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The Fantasy World of Molly Hodges

What is your name and where do you live?

MH:  My name is Molly Hodges I was born in a small town in Iowa but have lived most of my adult life in Dallas, Texas. 


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

MH:  About two years ago my teenage daughter set up an Instagram account for me, I think primarily to keep me from snooping on hers. This is where I stumbled onto iPhoneography. It was love at first sight. All of my images are created with my iPhone and iPhone apps.

Winter's Keeper

South for Winter

MH:  Although I don't have a traditional art background I have always loved to draw and paint. For me there is no greater gift than being able to get lost in your imagination. Like drawing as a child, iPhoneography provides me with that same kind of escape.

Trust Your Heart

MH:  I am inspired by my daughters - they are the subjects in almost all of my photos. I'm also inspired by nature and urban decay.



Your work is beautiful, whimsical and sometimes painterly and abstract. How did your style evolve?

MH:  I've always loved Surrealism. I like to create little alternate realities or imaginary worlds. These types of images are usually produced primarily with Juxtaposer, LensLight and TapFX. I also love abstracts - the more color the better. For these images I tend to gravitate towards Glaze, Decim8, Percolator, iColorama and Fragment.  

Changing Seasons

Curiouser and Curiouser

Do you shoot your images with a plan in mind for the final outcome?

MH:  While shooting, seldom do I have a plan in mind. I constantly take pictures. It drives my husband crazy. I'm always pulling over the car to take pictures of something that catches my eye. I can't pass up hay bales or sunflowers ever and I'm obsessed with abandoned buildings and graffiti. Right now I have almost 4000 photos on my Camera Roll.

Wind in my hair, I don't care

Give Me Wings

Here is the basic process for this image:

• First I loaded my subject in as a base image
• Next, I loaded an image of a butterfly on top
• I then alternated between the draw and erase modes blending the images together
• Once I was happy with the basic image I layered in parts of each image again and again using different opacity to create detail
• For this image I added the extra fingers to the right hand but made them transparent to create the illusion of movement or flight
• On the left limb I added an opaque extra hand in attempt to represent stability
• I probably re-layered these images 20 or 30 times before I was satisfied
• Once I felt like the image was complete I loaded it into Facetune and I added some details with the tinting tool (I do love my colors) then sharpened and blurred specific areas in the image. Last I added a few filters from Facetune and she was complete.

Blue Jean

MH:  If I had to give up all but 10 apps I would probably keep Juxtaposer, Facetune, LensLight, TapFX, Elasticam, PhotoWizard, Hipstamatic, Mextures, iColorama, Decim8, Tiny Planet, Percolator and Diana Photo. Oh wait, that's 13. Oh well, 13 is my lucky number!

Where Nothing is Real

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

MH:  I have never sold any of my images but I did have one published in Susan Tuttle's book, Art of Everyday Photography. That was a pretty awesome experience.






MH:  The one thing I would like to add before I go is, I would like to thank you Geri and all the other mobile photographers out there who have shared their tips tricks and apps with me. Everything I have learned about mobile photography I have learned from you all. I would also like to thank all the wonderful sites that have shared my images. Mobile photography is truly a community and I am grateful to be a part of it! 


Find Molly: Instagram

Apps Mentioned:
Juxtaposer
LensLight
TapFX
Glaze
Decim8
Percolator
iColorama
Fragment
Facetune
Elasticam
PhotoWizard
Hipstamatic
Mextures
Tiny Planet
Diana Photo