Michael Clawson to Speak at MacWorld/iWorld

MacWorld/iWorld is almost upon us. I thought this was going to be my year to attend, but it looks like I may have to wait until 2015. If I did attend I'd be sure to catch the presentation by Michael Clawson. 

Michael Clawson is ‘Chief Fish’ at Big Fish Creations, an advertising and digital media company in the Sierra town of Graeagle. His background began in Silicon Valley when Apple Computer and Adobe Systems first made their mark in Desktop Publishing. He was introduced to interactive media early in his career, transitioned to production artist, and later, creator and lead principal of an Interactive Department at a major advertising agency. Specializing in branding across multiple media platforms, his diverse repertoire includes a hybrid combination of designer and developer with emphasis on graphic design, branding, photography and communication. Michael is also a published author and often writes about iPhoneography and creative editing.

Geri:  Tell me a bit about your start with iPhone photography.

Michael:  My start with iPhoneography was somewhat accidental, yet meaningful. Around the first of October, 2010, I was on my way to a client meeting. As always, when I discovered something interesting, I would snap a shot with my iPhone. In this case, my interest was caught by the dramatic clouds floating above my client’s hi-tech building. I quickly snapped a picture with my iPhone and headed in to the meeting. Once inside, my clients and I were going through some ideas about a brochure and folder design, looking for an image that really stood out. Nothing really clicked. Then, I recalled the image I had just snapped before entering the building. I pulled out my iPhone, cued up the photo and asked: “Would this work?” Everyone in the room went wild with excitement, and it became unanimous that “that” was the shot. From then on, I knew the iPhone was my new creative tool and have never looked back since.

My First Instagram with “that” shot:

© Michael Clawson

Today, I shoot with both my Nikon SLR and iPhone and post processing shots in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and in numerous iPhone apps. Many times I find myself being more creative with my iPhone since it allows me to really explore my ideas with simple ease. 

Geri:  What is MacWorld/iWorld?

Michael:  If you are an Apple faithful, you might say MacWorld/iWorld is like the home planet of your kind. Almost everything Apple or Apple related is featured at the show. In fact, it’s a great place to see the latest gadgets, goodies, and apps in the Apple Industry. The show also offers cool presentations, training and tech talks where you can learn just about anything related to Apple products, third party products and compatible apps. You can find out more about the show at the MacWorld/iWorld site.   

The Thinker © Michael Clawson
Apps Used: Faded, Facetune, ColorTime, Image Blender, PS Express, Big Photo

Channeling Instagram's @blacksmithpat © Michael Clawson
Apps - Hipstamatic TinType SnapPak

 Geri:  What will you be presenting and when?

Michael:  On Thursday, March 27th, from 3 to 3:45 pm, I’ll be presenting Creative iPhone Portraitures. This is the third in my series of MacWorld/iWorld Talks on iPhoneography. In this session, my focus is really aimed at the beginner to intermediate user interested in learning tips, tricks, and secrets for creating better portraits with their iPhones.

As I see it, there are essentially three main stages in the portrait process. First, you need to relax your subject so they behave more naturally. I most often find humor works the best to break the ice so to speak. Second, you need to pay attention to the subject and strive to capture that so called “perfect” shot. This typically involves taking a lot of photos until that magic happens, but, it should also involve more than just blind chance. Observation and attention to detail is key. Third, post-processing and editing play a major roll in the end result, and should not be underestimated – especially when you are trying to create a traditional SLR technique like depth of field for example. I will be briefly covering these stages and will actually have a live model for the presentation. Of course, in between these major stages, I’ll demonstrate tips and tricks such as how to deal with low-light situations, how to pick the right shooting app, burst mode photography, etc. I know it is a lot to cram into a 30-minute presentation, especially since I always like to open the floor for questions at the end. 

I have also partnered with the developers of Facetune to give live demos of their amazing app on the show floor in the Appalooza area Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29th. I will be joined by a few of my creative colleagues who will also be demoing their take on the app. It should be a lot of fun, and a great place for attendees to learn about Facetune, which is aimed squarely at iPhone/iPad Portrait photography and editing.

