Art of Mob's 10 Most Popular Posts

In case you missed them, here is a list of the Ten Most Popular Posts from Art of Mob. Since Art of Mob's days are numbered, I wanted to assure the readers that I will keep the blog online to serve as a reference tool and source of inspiration for both beginners and experienced mobile photographers alike. If you haven't had a chance, please take some time to read all of the Interviews and Tutorials.

#1 Making a Macro Lens From a Thrift Store Find

Otilia Coca, Mobile Photographer: Capturing Moments of Life

What is your name and where do you live?

OC:  My name is Otilia Coca and I live in Madrid, Spain.

How did you get started in mobile photography? What device do you use?

OC:  I use an iPhone 5s. Generally speaking, you could say I have always been obsessed with the passage of time, and the ability to capture a specific moment, no matter how ephemeral or ordinary. Consequently, when phones started having relatively acceptable cameras (for me this happened more or less three years ago) I discovered the comfort of not having to carry my reflex with me at all times, whilst still being able to take a picture whenever something caught my attention. I particularly enjoyed the freedom this enabled, the opportunity to take a picture and edit it, no matter where I was or when this happened.

Instagram Final Challenge Showcase - Fave 5

This is the final Instagram Challenge Showcase before Art of Mob closes its doors. As mentioned in the previous article I still have a few exciting interviews in the works and they will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

It's fitting that this final challenge theme is Fave 5. Each participant was asked to tag their five favorite images from 2014. Rather than highlight only a few as in previous showcases, I decided for this final showcase I would select my favorite from each of the photographers who submitted.

The Instagram username is listed below each image. Thank you to all who participated. You made this final showcase a show stopper!

@sleekmaus

Art of Mob Comes to a Close

In July of 2012, I discovered the world of iPhone photography. Although it had been going strong for a few years, it was new to me - the possibilities excited me! Art of Mob was born out of that excitement.

Two and half years later I am sorry to announce that I will no longer be blogging here at Art of Mob. My personal life is demanding more of me than it has in the past and I have made the difficult decision to close things down at Art of Mob.

I still have a few exciting interviews in the works and will be posting them in the next few weeks - I will also be posting the results of the final Instagram Challenge - Fave5 on December 28th.

I hope to stay in contact with all of the friends I have made on Instagram and will continue to post my work there (@gericentonze).

Art of Mob will remain online as a resource and hopefully a source of inspiration for those just beginning this journey.

This has been a wonderful experience. I have met so many fabulous artists and had the opportunity to interview many of them. Click the image below to find links to all of the interviews.

David Pasillas - Capturing Landscapes with an iPhone

What is your name and where do you live? 

My name is David Pasillas, and I just moved from California to Medford, Oregon. I’ve bounced around a bit, with two stints in the bay area, and one on the central coast of California, so I’ve been able to shoot in a wide variety of landscapes.


How did you get started in mobile photography? What device do you use?

A few years back, I had a Nikon D60 that I had clearly outgrown. I decided that I needed to sell it, to motivate myself to save up for a better camera. I ended up being without a camera for a while, so I turned to my iPhone 4. It quickly became clear to me that the camera in the iPhone was very capable of taking great photos, and the added bonus of having all these great editing apps at your fingertips was awesome. And, if I’m being honest, I thought it was kind of fun outshooting DSLR users with my iPhone. It was a new challenge. 

 Now, I shoot with the iPhone 5s. I’m not sold on moving up to the larger iPhones yet. Maybe I will, if the camera is dramatically better in the next model.

Foggy Forest

Mob Paint No. 42

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”  ~ Émile Zola


Thank you to each and every one of you who contribute to the Mob Paint Flickr Group each week. This is but a taste of the beautiful works that can be found by taking a virtual walk through our gallery. If you like editing your mobile photos in a painterly fashion, please join us!

A special thank you to those who have included the apps used - this helps us not only to admire your work but to learn about your process.

Swan at Edgewater Pond © Wayne Greer
Apps:  Snapseed, Handy Photo, Mextures

Announcing New Instagram Challenge - Fave 5

What were your favorite five images for 2014? The Instagram challenge theme for this week is Fave 5. Out of all of the images you shot and edited this year what were your favorite five? Tag them to the weekly challenge using #aom_Fave5. I'll post the showcase on Sunday, December 28th. So...hit me with your best shots!

Here are five of my favorites. It's really hard to choose five and I'm sure if I picked them tomorrow I would select five different ones, but each of these I still find pleasing. Often, after I have edited an image I think of dozens of things I would have done differently, with these, I am satisfied. There is one more I really like (The Blue Violin), but I already talked about that one at Mobiography. 

The image below was created from several different faces, collaging them together as one.

Instagram Challenge Showcase - White

With winter weather upon much of the world, I thought the theme White would make an interesting prompt for a challenge. The beauty that was portrayed by the images submitted was definitely candy for the eye! Below are just a few of the gorgeous images submitted. Thank you to all who participated. You can view all submissions by visiting the #aom_white hashtag.

