Professional shooter Andrew Rankin explains why he decided to tackle a new style of photography using an iPhone, and how he went about this deceptively simple challenge.
Photographers have an almost limitless choice of cameras these days – 10x 8in, medium format, DSLR, ‘point and shoot’ and so on. But in recent years a new camera has appeared on the horizon – the ubiquitous smart phone with its inbuilt camera. This style of camera is rapidly taking over the “point and shoot” world, and with onboard retouching and access to social networks the phone camera can offer much more. I recently held an exhibition of iPhone images at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville as part of the Queensland Festival of Photography 2012. It was titled “iC: images from iPhone” The style of imagery was a blend of ‘street’ and ‘landscape’ images shot in various locations around Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney and Nth Queensland. The images were printed with an Epson 4800 to 11in square and 14x10in on sheets of A2 cotton rag paper and presented unframed on the gallery walls by way of magnets on each corner.
Camera Options
So what’s the best camera? In many cases it’s the camera you have with you! My iPhone is always in my pocket so by default it’s a great camera, and to me a sketchbook to quickly record the things I respond to. Just as a musician will chose a particular instrument to influence their sound, a photographer will choose a certain camera suited to their style, method of production and intended output.
ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Flash Gear: Part One, Shooting Snow, Profile: Daniel Sponiar, FotoFreo Fires Up, Locations: Lord Howe Island, Sony a57