Mobile Update: Worn Rails

     Sometimes I find myself fascinated by such simple things.  I guess we're all like that when we allow ourselves to be.  During a walk/exploration with some friends in Georgetown, an industrial district of Seattle, I found several spots on a heavily used railroad that I couldn't stop staring at and photographing.  Oblivious to the dirt, hazards, and boredom of my friends I dropped to my knees and photographed up a storm with my Kiev 88 and my iPhone.
     If you read my thoughts on "phoneography" about a year ago you will remember that I preferred to minimize the amount of editing I was doing on photos.  I have since decided to explore more, and now enjoy the post-production and editing quite a bit.  My recent favorite filter to use, especially on brick and earthy photos, is Hipstamatic's Madalena "lens" and Robusta "film" combo.  Here's what I ended up with using that setup:

Worn Rail Connection
taken with iPhone
Hipstamatic Madalena + Robusta

Mobile Update: Bainbridge Ferry

     I have ridden ferries hundreds of times, having grown up on an island.  The Bainbridge ferry, however, is not one I've been on many times.  Most of the familiar parts of the ride were there, but I found that the boat is built to accommodate more tourists with a larger outdoor deck area.  The captain's roost is also up a bit higher, and I was, of course, drawn to the symmetry.  It was a rare but beautiful sunny, warmish spring day, and my cameras noticed.

Bainbridge Island Ferry
Taken with iPhone

PS - if you want to read more about the trip this was taken on, it was covered here.

Mobile Update: A Person

     Is this the beginning of a new era for me?  I was reading an article in Hipstamatic's Snap Magazine recently.  It was written by a guy who apparently is enjoying Hipstafame due to his street photography.  It was nice stuff, I have to admit.  I always admire people who are good at this style of photography.  I feel like it's not difficult to end up with nice looking photos with interesting subjects and good lighting by wandering around a city taking photos of people, but I think the courage it takes to do this is very impressive.  I have a tough time taking photos of any people at all, so I was very curious to hear what this writer had to say.  He had some very good tips for getting into street photography and had several pointers for ways of getting away with snapping photos of people who may not want you to do so.  It still scares me to death, but I decided to give it a try 20 minutes after reading the article using the writer's waist level rapid snapshot method.  It makes complete sense, but if you aren't holding the camera (iPhone in this case) up to your face and pointing it directly at somebody else they will have no idea you're taking photos.  I held the phone in front of my stomach in a very awkward but believably inert position and held down the volume + button as I passed by people.  None of my photos turned out very good, but with some practice I feel I can get this down until I can become brave enough to brashly brandish my lens and let people react how they will.  I seriously doubt I'll become this brazen, but I will talk a big game.  For now, check it out!  A random lady!  Yawning!

Streetz Photography
Taken with iPhone

     If you want to check this article out, it's in the November 2012 Foodie edition.  The article is entitled "Mobile Photography Master".

Mobile Update: Night Skyline

     An experiment with taking a skyline photo at night, friends.  Yes, I realize this didn't work particularly well and that should be grounds for leaving it off the blog, but since my life has been a bit crazy lately I thought I'd do something crazy with the blog.  Also, even though you can't see it from the photo, this was a fun night of hanging out with friends, old and new.  And check out the last seconds of sunset!

Seattle, from Volunteer Park
Taken with iPhone

Mobile Update: Tangelo Peel

     Contrary to what the ol' blog suggests, I have actually been quite busy taking photos lately.  I am working on a couple of "series," which is a very professional-sounding thing to say.  One of the series is a Holgaroid macro deal I'm doing with my houseplants (and I actually already posted one here), and the other is a bunch of fruit portraits I've been taking at work on the iPhone.  Here's an "after" shot from one of my shoots with a tangelo.

Tangelo Peel
Taken with iPhone

     The series is actually my first attempt to create photos with some post-production work done on them.  It's all being done on the phone, which seems to be all the rage these days.  I really am working on a longer essay on this subject.  It's taking me forever.  So much sorting through my thoughts.

Mobile Update: Beached Dock

     The nice weather is both a gift and a curse for me and all other photobloggers out there.  It's perfect weather for getting outside and shooting, but it makes it hard for me to sit in front of my computer and write posts.