Beach Boy © Michael Clawson

Mopar, The Wizard of the Desert © Michael Clawson

Geri:  Is there any way for people not attending to view your presentation?

Michael:  Unfortunately, my presentation will not be recorded. But, as always, I plan to upload my slides to my Slideshare account. I do believe MacWorld/iWorld will also make them available to people attending the event.

Geri:  Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Michael:  First off, I really appreciate you taking the time to interview me here. I enjoy sharing my love for iPhoneography whenever I have a chance, and your blog is one of my favorites. Also, I’m excited to say I’m writing a book on iPhoneography that hopefully will be out later this year. Yes. That was a shameless plug, but well, there it is so stay tuned. 

Objects in the mirror are larger than they appear © Michael Clawson
Olloclip Fisheye

What? Are you talking to me? © Michael Clawson

Find Michael:  Company Website / Instagram / Flickr / Twitter / Google+ / 500px / LinkedIn / Facebook / Tumblr / YouTube / About Me

Mobiography Interview

It was so nice to "chat" with Andy Butler about my favorite subject - iPhoneography!  Andy runs a great site over at Mobiography.net and also produces the beautiful bimonthly magazine Mobiography available for the iPhone and iPad.

Hopefully I'll be able to chat with Andy again soon with the focus on his work and all he's doing for the mobile photography communitiy! Thank you Andy for this wonderful feature.

Click on the image below to read the interview.

The Art of iPhone Photography - Straight Talk with Authors Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald

Just over a year ago, I discovered that I could use my iPhone as a means for creating art. When I started interacting with fellow enthusiasts on Instagram, Flickr and EyeEm I realized I had found "my people"- those other crazy souls who are just as smitten as I am with this means of artistic expression. Now, there's a fabulous resource that EVERY iPhone photographer should have. It's the newly released book, The Art of iPhone Photography: Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhoneby Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald. Through the miracle of the internet, I was able to interview Bob and Nicki on this exciting new venture!

Geri:  Seeing as the two of you live on different continents, how did you begin collaborating?

Bob:  At the end of 2011, I discovered Nicki's site iPhoneographyCentral just as I was becoming seriously interested in iPhone photography. At that point, I had no idea how big this movement was becoming. Nicki's site was one of several sites I had identified as notable resources to learn more about producing great images on the iPhone. Her site occupied a special place in my thinking, because I had seen the picture of "Flamin' Amy" that now graces the cover of our book, and was completely taken with it. I knew this person must be a real talent to have produced an image so full of energy and joie de vivre. She had a small ad on the home page inviting contributions (content and financial), and the posting suggested that she wouldn't mind help in managing the site. I sent her an email and offered to write tutorials, and that's how the relationship began. To this day, we have never met, and have only communicated via email and Skype. But I consider her a great friend, and have gotten to know her family. I can't wait to meet all of them sometime next year.

Geri:  Was iPhonoegraphyCentral your first joint venture?  

Nicki:  I founded iPhoneographyCentral in 2011. I was desperate to learn more about the subject and there wasn't anything out there so I started the website with a small collection of tutorials generously donated by iPhoneographers I'd made connections with on Facebook. Bob joined me about a year later contributing the most fantastic tutorials and showing a real passion and dedication to the subject. With his fantastic writing skills and award winning iPhoneography, it made perfect sense for Bob to join me as my iPhoneographyCentral partner.

Geri:  Do you have difficulty juggling your "real" job with your work in the iPhone photography community?

Nicki:  Yes, it has been hard at times and of course the third ball to juggle is family. I have been lucky to have had such brilliant support from my partner Robert and my 12 year old son Lewis over this massively busy year. Without them, it would have been impossible to manage the website and book. 

