Pixels: The Art of the iPhone

Max T. Frame

It was one year and one day ago that Max T. Frame submitted his first picture to Pixels. Entitled “My Wife”— a lovely Warholian quadtych in flesh tones and vibrant spot color. It shared many of the inviting characteristics common of the work that would follow: warmth, color, sensuality, beauty.

It was the fifth picture he submitted that began to define his oeuvre: the female nude. He submitted four or five in a row, each more striking than the last. His work was at once bold, playful, sexy and all of his pictures conveyed an intelligence behind the “lens” of the iphone. Flesh tones and textures beautifully rendered, overlaid with geometric forms, a play of light and shadow in a celebration of pure feminine beauty and power. This was a man who respected and loved women and the timeless mystery they embody: that was obvious to me from the first.

He interspersed his nudes with some wonderful street photography, often humorous, sometimes strangely tragic, still informed with his characteristic intelligence and warmth.

I’ve shared a correspondence with Max and it has been a joy getting to know him. He is one of the artists who make Pixels what it is and I am grateful for his sharing of his works and, now, his thoughts and story.

A lawyer (who would have thought?!), Max was one of the first Pixels’ artists to enter into a formal agreement for representation and we are very happy that his beautiful works are now available in exquisite archival editions at P1xels—The Fine Art of the iPhone.

Before we get to Max’s great interview, I’d like to thank Kimberly Post Rowe for her interview as featured artist and her ongoing contributions to Pixels.

KB: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you live, if you hail from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel like sharing that isn’t covered in the questions below.

MTF: I am a forty year old Juris Doctor, whose parents wanted to become a brilliant lawyer, and has instead decided to dedicate his own life only to what he loves and to the people he loves. That’s how I took care of my parents until the end and now I dedicate myself wholeheartedly to my beautiful wife and my wonderful eight year old daughter.

With my wife we met at law school, but the art was a necessity for us and our lives have undergone a small revolution. Today she is a painter inspired and volcanic, I think I’m a very lucky man!

We live on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia, we are a little on the edge of the western world and all in all we like it. I am not one who shares his images easily and have habits rather discreet but the enthusiasm of Knox dragged me into this adventure making me to leave for a while my hermitage. I try to keep up even if it is not always simple for me use so many words, whereas I speak little, and preferably with the images.

In photography as in life I try to keep everything as simple as possible. Read the rest of this entry →

Roger Guetta

This month we are running later than usual. That is because Roger had a wonderful idea for a new way to do the interview: more as a multimedia experience, than a simple narrative text, and it took some time to produce.

I have to say that I just LOVE the whole thing and want to thank Roger for his generous contribution to P1xels’ community and to the art lovers everywhere who frequent the site. I am embedding the first video (there are several) and then linking to the site Roger and his associates have built. Thank you Roger!

Click here for the rest of the interview.

Bico Stupakoff

Introducing Biko Stupakoff.

As most everyone here knows, I am not a fan of Hipstamatic. But I try to keep an open mind. After the publication of an article about P1XELS on the mega-site Huffington Post, I received a lot of email, among them a letter from Bico with some shots from his shoot for Playmate of the Month for Brazilian Playboy and some other fashion lingerie shots, all taken using Hipstamatic. I loved the liveliness of his pictures, despite the use of Hipstamatic, proving once again it’s the eye of the artist, not the app, that matters.

I asked him he would do an interview and share some of his work with P1XELS. He happily agreed and sent enough material for four galleries, the first of which I am publishing today: the out-takes from the Playboy shoot. I know it’s out of the realm of our usual work here on P1XELS, but I think you will find the work quite interesting, and Bico’s take on iPhoneography (and image-making in general) fascinating.

KB: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you live, if you hail from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel like sharing that isn’t covered in the questions below.

BS: I am originally from Brazil but have been in NY since 1981when I came to work as an assistant to my Dad then a fashion photographer. After working helping other photographers for 8 years I had my breakthrough and went on to work worldwide but always maintaining a base in upstate NY where I still live today.

KB: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

BS: I started taking pictures with my iphone when they first came out, there were no applications then but my iphone had a disaster where I lost it on the snow in my driveway, I found it days later soaked. I dried on top of my radiator in the house and once dry the thing turn on and it worked amazingly giving my iphone lens some weird effect which I was proud that it took different pictures then other iphones. I was falling in love with the fact that I could take pictures with a phone and the quality was good enough and I didn’t need to use my point and shoot camera anymore.

KB: How did the opportunity to shoot a Playboy centerfold using an iPhone come about?

