Latest iPhoneography shoot

Shot and APPed with my new 4G iPhone. It's a little different working this device as to my 4x5 camera. But the way one lights and relate with the subject stays basically the same.

Reminds me of a funny comment I hear once in while, "Nice shot! What did you shoot it with?"
I reply "Nikon" They respond "Thought so. That why it's so good."

Documentary on Jaime Ferreyros

Click on the image to view my latest documentary on Jaime Ferreyros, iPhoneographer. He speaks about his craft and process of using his iPhone to create stunning images.

A nice mention in Cult of Mac

Here's a nice little article in Cult of Mac about the San Francisco Apple store event. Thank you Nicole Martinelli for attending this "Art of the Iphone" gathering.

www.cultofmac.com


In this photo Max Berkowitz, Me, Maia Panos, Knox Bronson. and a thank you to William Storage for taking the clean well lit photograph.

Work That Make a Difference

Last year I did a multi-media video on a Tuareg silversmith named Elhadji Koumama. The video was made for two reasons, I have been involve with Elhadji and his community of artisans and wanted to help tell his story to a wider audience, second I wanted to try my hand at producing multimedia.

I felt if I am going to put the effort into producing a video, it better have a purpose! The results from this project have been fantastic. Canoe magazine from Africa picked up the story and ran a feature and National Geographic just launched a page on its retail store site, with a link to view the movie.

This just helps reconfirm my belief that if one feels strongly about an idea then the commitment of time and resources into a project will eventfully be worth it. For Elhadji and his fellow artisans, it is the support from people from all around the world. For me is the knowledge of knowing that my work matters and can make a difference.

Link to Canoe Africa
http://www.canoeafrica.com/

Father/daughter project

Natalie is getting close to finishing her schooling at the Cinta Aveda Institute. Soon she will be legal for doing hair. Did you know one needs 1600 hours of schooling before you can take the state exam? Her friend Danielle came over yesterday. Natalie colored and cut her hair, plus did the makeup. She asked me to take some photos. Here are a few samples using different cameras.

My photos to be exhibited at San Francisco Apple store

Monday September 27th. 6:00-8:00

Apple Store Downtown San Francisco, CA

One Stockton Street,

There will be a special live event featuring art of the iPhone at the downtown Apple store in San Francisco. This exhibition will feature collective works from a worldwide group of artist using the iPhone as a tool for artistic expression.

Come and join me as I discusses my partnership with a group of artist as they explore the creative possibilities using this exciting new media art form.

Iphonegraphy and the Stylized Image

Photo:Christian Peacock - Image Stylization: Joan Bada

I first became aware of iPhongraphy when Knox Bronson asked me to be a judge for this year’s Oakbook Iphonegraphy exhibition. This was my introduction into the world of dedicated artist and their highly stylized images shot with the iPhone.

Knox is the curator at http://pixelsatanexhibition.com/ I recommend you visit this site to see some very stunning images done with the iPhone.

These submitted images were refreshing and exciting to see. The styles were wide open. The fact that they were produced with an almost ubiquitous piece of equipment is what makes it exciting. There is a feeling that anyone can do this. It’s always in your pocket or handbag, ready at any given moment.

The actual act of snapping the shutter is just momentary, in most cases the real art comes in the great efforts during the post-production aspect of the process. Some call it APPing. An abbreviated term for application, those famous add on’s that has made the iPhone so popular. In the world of Iphonegraphy there are numerous APPs developed to aid the artist in their stylizations of their captured image. Some as simple as lighten a photo or color adjust to very sophisticated as constructing a montage then stressing the image to like something from another genre. It is evident there is great skill and patience in producing the final outcome of the more stunning images. There are some APPs on the market that are gaining notoriety for their ease of use interface. They are like the flavor of the month and soon become oversaturated in usage.

