online photography and Photoshop workshops.”
A self-taught photographer and digital artist, she relies mostly on her inner knowledge when she takes a picture — “shooting from the gut, most likely breaking all the rules. When I see something special I wish to capture, I can literally feel my heart rise in my chest and I follow those gut instincts.” A feeling common to many of us, especially to me! So it was quite an easy decision for me to ask her to be interviewed for We are Juxt, and I think it was absolutely worth it! So, without much ado, let me introduce you to Madam Susan Tuttle.
Dilshad Corleone DC – Susan Tuttle ST
Willow
DC: Well, the first time I saw your work (see photo below) it was during the MobilepixatiOn, PIXEL REVOLUTION, in London, curated by akwamarina @iPhonehipsta and it was love at first sight! Your photo “Her bare feet made an endless chain of prints” made me imagine her dancing and tiptoeing like a ballerina, I was really drawn into that photograph, truly hypnotized by it. So, the next thing I did was to follow you on IG, and yes, my very first opinion was only reinforced; I love your work. That minimalistic touch you have is powerful, the subtle colours and your black and white silhouettes and shadows manage to captivate me each time I look at them. So who is the magician behind these stunning photographs?
They Surround Me With Their Light
ST: Wow, thank you Dil for your comments about my work; I am most grateful and humbled. The thing about creating art is that you absolutely can make magic through your medium, and I think that is one of the reasons why I am so drawn to creating mini, other-worldly, story-like scenes through my iPhoneography. I live in the woods in a remote, small Maine town, where my surroundings naturally inspire this kind of work. Heading out into the forest for a photo shoot can be quite the adventure, as seen in my purely iPhone series called Wood Land. It’s not as glamorous as you may think though, as the bugs get me every time, I rip pretty dresses on thorny branches, and have lost my footing numerous times.
The Dancer
DC: So, you are the mysterious model in your mobile portrait work?
ST: I’ll let the cat out of the bag. Yes, it’s me. I use myself as the model most of the time, although I don’t tend to think of my portraits as selfies. It’s more like I am playing the part of a character in a film or play. I have a closet-full of costumes and props and a make-shift studio in my bedroom that consists of natural, north-facing light, a white moveable backdrop (I also have a black one), and reflectors.
Tell Them I Shan’t Be Home To Tea
DC: Can you tell me a bit more about your early experiences with photography and with art in general?
ST: My first experiences with the arts were actually through music. I’m a classically-trained flutist; I started playing at age nine and later attended Rutgers – Mason Gross School of the Arts and The Boston Conservatory, where I majored in both Flute Performance and Music Education. I taught K-12 music for ten years in the Greater Boston area and in Maine, where I’ve lived for almost 15 years with my husband and our two young kids. A serious car accident in 1996 changed my views on life and sparked my creativity further. While healing, I began to draw with charcoals. This blossomed into abstract painting and mixed-media collage. In 2003, we had our first-born, and I began to get into photography (babies make great subjects) and Photoshop. I started a blog which I continue to publish to regularly: www.susantuttlephotography.com. Suffice it to say, I found my artistic niche in photography, and not a day goes by where I don’t shoot with a passion! I love it that much!
Sweet Gravity
DC: Do you shoot predominantly with a mobile or do you also use a big camera?
ST: Both. I love my Canon DSLR and my iPhone equally, for different reasons. I use the big camera for various types of photography, including portraiture, landscape, still-life, food, and macro. I enjoy experimenting with various lenses and techniques, and find that nothing comes close to the image quality of a DSLR. My phone is used for the edgier style of portraiture that you see on my IG feed (@susantuttle). I am drawn to the immediacy of mobile photography and the fact that I can shoot and photo-manipulate all on my little phone, no matter where I am, whether it’s waiting in line at the grocery store, on the couch watching tv, relaxing in bed, wherever.
Silver
DC: What is it that you like to create? I mean, what is it that you are trying to express?
ST: When it comes to my mobile photography, I try to make each photo feel like a story or a dream. There needs to be a sense of motion and energy behind each work, even in stillness. I often give titles to fuel the imaginations of my viewers, but really I want them to be the ones to decide what the story behind each piece is. The most exciting kind of art, I think, is where viewers take an active part in the process, and without their reactions, the works are left unfinished and lifeless.
Quiet
DC: There is a lot of mastery in your photography and editing — how and where did you learn? And for those that would like to start doing what you do, what would you recommend to them?
ST: Thank you. I can tell you about the path that I took, and perhaps it will be helpful to someone wanting to go a similar route. I am a self-taught photographer and Photoshop user (both CS and Elements). Although, the term ‘self-taught’ doesn’t really make much sense to me, because all it means is that I have taken control of my own learning and chosen how and from whom I wanted to learn, via online tutorials, publications, etc. It also means hours and hours of experimentation and play, coupled with trusting my inner artistic voice. I have been a Photoshop gal for a little more than 10 years. In addition to using Photoshop to edit and add effects to my DSLR photography, I have also used it to create surreal digital pieces, some of which you can view here. So, when I dove into pure iPhoneography, these skills transferred easily and naturally. I think of photography apps as being like mini pieces of Photoshop, if that makes sense.
Stars That Have Burned Visibly All Day
I love to teach what I know and I’ve had the privileges of teaching online photography and Photoshop classes through my website, and authoring three books on the subjects of photography, Photoshop, and mixed-media art. I am currently working on my fourth book with North Light Books/F+W Media, on the subjects of DSLR photography and mobile photography (due to be out in August 2014).
My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark
DC: Some of your photographs have a touch of sensual artistic nudity. What is it that you are trying to express with this? And what does nakedness means to you?
ST: Simply put, the human body is beautiful; lines, shapes, form, and the play of light and shadow upon it. I love to mold my body into a shape(s) and photograph it, and sometimes the best way to see the form is without clothing. My work often captures motion, whether it be a moment frozen in time, or blurred motion. Many times I add blur to my pieces in the post-editing phase, to imply motion. I think I must have been a dancer in a past life, as I have always been drawn to this art form and have attended numerous modern dance performances throughout my life. My iPhoneography definitely draws inspiration from this type of dance. I am attracted to greats like Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, Alwin Nikolais, and Murray Louis. I like to watch companies like Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
Leo
DC: You have had several books published. Tell us about them.
ST: Here is a list of my three books to date, and I have a fourth in the works (on DSLR photography and mobile photography).
Photo Craft: Creative Mixed-Media and Digital Approaches to Transforming Your Photographs
Digital Expressions: Creating Digital Art with Adobe Photoshop Elements
Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations and Explorations
Her Bare Feet Made an Endless Chain of Prints
D: Congratulation for all your published work, can you tell me more about the fourth book, what is it that the reader will find and to who it will appeal?
ST: Thanks so much Dil. The fourth book I am currently working on focuses on digital SLR and mobile photography. I teach the reader how to shoot creatively with their digital SLR camera, getting it out of auto mode and utilizing all of the features and settings it has available to them. I weave in lots of mobile photography tips and techniques throughout the book. We explore many styles; portraiture, landscape, food styling, pet photography, still life, nature, street photography, and more. The book also contains post-processing tips and techniques, including stepped-out tutorials on how to apply a variety of different effects to enhance your photos (both DSLR and mobile photos). I am blessed to have some superb contributors featured in the book. The DSLR contributors include author Tracey Clark who is the founder of the popular website Shutter Sisters, food photographer and cookbook author extraordinaire Celine Steen, the talented Vivienne McMaster, and many more. The mobile photography contributors include the wonderful Dilshad Corleone, Melissa Vincent, David Booker, Thomas Kakareko, Merek Davis, Daniel Berman, Christina Nørdam Andersen, Edi Caves, and more. My book will be published by North Light Books/F+W Media Inc. in August 2014 and be available in the United States and abroad.There is no official title for the book at this moment.
Take The Wings of Morning
D: AH!! I am quite flattered to be featured together with so many interesting and talented people! thank you so much. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
ST: Yes. I’d like to thank you Dil for this opportunity to share with readers. I appreciate all that the folks of We Are Juxt do to promote community, education, professionalism, and opportunities for mobile photographers to share with others.
Darling Shoulders Softly Pale
Where you can find Susan:
website // IG // Flickr // FB //Twitter // Pinterest
Nine Stories
Cece
A Perfectly Poised Ballerina Balances En Pointe When You Open This Charming Jewelry Box…
by David Norbut | Aug 20, 2013 | Featured Articles
David’s Introduction
Although I only spoke with Jim for about an hour and a half, I could have asked him questions for days… I’ve only touched on the life of this dude. An old soldier (which he wouldn’t elaborate on), a worldly traveler riding horses with clans in the far corners of Asia, and an ex-Reserve Deputy Sheriff using his skills of diffusing heavy situations to become friends with Outlaw Bikers in the western US… All the while capturing eye catching, timeless, photographs. Let’s scratch the surface…
*Pastor Paulee Curran in Arizona– A long term documentary project of mine in the Circuit Riders Motorcycle Ministry comprised of mostly ex-outlaw motorcycle clubs or “1%’ers” who have become Christians. They have an outreach to Drug Rehab programs, Prison Assistance, assistance to outlaw families who are outside while they do time, and domestic violence programs (as protecting women who need to get back into their home and get their stuff or move out without getting the shit beat out of them again). These guys and their associates can be a little tough, Christian or not.
Jim’s Introduction
Being involved with a lot of humanitarian & NGO organizations, I was getting lost and frustrated in what I was doing.
Christmas of 2006 my wife Christi bought me a Canon Rebel kit (the original kit with 2 lenses and a spare battery) Attached to the box was a card that read “Learn this well, let the pictures tell your stories and go help Jimmy!”
Today when I head out and pack my kit, which now consists of 2 Canon 5D Mark II cameras, I see the Rebel sitting on the bookshelf above an arsenal of daisy chained hard drives and remember when I could not believe how many photos I could fit on my 16 & 32 mg cards.
BUT that camera was my entry into the world and the start of this journey of what an image can convey.
Simple, clean and uncomplicated. Until 2008 I had no idea what a light meter was. Photography was just plain fun, lots of “I made that!” moments.
