Showing posts with label Mobiography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mobiography. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Mobiography Interview
It was so nice to "chat" with Andy Butler about my favorite subject - iPhoneography! Andy runs a great site over at Mobiography.net and also produces the beautiful bimonthly magazine Mobiography available for the iPhone and iPad.
Hopefully I'll be able to chat with Andy again soon with the focus on his work and all he's doing for the mobile photography communitiy! Thank you Andy for this wonderful feature.
Click on the image below to read the interview.
Read more »
Hopefully I'll be able to chat with Andy again soon with the focus on his work and all he's doing for the mobile photography communitiy! Thank you Andy for this wonderful feature.
Click on the image below to read the interview.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
The Man Behind Mobiography - An Interview with Andy Butler
If I wore one, I would take my hat off to Andy Butler, the man behind Mobiography.net and Mobiography Magazine. Mobiography, both the website and the magazine cater to all of us who have a passion for mobile photography. I know how much work is involved in just this little blog, so I imagine the amount of hours Andy puts in to hit all of his magazine deadlines probably keeps him busy all the time. I'm glad he did find time to answer a few questions. Andy was also kind enough to include a promo code for first time subscribers to his Mobiography Magazine to receive one month's free access. Keep reading for details!
What is your name and where do you live?
AB: My name is Andy Butler and I live in Preston, Lancashire, a small city in the north of England. By day I work as a web designer/developer for a PR and marketing agency, outside of this I juggle life between family and two kids, running the mobiography.net website and its supporting magazine (of the same name).
How did you develop an interest in mobile photography?
AB: I’ve always had an interest in photography ever since an early age but have found it somewhat restrictive due to the bulky nature of my DSLR camera (especially when out with the family carrying all the paraphernalia that comes with having young children).
A few years ago I heard about an app called Instagram but at the time I was an Android user so the app wasn't available to me. One day in the summer of 2012 I was sat in the garden whiling away the time, I searched for the app once more, this time it was there. I installed it and was hooked. From then on I was shooting with my mobile phone and found it so much more liberating than using my DSLR.
Do you have a traditional photography or art background?
AB: I went to art college and studied graphic design at university which included photography as part of the studies. In those days it was traditional film photography as the digital camera didn't exist. I loved the whole darkroom experience from the developing of the film rolls to the processing of the prints. There was something real and tactile about the development process which is something I think has been lost in today's digital age.
Tell me about Mobiography Magazine and how it all started?
AB: As I started getting more into using Instagram I began to seek out information about mobile photography, the apps and techniques to use to take better photos. I originally started the Mobiography.net website as a means of documenting the photos I took as part of a 365 project I was undertaking. From there I started to write about the things I discovered along the way and as I got deeper into mobile photography I started to discover this whole new subculture and community that existed around it.
The website then started to evolve to include showcases and interviews with the people I was meeting. I was inspired by their stories and approach to the photos they took. Unfortunately the 365 project only lasted 6 months before life took over and it fell by the wayside but by that time the website had taken on a new direction and found its own groove.
At about the same time that I started the website I also came across a platform that offered the ability to publish digital magazines to Apple’s Newsstand. I immediately saw the potential in this and how the idea gelled beautifully with the concept of mobile photography. As the website evolved it seemed like a good supporting medium and companion to the website.
The magazine was launched in April 2013 to iPad users. In July that year an iPhone version was released and later an Android version. As far as I know it is the first mobile photography magazine to be available on iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
Is this a solo enterprise, or do you have any contributing staff that help in the curation of the magazine? Do you accept submissions from the community at large?
AB: At the moment it is pretty much me. As a designer I do all the page layout and design work myself, I write most of the articles but also curate articles from volunteer contributors.
There is a lot of work involved in putting an issue together which is the main reason I opted to publish the magazine on a bi-monthly basis. Had I opted to go monthly I wouldn't have been able to sustain it for this length of time. Meeting the publishing deadline, providing a consistent user experience and technical support is paramount to me and I believe it is a formula that has helped build a trusted reputation with my readership.
I’m currently looking at ways that I can develop the magazine further. As part of this process I'm looking to build a team of passionate photographers, artists and writers who can regularly contribute and help take the magazine to the next level as well as offering alternative points of view.
If anyone would like to put forward any contribution ideas for tips, tutorials, reviews or photographic projects they are doing I would urge them to get in touch.
What areas of mobile photography do you cover in the magazine? Are all devices included?
AB: The magazine covers all aspects and styles of mobile photography from street to landscape to abstract. Each issue features interviews with talented mobile photographers, top tips and tutorials to help people develop their photography, it also includes accessory and app reviews.
There is no differentiation between devices but as about 97% of the readership are iOS users the content tends to be more slanted to being iPhone centric. That said I am aiming to include more Android related articles but as I’m an iPhone user it is difficult to give a balanced Android point of view.
What can we look forward to in the December issue of Mobiography?