Bob:  It is hard to juggle the two, much as it is for anyone balancing a consuming hobby against the vocation that earns your livelihood. I try to set aside an hour each evening for posting, reviewing the posts of others and finding candidates for Apps Uncovered (when it's my turn to do so). I also spend the first half of every Saturday adding candid images to my photo pool that I'll eventually use in my work.

Letter from the Beloved by Bob Weil

Geri:  When was the idea hatched for your book, "The Art of iPhone Photography?"

Nicki:  It was about early 2012 when Bob suggested the book idea. It seemed an obvious direction to go forward and extend the iPhoneographyCentral vision of sharing inspiration, creativity and techniques on iPhoneography.

Bob:  Once I had read several of the books out there (Dan Marcolina's, Stephanie Roberts' and Dan Burkholder's) and had a chance to contribute a few tutorials to Nicki's site, I realized that one thing that aspiring iPhoneographers lacked was a good view into the creative process of a variety of iPhone artists. I knew from my own experience that different photographic styles appeal to different people, and that there was no book on the market that tried to address the upcoming "generation" of iPhoneographers who had grown up on Instagram and Hipstamatic and were ready to expand their repertoire of techniques. Both our own Flickr group and the Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival of August 2012, founded by Daria Polichetti (the author of our Foreword) and Nate Park, opened my eyes to the range of really superb work out there. Just as importantly, it revealed the level of enthusiasm and excitement for this new mode of expression that seemed to help people fulfill their creative impulses in novel ways.

Images processed with Camera+ by Jack Hollingsworth

Geri:  Tell me a bit about your publisher.  How receptive were they to the idea of the book?

Nicki:  Bob did all the legwork here. Literally, he invited our publisher Gerhard from Rocky Nook to come down and visit the current Los Angeles Mobile Art Festival (LAMAF) organized by iphoneart and bowled him over with the huge displays of iPhoneography. With Bob's enthusiasm and passion coupled with the quality of art on the walls (many of these artists are in our book) it would have been a tough call to say "No".

Bob:  We had originally submitted a competitive analysis of the books in the market, an introduction, and two sample chapters to Pixiq and Peachpit. We never heard back from Pixiq, and Peachpit declined. That was a bit depressing, because we thought this would be the ideal follow-on to Dan Marcolina's book, published by Peachpit in 2011 - and the quality of work produced by that publisher is exceptional. I was as convinced as ever that the market was ready for this book, and found photography publisher Rocky Nook during a visit to a Barnes and Noble bookstore. Doing my research, I found that they were a small, scrappy, photography-only, niche publishing house that had succeeded in producing some really high quality books, and also in marketing the most successful photography book of 2011. I went to their website and pitched the idea at a high level through their generic "contact us" form. The publisher himself (Gerhard Rossbach) responded to my email later that day from his office in Heidelberg, Germany. It turned out he would be visiting his Santa Barbara, California offices in August of 2012, which happened to be when the Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival would be held. I invited him to meet me there so that I could walk him through the exhibition. Since I had done some of the set up work and had helped prepare the exhibition for launch, I knew that that the amazing range of work would make a real impression. I was not mistaken. That very day, he agreed to publish our book on a handshake. Of course, the details still had to be sorted out, but when you work with a small house overseen by a visionary publisher, things proceed very quickly if the idea strikes a chord. 

Long Beach in the Rain by Cecily Caceu

Long Beach in the Rain tutorial by Cecily Caceu

Geri:  Will this book benefit both the novice and advanced user?

Nicki:  Absolutely! As our top Amazon reviewer "Dan G. Lebryk" commented, 

"The key to this book is to understanding a technique, applying filters or learning how to use a few new apps. And then applying that to the style of photography you love. The authors covered virtually every genre of photography - there is something for everybody to learn."

I would add that the tutorials range from a few very short quick techniques to longer artistic techniques to impart the subtle skills needed to give your iPhone art and photography the edge over "ok" photographs.  

