Mobile May and Our Final Book Giveaway

There's something about these suspended moments of awkwardness that move me. Like when you press the pause button and catch an odd glance of something that seemed so smooth in play. I love this about still photography, and especially about iPhoneography... watching motion and pausing the action to preserve and study a sliver of time. Shot with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app with Float film and the John S lens. Sharpened using the Photo fx app.

I've enjoyed following your images in the One Word Project flickr group and featuring a few of our mobile favorites in the One Word Project journal so much this month. Congratulations to keribevan and petit gris, week 4 winners of my new book, "The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity." On this last day of May, leave a comment about your thoughts or tips on mobile photography by 11:59pm PT and we'll enter your name in a drawing to win the last book of Mobile May.

Many thanks to our gracious sponsor Pixiq. Pixiq, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, is not only the US & Canada publisher of "The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity" but an awesome online resource for all things photography.

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Congratulations to Marilyn Johnson! Many thanks for your thoughts and for playing along throughout Mobile May.

Comments

[camaca]

I love this moment.
Hipstamatic is my favourite app. And the John s lens… the colors that it makes up, I simply adore it. Here it is an example:

http://aifonejant.blogspot.com/2011/05/les-flors-esperen-al-banc.html

[cheris]

Well, to be totally honest, I'm not so sure about this whole trend. Maybe it's just because I don't have a phone with a camera. Maybe it's because my feed is now FILLED with snapshots that are only interesting *because* they used a filter. Does a filter make someone a photographer? On the other hand, maybe I should not be so snobby. After all, I still have a lot to learn about making photos. And if carrying a camera all day encourages people to look at the world with a fresh perspective, that's good, right? And experimenting with different filters is just another way to be creative... so that's good too, right? I don't know, we'll see how this trend plays out. Meanwhile, maybe I'll upgrade my phone...

[Frances]

I have the app but haven't used it. Right now all I am using my iPhone camera for is documenting quick necessary shots and nothing creative yet.

[Megan Gray]

I love using my iphone and have many apps to take photos with it. i even have some printed and framed. The best camera is always the one you have with you and it's usually the one I always have. Plus, I feel I can get creative with it instantly, which is nice on long rides in the car (while hubby is driving). I also feel that there is a lot less worrying about getting the perfect shot. Instead I feel I try to capture the perfect moment. My favorite apps are hipstamatic and instagram. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/treadearthlightly/4788657669/in/set-72157622642497052

[Line]

that I phone trend looks like fun...but I don't have a I phone!!

[Tracy Sutherland]

I don't use my phone as a replacement for my camera - there is never a time where I think it takes the better picture - but I do use it to grab a quick shot if I don't have my camera with me or if the moment will be lost before I can get it out. And I do think I get better at composition through using it.

[missing moments]

Although I grab my phone for quick shots, I still prefer my regular camera. But I do have fun with the phone and all the apps made for it! Just adds another dimension as to how we see the world!

[elisa]

i've been lending my husbands iphone to take pictures, since i don't have one myself. so, to make it up for him - maybe I'll give him this book if i win

[AnnGeeDee]

I think shooting with my phone allows a little more creative freedom to try new things and new angles. It's so flat, you can get under small stuff, you can hold it very obviously without people taking a second glance (I could just be checking my email....) and I keep it with me wherever I go. Also, don't forget the FREE! Photoshop app.... :)

[Marcie]

Love this image..and the app effect!! Timeless - for sure.
Here's one of mine:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2011/5/23/make-a-wish.html

[amy z]

I have found that shooting with my iPhone has opened up a whole new world for me. It's just a different way of seeing things, and I've been able to really have fun with it. It's like I have finally relaxed and let myself be not so rigid with pre-defined (granted, self-imposed) notions of what makes a "good" photograph. I also love the fact that I have it with me every second of every day. While it will never replace my DSLR, it's given me creative license that I otherwise might never have discovered.

(Confession: it was Stephanie's consistent output of interesting iPhone images that made me want to get my own and start experimenting. I've had so much fun in the last year!)

[Heather]

My feeling is that it's probably using your phone as a camera is perhaps a better use than chatting on the thing in public! Who's to say what a phone is for? Some of us may use our "phones" for many purposes besides the original intent- this is one of those purposes.

[Morgan]

Hi Stephanie, thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of your new book. I haven't posted any photos to the flickr group (I am still a little shy online), but I have enjoyed this month's OWP. I usually never use my iphone camera, but mobile may helped to push me to give it a try. I also checked out the hipstamatic app, and I have really had more fun than I anticipated playing with the filters. I live in Arizona, and there are a lot of palm trees and cacti, which I have struggled to photograph to my satisfaction, but I have been so pleased with what the hipstamatic app can do for my images of desert plant life!

[Brenda]

I find using my phone (don't have an iphone, have a droid) for taking pictures to be frustrating. It's an 8 megapixel camera but it's slow and a lot of the times the images are either out of focus or very noisy. I've found it's range of use to be very limited. That said - any camera sometimes is better than no camera. I've realized that I need to consider the phone a wide-angle lens. Took the kids to the park recently and used it to try and capture my granddaughter in motion on the swing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50434777@N00/5779634682/in/photostream

It's not perfect but it's a memory of that day. She was having fun obliging me as I kept trying (as long as I kept pushing her!).

[Patricia]

I just got an iPhone and am enjoying this new photo-taking method. I would love to know more about it. There have been great photos this month.