Stay tuned for the next theme challenge announcement coming soon!

The Instagram usernames are listed below each image.

@sara_augenbraun

Anatomy of an Edit No. 10

Below is a recently edited image in its final form.

Final Version

Pixelmator Review at Mobilni

If you're looking to find out the capabilities of the recently released Pixelmator app, head over to Mobilni where you will find a detailed review by Michał Szklanowski. I for one am going to read every word as I have yet to thoroughly explore the app.

The Dramatic World of Rob DePaolo

What is your name and where do you live? 

RD:  My name is Rob DePaolo and I am from Newburyport, Massachusetts (USA). 


How did you get started in mobile photography? What device do you use?

RD:  I was introduced to mobile photography through my good friend Chris Stern whom I went to high school with back in the 80s, but we lost touch for years until reconnecting on Facebook a few years ago. I saw the work that Chris was doing with his iPhone, so I started asking questions and the rest is, as they say, history.  
I started with an iPhone 4, but a year or so ago I upgraded to a 5s and love it! I have another year on my contract, so I will likely be skipping the 6 in favor of whatever model Apple releases next fall.

My Own Worst Enemy

Mob Street No. 11

Another edition of the Mob Street Showcase featuring mobile photography from around the world. Thanks to all who participate by contributing your photos to the Mob Street Flickr Group. 

© Rob Pearson-Wright

Announcing New Instagram Challenge - White

Much of my country gets covered in wintry white snow this time of year. Living on the west coast in sunny California, I don't see much of that falling but it did give me the idea for this week's challenge. Tag your mobile photos using #aom_white hashtag. The showcase will be posted on Sunday, November 21st.

Instagram Challenge Showcase - Curves

“To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees.” 
― Paul Valéry

Curves are all around us - we have no further to look than our own bodies to see them. I was quite surprised that more images of the human form weren't submitted for this challenge but at the same time interested to see what curves did capture the attention of those who participated.

Here are some of the highlighted images from those submitted. The Instagram username is listed under each photo. To see all the submission, please visit the #aom_curves hashtag. Thanks to all who participated!

@doctorjazz

Share As Image - For All Social Sharing!

One of the tools I use for posting images to Facebook and Twitter is called Share As Image. Here's the description of Share As Image from their press release earlier this year:

Started back in March of 2012, Share As Image was originally called Pin A Quote. While watching his wife browse Pinterest, Adam Rotman noticed that people loved sharing more than just pictures, they wanted to share inspiration. Often, this would appear on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter as images with quotes or text in them. How did people without advanced image editing tools create these? How could that process be made much easier and be used by anyone? Share As Image was born.

Attention Mobile Filmmakers - Call for Submissions

The first smartphone film festival in Switzerland starts in May 2015

Mobile Motion Film Festival (MoMo) is dedicated to films exclusively shot on mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, GoPro or webcams. Films must be submitted before 31 January 2015.

Announcing New Instagram Challenge - Curves

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

An appropriate quote for this week's Instagram Challenge - Curves. Please tag your mobile photos only with the hashtag #aom_curves. The showcase will be posted here on Sunday, December 14th. Can't wait to see what you do with this one!

Here's a quick run through of the workflow to produce this image:

Mob Paint No. 41

"The artist gazes upon a reality and creates his own impression. The viewer gazes upon the impression and creates his own reality."  
~Robert Brault

If you like to edit your mobile photography in a painterly way, please join us in the Mob Paint Flickr Group. 

Here is our 41st Showcase - thank you to all who contribute to this group. You inspire us and make the world more beautiful!

© lila_lile
Apps: Decim8, iColorama, Brushstroke

The Man Behind Mobiography - An Interview with Andy Butler

If I wore one, I would take my hat off to Andy Butler, the man behind Mobiography.net and Mobiography Magazine. Mobiography, both the website and the magazine cater to all of us who have a passion for mobile photography. I know how much work is involved in just this little blog, so I imagine the amount of hours Andy puts in to hit all of his magazine deadlines probably keeps him busy all the time. I'm glad he did find time to answer a few questions. Andy was also kind enough to include a promo code for first time subscribers to his Mobiography Magazine to receive one month's free access. Keep reading for details!

What is your name and where do you live?

AB:  My name is Andy Butler and I live in Preston, Lancashire, a small city in the north of England. By day I work as a web designer/developer for a PR and marketing agency, outside of this I juggle life between family and two kids, running the mobiography.net website and its supporting magazine (of the same name).


How did you develop an interest in mobile photography?

AB:  I’ve always had an interest in photography ever since an early age but have found it somewhat restrictive due to the bulky nature of my DSLR camera (especially when out with the family carrying all the paraphernalia that comes with having young children).

 A few years ago I heard about an app called Instagram but at the time I was an Android user so the app wasn't available to me. One day in the summer of 2012 I was sat in the garden whiling away the time, I searched for the app once more, this time it was there. I installed it and was hooked. From then on I was shooting with my mobile phone and found it so much more liberating than using my DSLR.