I entered the iPhone world, only because it seemed like the best fit for our world with Macs in our home and office.
Then I read a review one day for Picture Show.
Hmmm, that might be fun to play with and that was it I was hooked on mobile photography. The simple joy and fun was back.
I make the joke all the time “if these things ever shoot RAW my DSLRs will gather dust.” The other day I put the 645 Pro app on my phone, I think we are getting close.
“I would rather be in a room full of outlaws and criminals, than these guys in my own neighborhood of Irvine with the golf shirts. It’s the guys with golf shirts that scare me… at least with the outlaws, you know where you stand.” -Jim McGill
D: David J: Jim
D: Talk to me about your biker photography. How did it start?
J: I had been soliciting an outlaw gang and they agreed to at least meet me in Laughlin, NV during bike week. Turns out, the contact I met ended up knowing my father from the past and was a little pissed off about it. About to throw down and get my ass stomped, Pastor Paulee, an ex-outlaw clergyman I know, recognizes me and puts his hand on my shoulder and announces ” Hey! This guys with us!” And I watched these guys fly back…
In most situations these guys were hardass at first. I’d get lines like “Bro, I didn’t wanna be photographed in the past, I don’t wanna be photographed now.” So there was a little bit of being the meaner dog, and there was a little bit of being the goofy guy. A long time ago, I was a deputy sheriff. I realized the best way to diffuse a bar fight is to be goofy. You can walk up and be a prick or you can try to make friends in 20 seconds. I think over the course of meeting up with these guys two times, I tried to earn their trust by being friendly. They even started call me “Hef” because I smoke a pipe, thought that was pretty cool. I will sometimes have issues with new guys coming in, but over all it’s been good. It’s the same story over and over, it always comes down to getting their trust. You are the outsider. The only mistake I’ll never make again, don’t shoot the pretty women first! (laughs)
I’ve even been asked to photograph a few weddings. It’s pretty cool to get a call from an outlaw, saying “I really like your stuff, can you come photograph my wedding?” Best part about a situation like that is that I can gain more contacts to go photograph. If this ends up being my genre, photographing that world, I’ll be okay with that…
I even went as far as to enroll in a motorcycle safety course to get my license.. Im qualified to go about 10 mph in a parking lot, but…(laughs)
D: Oh, so you don’t ride?
J: No, I don’t ride. In some cases, I will take the shots from a car, close enough to make it seem like I’m riding amongst them.
*This is Billy, he is an ex outlaw, from Colorado. This particular photo is taken within 72 hours of him deciding he wanted to become a Christian. Pastor Paulee had just baptized him in the Colorado River. There are about thirty of us standing around a campfire, but Billy was just standing alone on the outskirts of everything. In his mind, just coming out of the life, he’s still a prospect. He didn’t yet feel like he had a part in the group. Billy stood like that in a tension for hours. At one point I tried to engage him in conversation, he kind of just nodded, like “I’m really not interested,” and kept his eye on the leader…
D: Let’s talk about some of your more intimate portraiture, how’d you get into that? It’s most definitely your own sort of pin-up style, wouldn’t you agree?
J: Yeah, the one girl that has appeared a lot on the EyeEm site, the girl with all the tattoos, her name is Amber.
A while back I took some courses at a community college on photography. The professor, to try and screw with me, tells me “you can photograph strippers or prostitutes, your choice.” So, I went to a strip club nearby and struck up a conversation with one of the dancers and asked her if she wanted to be in a documentary project… I have now known her about 6 years. I’ve watched her go from being a full-time dancer to a mom and a clothing designer. She actually just asked me to photograph her wedding, which should definitely be cool. The one question I always hear about this type of photography is, do I know the models personally or intimately? Because they say there is always this eye contact, and hopefully I have a knack for that. The portraits don’t necessarily look superficial. I’m trying to approach it as a storyteller rather than a fashion photographer.
*Amber in a kitchen in Los Angeles, CA– This is a shot from when I first started paying serious attention to iPhone photography beyond the “normal” snapshots that make their way to the occasional Twitter and Facebook posts. On this day armed with my normal rig of two Canon 5D MK II’s, tethering to Lightroom running on my laptop, we had two 40″ soft boxes and two studio strobes. I kept finding the exposures lacking, so as I sat on a bar stool in the center of the kitchen trying to work out the lighting, I pulled out my iPhone and started snapping some shots. Amber was laughing at me saying “Hey photography boy, I think here is an instance where size doesn’t matter…” Then I showed her this shot altered in Pictureshow and received an instant “that’s AWESOME!” At that point we changed the lighting and the direction of the shoot. Ultimately, all post editing on the 5D shots were based on this iPhone snapshot.
D: Any advice on getting that eye contact in a photograph?
J: I used to have on my business cards “meet with them, eat with them, shoot em.” But too many people misinterpreted that, so I got rid of the phrase. I see too many people pull out the camera, take the shot, then run away rather than engage. I don’t even have to have a conversation with people, it’s the momentary eye contact that makes those shots.
D: Travel photography, what’s your approach?
J: I try to see the finished image in the camera. Yes I crop, I crop all the time. Generally, I’m seeing the finished shot or I won’t take it. I know what final image I’m going for.
D: Any difference making these connections in your foreign travels?
J: Oh, thats even better! At that point you don’t speak the language, you can just plead ignorance. I have 3×5 cards for most of the countries I travel in that says “You are beautiful, can I take your picture?” I carry field model releases in their language as well. There were a couple of times I’ve gotten myself into trouble… Like taking a picture of a solider in China. This usually isn’t a good idea, but I’ve been there. I will come up and flash them a card that says “you’re beautiful…” and that kinda throws them off guard and diffuses the situation. For the most part I’m just that big stupid American… (laughs)
D: Are you born and raised in California?
J: Born and raised in California, I grew up in the San Bernardino mountains, about 60 miles from where I live today.
D: Back on traveling for a moment, tell me about some of the best spots you’ve visited?
J: I really love Tibet and Mongolia. But if I was gonna move anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be Japan. It’s the one place on the planet where I feel totally at ease and stand down. If I could have any dream job, it would be to go to Japan and photograph the Yakuza*. That is kind of a closed world, but I’m always looking for an in.
D: How long have you been shooting iPhone? Any favorite methods, apps?
J: I first shot with an iPhone in a lighting situation about 2 years ago. If Apple would make these damn things shoot raw files, all my dslr’s would just gather dust. I love the idea, I do wish it was a little more camera-like, give me a viewfinder and that’d be kinda cool. As far as apps I’ve been using… Snapseed, Phototoaster and Photogenie 2. No, I don’t have Instagram on my phone, everybody always asks me that.
D: Well? Let’s get an answer. Why EyeEm and not Instagram?
J: I put Instagram on my phone and shot a picture. I did not realize it would post instantly. Thankfully, I posted something as benign as my cowboy boots. That’s why I don’t have Instagram. I wanted a chance to review my photos first.
D: Lastly… any significance behind the Photo444 name?
J: It seemed like for years, every time I’d get on an airplane to go away or come home it was always 4:44 or flight 444. My wife calls it “trip time.” To this day I feel, even if I look at the time, that’s what time it is. I may not notice any other time that day. Also, when I started my website, “Jim McGill Photography” was (and still is) the site for a shitty wedding photographer from Connecticut… (laughs) So my wife suggested Photo444 because its the start of a new adventure.
*Yakuza generally are traditional organized crime sects, commonly adorning full body tattoos.
* On a side note, while I was editing and drafting this interview, Jim had contacted me 2 days in a row. Sending me photos from his wife and an old friend, encountering the strange reoccurring numbers 444, while reading previews of this interview. He certainly wasn’t kidding!
Contact info
Website: www.photo444.com
Eyeem: photo444.com
Twitter: photo444
__________________________________
About David Norbut
Wilmington, Delaware
David Norbut @dnorphoto is drawn to capturing the raw beauty of the people he meets, and the environments surrounding us
Instagram: @dnorphoto
Website: www.dnorphoto.com
by André Hermann | Aug 9, 2013 | Andre H, Featured Articles
The Art of The Critique (Part 1) by Andre Hermann
Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.
–Frank A. Clark
As artists producing work in the world of photography, we all want, we all fear, and we all rely on the critique, more importantly, the result of the critique—constructive criticism. And yet it is one of the most misunderstood, poorly practiced, and guarded of treasures. We look to our peers, our mentors, friends, family, and sometimes unsolicited strangers, for their honest thoughts and opinions of our work. So what is it about the critique that makes people so uncomfortable? How can we go about conducting a constructive critique in a way that helps everyone grow emotionally, and professionally?
1
The reason we ask for critiques is because we know deep down inside our work can be improved upon on one level or another. We all want to see our work evolve, elevating to a new level. We want recognition that what we are attempting is successfully communicating the intended message, and if it’s not doing it properly we want to know what we can do to make sure it succeeds.
I’ve always been in awe of the critique. Most people want it yet shy away from sharing it as if they will suffer some great torture at the hands of the photographer for sharing their thoughts. The blind stares, one-word answers, and strange soliloquies that dance around protecting one’s creative decisions from their reviewer’s honest opinion exist in a space of confusing absurdity. I honestly believe people have an easier time critiquing their friend’s failing relationship than their creative endeavors.
All too often I hear of slanted critiques that fall on one side of the fence or the other—someone only giving positive feedback, blowing sunshine up someone’s ass. Or, nothing positive is said at all leaving the person mentally broken with nothing to strive for. Both of these are tragic, and do nothing to help develop strong storytellers.
2
As an educator, mentor, and professional photographer I have been learning the graceful dance of giving a critique, pinpointing both the positive highlights, and, negative shortcomings of my students work while managing what peers are saying to help everyone get the most out of the experience. And yes, you heard me correctly, I said ‘negative.’ The critique is an art form, as subjective as photography itself. It is a fine balance between the positive and negative, and the informed and personal opinion. Believe it or not, people do benefit more from hearing the negative.