Bob:  The very specific (and ambitious) goal was to produce a book for both markets. Once we realized that the number of apps used by our contributors was approaching 100, we knew that even experienced iPhoneographers would have some takeaways from nearly every tutorial that would enhance their creative toolkit. We start with photorealistic imagery toward the front of the book (no implication of "simplicity", though - the compositional ability of these contributors is awe-inspiring), and then move through landscape, portrait to surreal/conceptual and abstract work. I happen to work in several of those categories, and one of the guilty pleasures of working on a book of this scope and depth is to be the first one to read and learn from the great ideas with which our contributors peppered their tutorials. I found myself stepping through nearly every tutorial personally, just to experience each individual process more intimately. I can't begin to tell you how much I learned personally.

The Red Pencil Portrait by Jose Antonio Fundo

Geri:  With the many talented mobile photographers actively creating, how did you choose the artists that are featured in the book?  Do they all work with an iOS device or are there any Android users in the group?

Nicki:  Bob and I spent weeks pouring over different artists work and mostly agreeing on the final selections. I've never asked if any of them have an android phone but I suspect few, if any do. The iPhone and iPad are extremely creative tools and of course occasionally we'll use them to make a phone call.

Bob:  This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the effort - we were able to curate from contributors to our Flickr group with 1,200-strong contributors, and artists that I had learned about through the LA-MAF. Daria very graciously connected us up with contributing artists for that event, and Nicki and I selected images to most effectively demonstrate a broad range of styles. We did some research on Android devices, but found that only about 25% of the apps have versions that work on those devices. For that reason, we didn't feel right representing this as a book that Android phone users can readily use - and therefore all contributors are iPhone users. Still, enough of the major apps and app categories are represented on Android, and those that own Android phones will definitely learn a lot about processing images on a mobile device from the book.

Rat Race by David Ingraham

Rat Race tutorial by David Ingraham

Geri:  Were they eager to share their secrets?

Nicki:  The iPhone community is a hugely friendly and cooperative community. The excitement of this creative tool and its potential seems to override most people's egos in their enthusiasm to share their art and how they created it. 

Bob:  Everyone who contributed to the book was eager share their "secret sauce" - they realized that it's one thing to master techniques and another thing altogether developing a creative vision. Still, we did have several contributors who initially signed on who decided to withdraw because of unfortunate past experiences with others who too closely imitated their techniques.

Geri:  How has iPhone art been received in the general art community?

Nicki:  There was some shock and fear initially from both the photography and art community in that iPhoneography wasn't real art and it was just being created by a click of a button. Some of our book artists have exhibited in top photography shows like the Latitudes International Festival of Photography which has presented the work of Cartier-Bresson and Brassai. The cover photo for the November 12, 2012 issue of Time magazine featuring Hurricane Sandy was shot with an iPhone and a New York Times photographer shot an award-winning war photo with an iPhone app. All these examples are proving that the iPhone is being adopted as a professional and artistic tool to be taken as seriously as your DSLR equipment.

Bob:  This is an interesting subject with a number of subplots. The traditional photography world is not very interested in the phenomenon, and doesn't generally consider the iPhone a legitimate photographlc tool. The art community is also not particularly interested in the work being produced by iPhoneographers, but there are exceptions. The sooner iPhoneography practitioners realize that how an image produced is not as important as whether the image moves us. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether a great photograph was created using a Nikon, iPhone or a ham sandwich.

Street photography by Sheldon Serkin

Geri:  What do you see in the future for mobile photography?

Nicki:  I think pretty soon, we will stop being amazed about the fact that the art is created on a mobile device. I've seen mobile cameras embedded in glasses (the ones you wear) and I read somewhere that soon we will only have to blink to take a photo – Who knows where this mobile photography roller coaster is going but it is gathering a lot of passengers and allowing people to express themselves in a new and creative language which is very exciting.

Bob:  Ironically (and I may be in the minority here), I think we will all move past focusing on the "how" of iPhone imagery and begin to assess the work itself on its own merits. If an image speaks to us, the tool that created it is incidental. There's a story about photographer Irving Penn and Hemingway (probably apocryphal) that recounts a quick exchange between them:

Hemingway: These are great photographs, Irving. What kind of camera did you use? 

