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The Dreamy World of Mobile Photographer Jesper Bülow

What is your name and where do you live? 

JB:  My name is Jesper Bülow and I live in the countryside in Sweden.


How did you get started in mobile photography? What device do you use?

JB:  I have been photographing on and off for the last twenty years. A couple of years ago I got sort of numb. I used a professional SLR with a lot of lenses and everything. It got too technical and I got lost in all the choices. Then I started to take photos with my iPhone. I used the native camera and got my focus back on the actual photos, not the lens choices and depth of field and such. The simplicity was a relief. I stick to square format and do not use zoom and therefore have to make the most of what I capture. Soon I discovered the fun in using apps for editing and since I am a lousy photographer, I developed certain skills in editing to hide my weakness…And now I am hooked on mobile photography and editing.






Do you have a traditional photography or art background?

JB:  No, none at all. I am a finance and real estate professional so my photography is a way to use other parts of my brain than I do in my daily work.


Who or what inspires you? 

JB:  I get inspired by my Instagram feed. I follow a lot of very talented photographers and get a lot of inspiration from their work. I tend to appreciate styles that differs a lot from mine. Minimalistic images with subtle tones in opposite to my quite colorful style.





Do you plan your shoots with an end in mind or do you shoot and decide later as you edit?

JB:  I do not have a specific edit in mind when shooting but I have learned what subjects and what pictures works with my style of editing.


Your work has a dreamy quality - how did your style develop?

JB:  I really don’t now. I just try to create something I find beautiful and interesting to look at. Some images are an exaggerated version of how my recollection of the moment looks like in my head. Or rather the feeling in that moment. I guess my memory plays some tricks on me!




Do you shoot with the native camera on your iPhone or do you use a specialized app like
ProCamera? 

JB:  I shoot with vividHDR. I have tried most camera apps available and I like this one best. It is a fast HDR camera app. I use the drama mode.




Do you only shoot landscapes? Is there any other subject you'd like to explore?

JB:  I shoot whatever comes in my way that interests me but it tends to be landscapes, woodlands and trees that turns out best. I would like to explore macro more but being over 6’6" it is a bit awkward. I also would like to be better at portraits.



Please describe your workflow 

JB:  Here is the basic workflow for my editing process.

1. Shoot with vividHDR 
2. Cropping and basic adjustments in Adobe Photoshop Express 
3. HDR filter in Snapseed and basic adjustments again 
4. Adobe Photoshop Express again for basic adjustment and noise reduction 
5. Depending on the image, I create versions of the picture in Brushstrokes, Tangled FX, ToonPaint HD and sometimes Glaze. 
6. Blend the images together in Leonardo. It can be up to 5 images blended. I sometimes use masking to get different effects in different parts of the image. 
7. Often I use the glowfilter in HandyPhoto 
8. Stackables. I can sit for hours working with the layers. I love this app. It is here that it all happens for me. I tend to end up with 10 to 30 layers. 
9. Adobe Photoshope Express. Basic adjustments and “softening” 
10. Often Handy Photo for another go with the glowfiter 
11. Snapseed. Basic adjustments again. Very subtle this time. 
12. I often go back to Stackables and loop step 8 to 11 a couple of times. 
13. Decide if I like the result or not. I would say that I throw away about 50% of my edits.
14. Post to Instagram 

What are your favorite photo editing apps? 

JB:  Adobe Photoshop Express, Snapseed, Brushstrokes, Leonardo and most of all, Stackables.

Have you ever sold or exhibited your work? If not, any plans for the future? 

JB:  No, I have not and no plans. If someone wanted to show my work I would love to but I feel I am just some guy shooting with my phone that loves editing.


Find Jesper: Instagram


Apps Mentioned:
vividHDR
Adobe Photoshop Express
Snapseed
Brushstroke
Tangled FX
ToonPaint HD
Glaze
Leonardo
Handy Photo
Stackables