Nowadays we are conditioned to take a critique as being one word answers or short phrases such as “cool,” “awesome,” “great,” “cute,” “nice light,” and the use of thumbs-up emoticons, and other gibberish. Ask yourself, what is the real takeaway from responses such as these? Often times this is where the process ends. Without out proper constructive criticism we learn nothing of ourselves. Our work. Or how we can improve as storytellers by receiving this strangely seductive 21st century ego stroke.
So what is a critique?
According to thefreedictionary.com, ‘critique’ is defined as ‘the art of criticizing.’ Moving one step further,siting the same resource, ‘criticize’ simply defined means to ‘to judge or discuss the merits and faults of.’ Pay close attention to the word ‘discuss.’ What I want you to realize is that a critique IS a conversation, a two-way road driven by give-and-take. Like photography itself, the critique is a form of communication in which we are inviting the audience to engage the image(s), start a dialogue about the work and processes, and share thoughts and experiences with each other with the intention of learning more about who and why we are.
3
I’ve had my work critiqued by some really amazing photographers. Some famous, others less known who have poured their passion and experience for the craft into the critique in hopes to help cultivate another strong storyteller. And I have had my work critiqued by some real cards who were far beyond jaded, caring nothing for the person sitting across the table from them, or for the further development of the craft. So what I am about to share with you is a culmination of what I have learned over the years not only as a student ravenous to devour as much knowledge as I could from my photography heroes, and my like-minded peers, but what I have learned along the way translating my past experiences to critique the next generation of storytellers in the classroom.
4
You’ve been asked for your opinion. Now what? So, you’ve been asked to critique someone’s photography. First of all, feel blessed. This person cares enough about you, your skills, and your opinion to ask for your help. Before accepting the request, ask yourself, “Am I knowledgeable on the subject or genre I am about to critique? Or am I just highly opinionated?” For example, looking at the We Are Juxt Art Critique forums, I would probably not volunteer to critique the ‘Mobile Artistry’ community. I am a street photographer & documentary photographer. I know nothing of the apps one utilizes to create these amazing images, or the subtle nuances involved in the Mobile Artistry workflow. I could tell you what I think looks “cool and awesome,” and why I feel that way. But what good would that do you?
The critiquing process relies on asking questions, engagement, and answers. So ask some questions. Get to know a little about the person, their thought process, and their image(s). Ask the person what they are specifically looking for. This is very important. Photography cannot be properly critiqued without knowing who the intended audience is, what the person is hoping to accomplish, or a clear idea of what exactly they want from you.
OK. So lets get to why you’re really reading this, The do’s, the don’ts, and the how-to’s
What TO do
- Ask the person what they are hoping to get out of the critique.Are they lost, seekingdirection? Or are they only looking for insight on how to polish, or further develop the work?
5
- Inquire about their work. The critiquing process involves asking questions. Who is the intended audience? Why did they create this image or series? What do they hope to accomplish with it? This will help you can gain a better understanding of what you’re looking at, and how you might relate to it.
- Take your time critiquing the work. Give the person your undivided attention. Take time to look at their work. Step aside, come back and look at it again before sharing your thoughts to make sure you are comfortable with your feedback. Treat it as if it was your own.
- Invite the person to ask questions as you go. This only applies if critiquing over the phone or face-to-face. Remember, a critique is a conversation between two people. Make sure the person understands what you’re saying.
- Relate to the work by sharing a story. People like to hear that their heroes and peers have lived and learned the same experiences both positive and negative.
- Reference another photographer’s work. This is extremely valuable to the learning process. Introduce someone to another photographer’s work.
- Look at the [objective] technical qualities: focus, exposure, contrast, quality of light, color, DOF (depth of field,) composition, framing
- Look at the [subjective] emotional qualities: Is the subject clearly defined? Is there emotional appeal? Is the story or concept well realized?
- Make sure your critique is clear and easily understandable. If you’re doing it by email type it out in a word processor. Sit on it overnight. Revisit in the morning before sending. Read it out loud to yourself.
- Suggest ways to improve or correct the issues. I like to call it ‘the take-away.’ Your suggestions are what will help the person grow. Believe it, or not, they will remember you for the suggestions you give them.
What NOT to do
- Do not ignore a request to critique someone’s work. It is an awful feeling to be ignored, especially if it’s from someone you admire. If you are uncomfortable, or for some reason cannot find the time, or are unknowledgeable of the content let them know that. And don’t give a half-assed excuse why you can’t critique their work, like “its hard to critique such a personal story.” These sound like cop-outs and don’t help anyone. Remember the golden rule. You know, do unto others…
6
- Do not start with the negative. The critique is all about first impressions, and how you set the stage for the discussion. This is something that I’ve found a lot of students do. No one benefits from it. Find something positive to start with.
- Do not assume that everyone has a “thick skin.” Everyone reacts to critiques differently. Some people are very sensitive about their work and may have never had experienced a critique before. Sometimes people feel that any comment less than positive is an insult to their very soul. How you present your feedback, and knowing a little about who you’re critiquing will serve you well to navigate.
- Don’t be silent. The person is looking to you for insight. If you can’t find anything positive or negative to say tell a story, ask a question. Dig a little deeper. Take control of the situation.
- Don’t forget there is another person on the receiving end of your critique. Don’t talk down to them or ride a high horse. You may just learn something from the person and their work.
7
The Critiquing Process
Now that you know the do’s and don’ts lets talk about the how-to’s. When critiquing I always try to start with something positive, something the person did right—something that is ‘working.’ Then something that needs help or is lacking, followed by suggestions of how they can potentially fix it. Remember, the ‘take-away’ is very important here—what you want the person to question and hopefully explore. There have been times when, for whatever reason, I was not able to find anything positive to say about someone’s work. This happens. It can feel dreadful—puts us on the spot. Embrace it as a challenge. Just as there is always room for improvement, there is also always something positive to compliment, even if it’s something as simple as, “your choice of working with this subject shows your dedication to addressing this issue and telling its story.”
What I look for when critiquing
- Architecture of the frame (elements form visual triangles in the frame, simply; all of the elements feel good and are well positioned.)
- What’s happening on the outer edges? (Are there any distracting elements that distract our eye from the subject?)
- What is the subject? And, is it clearly in focus?
- Technical [objective] qualities (see #7 above)
- Emotional [subjective] qualities (see #8 above)
- Did they show their image some love? Curve adjustments, sharpening, color corrections?
- Can they clearly describe their work or concept?
- Color or black-and-white? What is their rationale? “Because everyone else is doing it doesn’t cut it.”
- Is the moment spot on or did they miss it?
- Does the image have a clear voice? What is it trying to say?
- Does it leave a strong first impression?
- Does the image have a caption? Does it help, or distract from, the image?
8
Conclusion
Giving a critique is not always easy. Similar to photography it requires a little time, patience and a genuine curiosity for life happening around you. By reviewing a person’s work you are playing a significant role in helping them to develop skills to create better photography, in the end contributing to a better, more sophisticated photographic world, all the while helping to build a strong sense of community. So pay attention to who’s sitting on the other side of the work you’re about to critique and remember you were there once yourself. You might be surprised to find yourself asking them for a critique next time.
In part 2 of the Art of The Critique, I will discuss how to find the right person to critique your work, how to receive and interpret a critique, and other things to keep in mind to make sure you get exactly what you want out of it.
Editors Note: Please see our ongoing series, Art Critique & Community. It’s an opportunity to participate, engage, and learn through the art of the critique.
9
10
11
12
Credits
1 –Eric Ward “The young prince defends his queen”
2 –Dopez (Email) “where_ love can take you”
3 – Maria João Fitas “Cotton Candy”
4 – Jani Lewis This sweet lady lives next to Waves of Mercy’s mission quarters in Port-de-Paix, Haití. Every morning at five a.m. we pass her on our daily walk.
5 – Mauricio Hoyuelos “The pause that refreshes”
6 – Caroline MacMoran Instagram // IPA “Riding the Ferry”
7 – Criky Perez His name is Eduardo. He is 62. He was born Argetinian but he feels American. He can speak 6 languages and he came, as he says, for a woman`s love. Despite that love, he had another one in his born Argentina. The result of those 2 loves: 3 sons and 7 grandsons. Actually, he passes his days en a bar called La Cerdanya, in Gràcia, a neighbourhood from Barcelona city. And he is alone, without those two loves, just with his cigars, his beers and his half broken and old radio accompanying him wherever he goes.
8 – Nick Becerra (Email) Sunset behind Giant’s Graveyard from camp at Toleak Point on the WA coast… a perfect end to an incredible day of adventure, full of laughs, mishaps, whiskey, seals, bald eagles, bouldering, hiking, collecting mussels for dinner, swimming from sea stack to sea stack, passing a dead whale on the beach, and collecting tons of new ‘fun marks’. such a restorative few days in the mountains and on the coast.
9 – Stefanie lePape Flickr “Too far south”
10 – Delphine Dabezies “I never thought that tonight could ever be this close to me…” – Cure
11 – Baltasar Lopez Garcia This picture is taken with hipstamatic (Americana + Blackeys Supergrain). The low contrast I got it before uploaded to EyeEm, with the Steph filter. I like to use Hipstamatic for the great combination of lenses and films. Actually I use Oggl which allows me take the picture with exposure control and finally chose the combination. I’m a partner of shootermag, the first photo mobile magazine in the world.
12 – Selena-Lani Williams “Home”
by Bridgette | Jul 26, 2013 | Bridgette S, Featured Articles
She has allowed us into her world and has released her fear and vulnerability. She has dug deep into her soul for us and has done it masterfully.
Meet Maria. Many of you know her as @muzbanger or @_calipso_, a truly talented artist who I would love to meet in person one day.
She also co-runs HorrorClub, which is how my idea for a short horror film came to be. Perhaps this is only the beginning of a horror series for WeAreJuxt? You decide…
B: First and foremost I just want to say that I’m so thrilled that you’ve created these original images especially for We Are Juxt readers. How were you able to get in the zone and produce this series for the short film? What were you feeling at the moment?
M: I was having a blue day or moment. I was getting down about a personal issue or confrontation of sorts and on arriving home I found myself acting on the moment as it were. Though if I get depressed or down I thankfully come out of it within a few hours or less… and my little shoot certainly helped that!
