"Tie the Knot", a Hipstamatic wedding, by @iPhonehipsta

Last July my lovely friends James and Lisa finally decided to do the decent legal thing and tie the knot. They asked me if I would bring a camera and do a bit of light documenting as a guest! I have had experience of photographing a few weddings in the past as a pro, but this was to be just fun and I jumped at the opportunity of having the freedom to play with my iPhone 4 and nothing else!

Needless to say the wedding was fabulous... the weather was gorgeous and it was held in beautiful surroundings in Highgate North London. They had chosen a 50's theme which Lisa wore like a dream! One couldn't have wished for a better day! As I said, this was just about playing, without any constraints or responsibilities... all fun.

As regards the actual logistics of shooting with the iPhone, of course there were many limitations such as lack of control, lack of speed, poor light and lack of flash capability with Hipstamatic, the app which I used throughout. It also made me realise how some film/lens combinations are so terribly unflattering for skin tones! By the evening when the party began and the lights failed, I had to give up and dance the night away!

They were very pleased with the results, and I think it complemented the official album nicely, and scored highly on novelty value and for it's casual and fresh feel.

Years of traditional photography including darkroom work have done nothing but wet my appetite. As I advance with blind faith into this new image revolution, code-name iPhoenography, which is gripping us all like a fever, I realise how rapidly everything must change and I embrace this uncertain future with joy and wonder. Watch this space...

You can see more of iPhonehipsta's work here on her Tumblr blog.

Comments

[@iPhonehipsta]

Fabulous, thank you so much Glyn for featuring me on your site which is undoubtedly the leader in iPhoneography! What a great honour! Blessings marina

[Richard G]

"...lack of flash capability with Hipstamatic..."

Did she really not know how to turn on the flash, or was she using an older iPhone, I wonder?

As to issue of skin tones, amen. BUT: this problem is almost banished now with the iPhone 4S. Many of the older lenses (like Melodie) now work well for photographing people, though they didn't before.

Thanks for sharing these pics!

[Ridwan]

Beautiful. Just a small query ... Today is Dec 10th, so these photos were shot on 30th July right?

[Glyn Evans]

@Ridwan, that is correct.

[David]

Hi,

Very nice pics. I'd like to learn more about how to use hipstamatic because there are so many options that I always forget which one I'd like to use in different occasions. I need to create my own grid of examples, and memorize it! :D

I like the borders in the pics: perfect 50's look, reflecting back, serious business and so on. Is that an hipstamatic combination?

[@iPhonehipsta]

@David thanks for commenting!
Hipstamatic can be a bit tricky like that, but I find that as I almost always use it as my first camera, you tend to develop some favourite combos and just switch between these! The ones you pointed out you like are created with DreamCanvas for the border and texture and Libatique 73 for the colour and clarity. It's one of my favourite combinations! Best just keep experimenting until you find your voice, and have lots of fun!

[David]

Thanks for your reply and the suggestions.

I'll try to find some sort of strategy for my brain and I know: practice, practice, practice :D

[Photogenix]

I love this. I'm loving the new lens with the Foodie Pak - very soft and natural tones - could be perfect for a bit of romance ;)

[David]

Ups! I've just realized I don't have the dreamcanvas and the labatique 73. :( Too bad, I like those effects. I just hope they would allow the possibility to buy all the old limited editions. I've written to them. Who knows? :(

[ranga]

A brave decision! You must be thankful it wasn't Hipsta 230, which would have been a disaster - with all the crashes and film roll windings.

[@iPhonehipsta]

@David Hey look out for RETRO WEEKEND 16th - 18th December when selected limited edition lenses are being pulled from the HipstaVault and put back on sale...! Not sure which but hopefully will include the ones you want!

[David]

@iPhonehipsta Thank you very much! I really hope they will invent something to let people buying old paks. But in any case, I'll download whatever will come with the next weekend. :)

[rsmithing]

These are superb photos, and dare I say it, might be cherished just as much as a "professional" wedding photographer's work (nothing against the pros; they certainly know their craft). Congrats on the results, and by the looks of things, you had lots of fun while creating something special for a special day. Now that's art. I've been exploring real-world uses of Hipstamatic, Instagram, photography and the like lately - visit & say hi in the comments if you like; I'd very much appreciate your perspective!

http://rsmithing.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/photography-technology-and-connections-in-the-name-of-art

[@iPhonehipsta]

@ranga Thanx for commenting! I may have just been lucky, but I have not experienced any of the problems you mentioned...!

[@iPhonehipsta]

@rsmithing Thank you so much for your encouragement, much appreciated. Have had a quick visit of your blog which is interesting, and love your monochrome pix! See you on ig!