[Heather]

I think mobile photography is a great movement.. It's opened so many up to creativity and documenting that probably would not have otherwise. I love it. My tip is to just fully experiment, just have fun take pictures of anything that inspires or interest you. Ignore the sometimes strange looks you may get ;-D Have fun with it!

A few of my faves with my iPhone are


http://www.flickr.com/photos/toliveinspired/5504384761/in/set-72157624427457454

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toliveinspired/5707227751/in/set-72157624427457454

[Marilyn Johnson]

Beautiful image!

[Libertad Leal]

I have a ton of photography apps but I am totally addicted to Instagram, I admit it. What I love the best about iPhonography is that all you are left with is composition. You can't change the aperture or anything else. I think that is a wonderful thing. Yes, the filters add a lot to the image but composition is key, so it has proved to be great practice for me. I also love that I can take interesting shots of my day to day life, when I am not carrying my bulky camera with me (or I am too lazy to take it out of the bag hehe)

Find me in Instagram! I am @libertadleal

[Meghan @ Life Refocused]

Getting my iPhone in just a few weeks. Would love Stephanie's book to help me get my camera on with my new phone!

[Lola]

To be honest..I usually forget that I even have an iPhone let alone that it has a camera on it. My children remind me to use it on those occasions when I am bemoaning that fact that I don't have my camera with me. So perhaps this book would help me to remember to use my iPhone!

[Blue Pine Mountain]

Don't have an IPhone but do have an IPod Touch. My favorite app is Pocketbooth which works just like the old Photo-booths at the fair. I use my regular camera for the most part and don't usually use filters and such because I'd rather go with the actual shot.

[heather]

I was truly honored to be selected on 5/2 with my Bicycles at the beach picture. It was awesome to be included amongst other talented people! I do not have an iPhone, I have an Android (HTC evo) and I cannot imagine a day going by and NOT taking pictures with it. Although we androidians don't have hipstamtic or instagram, we have some great alternatives! Phoneography is awesome, and I hope we get to see more displays of what these gems can do! Thanks again!

[Sharon]

I'm loving mobile photography, specifically iPhoneography. I always have my iPhone with me so it make it easy to take the photos. Apps like Instagram let me play with the image and share it easily. Mobile photography is a looser, more freeing experience for me and I'm taking more photos as a result.

[Jen]

I've really enjoyed seeing all the iPhonography comments and photos. As a busy mom I'm trying to take more photos with my iPhone!

[WorthIt!]

I love that I'm never without a camera as I carry my iphone everywhere. I'm just starting to get creative with it and love how fun the aps can be!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/?saved=1

[WorthIt!]

Oops - here's the proper link. Apologies!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/5782405108/in/photostream

[Amisha]

The cool thing about mobile photography is that not only can you capture the instant but the emotion. Because unlike an SLR camera you don't lose time thinking about all the settings, you just capture the emotions u- nfiltered.

[claudia]

I'm new to this iphonography thing... I think I could get to liking it though. I like that there are so many options right on board rather than having to do them in PS. I was even contacted on Flickr by a developer to contribute TtV frames for the TtV Camera app! http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/5667830061/in/photostream

Looking forward to exploring photography with my ipod this summer and maybe even trying an 8mm movie app for fun! The only down side is maybe the size of the file if I'd ever want to print? Would love to win the book for inspiration - thanks ladies!

[Trude]

My tip - don't let anyone make you feel weird/crazy/abnormal for wanting to document or use your iPhone! :) If it's precious to you, then it's worth doing. And as much as I love Instagram and Hipsta, the iPhone photos I'm most drawn to are the ones that are the most creative with perspective and composition. Just like in "normal" photography. To me this almost feels like the debate that occurred when digital first started to get big and film lovers were hatin' on it. I think people should use whatever instrument they want to capture that moment!

[schtanzerl]

I switch between instagram and hipstamatic because it is such easy quick-and-dirty kind of photography which sometimes ends in really good impressions. they only thing I hate is that i only own a iphone 3g and that camera is so lousy :-)

[Megan]

I love both instagram and hipstamatic. I also love always having a camera in my back pocket because even if I end up with a "lousy" image it sparks a memory and THAT is what capturing photos with a phone is all about if you ask me.

[Renee]

Mobile photos are great especially with children. When I have a kid on one hip and my other child is doing something cute, I can grab and capture that special moment. It has added so much to photography, I can only imagine what will happen in another 10 years.

[Laura T.]

I have so many photo apps for my phone. My favorites right now are Instagram and Pocketbooth.

[Stephanie]

My husband has an iPhone and it scares me....I did make an attempt at taking some pictures this weekend, but I'll be the first to admit - I have a lot to learn. I think our nine year old son could do a better job than I. ;-)

[Megan]

I love the look of the iphone pictures. Other than that I just love the option of having a camera phone. SO many times I dont have my big camera on me and it's great to be able to catch the little moments that you aren't planning on.

[Jamie]

I dont have an iphone, I have a Droid. But Im looking at getting an iphone in the near future. Part of the reason I do want one is its picture taking abilities. I think mobile photography is a great way to capture lifes random moments!

[Peggy]

I would love to get an iPhone. Thanks for a chance to win a copy of the book.

[iHanna]

iPhone isn't the only smart phone, android phones are great too and so much cuter. I love mine, a white htc wildfire with rounded corners - and have just discovered that one of the aps can take photo booth photos (four photos in a row that turns into a photo series). I have so much fun with that right now, documenting everyone!

Happy Summer!