Penn (annoyed): Wonderful novels, Ernest, what kind of typewriter did you use?

Run! by Markus Rivera

Geri:  Do you have plans for another book or other joint venture?

Nicki:  Keep watching this space. We have just given our website iphoneographycentral a complete overhaul and we are always looking for artists to contribute tutorials, articles and artwork. If you are as enthusiastic as we are about iPhone photography and art, we'd love to hear from you and who knows if we publish a book two of "The Art of iPhone Photography" we may invite you onboard.

Bob:  If this book is successful, we would certainly consider a follow-on book or book series. We have branded the book as an iPhoneographyCentral.com-branded effort, so we've been thinking of possible new initiatives in the coming months.

Rest by Souichi Furusho

Geri:  Is there anything you’d like to add?

Nicki:  Follow your interests and pay attention to how the artists you love are creating their work. Try their techniques out but most of all dare to be different and do your own thing! Grab your iPhone and go create! 

Bob:  I recommend that readers work through as many of the tutorials as they can. There’s something to be learned from every one of the 45 contributors, whether it’s about a way of looking at the world, approaching a scene, employing a technique or using an app. The key to success in any art form is to sharpen the eye through observation of the world and by studying the masters – and then working on one’s own images continuously to hone your skills. I strongly recommend looking at the work of the great photographers, painters and filmmakers throughout the years, and how they handle framing of the subject, lighting and color. Finally, develop a critical eye and know which images should be left on the camera roll and which should be displayed. There are many images on my iPad that exist in twenty or thirty versions, but have never worked out satisfactorily, so I’ll never show them to anyone. I think the most important skill I developed is distinguishing a photograph from a snapshot.

For me, these two quotes drive these points home:

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”-   Marcel Proust 

 “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”
Ansel Adams

About Nicki Fitz-Gerald 

Nicki has worked as an artist, illustrator, teacher and graphic designer. Her iPhone photos have won several Photography Awards including 5 at this year’s Mobile Photography Awards 2013. Her image Flamin’ Amy, shown on the cover of the book "The Art of iPhone Photography", won 4th place in Life in LoFi’s Faved of the Year 2011. Nicki’s work and her life as “a mom with an iPhone” are featured in the first P1xels digital magazine iPhotographer published in August 2013. In April 2011, Nicki founded the website iPhoneographyCentral.com, which she now co-manages with Bob Weil. Nicki divides her time between her day job, her family, iPhoneographyCentral.com, and iPhoneography. Her online gallery can be seen on iphoneart.  

About Bob Weil

Bob Weil leads something of a double life – marketing professional by day and covert iPhoneography creative and evangelist by night. Currently, he directs the creative development of websites, video, and online marketing initiatives for a Southern California marketing firm. His work has been exhibited extensively,. Most recently, a dozen pieces will be shown at the Brest Museum in Jacksonville, Florida from September 2 through October 2, 2013. Bob co-manages iPhoneographyCentral.com with Nicki Fitz-Gerald and speaks and teaches on iPhoneography topics. His online galleries can be seen on iPhoneArt and Flickr. Bob describes his approach to conceptual iPhoneography in a video below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Order the Book Today!

Disclosure - iART CHRONiCLES is an Amazon Associate.  Ordering through this link contributes to the cost of running this site.  Thanks in advance! ~Geri

Richard Gray–iPhoneographer, Blogger, Teacher

The first time I heard about @rugfoot was from my Instagram friend Dilshad Corleone, better known as @italianbrother.  He credits Koci Hernandez and Richard Gray (@rugfoot) as the two people who have had the greatest influence on his mobile photography. 