Instagram Challenge Showcase - Light

The Light Challenge (#aom_light) attracted a lot of entries. Thanks to everyone for spreading the word and tagging your friends to join in! With over four hundred photos it took a bit of time to select the following images. Thank you to all who participated. Be sure and check the next post for the new challenge theme (you can subscribe here to get all posts delivered right to your email). I'm always open to theme suggestions, so if you have any, please leave them in the comments.

Below each image you will find the photographer's Instagram username.

@djmon1que

Anatomy of an Edit No. 7

Here's another in the Anatomy of an Edit series.

Below is the final image

Final 

Mobiography Offers Chance to Win FREE Access to iPhoneography with Bob Weil

Mobiography is currently running a series each day of December until Christmas titled, "24 Mobile Photographers Til Christmas 2014". Last year, Andy Butler started this series and continued on with it this year. So far Andy has featured Bob Weil, Emil Pakarklis, Fábio Morbec, Todd Leban and Bridgette Shima.

Today I am honored to be included as photographer for Day 6. Click here to read about the Photo I am Most Proud of for this year.

In addition to just learning about various photographers and their journey, one lucky reader of Mobiography will win FREE access to iPhoneography with Bob Weil, an online course. All you have to do is check out the series at Mobiography.net and leave a comment with your name and email address. The competition closes on December 24th, so you still have plenty of time to enter.

Ultramask - Abstract Overlay App Giveaway

The developers of Ultramask ($0.99 in the App Store) were kind enough to contact me to offer promo codes for their new app. Ultramask offers 22 angular designs to combine with your images. The patterns can be adjusted to black or white and the opacity can be adjusted. You can also invert the pattern.

The makers of the app have this to say about it:

“We believe that encouraging creativity in people brings new ideas and diversity into the world,” says Eugene Valuev, founder of Ultralab. “That’s why we’ve created the Ultramask app in collaboration with promising artists. We hope that by introducing our users to the latest trends in digital art we’ll prompt them to create their own art peices.”

Here's my starting image:

The Dreamy World of Mobile Photographer Jesper Bülow

What is your name and where do you live? 

JB:  My name is Jesper Bülow and I live in the countryside in Sweden.


How did you get started in mobile photography? What device do you use?

JB:  I have been photographing on and off for the last twenty years. A couple of years ago I got sort of numb. I used a professional SLR with a lot of lenses and everything. It got too technical and I got lost in all the choices. Then I started to take photos with my iPhone. I used the native camera and got my focus back on the actual photos, not the lens choices and depth of field and such. The simplicity was a relief. I stick to square format and do not use zoom and therefore have to make the most of what I capture. Soon I discovered the fun in using apps for editing and since I am a lousy photographer, I developed certain skills in editing to hide my weakness…And now I am hooked on mobile photography and editing.

Mob Street No. 10

“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given. It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.” ~ Eve Arnold

Welcome to the tenth edition of the Mob Street showcase. The other day my daughter-in-law asked me what the MOB stands for, so if you're new here, I should explain that Art of Mob is short for Art of Mobile Photography. Mobile photography refers to all images shot and edited entirely with a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device or a combination of any of those devices.

Mob Street is a Flickr Group devoted to mobile photographers who enjoy shooting street photography. Please join us! 

Below is a showcase of some of the images submitted since the last Mob Street Showcase. You can visit the previous showcases by clicking on the Mob Street tab at the top of this page. 

Emerge No. 2 © Paolo Berni

Call for Submissions - MOCAsnaps Instagram Challenge

I recently interviewed Rebecca Davidson of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art to discuss their upcoming MOCAsnaps Instagram Challenge.

What is the MOCAsnaps Instagram Challenge?

RD:  MOCA’s inaugural Instagram challenge is asking Instagram users worldwide to submit their best photos that reflect what design means to you. MOCA staff will select the top twelve submissions, based on representation of the assignment and creativity, to exhibit in our ARTlab during MOCA’s Spring Exhibitions featuring renowned artist and designer, Ryan McGinness and our annual juried show of Virginia artists, New Waves 2015. 

Who can enter?

RD:  It’s open to any and everyone!

Click to Enlarge

Can photos shot with a mobile device be submitted?

RD:  Absolutely, the only stipulation is you must submit the photo through Instagram, and fill out the contact form on our website:

Do photos have to be taken in Virginia?

RD:  No, we are hoping to have submissions from around the world!

How will the top twelve submissions be selected?

RD:  MOCA’s Exhibitions and Education team will jury the submitted photographs after the submission deadline and determine which photographs best reflect the challenge as well as being creative.  

Is there any cost to enter?

RD:  Nope!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

RD:  We are excited to host our first Instagram challenge!  After the Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit exhibition opens on January 30, 2015, we will feature a different challenge each month, so keep checking back with Virginia MOCA here.