Much has been made of the god-phone’s apparent incapability when it comes to photography, especially since the release of the 3G version failed to offer any camera upgrade whatsoever. We’ve always been firmly of the belief however that a bad workman blames his tools, and that certainly seems to the case as Greg Schmigel’s brilliant website, Just What I See, proves to great effect.
Greg’s beautifully honest work sees him documenting everyday life in American cities through the lens of his 2 megapixel iPhone camera. His quick eye for capturing moments of mundane so well reminds us of one of our favourite photographic artists, Martin Parr. Young couples in love, street brawls, bums and graffiti are all lovingly captured as they happen, thanks to the instant nature of the camera phone, no lighting, set-up or staging is required, and this allows Schmigel to bring us the vibrancy of the cities he visits, just as he sees them.
Schmigel’s work with his iPhone is sure to inspire and it’s an interesting proposition that in these days of advanced technology we can use limitations to our advantage, the iPhone almost becoming the old fashioned throwaway camera with it’s point and click nature, something which surely inspires spontaneity and creativity over technological know-how.
One thing we’re always asked about our iPhone camera is what the images look like printed out, and while our standard response is along the lines of “that’s not the point of it”, it surely is for an artist such as Schmigel. The answer in his case is that they don’t hold out bad at all and he claims that the 1600 X 1200 pixel image direct from the camera produces a very sharp, very clear 4″ X 6″ or 5″ X 7″ print, which is good for him, and us, as he has a range of his best works available to purchase on his website.
Signed by the artist, printed at 5X7″ on Fuji™ Crystal Archive matte paper, framed in 11X14″ MCS gallery format frames and priced at only $50, these pieces of photographic art should be a welcome addition to any contemporary living space, check them out here.
no comments