BS: I had been practicing shooting a lot of models and friends with the iphone and an app called hipstamatic, I thought that it would be really cool if one day a magazine accepted using it. I had the opportunity to shoot a portraits for a magazine where in my final selections I included some iphone shots and to my surprise talking to the art director she said she really liked the “little square ones” and she publish it. When Playboy approached me to shoot a cover and 60pages special on a transexual I said I wanted to shoot it with my iphone and they were surprised, really surprised but accepted the challenge. I believed and convinced them that it would make the pictures more mysterious and so making the transexual also more mysterious and feminine.
Read the rest of this entry →

I am happy to present the next in the series of artist interviews here on Pixels At An Exhibition. This month, Marcele Augustine. (Apologies to Marcele for publishing this so late: between the OCCCA show and a lingering cold, I just could not get to it.)

I noticed Marcele’s work quickly when she began submitting to Pixels: highly apped shots of Manhattan, street photography reworked into mysterious, romantic vignettes of city life. It has been a pleasure to watch her work—the joy of experimentation and exploration of the iphonographic medium combined with wonderfully captured urban moments—evolve and I am happy to feature her here this month. We had the pleasure of meeting Marcele at the Apple store event last October—it’s always great to meet a member of the Pixels’ community. And I’d like to thank Robert Mullen for his participation and contributions as Pixel’s featured artist last month.

Herewith, Marcele in her own works:

KB: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you live, if you hail from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel like sharing that isn’t covered in the questions below.

MA: I’m 46 and I live in New York City – specifically in Brooklyn. I moved here 15 years ago from San Diego, California. I’m southern California born and bred, raised in a small town near the border called Chula Vista. I’m an elementary school teacher at a private school in Manhattan.

KB: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

MA: I started shooting photos on my iPhone exactly a year ago in March of 2010. Before that I had an iPod Touch, which was my portable canvas at the time and an important prelude to iPhoneography. When I finally got an iPhone (3G) I stopped painting and became immediately drawn to capturing photos and using apps for editing images instead of painting them. Read the rest of this entry →

Robert Mullen: Self-portrait

We are happy to present the next in the series of artist interviews  here on Pixels At An Exhibition. This month, Robert Mullen. Robert began submitting works not to long ago, but his work caught my eye quickly: he was producing all kinds of work: still-life, street shots, abstracts, muscle cars and machines and was clearly working each image on its own terms, in the way of apping. It was clear that there was vision and intelligence behind the images. And that he was (is) rapidly evolving as an iphonographer. I posted a gallery below with five new works, a series of exquisite still-lifes entitled “Identity,” and a quick retrospective of earlier posts from the site, from which you will quickly discern his creative focus across many types of images.

Before we get to Robert’s words, I’d like to thank Emily Rose for being our first Featured Artist in the new year. Thank you, Emily!

KB: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you  live, if you hail  from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel  like sharing that  isn’t covered in the questions below.

RM: Well, I am 26 and live in Eastern Pennsylvania with my wife, my dog and 2 cats.

KB: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

RM: About two years I believe. I started with a 3G, and then really got serious after getting the iPhone 4 shortly after it came out. Read the rest of this entry →

Emily Rose

We are happy to present the next in the series of artist interviews here on P1xels. This month, Emily Rose. (Here is a link to the gallery that goes with this interview.)

KB: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you live, if you hail from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel like sharing that isn’t covered in the questions below.

ER: My name is Emily Rose, I’m a 35 year old divorced mother of three amazing daughters (ages 5, 8, and 13) and live in Duluth, Minnesota. I work full time as an Office Manager and have been happily directing my energy towards mothering small children for the past 13 years (mothering is another passion of mine)…about a year ago my last baby got older and needed less of my energy & time…leaving a space…which has been filled with my passion for iPhoneography!

KB: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

ER: I started taking pictures (documenting events) when I got my phone in Summer 2009, but wasn’t until Spring 2010 that I became passionate about photography.

KB: How often do you work on your art?

ER: Daily of course! It’s become such an important part of my life that it’s a necessity (obsession?).

KB: How did you discover apps?

ER:

KB: When did you get serious about it, and what was the turning point for you?

ER: Spring 2010 – the change happened for me when my friend Darin invited me along on a photo hike and something just clicked for me. The next day I set out for the very first time with intention to take artistic photos! I brought my daughters at Rice’s Point and took their picture on the dock – that was the beginning. I also made a deal with my 3 daughters – every weekend I would take them to explore a new place and in return they agreed to be patient while I took photos. This was the best summer of my life, and I think theirs too!

KB: What do you like to shoot? When? How does your whole creative process work? And how has it evolved?

ER: I have always been a great admirer of beauty and it’s so satisfying to finally have a way to interact with it! I like to shoot anything that “speaks to me” (beautiful or interesting) and I especially enjoy capturing people and documenting connections, I also really enjoy lines & color. I always have my phone with me, I shoot any time or any place – I’m not picky.