Then there are artist who spends hours working away with their fingertips on a piece of the most modern of technology. Resulting in a personal statement done with the provided resources. I have dabbled in the APPing phase but always seem to lack the time and patience to produce anything truly remarkable. There comes to a point where I wanted try an experiment. What if I photographed a series of photos with my iPhone and have some of the Iphonegraphy artist stylize the images. The photos I would submit would be somewhat different from what most of the work I’ve seen being produced with the iPhone. I was to shoot a session photographing a model. Something pre-visualized and worked through, a set of images that can work as a thematic body of work. The twist being having other people collaborate in the post-production end. Knowing the limitations of camera and lens in the iPhone poses unique challenges in capturing compelling images. Being a photographer my whole life I had to learn to let go of totally controlling every aspect of the technical end. Kind of go with the flow, well almost. With the limited contrast capability of the camera and the tendency for lens flair, I scouted locations that would work best for the iPhone camera. I could also use constant lighting and fill cards if needed. Plus a tripod, always a tripod! That one piece of equipment will make the most dramatic improvement to a photograph.

The actual session is treated the same way as any other photo session I have done through the years. There will be a good edit after the shoot. Then the images are shipped off for the artist to do their magic. After reviewing the results, I have learn quite a bit on what to do the next time I shoot with the iPhone and submit for final stylizations. I can predetermine a certain look and shoot for an effect. I’m excited to delve deeper into this process and my head is swirling with new ideas. I must hurry before the next new generations of APPs hit market.

To view more samples of the Sarah project visit. this page.
http://pixelsatanexhibition.com/people/nudes/the-sarah-remix-project-3/





Christian Peacock August 26, 2010

Kinetic Sculpture

Check out this link featuring a very cool kinetic sculpture. I love how in real life you can have an almost black & white environment that moves.

http://www.artcom.de/kinetik/

Kashi Good Friends effect on People

Some time ago I shot the cereal packages of Kashi's Good Friends. This blog post from Amateurgoumet.com came across my path reminded me how some projects have a life of their own. Still to this day when people hear that I shot "Good Friends" they will tell me all about their breakfast eating habits. The art work on the package has changed and I was not part of the new photography, but none the less it's still a good ice breaker at cocktail parties. Please read this post about one woman's experience with all those smiling faces.

"My Cereal Killing Spree"
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2004/07/my_cereal_killi.html

Remembering Jim Marshall's Photography

http://www.marshallphoto.com/

I first became aware of Jim Marshall's photographs when I was an impressionable young lad growing up in San Francisco. I did not know of his rock & roll exploits or any other of the soon to be made legendary stories. I only knew of his work and his photography was one of the most influential and inspiring body of work that had a lasting impression. His photography captured something deeper and more personal than some of the other work being published at the time. Plus his final prints were so rich and lush. His images of Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Big Mama Thorton showed what it was like to print rich toned dark skin. A gray scale that just runs so deep into the silver of the print. The true definition of "Black Pearl". But not just considering technique, his empathy to capture Johnny Cash's relationship with June Carter was so spot on. His iconic shot of Janis Joplin sitting alone backstage with a bottle of Southern Comfort in her hand. While at the peak of her creative powers she looks slouched and despondent., That one shot packs a more emotional punch, than a hundred Jim Marshall "F" bombs.

One of his most remarkable photographs is of Miles Davis sitting on a stool in the corner in a boxing ring. Shirtless and his arms are outstretched, Miles has totally surrendered himself to Jim. What a accomplishment! If you know the personality of Mile Davis, you would know that this image it truly unique in capturing Miles Davis. Normally taciturn and defensive, Miles trusted Jim so much as to let him into this small moment inside the proverbial boxing match of a photo shoot. Go ahead and search the internet and look for a more accessible photo of Miles Davis! I haven't found one yet. That was the genius of Jim Marshall.

Jim's photography was the total package. Great content backed up by excellent technique.

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Erich Loading Film

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The Future of Books

Last week Miki Johnson Social Media Editor for livebooks.com spoke at the APASF Creative Professional Apple event about the future of books. She covered many different topics and examples of new forms of books appearing on the scene. I was a most intrigued by an interactive book where a viewer can participate alongside President Obama’s career while in office book. All the books she mentioned had some form of connection with social media, which makes sense, that’s Miki’s specialty. She did bring up a very important insight about the anticipated need to own and hold a photography book in one’s hand. Something tangible, something fixed in time.

