Category: iPhone

Self Portrait

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I don’t do a lot of self-portraits; it’s not something I’ve been comfortable with. I always knew I wouldn’t end up on the cover of GQ, and as I hit middle age, gravity and my appetite have taken their toll. Nevertheless, having followed a couple of photographers and their approach to self-portraits (especially the amazing, intense work of April Lea), I’ve been so impressed with the open and honest nature of their work that I feel compelled  to revisit self-portraiture. It will be a difficult, self-confrontational process to force myself over to the other side of the lens, and deal with the insecurities, and the echos of schoolyard taunts of decades past.

It starts now.

iPhone Self-Portrait

Window Light

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It was a quiet moment on Saturday just before the opening of the Hindsight’s G20/20 exhibit; I looked up and saw this young woman (a friend of the organizers) sitting by a window, Macbook in hand. The soft light was ideal for a portrait, so out came the iPhone for a picture. I then applied an effect from the VintageScene iPhone app, not for the sake of an effect, but because it got the image closer to what I was seeing.

Catching the Window Light

Getting Inside What is Happening

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Another one of those “the best camera is the one you have with you” moments. Yesterday, around 6 pm we were rehearsing for Evensong at St. Thomas’ Church in Toronto, and as we are getting closer to the Fall, the sun is lower in the western sky, and was streaming through a window, illuminating the choir. When the basses (including me) weren’t singing for a moment I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a couple of images.

photo

Many photographers have said that the key to a good photograph is getting closer; I had the good fortune to actually be inside what was happening here.  If I had pulled out a large, loud SLR I’m not too sure the conductor would have been too thrilled though.

What Does He See?

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I continue to be amazed at what images can be found riding the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission subway).  There is a raw, gritty intensity to be found inside every subway car that I find irresistible.

What Does He See?

I continue to use the iPhone 3GS and the Hipstamatic app; so far, none of my subjects have been aware of me taking their picture. I feel though that eventually I will get caught out, and I wonder how the situation will play out. If I want to keep doing “street” photography, it is something I will have to deal with.

Portrait of An Artist

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I met an artist yesterday via a mutual friend. Her medium of choice is Encaustic Painting, involving the use of oil pigments suspended in melted beeswax. This technique is both ancient and challenging, and her studio showed evidence of mastery and enthusiasm. It seemed to me that the studio itself, covered with colour, was a portrait of the artist.

In addition to some black and white photos taken with my vintage Nikkormat, I also used my iPhone to capture some of the colour. My good friends Rob Lee and Katherine Matthews (also along for the visit) recommended the free Morelomo app, and as I love vintage/Lo-Fi photography I had to give it a try; I was quite happy with the results!

Lofi Paint Bowls

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You ….

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It had been a disappointing day, to say the least. In Amsterdam for only four days, and the first full day we lucked into the worst rain the city had seen all summer. My photography got curtailed, and my wife will tell you I was not in a good mood.

In the evening we were scheduled to meet up with some of my wife’s relatives, and since the weather still sucked as we left our hotel to go back downtown, I made the decision not to bring the DSLR along. So of course, 15 minutes after we left, the weather miraculously improved, and all I had was my iPhone 3GS to capture the amazing light

After a long day of rain in Amserdam

I got a few decent shots with the iPhone, but I am still kicking myself for not bringing my main camera along 😦

Lo-Fi iPhone Photography

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I’m having fun working on one project right now, a lo-fi iPhone project capturing the experience of my daily commute to and from work on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). I go the work early, and am normally on the subway by about 6:20 a.m. At that time of day, one does not see the rich latte drinkers, or other privileged classes of Toronto that for so many people form their only impression of the city. One sees the working class, an awful lot of diversity, and often, sheer fatigue, which I tried to capture in the photo below, taken with the iPhone 3GS camera, then given a vintage, lo-fi effect which I feel was ideally suited for the mood.

TTC Monday Morning