B: You initially started on Instagram as @muzbanger and then later on introduced @_calipso_ , the minimal side. What made you create another account and how have you maintained the balance between the two? Do you prefer one over the other?
M: Initially @muzbanger was a mixed account of art and snippets of minimal bits of life. I couldn’t sustain a regular audience for both. It seemed people enjoyed one or the other and well, so did I, which became increasingly so as I went along. One minute I was floored by the intricacies of people’s art, then on other side just as gob-smacked at the beautiful clean lines of minimal work!
It seems easy to do both. @_calipso_ is the every day snippets of looking up or closer to detail. We pass things on our way to work etc that can be capture in a single moment without too much extra editing! I try going by each account daily.
B. What apps do you tend to use for special effects and general editing?
M: General editing (say for @_calipso_) would be maybe shot first with native or Hipstamatic camera, then using Snapseed mainly (ps express and diptic sometimes)
If creating art for @muzbanger I shoot first with native camera (or Hipstamatic) then multiple apps are used there after. Sometimes up to 5 apps or more are used at any one time (lovingly known as app-stacking!) Some of my favourites are Snapseed, blurfx, Decim8, Blender, montage, scratchcam, Mextures. Others I have include pictureshow, Pixlromatic, VSCOcam, diptic, psexpress, slow shutter, art rage, deco sketch, king camera, filter mania and distressedfx, just to name several ;-]
B: You co-run Horror Club with founder and fellow _uxter, John. How has the experience been? How would you describe the type of photographs featured in your gallery? What classifies an image to be a part of Horror Club, aside from the typical blood and gore?
M: I was so thrilled when I was asked to join the team, I think I said yes immediately from memory!
It has been quite an eye opener and more to it than meets the eye… people play out there fantasies on that tag, some too gruesome for my liking and that just make me cringe. I think my own influences come through when I choose someones work, I love artful blood but not ‘blood and guts’ so to speak. I draw the line on people doing re-enactments of a murder scene or sacrifices that have a satanic undertone. I do enjoy a dark scary undertone with a twist of psychological thriller!! Hitchcock comes to mind. However what the next moderator would choose may be different to me, a good balance all around I guess.
B: Tell us what childhood was like. Where did you grow up? Have you always been artistic?
M: I had a happy childhood and third in line of 4 siblings. I was born in Papua, New Guinea and then moved to Brisbane, Australia with my family when I was 2 years old. My Dad was Cypriot and my Mum Greek. Then when I was 8 years old we moved to the country town of Gladstone where I completed school.
I dearly wanted to move back to the city for art college but for financial and personal reasons (my Father died of lung cancer when I was 18 years old) stayed there and completed a hairdressing apprenticeship instead. My artistic ability showed through even with hairdressing, I won many competitions, worked at fashion shows etc. Instagram was the new outlet for re-igniting my love and passion for art.
B: Is there a person who inspires you? Someone you can relate to and feel a strong connection to?
M: Many artists inspire me, not only from a commercial and graphic art perspective, but interiors, architecture, photography, music etc…. people inspire me, cities, fashion and more. I could rattle off names but probably too many to fit into this slot!! I relate to lots of people but feel a strong connection to a subject than a person… be it the topics I mentioned before, but also emotions of depth, compassion, empathy, love, hate, depression, anger etc. I’m drawn to (figuratively speaking that is) either black or white, and not much of the grey in between!
B: Your images are full of emotion. They’re deep and vulnerable. Strong yet sensitive. What would you like people to know about you and your photography. What’s your message?
M: It is a reflection of my personality, I am all those things you described above. People should be themselves when they make art, don’t allow people’s criticism to put you off. It couldn’t be a more vast topic, expressed on so many levels and it so it should be!
B: You have recently joined Jason Flett, Kaily Koutsogiannis, Giulia Macario and George Politis in creating a new Australian photography site called, The Mnemonics. What brought you all together? What are some of your future goals and plans? What can we expect from the site?
M: A few of us Aussies had formed a friendship via Instagram. Some of us had met from this, but through the genius mind of Giulia had come the idea to form the group. Showcasing our work to head down the track of having future exhibits and selling our prints on our website! We hope to blog on various mobile photography techniques, apps, styles and artists eventually! I’m extremely excited to be part of such a talented bunch. We will be launching our website very soon and hopefully have an exhibition in one of Australia’s major cities by the end of the year.
B: What are your hobbies? Tell us something unique about yourself, something we wouldn’t otherwise know by looking at your gallery.
M: Making art for various photo sights is a big hobby of mine outside work (I have my own hairdressing salon) and kids. I like going to the gym and cooking!! Not much time for anything else!!!!!
B: I’m always curious about people’s preference in music. List some of your favorite bands/musicians.
M: It varies, from work to home to play! From Flume, compilations like Hôtel Costes and Buddha Bar, Adele, Sarah Blasko, Kings of Leon, La Roux, Morcheeba, Róisín Murphy, Angus and Julia Stone, The Knife, Florence + The Machine… and golden oldies like Eurythmics, De La Soul, Black Eyed Peas!!
—–
Maria Flourou
Bio:
I excelled in the arts at secondary school and pursued this career at University. Deviating from this path, I then began a career in hairdressing which remains as my current occupation. Various accolades were achieved throughout my career, including State L’oreal Champion 2 years running, IHS colour awards, state and regional judging, teaching at seminars for Wella, and working at many state level fashion shows and magazines.
Passion for photography began in the simplest form of mobile photography, where I used my creative eye to design layered artworks focusing on emotion as the core subject behind each piece, this is showcased on my @muzbanger instagram page. This style comes easy to me as it helps ease the depressive state that I feel from time to time due to a medical condition that occurred around the time my first child was born. Being mostly on top of that, it is still good to reflect when making a piece… I find solace in the moment of creation.
The other style I adopt, focuses on the fundamentals, that being perspectives, minimalism and architecture which can be found on my other IG page @_calipso_.
My work has been exhibited at the LA Mobile Arts Festival (LAMAF) and selected works have been chosen for various mobile photography sights such as: AMPt, WeAreJuxt, Shooter Mag, Mobile Artistry, Amselcom, Instagood, finalist for Mobile Masters iPad ebook and many others.
Along with those accolades I am proudly part of a group The Mnemonics along side with Giulia Macario (@giuliam), Jason Flett (@lafletcher), Kaily Koutsogiannis (@kaliopy) and George Politis (@_giorgopolitis_), this is simply a gallery showcasing our work. We hope to write blogs about our experiences and sell prints in the near future.
Instagram // EyeEm // backspaces // iphoneart
by Andres Tardio | Jul 22, 2013 | Featured Articles
Ravi Vora & the Instagram Generation by Andres Tardio
Is this an Instagram generation? Ravi Vora thinks so.
Vora, a filmmaker, photographer and creative director recently released “An Instagram Generation,” a 3-minute-long film documenting a recent Instameet in Santa Monica, California. The short clip is also a commentary on how a simple app is creating unity among like-minded strangers. It’s a view into what has made Instagram a popular destination for all kinds of people, from creative mobile photographers to selfie-making experts.
Whether you love or hate Instagram, it’s hard to dispute truth. The app is now home to over 100 million human beings. With over 45 million photographs posted daily and a billion likes tapped into existence daily, this is looking like a generation that loves Instagram as much as it loves touchscreen mobile devices. For this reason, Vora’s film is an important one that illustrates the enthusiasm, togetherness and creative spirit that allows some users to explore.
Beyond this, the film and app have opened doors for Ravi, as he explains in this interview. These doors were not only unlocked by the app but by his talent, one that has proven to be an inspiration to that Instagram Generation.
A: Everyone seems to have either a defining moment or a series of minor moments where they fell in love with their art form. What was this process like for you? When did you fall in love with photography?
R: To be perfectly honest, when I was in high school I thought photography was hardly an art form. This, of course was before I understood what it took to make a great photo. I imagined you just pointed a camera at something already beautiful and hit the button. What kind of art was that? A photographer, in my mind at the time, was not a creator – but a documenter. When I was in college my father bought a camera for me and once it was in my hands there was no going back. I took it out in my rural backyard (I lived in a part of Michigan you’ve never heard of at the time) and took photos of the fresh layer of snow. I found icicles and was mesmerized at how I could capture the different ways the light spilled through them. Since then, I’ve never had a camera far from hand. Whether it’s film work or stills, I learned that the art is in crafting a story through an image. Every decision you make as a photographer can lead to a completely different story.
A: How about mobile photography? When did you realize this was going to be something you focused on?
R: This happened for me in October of 2012. Before that, I had used Instagram like most people, taking pictures of things I was interacting with on a daily basis. Then, in October, I took a trip home to visit my father in Michigan. While there I realized a lot of the beauty of my hometown and wanted to share it with people. Especially during Autumn, Michigan is an incredibly beautiful state. I had my iPhone with me and I started shooting in an aesthetically pleasing way and people responded to it. Once it sunk in that mobile photography was a way for me to share my experiences instantly and in a way that would make me push myself, I was hooked.
A: Obviously, you enjoy meeting with likeminded individuals who share this passion for photography. Can you recall your first instameet? What was it like? What were you feeling before, during and after it?
R: My first instameet was in November of 2012, with @jebo88. He was the first instagrammer to feature my work on his feed and he lived in Belgium. Luckily, he’s dating a girl in Los Angeles and came to town for a brief visit. I got to meet up with him and we went into the mountains for a foggy sunset. My father was in town as well and it was great to get out, even for an hour or so to see the beautiful landscape. We took photos of each other, exchanged stories, photo tips, and were good friends almost immediately. When you have so much in common with someone, it’s hard NOT to find something to talk about. After that first meet I had an itch to meet more instagrammers on a one-on-one basis and in groups. People I followed or had never heard of, it didn’t matter. It’s just a great experience to meet people who like creating.
A: What has been your favorite instameet experience? Why?
R: Favorite? I don’t think that’s the word I’d use. Each meetup is memorable in it’s own way, from the locations we visit to the people I go with. My favorite kind of meetups are when we arrive somewhere and either the weather or an idea or something magical happens that changes our expectations and we walk away with amazing photos to commemorate our adventure.