I had to find out more about Richard Gray, so I started following his blog, iphoggy.com.  That’s when I discovered that not only is he a talented iPhoneographer and teacher but also has a quick wit and great writing style.  
Below is my conversation with Richard.  (all photo captions from @rugfoot’s Instagram gallery)

No Model Release Required (above)

@italianbrother (above)

Geri:  What is your name?   What does rugfoot refer to, or dare I ask?
Richard:  Haha! Good question, which few people dare ask me. It's actually quite a boring answer. I used to run my own company called RGFT (Richard Gray Financial Translations, which is what I used to do) and one of my good friends used to call it rugfoot for short. So I kept the name alive when I took up photography. I think some people thought I had some sort of fungal foot infection. It's probably not a very good name to have chosen actually.

Geri:  How long have you been photographing with a mobile device?

Richard:  About 3 years. I never thought it would take off when I started.

Geri:  Do you have a traditional photography or art background?
Richard:  Not really. I've always done photography fairly seriously and I nearly studied History of Art and have a keen interest in all arty things, but nothing proven, no. I'm now a professional music photographer (see rugfoot.net) and am looking at branching out into other areas with the big camera.

All the saints in San Marcos Church (above)

Escalator Up or Down (above)

I met a horse on my way to have an eye test today (above)

Geri:  How did you get started teaching iPhoneography?  Where do you teach?  Please share a little about your upcoming Advanced iPhoneography course (I heard it's sold out already!)
Richard:  I was doing a big-camera course at a college in London and I introduced some iPhone images to my course work and the lecturers liked it. I went to a 2-hour workshop on iPhoneography and was surprised by: 1) how little other people knew; 2) how much I knew by comparison (in all modesty - and I realize how little it was now). So I thought: "I could do this" so I pitched a 15-hour course over 5 weeks to my college lecturers and they went for it. The way they saw it, it would bring in students to do other photography courses. I ran the course 3 times at this college then once at The Photographers Gallery in London and I'm going to be running it in another place later this year. Yes! The first set of dates for the new Advanced iPhoneography Course sold out in one day, mainly ex-students of mine. But I've just added some new dates, so I'll be running it a second time and maybe a third if there's demand. See information here.

Another of El Maestro, Canstantino Verdu in action (above)

Man at King’s Cross (above)

Man having coffee (above)

Geri:  Do you ever learn from your students?
Richard:  Absolutely. Everyone has their own specialist interests so they go down particular roads and explore things in depth, which they bring to the classes. One of my most avid students, Dilshad @italianbrother, became a Big Lens obsessive and I learnt a lot from him about that app. The students also learn a lot from each other. Not only techniques, but also approaches and inspirations.

More making-up on the tube (above)

Raining in Dubrovnik (above)

Slow shutter on the tube (above)

Geri:  I know that you've held exhibitions of your student's work - how was it received?
Richard:  The exhibition was such great fun, an excuse to have a big party and for me it was great to learn how to be a curator! I think a lot of mobile photographers really appreciate any reason to celebrate their art offline. That's perhaps why there have been so many exhibitions recently. In London, we had mObilepixatiOn.com, who did  a great exhibition of some of the world's leading artists and IGers London also had a really good exhibition of London-based iPhoneographers. I think mobile gets a lot of lip service from the traditional photography community without really being taken very seriously yet. But I think they're making a big mistake. We've started to see infiltration of mobile work into mainstream fine art photography and I think soon no one will pay any major attention if an image is created with a mobile phone.

The crew back in London (above)

Geri:  Who or what inspires you?
Richard:  Good question! Inspiration can come in many forms and places. Someone said that good art has to do three things: 1) be original; 2) be emotive; 3) be well executed. I think they are really good rules of thumb to follow and also a good description of the sort of work that inspires me. I like to see new stuff - and that's something at the heart of the iphoneography movement. I'm also inspired by good causes. I think photography should have a moral purpose as well as being good art. But inspiration can come from many unexpected places - but when you get it, it's a big buzz.