My creative process seems simply emotional to me – I see something that “wants” its picture taken, so I comply! And when processing the photo I feel like the photo already knows what it “wants” to be, and I keep processing until it feels finished. I suppose somewhere in my brain I must be considering the things I’ve learned about photography, but it’s not at the forefront. I wish I had something more specific and fancy to share with you!

KB: Do you work in any other creative mediums, i.e., painting, music, writing, etc.?

ER: No, just iPhone photography, although I am now studying “real” photography and lighting with my DSLR.

KB: Do you spend time online looking at the work of other iphontographic artists?

ER: Yes! I spend as much time as I can viewing other work – it’s one of my daily simple pleasures.

KB: Do you study other art forms?

ER: I do not study other art forms but I do appreciate all genuine creative expression (even if I don’t “get it”).

KB: Have you done a lot of traditional photography? If so, are you still using your camera as well as your iPhone?

ER: I’ve been taking family snapshots my whole life with a point and shoot camera (which I don’t use anymore) but it’s never ignited any creative passion in me. There is something magical about the iPhone, it’s unlike any other camera in the world! Perhaps it should come with a cautionary label: WARNING: iPhone photography is capable of igniting intense creative passion in users. Creative passion is life altering and irreversible.  (Editor’s note: As of mid-2011, Emily is now studying photography and lighting with a DSLR.)

KB: Who are some artists – in any medium – you admire or have influenced you?

ER: Oh Wow. There are so many amazing photographers that have shaped my views.  When I first began to seek out other people who were taking pictures with their iPhones I came across the work of Stephanie Chappe – the connections she is able to make between people and their environment is brilliant and exciting.  Since then many other iphoneographers have had a huge impact on me such as Max Berkowitz, Jason Parks, Laura Conomy, Maia Panos for their beautiful photography with children.  Jose Chavarry, Jaime Ferreyros, Daniel Berman, Jeff White,
John Enslow, Sion Fullana, Robert Herold, Marianne Nikolaisen, and Christian Peacock have also inspired me. Of course it would be impossible to name everyone! Each day I become more and more familiar with the members of the iPhone Photography community, I am continuously inspired and amazed by the work I see. My favorite traditional photographers are Dan Anderson, Phil Kneen, Christian Peacock, Federico Erra, Harmony Nicholas, and Brooke Shaden.

KB: What is your basic app kit, or Camera Bag, as Marty Yawnick calls it. How has your use of apps evolved over time?

ER: Camera+ is possibly my most used app and the only one I’ll use to crop. I also regularly use: Pro HDR, Vint B&W, PhotoFX, Effect Touch, Iris, Picture Show, Photo Wizard, BlurFX, and Tilt Shift. There are many more that I have but use much more infrequently and a few new apps that I am still testing out.
My app use changed dramatically a couple of months ago when I became aware of file size. Also, reviews from Lifeinlofi.com have been hugely influential, as well as discussion between other iPhoneographers.

KB: Are there any apps you don’t like?

ER: Of course! Anything that doesn’t save at full res or anything that was poorly designed. So I just delete them, no worries!

KB: Are there any specific improvements you would like to see made to existing apps?

ER: I would like to see all apps utilize full resolution. I wish Iris had an adjustable brush and didn’t take 6 steps to open a photo! I would love if I could correct my horizon in Camera+ and if I could adjust the intensity of the filters, and I wish that PhotoFX wasn’t so easy to accidentally back out of and lose work.

KB: Are there any apps you would like to see developed/invented?

ER: I really struggle with organizing my camera roll. I wish there was a better way! I would like to be able to attach notes to my photos, or mark some as favorites or final copy. I’ve started using Camera + to shoot my studio pics so I can control what makes it to the camera roll and what doesn’t. That helped.

KB: When you feel you have reached a creative stalemate, and believe your work is not cutting it anymore, do you have any tricks for breaking out of artist’s block?

ER: I haven’t experienced artists block yet, but did meet an environmental challenge recently as I experienced my 1st winter as a photographer in Minnesota! Our hours of daylight are greatly reduced during this season and I quickly discovered that my beloved iPhone doesn’t like to take pictures without natural light. When I lost my freedom to take pictures I was in a funk for a couple of weeks, and in a bit of a panic! Fortunately, my friend and traditional photographer, Justin Sinks, stepped in and suggested that maybe with artificial studio lighting my iPhone would be happy…he was right!! We’ve been having a blast at the studio and I’m learning so much at every session! It’s exciting and challenging!

KB: What features would you like to see implemented at the Pixels website?