A: I know you’ve done a lot of film work and you also do some great stuff with your SLR. However, I know you keep the Instagram app for sharing exclusively iPhone shots. Why do you feel that’s an important facet of the app?
R: Because that’s the medium. I don’t particularly care if someone only posts iPhone or not. But, for example, if you hear of someone who was poor and made themselves a success, it’s much more impressive than if someone had their parent’s money. Similarly, if someone can capture a moment and make it impressive with a phone, then it’s doubly impressive to me. It shows people that photography isn’t about how much money you put into it, it’s about how you explore and see the world. The ideal world would be if we could do away with cameras entirely in the photographic process. Using our eyes and our imaginations without the technological limitations would free people to create however they choose.
A: You and @lolameyers have been on several adventures, which you guys have captured in your feeds. What’s been the most interesting adventure you guys have had over the last year or so?
R: Either our trip to Colorado and Arizona over the holidays, our day trip to Sequoia National Park, sunrise over the clouds in Santa Barbara, or most recently our trip to San Francisco. All of them were exciting and I like to think of our adventures as a continuous rollercoaster of finding new places to explore, coming back home, then planning our next adventure.
A: As a part of the Los Angeles community of Instagram users, what are three of your favorite Los Angeles locations?
R: Downtown Los Angeles has slowly grown on me. I’m not very good at capturing urban photos, but I do my best. Malibu has some gorgeous beaches which I love to shoot in different kinds of weather and times of day. Finally, my very favorite has to be the mountains surrounding Los Angeles. They are otherworldly when there’s bad weather and I love getting away from the city for awhile and just enjoying the outdoors.
A: I know you also travel and shoot in different locations. What’s been the best place for you to shoot in outside of California?
R: Anywhere that has unique landscape. Like I mentioned before, Michigan has a lot of natural beauty to offer, especially during Autumn. Another great place is Colorado. It’s gorgeous and showcases so many different looks with varying weather.
A: Who are other artists that inspire you in your work (they don’t have to be photographers or Instagram users)?
R: Christopher Nolan, Bruno Aveillan, David Fincher, Emmanuel Lubezki, Darren Aronofski, Neil Gaiman, Gregory Crewdson, Danny Boyle, the list could go on forever…
A: I think it’s important we discuss An Instagram Generation. How did this idea come about?
R: The instameet was a collaborative effort between @christianflorin and @projectlife365. They reached out to me to be a part of it and we decided there should be a video. I then took it upon myself to use the instameet as a vessel to showcase what meetups were like. My friends don’t really understand instagram or the culture of it, so I wanted to — perhaps slightly selfishly — have a reference point for people to understand this world of instagram meetups. Between making real friends and going on adventures, instagram meetups have had a very positive impact on my life and I wanted people to see the potential of these meetups and how they could be involved.
A: What did you hope to convey with the video? What has the response been like so far?
R: I hoped that more people would meet up, see how a meetup could make a real difference in their lives, and hopefully lead to some real friendships. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. People contact me about the video almost every day and it’s even been picked up by PBS. I’ve noticed more meetups happening, whether that has anything to do with the video or not, and it makes me immensely happy every time I see two random strangers getting together to take photos.
A: How much has mobile photography changed your life?
R: It’s given me a passion for adventure, led to job opportunities, friendships, career advancements, honed my creative eye, and I’ve even been interviewed!
by Bridgette | Jul 18, 2013 | Bridgette S, Featured Articles, Take Us To...
“Take Us To… ” is an ongoing travel series around the world which features several photographers in a given location. The goal is to give you an inside look as to what the city is like day by day.
Last month we traveled to Montevideo and today we fly non-stop to Toronto, the largest city in Canada.
Photographers Erin, Graeme, Ian, Jon, Kael, Kanwar and SooTeeOh take us on a journey throughout downtown, underground TTC, and surrounding areas of Lake Ontario and Cottage Country.
Hop on board Flight #3 and enjoy the ride…
MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
—–
Erin McGean Cindric
Bio:
I was born in the industrial city St. Catherine’s, grew up in Mississauga and currently live in Oakville, Ontario (a suburb of Toronto). I was trained in painting and drawing at York University in Toronto then attended teacher’s college at Brock University and have been teaching high school Visual Arts and photography for 12 years. I’ve had some success as a painter, exhibiting and selling my work in local galleries and art fairs over the years. I have a wonderful and supportive husband and two beautiful young children that make me proud and keep me busy.
Instagram is something I stumbled upon in November of 2011 and was instantly hooked. Working as a teacher with a young family has limited the time I can commit to art making, so mobile photography and editing has given me a creative outlet that works with my lifestyle. The community aspect of Instagram has made it very enjoyable. I am constantly in awe of other artist’s work that I have come across through Instagram over the least two years. Going on Instameets and recently participating in the Instagratification exhibit with some of my newfound friends has been very rewarding and bought the virtual world to life. Recently I have become very involved with the AMPt community helping to moderate the website and curate features. I am very excited about the future of mobile photography and see it as a versatile and accessible too. I’ve also found that it has inspired and influenced my painting, drawing and multimedia work. Of course, the reverse is also true.
My mobile photography style ranges all the way from minimalism to heavily edited images, and on my Instagram feed you will find everything from the representational to the surreal. Using an iPhone 4, an Olloclip and various apps (mostly Art Studio, Pic FX, Snapseed, Image Blender, Mextures App and Phonto) I try to create images in a fluid way to achieve some diverse effects. Quiet, lonely, blue and surreal are some terms that can describe the images. I take much of my inspiration from nature, however everything in my daily life can be used a form of inspiration, the roads I drive, my children’s laughter, the design of a good chair.
Email // Instagram // Google+
There are many things I love about this lighthouse photo.
The way the group of teens are hanging out enjoying the summer day reminds me of my carefree days of youth.
But I also love how the sky looked so blue that day and the backdrop of sailboats and birds.
—–
Graeme Roy
Bio:
I have been a photographer in one way or another for about 35 years. I’ve worked primarily in news photography most of this time, currently I’m the Director of Photography at The Canadian Press, but I’ve also dabbled in fashion, fine art and music… it’s been a wide and somewhat varied road to where I am now.
Mobile photography has been a profoundly liberating experience for me, and I believe for many others in my profession as well. The ability to shoot, process and share instantly has created a fantastically rich and diverse community of artists/photographers. While the ability to send and receive photos globally has always been part of my work life, this is most certainly not the case for most people and it’s a exciting and invigorating to see what new-found friends are up to around the world each day.
Email // Instagram // EyeEm // twitter // Oggl
“Bow to Me”
As with most of my photos there is no great back story or anything.
I liked the way the light bounced around and the person cast an interesting shadow, as if they were bowing to the great tower in front of them.
—–
Ian Griffin
Bio:
I grew up in the countryside outside the town of Dundalk on the east coast of Ireland. I moved to Dublin when I was 17 to go to University and ended up living there for 15 years. Although I grew up in the country I was just as happy in the city, quickly adapting to a faster pace of life.
In 2008 I went to Canada on holidays and met my now wife when I was in Toronto. After a year and a half of the torture that is a long distance relationship I moved to Toronto. I have lived in Toronto for over three and a half years now in the city’s Queen West area with my wife Eva and our 2 year old, crazy boxer Cuisle (pronounced “Kushla”).
Although I was living in Ireland’s capital, moving to Toronto was still a huge shock. There are as many people in the Greater Toronto Area as there are in all of Ireland. Although a huge city, I immediately fell in love with Toronto. I find it a very vibrant and “lived in” city. The city does not boast the grand architectural appeal that somewhere like Chicago does, nor does it have a history like Dublin but time spent walking around the neighbourhoods and down by the lake in Toronto really shows you how alive and how diverse the city is.
I first became interested in photography when I spent a year traveling in Australia in 2005. I had a pretty standard point and shoot camera but I quickly became hooked, driving my traveling companions crazy always lagging behind trying to get more shots. A few years later I received an entry level DSLR as a Christmas present from my family which I used when I went on holidays but it primarily became a dust collector. It was really only when I bought an iPhone about a year and a half ago and discovered Instagram that my passion for photography really took off. Now, everywhere I go it is like my head is on a swivel – I find I look at the world in frames. I think mobile photography has had this impact on a lot of people.
Instagram is an amazing and fascinating place. I love the community aspect of it and have been fortunate to meet other IGers from around Toronto, along with IGers from outside Toronto who have visited and even on a recent trip to Chicago I was able to organize a meet up with some people that I had “known” through IG for about a year.
As for my photography style: I’m still trying to find that myself, if you find it please let me know!
Instagram
I am very fortunate to have a wonderful view from my office.
One the days that you get a great sunset here in Toronto, and they are numerous, I have the best view in the city.
I took this photo one evening when in work late.
It was one of the most spectacular sunsets that I have ever seen.
—–
Jon Rix
Bio:
I live in the city, but I’m a country boy at heart. I was born up north and spent EVERY summer at the cottage. This is still true in a way as I get away every weekend I can escape the job (I work on call in the tech industry).
I discovered photography and Instagram in February 2012. I was posting pictures of Norman to Facebook and someone told me to check out Instagram (they were sick of looking at the Norm pics). Norman is my english bulldog. At first, all the pictures I took were just of Norman. Then I slowly started trying other things I saw on Instagram. I was inspired by all the great photography I was seeing everyday. It gave me confidence to try things that felt right to my eye, but I had never tried before. I still love taking pictures of Norman but I don’t post that many as I like to change things up in my feed.
I do not have 1 common theme or edit process. Every time I edit I try different things/apps depending on the photo. I shoot in camera+ and edit in Snapseed/VSCO/PicFx/Afterlight to name a few. I will avoid posting 2 black and white photos in a row, or 2 looking up shots in a row as best I can. I also do my best to find new areas to shoot in and not post the same shot/spot over and over. My favourite things to take pictures are of people and landscapes, although I do not get to see that many landscapes in the city. I do this as a hobby and love it. I always have a phone on me due to my job so it’s nice to be able to capture some of the things I see daily and share it with all the great people I’ve met on Instagram.
Email // Instagram
“Westbound”
This is one of my fav pictures of the TTC because it is one of the first I took.
