This week "Through the Lens of an iPhone"

I'm going to start this weeks "Through the Lens of an iPhone" post with an apology, as my comments below may upset and offend some of you, and for that I apologise. It's not my intention to upset or offend, but for the first time since relaunching the "Through the Lens of an iPhone" Flickr group, I have struggled to select a group of photos that I have felt are good enough to grace the pages of this blog. Whilst there have been plenty of submissions, many of them good, there have been only a small handful that have really grabbed my attention. Part of the problem, and something that I have been noticing over the past few weeks, is that many of the submissions are Instagram shots, and whilst there is nothing wrong with Instagram, the square format and the predefined filter effects can limit the overall appeal of what otherwise could and would be a stunning photo. So for next weeks submissions, step away from Instagram, and take time out to create something more unique and in any format your like.

Despite my overall disappointment, I have selected the following 5 images, that all exhibit something different, from the natural unfiltered style of Andy Royston's "Tide's gone out then…" to the strangely enchanting creation, "I felt so lonely in your company" from Jennifer Bracewell.

To see the rest of the fantastic submissions, check out the "Through the Lens of an iPhone" Flickr group, and if you feel inspired and want to take part, then join the group, read the simple rules and start uploading, but remember, all photos must be taken and processed on an iPhone.

Comments

[Steven]

Perhaps you're not getting the submissions you want because most iphone photographers prefer to take photos and not make digital paintings...

[Glyn Evans]

Hi Steven, thanks for the comment. I like to think that I select a range of images that suit all taste, like those above, from those fine arty like images, to raw and app'd images. Over the past coupe of weeks, there have been a number of really very good images excluded because they have either black or white boarders top and bottom, from where a regular photo has been share via Instagram, and then posted in the Instagram format directly to the group. Over the past few weeks, I have struggled to select images because the number of really good ones have been so high, and maybe that's where the problem lies, everyone has set the bar so high.

As I said at the head of my post, I hope my comments do not offend, and are seen more as constructive criticism.

[Sid Pena]

The exponential growth of iPhoneography has encouraged a renaissance of creativity in the photographic realm that has not been seen since the Eastman Brownie made photography readily available to the general public. And like any new realm of endeavor, the dust hasn't settled yet and one can be overwhelmed by the shear number of photos that are displayed in a multitude of places on the web. It can be quite chaotic. I think the first major division among iPhoneogrphers will between those creating photographs in the pure sense of what one would expect from a film camera and those who are using those photographs as an element of a more complex creation which more closely resembles a collage, painting, drawing, etching, mixed media etc. This is not to say that those trying to create a traditional photograph would not use any filters and apps but that those used would only enhance the image within normal photographic boundaries. I am not detracting from either form of iPhoneography as I believe they are both valid and beautiful art forms. However, I do think that it is becoming an issue when artists enter competitions and contests which only advertise themselves as iPhone, mobile or digital only to find that those entrusted to judge such competitions have a definite bias towards one type of iPhoneography or the other. I myself have fallen victim to this issue at competitive venues, forums and collectives geared towards our medium. I think that this issue will not be long standing once contest organizers & forum moderators define the type content they are expecting.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for operating this blog. You have truly contributed to furthering the acceptance of iPhoneography as a valid form of photography and art.

Cheers,
Sid Pena

[Rob]

Photography is an art. Any photo could be an entirely different photo if shot with a different app. Or a DSLR. Or with film. Judging a photo for what one thinks it could have been rather than what it is is missing the point.

In the end, it's not about what a photo could be. It's what the photo is.

That's just my opinion, of course. I think this makes for a great topic of discussion.

[Avito]

Sid, you make some very good points about this new form of art, especially about judges and biases. I won't even pretend to offer any valid suggestions. I am very much newly exposed to the iPhoneography trends. I've watched beautiful works of art from artists all over the world, and finally decided to start to play around with it as well. I figured I have an iPhone, I love to take pictures...why not combine 'em together and get into this new form of art. I love the process of taking a picture, then running them through various apps to see what art can come from them. What I would like to see is if the artists/photogs would share the apps they used to manipulate their images. For example, I particularly love "Tide's Gone Out" as well as "First Snow" from the images above. I'd love to have seen what apps were used in these.

More power to the art. You guys are inspiring some of us to do what we might not have even considered doing before.

[mr timney]

Wow, my Ocean View submission was definitely eye catching, unique & creative.
Sorry to have disappointed.

[Hrmph]

So square photo's are bad and trendy, but lifeless, blurry photos of other photos app'd and filtered to static-hammered death until they look like a childs watercolor painting are acceptable an unique?
Forgive me for being disappointed.

[Andy]

I do agree with Hrmph.

I don't consider a lot of the app'd to death photos thats make 'Through The Lens....' photos at all. To me the photos have been destroyed to such a point that you'd be hard pushed to recognise some of them as ever being photographs. That's not to say that they're not lovely to look at but i personally don't consider them to be iPhone photography. Iphone Art Project, sure.

I've seen some truly jaw dropping photography on Instagram - pictures that i really do consider photography, especially my favourite subject Macro. I've seen clever use of lighting, composition, focal points and so on.

The majority of these pictures i often see something that looks like it was dragged through a hedge, stamped on, torn, stuck back together, given a sprinkling of dust, dunked in mud, etc, etc, etc, 30 apps later we have a winning 'photo'.

I'm left thinking, what photo?

[dani2xll]

I am not sure I understand your request Glynn. Are you asking for photo's that are taken with an iPhone and that can be app'd but not instagram app'd? Or are you asking for the 'naked' photo? If someone can clarify the difference between instagram app'd and other photographic apps that may help to clear up the matter for other people who may want to enjoy the flickr group.

[Catherine Restivo]

Hmmm, interesting. I never edit any of my photos on Instagram and I've submitted several to the group. I create photos and then upload them to IG via Squaready... Sorry you haven't enjoyed the additions to your Flickr page. ;)

[T.S. Elliott]

Interesting discussion. I too thought I had submitted a sure winner this week. My image entitled, "Bracing" was an atmospheric, minimally apped (only a cross-process filter) winter street shot taken from an unusual perspective. It was ignored by both "Through the lens" and "Life in LoFi". Yet it was "Explored" on Flickr and has quickly become one of my most popular images on Flickr, Instagram, G+ and Tumblr.

My point is that art is subjective. And what fails to catch the eye of one judge, may still be liked by others. Glyn was the first curator to feature my iPhone work, and I will will always be grateful. I'll take his snub as challenge to create better images. And if that fails, I will submit my images under the name Bracewell. :-)

NOTE: My image was not submitted to this group through Instagram, which people should know, along with adding borders and taking credit for images that were not in fact "Taken with Instagram," downsizes any images you upload to it.

Here's a link to the image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tselliottpics/6740178643/

TS