ER: I would love to search by artist and have the ability to collect favorites, to easily find and view again later.

KB: A last word perhaps?

ER: This has been a life-changing year for me. I am very grateful for the amazing iPhone photography community, and to those who have worked so hard to create connections there (especially Marty & Knox).
I am so incredibly honored to be Artist of the Month here on Pixels. Thank you so very much.

KB: Thank you, Emily.

You can see Emily’s striking contributions to Pixels: The Art Of The iPhone by clicking here.

Judy Green

A few months ago, pictures started arriving here on the site from a new artist, Judy Green. They were bold pictures, smeared with vivid colors and big strokes, yet there was often an element of fragility or delicate feminity embedded within the maelstrom.  Very quickly I came to recognize her pictures as they loaded, before I could even see who had submitted them: unmistakable, and pure Judy. Her pictures have a very western feel as well, evoking the energy of the desert and of that most strange of American cities, Las Vegas, where she lives. We are grateful to have Judy as a regular contributor to the site. She is proof that passion is the primary element of creating vibrant pictures using an iPhone. I asked her if she would deign to be featured artist here on the site this month. She said yes.

Below are a few quick answers to questions, but first I want to thank Robert and Edina Herold of Hungary for being our featured artists last month. Their contributions to Pixels cannot be overstated. Thank you, Robert and Edina.

Heeeeeeere’s Judy:

I’ve been shooting with the iPhone for about seven months.  Although I’ve had my phone for over a year, I only recently began using the phone camera more actively.  I normally use the 3G default camera and then post process using photo apps.   I spend a lot of time working on my photos, usually days – although there are those times when it all comes together as it should in a shorter amount of time.  My shooting preference usually involves architectural elements.  I also enjoy taking random photographs of people that I encounter in the course of the day.

Each day I find myself looking for opportunities, sometimes in the most mundane of settings, that might allow for a really great shot.  I work on my photos every day and enjoy enhancing most of my images with favorite apps.  Since all of the post processing is done right on the phone, it makes the process nice and portable so that I’m able to work on my images any time and anywhere.  I first began working with only a few basic apps.  Now my phone contains such a large number and such a wide variety of photo apps,  it’s sometimes really difficult to choose which to use for a specific photo.  In my opinion, the best apps include FX somewhere in their title.  Apps I dislike are those that crash in the midst of editing and before I’ve had a chance to save the work in progress.

iPhoneography is a wonderful creative outlet – and also very addictive.  In the past, I have worked in other art mediums but this is by far my most favorite creative endeavor.  Through the years I have enjoyed painting, drawing, primitive rug hooking and creating lifesized sculptural figures all of which required a ton of supplies.  The convenience and portability of iPhone art photography is a real plus.  As far as photography, before the iPhone I used a traditional camera in a very limited capacity for basic family pics and the like.

I am continually blown away by the amazing work of my fellow iPhoneographers.  Their beautifully processed photographs are definitely a source of inspiration to me.  Since my general preference tends to lean toward black and white photography,  I especially enjoy the work of Elliott Erwitt, Ansel Adams and others.  A favorite E. Erwitt quote…  “To me, photography is an art of observation.  It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Many thanks to Knox Bronson and Pixels – The Art of the iPhone.  It’s an honor to be featured here …

Judy, thank YOU for your wonderful pictures.

Marco La Civita

We are happy to present the next in our series of artist interviews here on Pixels—The Art of the iPhone. This week, Marco La Civita, whose work has brightened the site for a long time. We are certain many of you are acquainted with his vibrant pictures, as well as his generous involvement in the global iphonic art community. Without further ado …

KB: Marco, please tell us a little about yourself – where you live, if you hail from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel like sharing that isn’t covered in the questions below.

MLC: I was born in Italy where I lived until I graduated at the University of Rome. Then I moved to the US to get a Ph.D. I lived in Belgium for several years and now I am enjoying Madrid in Spain. One of the pleasant consequences of these changes is that I am fluent in 4 languages. I am currently working as a Guidance, Navigation, and Control scientist at Boeing Research and Technology Europe.

KB: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

MLC: My first iPhone shot is dated 5th of May 2009.

KB: How often do you work on your art?

MLC: [laughs] This question depends on how you define art. The way I see it, an artist is a rare element in humanity. An artist sees what others don’t see, pushes the envelope, answers questions most of us don’t even know how or dare to pose. In that sense I am no artist, so the answer would be that I never work on my art. If by “art” we mean more “artisanry” then the answer is almost everyday. “Artisan” is an unfairly underrated word while the word artist is extensively over abused. I believe many presumptuously self-defined artists are no more than mediocre artisans. Read the rest of this entry →