I was paying attention to his bag.
Where is he going? What is in it? Where does he live? Is he visiting?
The motion of the train really made me see the possibilities of telling a story with a image, as well as giving me ideas of shooting my commutes to/from work.
—–
Kael Rebick
Bio:
I spend my days walking the streets of Toronto looking for beauty in the small things. There is so much beauty everywhere and if you don’t take the time to soak it all in, you might miss it.
I started taking photos of my father’s garden in 2005 with a little camera I found in a drawer. I developed quite a love for capturing beauty that way but it wasn’t until I got my first iPhone that it became a true passion.
I was thrilled to discover IG in April, 2010. It was a place to post my photos and also an incredible community. Since I downloaded the app, I don’t think I’ve looked at the world the same way. There truly is so much beauty everywhere.
I have chosen to photograph the Cedarvale Ravine. It is a hidden treasure in Toronto… a slice of country in the middle of the city. It’s an example of nature’s perfection all year round.
I take all my photos with my iPhone 5. I do very little editing to most of my images, but my favourite apps to use are, HDR Pro, Snapseed, Picfx and Photofx. I seem to focus primarily on colour and framing and most of all, beauty.
Email // Instagram // We Are Juxt
I’ve chosen a photo of the ravine from autumn as my favourite.
The ravine is a magical place for so many reasons.
One of the most incredible things about it is how it changes from season to season.
I love it all year but I think it is most beautiful in the fall.
—–
Kanwar Sandhu
Bio:
It all started in June of 2011, when I had first heard rumors of this photography app called ‘Instagram.’ I have always enjoyed photography as a hobby and since getting my hands on IG, it has become more of an obsession!
I come from the suburbs of Toronto (Mississauga) and try to get out to the city as much as I can to take a break from studying. I find it extremely therapeutic to get ‘lost’ in the city streets and underground pathways. If there were a concrete description for my photographic style, it would probably be melancholy. lol. Nothing makes me more happy than taking pictures of dark and dramatic symmetrical architecture with an ambient feel. Of course listening to ambient electronica completes the mood :]
Instagram // twitter // website
“Darkness Falls”
It was the most haunting sky I had ever seen. Huge, ominous clouds on one side of the city and the setting sun on the other.
The CN Tower was lit up like a fiery beacon against the clouds and till this day, remains my favourite picture.
It also helps that a bird flew into the shot ;]
—–
SoTeeOh
Bio:
I am incredibly passionate about the city of Toronto. Conventional wisdom would label me a street photographer, but that would be inaccurate. I am a Toronto street photographer. I have no desire to shoot anything aside from the subjects that can be found within the boundaries of this city. My work is largely self exploratory. I reinterpret this city’s structures and environments to represent emotions, intentions and people that hold meaning in my life.
Email // website // Instagram // twitter // Facebook // YouTube
“Sunset Rock”
View of the city from a quiet bird sanctuary east of the downtown core where I like to go to get away from things.
by Grryo Community | Jul 10, 2013 | Featured Articles, The Temples
Saving Lives One Leash At A Time by Dave Temple
Mark Twain once said, “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.”
That couldn’t be any further from the truth. When I very first heard of Found My Animal, a New York-based company that makes “accessories for adopted animals and people”, I had to reach out to them and find out more. Being the owner of two rescue dogs, it just made sense to connect with them.
I had the privilege of speaking with founder and owner, Bethany Obrecht. This former artist/photographer, turned entrepreneur is doing amazing things to help raise awareness of adoption of dogs from shelters. Check out the interview below and be sure to visit their website at www.foundmyanimal.com!
K: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
B: I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. My parents had some land and I had lots of pets. I studied photography at the Rhode Island School of Design and moved to Brooklyn, NY after graduating to pursue a career in photography. Soon after, I met artist Anna Conway on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and realized that animal welfare came first and decided to create a brand focused on rescue animals.
K: How did Found My Animal start?
B: Inspired by a fisherman in the family, we made our first three-strand, hand-spliced and whipped rope leash for our rescue pups back in 2006. So many people stopped us in the street to admire our unique nautical leads that we decided to share them with others.
My business partner and I met on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn while walking our two rescue pups, both of whom were named Walter. The Walters were sizing each other up and we started a conversation that quickly revealed our passion for animal welfare. We decided to become partners after discovering we had more in common than two rescue dogs with the same name. We had both attended great design schools- Cooper Union and Rhode Island School of Design- and were passionate about animals. Animal welfare and a love of the principles of good design.
K: What would you say is the ultimate mission of Found My Animal?
B: Our mission is to help promote animal welfare through celebration of animal adoption in a very direct way: let your animal wear the message. Both Anna and I discussed how easy it had been to transform the minds of friends. By encouraging one person at a time to look into rescuing instead of buying an animal, we hoped to form a company that would deliver that simple but very important message.
K: How are you planning to use Instagram and photography to show what you’re doing?
B: There is no doubt that a picture is worth a thousand words. A funny or cute picture of an animal can make your day, and sometimes all it takes is a picture of an animal in need to generate the energy and enthusiasm for change. We need to harness the power of photography, and a visual platform like Instagram (@foundmyanimal) helps remind us that these creatures are often completely dependent on us for survival and happiness. We owe them that!
K: Tell us more about the rescue orange leash.
B: Orange is the color of animal protection awareness. We manufacture our own orange rope here in the US. The color is perfect for getting people’s attention, and most importantly inspires conversations about this important topic. Our orange rescue leash highlights (literally) the message. “Hey, I was rescued, join the club!”
K: What can people do to help?
B: Adopt, foster, and volunteer to walk a dog or pet a cat at your local shelter. Support your local shelter with food, towels, and beds. Convince friends to choose adoption, share your adoption story at the dog park, online, and with us!
K: Name some celebs who have purchased or supported Found My Animal
B: Jessica Biel, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper, Martha Stewart, Amanda Seyfried, Erykah Badu to name a few.
K: What is the dream for the future?
B: If you’re lucky, small dreams become big ones. Our greatest dream would be to see an end to puppy mills and an increase in effective spay/neuter programs. Anna’s rescue pup Walter lived in a cage in a puppy mill for 5 years as a breeding machine. My Chihuahua Walter was a product of a puppy mill and was severely inbred with all sorts of health issues. If enough voices come together, legislation will follow. Access and awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering of all pets is critically important to help stop the flood of unwanted animals into shelters. We also dream about having our own Found My Animal Sanctuary, and that our orange Rescue leash will become a symbol of animal adoption worldwide.
Author’s Note:
Bethany is an amazing person and even sent my boys, Jack and Gordy a little treat. See photo below.
(L to R) Gordy and Jack
by Brad Puet | Jul 3, 2013 | Chops with BP, Featured Articles
Video courtesy Chicago Tribune
Photographers Do Matter, Thank You Very Much! by BP
BP’s Introduction
One of my most cherished memories of childhood is watching my Father read the newspaper. For the past 40 years, I’ve watched my father read the paper to catch up on politics and sports locally and globally. The newspaper was and is his tie to the world outside his front door. I remember him showing my brother and I articles that he found to be important enough to share with us. My brother and I were too young to understand the full import of the articles but we could comprehend the photographs that were present in the articles. The first time that we had an in-depth conversation about a news event was the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. My pops looked at me sadly and told me, “We lost heroes today.” I looked at him, as he drank his cup of coffee, a usually stoic man, with somewhat of a puzzled look on my face. He saw this and told me to look at the photo. It was of the explosion. The photo told enough of the story for me to understand how devastated he and the rest of the world were by the tragedy. I later learned to read the paper like my father but even to this day, I scan the newspaper for photographs first..
I first heard about the layoffs of all the photojournalists over at the Chicago Sun-Times from a friend and photojournalist, John Lok who shoots for the Seattle Times. It was retweet that John had put out from Robert Channick of the Chicago Tribune, “Chicago Sun-Times lays off entire photo staff; about 20 full-timers let go w/ plans to use freelancers going forward.” Immediately after that John had tweeted to Rob Hart, one of the photographers from the Sun-Times, “Rob, so sorry about this. Like Kendrick Brinson (an Atlanta-based photographer) said, I know you’ll figure it out. I salute you +the S-T photo crew today.”
Photo Credit: John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune
I was speechless with surprise as I hadn’t had a chance to read any articles yet that day. When I went looking for more details, I saw a photo of a man, holding his wife, with a look of hurtful disbelief of the news that was given to him and his crew. That photo resonated with me. A lot!
So I began to read more about it and saw how disgraceful it was to treat such a dedicated team of photojournalists. The photography community was in full support for these great journalists. Twitter was on fire that week. Protests against Chicago S-T were being organized and letters of support were circulating throughout the cyber world. People weren’t trying to save their jobs as they were trying preserve the culture of photojournalism. Then I thought to myself, right after these photojournalists who are the ones to suffer from such an idiotic move by the S-T?
People like my pops who reads the paper everyday with a cup of coffee and a doughnut. People like me who get so much from each photograph. People like my son who will not be able to see the world through the lens of the greats.
My anger and disbelief continued growing as I read article after article about the layoffs. During my reading, I came across a name that stood out for me. Not too long ago, I wanted to find the most compelling images from 1973 (the year I was born) and use them as guides in my own photography. John H. White was a name I could not let go of. I didn’t know him or his name really until now. It was his work that resonated with me. In that post, “I Am Not A Crook: Photography from 1973” I put up just one of his amazing photos, “A Young Black Man Showing His Muscle During A Small Community Program In Chicago On The South Side.” So this is one of the photojournalists who is being laid off? A Pulitzer Prize winner? This is how you treat him and his colleagues? I continued to read on about this story.
This is where I found Rob Hart. I had put a name to the photograph of the man and his wife in disbelief. Even more so, I found a connection with the photographer I admired in John H. White and this deep empathy I had for this man in the photograph. Along with the John H. White and the other photojournalists, Rob was outspoken about the layoffs and found solace in doing what he does best; tell his stories with his photographs – Nikon or iPhone.
B: BP R: Rob
B: First of all thanks for agreeing to interview. If you would please let our readers know who is Rob Hart outside of photography and the world of photojournalism?