Geri:  You shoot a lot of street photography.  Is this your favorite style?  Is there an area of photography you've not yet explored that you would like to pursue?
Richard:  I've been all over the shop style-wise since I started with the iPhone camera. I've tried pretty much everything. Yes, I had a good "street" period and I think I will always be driven to capture and craft good people images. I know a lot of people find one style and they pursue it consistently. I've been dabbling (or should that be "dappling" lol) with lots of styles, subjects and apps and I'm sort of waiting to be taken in one particular direction. So if you follow my photos on Flickr or IG, you'll get a an experimental Slow Shutter image, followed by a fairly dull picture of a golf course followed by a decim8. Whatever I do though, I like to be trying out something new (even if it's just for me, not the rest of the world). I'd like to do more formal portraiture, not necessarily on the iPhone. But I feel there are so many areas I feel I've dappled in but I'd like to go back to pursue more seriously. Two apps I really love and which I think I've only just scratched the surface of are Slow Shutter Cam and Decim8.

Sound mixer at @pinkunoizu gig tonight (above)

Step in High Heels (above)

Geri:  Do you shoot with the native iPhone camera app or do you prefer other camera apps?
Richard:  Apart from Slow Shutter Cam and Pro HDR, I usually use the native camera to shoot. I can't see that many of the popular shooting apps, with all their dials and graphs, add much actual functionality.

Geri:  What are some of your favorite editing apps?   Please share a bit about your process?
Richard:  It's going to sound boring but I use Snapseed a lot for basic editing. I also really like its vintage filters. One app I also use constantly is TouchRetouch. You often won't realize it, but a lot of my images have had eye-distracting objects removed by this app. I'm also beginning to use the clone function a lot in it (hopefully without you realizing it). Another great functional app I found recently is AntiCrop . It does this amazing thing of, for example, extending a rectangular image into a square by guessing what should fill out the square. I also love apps that you use for things they weren't intended for. For example, GeniusScan+ was meant to be used by businessmen to take photocopies of their expenses, but you can use it to do some really weird things with perspective. I rarely create unapped images. At the end of the day, the native camera produces fairly dull-looking images. So nearly everything I do is crafted in some way. Why deny yourself? That said, the basic ingredients of good composition and subject need to be there too.

The strange tale of the woman who woke up and her hair had turned into an autumnal tree. She should've gone to the hairdressers sooner!! (above)

Them Red Shoes (above)

Under the London Bridge Arches Again (above)

Geri:  Do you have any advice for iPhoneographers who would like to market their work?
Richard:  I think a lot of people are sadly deluded about selling their work, especially in printed form. Not because their work is bad but simply because there isn't enough demand for it, especially fine art work. But there will be exceptions, those artists who are chosen by the critics as worthy of attention or who win the competitions. However, I think artists shouldn't even think about selling their work. The moment they do, they start being dishonest and inauthentic and that will ruin their work. For editorial and stock images there are some exciting developments happening. I'm working with a photography agency called Pocketstock who are just about to launch a new mobile-only archive called RooM (the name refers to the fact that the images will be Rights Managed, unlike other agencies). Initiatives like this will allow a lot of good street photographers to make some money from their images.

Upside down footballers (above)

Geri:  It seems apparent that mobile photography is here to stay - where do you see the future for this evolving art form headed?
Richard:  I think today's mobile shooters will be tomorrow's professionals in commercial terms, selling their photos for large sums of money. In terms of art, I also think that some of today's iPhone artists will emerge as tomorrow's artists, exhibited in the world's greatest galleries and also selling for large sums. In both cases, a mobile camera may no longer be their tool of choice when they reach their peak, but they will have started out with one. There is so much raw talent developing at the moment. And people are spending so much more time doing their photography than in the past that their skills are growing far faster than ever.

You’ll always find me in the pub on Wednesdays (above)

Thank you Richard for the very informative interview!  Wishing you success on all of your future endeavors! 
Find Richard Gray online here:
Twitter @rugfoot
Flickr rugfoot
Instagram @rugfoot
Facebook Richard Gray
Blog – iphoggy.com
Music Website – rugfoot.net

---