Almost all photographers would like to see their work published in some kind of book form. It’s a sense of permanence of one’s work. Ink on paper. With the introduction of the Ipad and other electronic base publishing is there any real permanence to a photograph if it is only published in electronic form? Or will our photographs come under the same usage agreement as advertising parlance “Period of use; two years. Seen by millions, then forgotten.”

The other day I was in my garage searching for some odd item when I came across a first edition book published by Aperture The Americas by Robert Frank. My wife bought this book years ago and packed away for safekeeping. What a pleasant surprise. I sat down and went through the book and then went on EBay to figure out it’s worth. Not that I am selling it, but I wanted to know its monetary value. I placed the book along side my other photography books of note. Irving Penn’s Passage, Albert Watson’s Cyclops, John Szarkowski’s Looking at Photographs, to name a few. It’s a comfortable feeling knowing where I can pull inspiration at any time. I do this almost every time I’m about to do a photography shoot of consequence. Spreading out a photography book on my lap and absorbing its contents is one of life’s pleasures. I have friends who have a room full of books just for this reason. I think we call them libraries.

I don’t know what the future may lay for photography books. The newer publishing of book prospects sound exciting, but I hope it is an additive process, where we can still keep the bounded beauty with that smell of paper, varnish and ink. I like books edited with intelligence and a singular voice. There has been a lot of talk about opening up publishing to the masses. Letting them create content and changing it at moments notice. Sounds like blogging to me. Think of the new style of books as blogs. A few will be note worthy, but most will be forgettable. Unfortunately the most relevant topic will be hammered down to the bottom of the page and eventfully delegated to “older post” heading. Will someone be able to accidentally come across it in his or her garage thirty years from now?

Accounting for Photographers

APA stands for Advertising Photographers of America. Advertising is commerce and commerce means business. Being a member of APA means you made a serious commitment to being a commercial photographer, therefore it is imperative you run your business end of photography with the same integrity as your creative part. Unless you have a business partner who takes care of the money matters, the final responsibility rest on your shoulders. Having a firm grasp on the fundamentals of bookkeeping is important in this business as with any other enterprise. Even more so with commercial photography! Depending on the scale of a photo shoot, a photographer can be responsible with hundreds of thousand of dollars in over a short period of time. Along with general overhead, keeping track of shoot expenses just compounds the importance of good fundamental book keeping practices.

This coming week APASF will be presenting “Navigating Your Finances For Success” photo accounting 101. At 7:00 pm on February 4th at Dogpatch Studios, finance & accounting consultant, Petra Duffoo will be speaking to commercial photographers on setting up fundamental accounting practices for the photographer. Last year’s event was a sold out success that was very informative and a kick in the pants. Last year’s attendees came away with a much better understanding of setting up QuickBooks and the importance of consistency in book keeping. We have asked her back for an encore lecture.

There is no mystery to good book keeping; there is mystery in fear. The fear of revealing the truth on one’s business affairs. I have heard the same concerns from business people in all industries. Knowing the truth on the financial health of their company and facing the decisions on dealing with it. Photographers are no different. I must confess it is easy to rationalize why photographers don’t practice sound business sense. You have heard some of these expressions before.

“It something I love to do, how can I charge for it?”

“I got to bid in low, if not, I won’t get the job.”

“It’s OK, I’m on the computer all the time anyway.”

“This business runs hot and cold, it’s impossible to keep a consistent cash flow.”

“I’m artist! I’m not expected to have good business sense!”

Believe me, I am a much better artist when I don’t have to worry about my bank balance. Knowing where I stand financially helps me make better decisions artistically. Petra Duffoo will present accounting for photographers in a pleasant and easy to understand manner. You won’t feel like you are swallowing medicine, or being brow beaten. You may actually walk away feeling inspired! Having balance in life, both artistically and financially is what we strive for. We photographers do continuing education to keep abreast of the latest trends and technology. It’s just as important to keep current with the latest tax laws. You won’t be a well-balanced person if you are leaning to heavily in one area over the other. Now is the time to invest in a little left-brain activity.