R: He’s a guy that likes to hang out with his wife, kid, cats, and take pictures. Photography is my mistress, it’s what I do when I m not sleeping. Everyone in my life just lives with it, like being married to an addict, but I have all my teeth and never steal your money to buy a camera. Well now that I need a D4 I might.
“The day I met John H. White was the day I decided to change my life…” Rob Hart, 10/02/1997 7:00 PM
B: What got you started with photography and photojournalism? Who are your mentors? How’d you know you had the instinct of visual journalism?
R: My first two photojournalism teachers, George Waldman and John H. White were huge in turning my life into being what John calls a “visual servant.” They both look at photojournalism from the perspective of a contentious human. They both pushed me into developing my seeing and making, not taking pictures. I was always curious about the world and a camera is a great excuse to explore it. If I knock on your door and say, “Can I come in and take pictures of you?” People will open their door and lives to you. It’s amazing. How many other careers do you get to experience that?
I was talking recently with a high school friend of my wife and I, Stacy Thomson, and she wanted to be a photojournalist back in high school too. She said “I remember one day being in the darkroom with you and I looked over and your images in the developer, they were so much better than mine, you just had it in you.” As a child my room was covered in photographs of my favorite athletes. My grandfather read the paper every day, my father would bring the newspaper home and I’d pour over the hockey stats and stories about the Red Wings. Newspapers, magazines, and art books where a gateway to the world. Photography was the only thing I could do well, so I stuck with it. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.
B: If you would can you explain more about the “instinct” and how one may know if they have it? Also what are some ways to hone that instinct?
R: I hammer this into my students; plan, patience, execute. Put yourself in the place where you think you need to be when what you think is going to happen happens. Learning to anticipate is the best skill a photojournalist can develop. Just like any other skill it’s doing, and failing, and learning, and doing it again. There’s no secret to being good at something, it’s all about immersing yourself in it for a decade and doing it every day and surrounding yourself with people who are invested in you being a success.
I owe everything to the circle of photojournalists I grew up with. My Columbia College family, my A Photo A Day family, and my Sun-Times family. Spending 12 years in a newsroom with other talented people looking at work everyday, discussing photos, and laughing. That’s the only way to get better.
Bulls forward Carlos Boozer screams as he slam dunks the ball in the second half of of Chicago’s 92-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center in Chicago on Jan. 22, 2011. Photo: Rob Hart
B: Can you tell us one or two of the most exciting events you had covered as well as the most emotional and personal one?
R: I loved the little things, like shooting pet of the week, or the teacher of the year. When I show work to middle school kids they want to see Derrick Rose, but I loved making images of people that no one else knew existed. That old Carl Smith classic “I Overlooked an Orchid,” well I want to find that orchid. I worked for a few years with a great photojournalist Suzanne Tennant and I shared a lot of the same ways of seeing with her. We both looked for the perfect imperfection, the moment you don’t notice, or as I’ve said un-eloquently, ‘shot on the downbeat.’ We both so want everything to be beautiful, she found the highlight in every situation, and I’d be drawn to the shadow.
“Talking with the elderly really gives me insights on how I want to live and age,” Ricke said. “I never really thought about aging before. (This job) has taught me to live more deliberately.” Photo: Rob Hart
I worked on a story about a woman who drove cancer patients to their appointments, and the photos were borderline terrible, but after it ran the non-profit told me they got a dozen more volunteers to help out because of the story. Chris LaFortune wrote that story and many others that we worked on together and it really did have an immediate impact on the lives of others. I love making photos that make me happy, but affecting real measurable change on my community was great too. My last reprint request was a photograph of a hockey player holding up the state championship trophy. His mother was framing an 11×14 for his graduation present. That’s a cool thing to be a part of. To know your work will always be a part of the history of that family is pretty awesome.
Photographing the birth of my child was one of the most amazing, emotional and scary experiences. 50 years ago maybe neither child or mother would have survived, and photographing a team of doctors trying to get your 60-second-old baby to breath was terrifying. In that moment the two most important people to me were in danger and all I could do was keep making photos. A doctor told me to stop shooting and that’s when I understood the gravity of the situation. But I knew either way I wanted to have these moments preserved. I’m glad I did because my wife has no memory of the first time she saw Parker, and it was only for a second before she was whisked away to the NICU. We’re told in college to shoot what we love. Sometimes you’re given the best assignments of your life without knowing it. And more and more my best images were being made on my own time.
B: So our readers would like to know, what happened with the Chicago Sun-Times?
R: It was a cost thing. Photographers are expensive. We use expensive gear, you gotta pay to maintain that gear. We cost money to drive to assignments, freelancers eat those costs and there’s a ton of people willing to shoot for $65 per assignment. I’ve had sources tell me they know there’s a small window of time they have to make money for investors, so one way to make more money is spend less money. It’s pretty simple economics.
It breaks my heart that so many of the people in my community have reached out to me and said they no longer read the Sun-Times or my local paper, the Oak Leaves. Because all my friends that are still there churning out stories need to feed their kids too. All the research that comes out of the Poynter Institute says stories with compelling art gets read at a higher rate than stories without photos. Photo galleries get tons of hits but pre-roll video is easier to sell to advertisers. Just like any business they’re pushing the item with the highest margin on their customers. It’s the extended warranty model so to speak.
“Zero hour. Carpet on the 14th floor of the Holiday Inn where 28 Sun-Times photographers lost their jobs.” Photo: Rob Hart
B: I know that you had taken an iPhone shot (which also is the first photo on your blog) of the carpet and floor that day of the announcement. Can you describe for us why this photo was taken and describe the rest of that day?
R: It was just how I felt at that moment. I had just been told the only job I’ve ever had was gone. I was starring at the face of my hero John H. White when he was laid off after 44 years. Without anyone even saying thank you. It sucked and was totally opposite of how most of us were raised to treat others. So when I walked out I just wanted to preserve that feeling and that horrible/awesome carpet was exactly what I’ll always remember about that moment.
I grabbed my co-worker Curtis Lemkuhl and we went to the Billy Goat. It was where we went after college classes, where every serious journalist drank. If you’re going to have a wake for the photo staff that was the place. Newspapers like the Detroit Free Press called and tried to buy us all a round and my weird sports amigo Sol Neelman called to buy a round, alas the Goat is cash only. Every TV news station started showing up and we did press all day. Then the Tribune folks all donated money to buy us beers. So you can imagine how getting laid off at 9:30 AM then having people buy you drinks ended. Let’s just say my wife wasn’t happy and Friday morning taking care of my baby was rough.
B: You’ve mentioned John White many times in your interviews, on your blog, in photographs; can you talk more about your relationship with him from taking his class to being in the same room with him when being let go?
R: Besides my parents and wife, John had the biggest impact on the trajectory of my life and career. My good friend Tamara Bell kept a journal from our first photo class together with John, Oct. 2nd, 1997. It’s full of his quotes and I still live by his lessons and practice them every day. I show my current class a picture of John and I together because without him, I’m not standing there passing on the wisdom he handed down.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“You must have intimacy with light and nature.”
“Stay connected to the people that fuel your journey.”
“We are visual servants.”
“Talent unused loses it’s usefulness.”
“One of the greatest things in life you can do is give.”
“Be like the lightning bug, never let anyone contain your light.”
Photo credit: Ray Whitehouse, Chicago Sun-Times
I could recite these and more all day. His class changed my life in three hours. He was so supportive and positive. He would inspire you to do your best and take you to task when you weren’t. I always wanted to be like him. When my photo was printed in the same paper as his, on the same page I was ecstatic. I am now teaching a class at Medill that John once taught. He was there when a great chapter of my photographic life started and he was there when that chapter ended. As I’ve said it was a huge honor to be there in that room. I just wish I had made photos with my D3. I couldn’t stand to see the bloodbath. I shook John and everyone’s hands, told them how much they all meant to me and left for the Billy Goat. I mean it was 9:30AM…
B: Let’s talk a bit about your thoughts on mobile photography and photojournalism.
I know that I can speak on behalf of quite a few mobile shooters in saying, there is no way we believe that replacing a photojournalist with a reporter who has just learned how to take a picture with their smartphone, is best practice. For many of us, we know that storytelling by way of visual imaging is totally different than a journalist with a keyboard and an iPhone. Prior to the layoffs, how did you view mobile photography? After the layoffs and the news of S-T teaching reporters to use their iPhones as photographic tools, has it changed how you view mobile photography?
R: I’ve viewed every camera I’ve owned as a tool. It has it’s limitations and a good photographer knows it and exploits the tool for it usefulness. Years ago, like 2008 or something, I saw my homie Shawn Rocco shooting at A Photo A Day’s Geekfest with a crappy little cell phone and the images were amazing. I think he called it the Kodak Brownie of the digital age. We all need ways to keep us creative, and the iPhone is pretty rad for that. I can shoot a photo of my cat and send it to my wife in a second. With my D3 it’s a process of editing, and converting the RAW file and toning and exporting, and sometimes you just want to do something that’s not like work. An iPhone in the hands of someone who knows light, understands human emotions, and has the experience to be in the right spot will always yield better results than someone who is trained to ask “What happened?” Photographers live on an emotional level, where reporters are largely detail and fact orientated. It’s a different skill set.
When you think about the Boston bombings you don’t remember all the crappy cell phone video. The John Tlumacki photo of the runner knocked off his feet or Kelvin Ma’s images of the guy with the cowboy hat. Photos are our collective memory. I think great content will continue to be produced by talented people. A bad photo taken with a DSLR is no better than a bad photo taken on an iPhone. The DSLR will be WIFI enabled soon enough and the iPhone will continue to get better. These are all tools to get a job done. If a person is 45 feet away, at this moment the iPhone is not that tool, but it could be soon.
B: Your blog, #LaidOffFromTheSunTimes, best captures the storytelling aspect of your photojournalism background. What is your mission behind your blog?
