I went to Scotland again last week. This time round, it was a family and friends outing. I relearnt to enjoy great outdoors in a normal daytime, in a slower tempo, with completely different people and with no camera...
First selfie that I ever published, with my beloved daughter.
I mean with no serious camera, the heavy stuff that I usually carry. I've only had my iPhone 6 with me all the time. I once more ended up admiring its imagemaking capabilities. It does not fall into the definition of a camera (per my traditionalistic nature) as it won't produce data sufficient for an exhibition print, but still it can be a very competent photography device. Practical for previews of sceneries or quick snaps into family albums, and also excellent tool for a creative fun online.
I have been dismissing small and phone cameras (cameras, really?) for years mainly because of the low quality of output compared to DSLRs and proper scans of medium-format transparencies or Phase One files, but this has changed. Much more is done on the internet these days, and that's why. After having seen the newest iPhone photos (they look especially stunning on its Retina display), I wanted to try to push myself into a discomfort with a couple of things at once. Making pictures with the phone (grrr). Using square format (never before). Post-processing into a dark mood (to divert from Velvia "idealised landscapes").
So I recently started #ComeWithUs series on Instagram that provides the feed of locations I go to onto our website (in the right column above). The images are made solely by iPhone 6 and processed right in the phone using either Photoshop Express or Snapseed (preferred). The approach is actually an opposite to my common workflow. Very fast instant shots and results. I love the creative challenge of using a totally different platform and building the new style. It's just that due to many years of very slow and traditional photographic process, I constantly keep forgetting to use my phone for making images. :-)
These are sketches and previews of scenes from my iPhone. But I also used my proper camera - I was given generous 3 mornings of what turned out to be a great family trip. That was more than expected.
As usually, I will want to sit the images out for a while so bear with me.