     I took a trip out to Whidbey Island to visit the family and I actually forgot my new Lomo LC-A+!  I was disappointed, but still got some great shots with the ol' iPhone.  Here's one of the day's best.  It was a floating dock made of large steel floats and rotting planks.  It's been on the beach for quite a while now and has some great moss on it.

Floating Dock, No Longer Floating
Taken with iPhone

Mobile Update: Plum Blossoms

     Despite the crazy weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest, spring has officially started today.  The thermometer may suggest otherwise, but at least the trees are following the calendar.

Plum Blossoms
Taken with iPhone

     As a film photographer, I do struggle a little bit with the digital age.  I am truly enjoying the simplicity and the post shoot options that go with this, but they make me a little uncomfortable.  I'm working on a good ol' fashioned essay on my thoughts on "phoneography" and my hesitation about embracing it.  I'm sure you're on the edges of your seats, right?

Mobile Update: Karela

     My favorite place to buy produce in Seattle has to be the International District.  The ID has so many stores with such an extensive selection that I feel I could try something new every time I went there and never run out of options.  The karela, also called Indian bitter melon, always catches my eye.  I have never eaten one, but I have eyed them and tried to imagine what they would be like.  I did find a recipe that looks good here, though a quick google search tells me that they are, as the name suggests, bitter and probably a bit unpleasant.  Still, I think I will give it a try.  Perhaps I will even be able to review the karela...

Karela
Taken with iPhone

Mobile Update: Portrait of a Smoker

     Gotcha!  You read this title and thought "Wait, hasn't he said in multiple posts that he doesn't photograph people?"  It's true, friends, that I do not often photograph humans except for some occasional photos of close friends and family.  But I will take advantage of a candid moment with anybody living in the 2D world, including this unfriendly looking gent.  I didn't even notice him looking at me with this uninterested gaze while I was on stage at the Comet Tavern until after the place cleared out and he apparently decided to have a smoke.  Even though it's illegal to smoke inside public spots in Washington, I never told on him.  I felt like I wouldn't do well in a fight against this guy.

Comet Tavern Smoker
Taken with iPhone

Mobile Update: Sea Cucumber Mouth

     For those of you who aren't constantly checking zooborns, you may not know that the Seattle Aquarium's otter collection just became bigger.  Their sea otters just had a tiny, fluffy little baby.  There was a lot of worry, initially, about whether or not they could keep it.  Apparently male sea otters are very territorial, so it would have had to go if it was a male.  Luckily it turned out to be a little girl, so she's staying there.  I had to go see for myself.  I had a hard time getting good photos of the baby as that area was super crowded with annoying people, but I was able to get some other good photos including this one of a sea cucumber's mouth.

Sea Cucumber Mouth
Taken with iPhone

     For the record, before I was a vegetarian I actually did eat one of these.  It was quite good.

Mobile Update: Gnomes

     What guy doesn't  have gnome earrings sitting around his apartment?

Gnomes
Taken with iPhone

     In full disclosure, I probably took 15 pictures of these guys.  I'll only make you look at the one.  More will be available upon request.  That's a joke.

Mobile Update: It Begins...

     I made two large jumps this week.  The first was the move to a smart phone.  This is somewhat of a big deal for me because, though I don't exactly shun new technologies (I know, smart phones aren't really a new thing anymore), I am usually very slow to convince myself to drop the cash necessary to bring myself to the same level as everybody else.  When my own mother, who didn't get an email address until well into the 21st century, got an iPhone, I realized I was way behind (I'm only teasing, mom, even though it's true).  The second big jump is directly related.  I do not usually take digital photos at all.  In fact, the only digital cameras I have are my cheap, and nearly useless, Innovage mini, which takes photos like this, my Brinno TLC100 time lapse camera, and my NeinGrenze 5000T tilt-shift camera.  These cameras rarely get used.  My new phone, however, will always be in my pocket and will therefore be pulled out often.  To be honest, the camera was a big reason for me choosing the iPhone 4S.
     Luckily, Seattle weather decided to cooperate with my quest to test out my new toy.  We had sunny weather, and I got off work in time to get a couple pictures of the pink sunset casting its brilliance on the United States' one-time tallest building outside of NYC, the Smith Tower.  Friends, please help me welcome this new age of mobile photography to our lives.  Oh, you already have?  Ok, well help welcome me into the fold then.

Smith Tower From a Block Away
Taken with iPhone

Smith Tower From Across the Street
Taken with iPhone