R: It was just a gut reaction, honestly. I was just shooting to keep from feeling it. I enjoy things that are equal parts heartfelt and sarcastic. I slowly realized that the stupid iPhone flicks I was making could tell a story that isn’t told often. My wife has been laid off numerous times and never got interviewed about it. So I’m lucky enough to have made something that resonated with people. I got hundreds of emails and a few late night phone calls in support. I figured it would be a good record of a time in my life. I didn’t intend it to be so big, but again life just presents you with things and you gotta use your talents.
B: Since we are on the topic of mobile photography, what apps do you got on your phone, man?
R: I started shooting with the Hipstamatic app, because I don’t know why. It just seemed like the time to shoot with something I couldn’t control. That’s one of the things I love about mobil photography with these apps is it’s unpredictable and I don’t have to think about it. I use the Black Keys Super Grain + John S for B&W and and Foxy + Sugar for color. One of my major hero’s Scott Strazzante shows his iPhone and regular photos to my class and I think we both land on the same side of this, it’s just fun dammit. I don’t care that someone thinks using hipstamatic is stupid, and maybe it is. I’m sure in 20 years I’ll curse myself for this but who cares. It’s just a picture. Pre-layoff I was shooting everything in Camera Control Plus and editing in Snapseed. But sometimes you just want to whip out your phone and hold time. I do wish there was an app that allowed me to control my exposure. Maybe there is? I’m sure one of your readers could help make my iPhone flicks better.
B: As a photojournalist, as a teacher, what can you tell mobile photographers, who may or may not have had experience with photography ever, what can you tell us if we want to tell our stories with our smartphone?
R: I’ve always been a fan of loving the camera that you’re with. I’ve shot with a fixed 35mm lens everyday for 7 years now. Uncomplicate things. I tell my students to spend a week and really learn your camera, then forget it’s there and make photos. If you’re focused on the camera and what it can do and what it can’t you’re not feeling the moment. I find the people that get into photography for the gear love to talk about the gear and those of us that fell in love with the process and experience of photography don’t want to be bothered with anything but the photo. I had a student that was having a hard time after we learned the Sam Abel “Compose and wait” lesson. So she went and shot little league baseball and I could tell looking at her take every photo she shot with a huge smile on her face. Photography is super fun. Reach out to professionals and ask them for their opinions. Seek out a community who will give you criticism instead of just a pat on the back. I take crappy photos all the time. The magic bullet is a decade of experience. If I spent the next 10 years learning to build a gazebo I’m sure it’d be way better than me building one today. And at the end of the day it’s just a photo. We just take a rectangle (or square) and fill it with stuff. We allow light in.
One of my goals with my students, who ironically are graduate students studying journalism, is that they are going to be making images their entire lives, not just for their jobs. Photography is best when it’s personal. People documenting stories they care about should be celebrated, no matter the skill level. These awesome mobile camera devices take some of the technical mumbo jumbo out of the equation. You don’t need to know shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO. I helps to know, but you can focus on just making a photo and send it around the world in the blink of an eye. That’s pretty damn fantastic and almost unbelievable.
One thing that still hasn’t changed is going back and looking at the classics and what made each image work. Garry Winnogrand is as revenant today with mobile photography as ever. I still pull out my photo books and just loose myself in some Robert Frank or Walker Evans. Feed your visual language through books and galleries. I find getting offline for a bit and spending time with an image is a much better option than my Instagram feed some days. I think there’s room for both in my life.
B: What’s next for you Rob?
R: Well, I’m planning for my baby’s first birthday party, so that’s going to be amazing. For work I’m shooting a lot for non editorial clients and I’d love to make the jump to more commercial and advertising work. I’m joining a new news delivery platform as a visuals editor or photo coach (we’ve yet to decide) called BreakingVoices.com that is going to revolutionize the way news content is delivered, monetized and consumed. Our goal is to create a news organization that operates for the benefit of the community and it’s employees, not some investors. We’re going to pay people to tell great stories. I do miss waking up everyday and not knowing what situation I am going to find myself in. The adrenaline rush of a deadline or covering a big structure fire was kinda sweet. I’ve had more people thank me for my work in 3 weeks than I had in 12 years at the paper. There’s much less security, but it’s more rewarding. Freelancing fits my lifestyle but not really my personality. I loved being part of a team and feeling ownership over coverage of a neighborhood. I’m really enjoying editing photos while watching Steven Seagal movies, couldn’t do that in a newsroom.
B: Big thanks Rob! Best to you and the others!
With the reds, yellows and blues from the DJ’s lights rotating around the room, Melissa Broz danced as if she were in the spotlight at The Snowflake Prom, a dance for residents with special needs. Each song the DJ played, she seemed to know the words. “Greased Lightning” pumped from the speakers, and Broz not only mouthed the words, but mimicked John Travolta’s dance routine. John Travolta, Broz said, is the best. The dance scene, she has it memorized. Broz enjoys dancing, to say the least. “Because it gets me moving,” the Franklin Park resident said. Photo: Rob Hart
Contact Rob Hart:
Email // Website // Hot Soft Light Blog
#LaidOffFromTheSunTimes (mobile photos) // Twitter // Instagram
by Brad Puet | Jun 20, 2013 | Chops with BP, Featured Articles
As stated in their mission, “Grupo de adictos a la fotografia con sede en la ciudad condal” or in English, “A group of addicts about photography based in Barcelona” the Freaksbcn represent mobile photography in one of the world’s most active (as far as mobile photography) cities in the world. Let’s learn a bit more about them and please do visit them through their networks. Trust us you will be amazed by the work that each member produces.
What is the mission behind the group?
The main activity of our group is to show our city through our eyes, its places, its people and the different events or actions we have the chance to go there.
The addiction to photo social sharing apps such as Instagram is a global phenomenon. Can you explain to us the importance of a supportive group like @freaksbcn?
FreaksBCN was born as one of the first groups of “mobile photography” enthusiasts in Spain and was formed by IG users. We are proud to share our vision of the city through our Walking Freaks, a kind of photowalk around our city, Barcelona.
Who are the current members and can you tell us a little about each member?
Born inTenerife, Canary Islands, but living in Barcelona since more than 5 years now, Andrés de León is a graduated in Art history who has found his vocation in graphic design and illustration fields. After discovering iphoneography around 2010, this new way of taking photos changed his perception of the city he was living in. Cofounder member of Freaksbcn group, he has been highlighted in some IG accounts like @photooftheday, @ic_thestreets, @ink361,etc… Also he has taken part in several exhibitions, has won a few contests like the last one promoted by @topcreation and the First Price in The First Photomobile contest in Blipoint, also he has participated in the 24 hour project in 2012 and 2013.
—————————
My name is Roger Parera, I’ m a second year student of photography in Fotoespai bci of Barcelona and I work as a waiter in a restaurant on weekends. Passionate about street photography but more focused into documentary and author’s reports.
I express my day-to-day but also my fears and insecurities and my secret desires too on it. Every image is different than the other. Mobile photography, the possibility of shooting, editing and sharing with the same device it fascinates me. Also the fact of sharing it on Internet and getting a constant feedback with people from different countries. I don’t care about the device that it is used unless the result what it gets.
—————————
My name is Lluis and I live in Barcelona and I work as a clerk in a company near the center. I try to capture everyday moments in my photos that I think can be special and I try to show what is around me in a different way.
My passion about photography has been increase with the chance of taking pictures and editing with the same device, my iPhone. I discovered a camera I can carry always with me a way to taking photos covertly. Hard to get otherwise. I have a classic vision about photography.
—————————
A journey to New York was the reason to I got my first SLR.in the middle of another journey , an irreparable breakdown make me by another camera but in this case a digital one. In this moment I start using social networks about photography as Flickr. But when I get my first IPhone with its ability to take photos and edit in the same device, I decide searching for a platform to share them. It’s when I discover Instagram and quickly it becomes an addiction. After that I discover @freaksbcn group who offer me to join them and I accept without a doubt. Now I can declare that have won some prices is in fact interesting but it’s been more gratifying to have met wonderful people, some of them are now great friends. What more can I ask for a hobby like this, the photography? By the way, my name is Roldán.
—————————
My name is Silvia. I live in Barcelona and I am pedagogue and nowadays I am ending my studies of Social Education, an area that I love and I would like to work as it. Since I was a child, I like photography, but my interest for it began two years ago when I discovered Instagram. This application has given me the opportunity to discover wonderful people, across whom I am learning very much and in addition some of them have turned into great friends. I am one of the founders of @freaksbcn and thanks to it I can continue enjoying this madness of creating magic moments with photography. My style is not defined, but I always try to show pieces of moments that attracts me and I love to photograph the streets of my dear Barcelona.
—————————
Behind Sushidetortilla hides Carol de Britos, an elementary school teacher that has always admired photographers but thought taking pictures was something difficult that required a good equipment and a lot of preparation. On January 2011 she bought her second iphone and downloaded Instagram for the first time. Without knowing it, her life was about to change. Two years later, Sushidetortilla has won several contests (the last one hosted by Maison Valentino, Paris) and has taken part in several exhibitions. Actually, she’s teaching mobile photography workshops in different Universities (in Sevilla, for instance) and is programmer and curator of Spain’s first Mobile Photography Festival (D-IVE 2013). She’s one of the founders of FreaksBcn as well as EyeEm’s ambassador in Barcelona, jury of Blipoint and member of AMPt community.
How does each member see themselves in the next year? Next 5 years? What would they like to accomplish with their work as individuals?
We don’t know what will be our lives within 5 years as a group. We are not waiting for anything in concrete but first of all we are in our present and trying to enjoying as it is today.
We just want this passion for mobile photography to not die with the years and to keep on sharing together come what may.
Barcelona is a beautiful city. Bringing together such amazing artists to document the city is a great idea. What are the plans for @freaksbcn in the future?
We have several plans for the future, including preparing a website with various content related to our group and pictures made with our phones.
And of course, continue to share our vision of the city, enjoying taking pictures and sharing it with all our friends and followers.
Thank you for your time. What are some last words from @freaksbcn? Is there a formal way to submit to become a member? What advice can you give to mobile photographers around the world?
About the submitting to become a member of the group there is no requirement. We are open to accept new members.
More than any advice, the most important thing for us is to keep enjoying photography and sharing it with all who is around us.
Contact Freaksbcn
Instagram // Facebook // Email