AB: There are interviews with two contrasting photographers, the award-winning Cedric Blanchon and David Ingraham of Tiny Collective. As it's December, we also look at Christmas gift ideas for the mobile photographer, at some macro photography tips, Camera+ 6 and review the photo storage app Trunx, plus much more. It really is a bumper packed issue.
In addition to your day job, I imagine between Mobiography Magazine and Mobiography.net, you're kept pretty busy. Do you contribute to any other mobile photography sites or publications?
AB: I'm a contributor to the fantastic Grryo website and community (formerly We Are Juxt). It was an honour to be asked to join the team and one I didn't want to pass on. The other Grryo members are very supportive of one another and very passionate about their photography. The passion these guys have is a real inspiration to me. I've not contributed as much as I should have this year due to life taking over. I have a pretty rigorous workload and I’m having to spend a lot more time looking after my youngest son who has a learning disability. This has proven to be a very demanding situation which has been taking priority over a lot of things including my available time for photography and other commitments.
You promote a lot of mobile photographers, but how about you? Where can we see more of your photos?
AB: I mainly post to Flickr and Instagram but as I mentioned life has been taking over so I haven't been as active as I'd would have liked. I love all types of photography from street to landscape and abstract. I mainly shoot with ProCamera before importing into Oggl, applying a film/lens combo and using the sharing feature to post out to my social networks. If I'm not using Oggl then Snapseed is my other go-to app.
When I do post I try to be as selective as possible. One observation I made from undertaking a 365 project was that it was all too easy to post images that I felt were substandard just so I could meet that days posting schedule. I became uncomfortable with this so nowadays I aim to only post work that I’m happy with.
People can also follow me on Flickr
With a lot of accessories being developed for the iPhone and other smartphones, do you see mobile photography becoming more complicated and less spontaneous?
AB: I don't think so, spontaneity is at the core of mobile photography, it always will be. On a basic level it is about capturing those passing moments in life and sharing them with the outside world. I think the growing range of apps and accessories are just an indication of the interest and popularity in the genre.
For those that choose to embrace these accessories and use them right, it will help to explore and push the boundaries of what can be produced with a mobile device. I think the gap between mobile photography and big camera photography is certainly closing. At the very least it's getting interesting.
What is the biggest change you've seen in the world of smartphone photography?
AB: The biggest change I’m seeing is people's interest in this area of photography. The growth in apps and accessories is one indication of this but also the growing interest and popularity in events such as the Mobile Photography Awards, the inclusion of the mobile category in the photographic competitions such as the Terry O'Neill Awards and next year’s Mobile Journalism Conference in Dublin.
You also only have to go for a day out to a popular tourist location to see more and more people using their phones or iPads to take photos instead of digital or DSLR cameras.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
AB: Firstly, I’d just like to thank you for giving me this opportunity but also that I’m proud to be a part of the mobile photography community as it develops. It is something that has reignited a long lost enthusiasm for photography and has enabled me to connect with and make friends with so many people around the world, some of whom I hope to meet up with in 2015.
I’d also like to urge people to check out the magazine in the App Store - or on Google Play - - If you are not yet a subscriber then hit the big yellow subscribe button, then tap current subscriber and enter the special promo code MOBIONEWEB - this will give you one month free access.
Finally, as I say, if anyone would like to put forward any contribution ideas for tips, tutorials, reviews or photographic projects I would urge them to get in touch.
Andy's Social Networks:
Mobiography
Magazine on iOS
Magazine on Google Play
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Flickr
Oggl
Read more »
AB: My name is Andy Butler and I live in Preston, Lancashire, a small city in the north of England. By day I work as a web designer/developer for a PR and marketing agency, outside of this I juggle life between family and two kids, running the mobiography.net website and its supporting magazine (of the same name).
How did you develop an interest in mobile photography?
AB: I’ve always had an interest in photography ever since an early age but have found it somewhat restrictive due to the bulky nature of my DSLR camera (especially when out with the family carrying all the paraphernalia that comes with having young children).
A few years ago I heard about an app called Instagram but at the time I was an Android user so the app wasn't available to me. One day in the summer of 2012 I was sat in the garden whiling away the time, I searched for the app once more, this time it was there. I installed it and was hooked. From then on I was shooting with my mobile phone and found it so much more liberating than using my DSLR.
Do you have a traditional photography or art background?
AB: I went to art college and studied graphic design at university which included photography as part of the studies. In those days it was traditional film photography as the digital camera didn't exist. I loved the whole darkroom experience from the developing of the film rolls to the processing of the prints. There was something real and tactile about the development process which is something I think has been lost in today's digital age.
Tell me about Mobiography Magazine and how it all started?
AB: As I started getting more into using Instagram I began to seek out information about mobile photography, the apps and techniques to use to take better photos. I originally started the Mobiography.net website as a means of documenting the photos I took as part of a 365 project I was undertaking. From there I started to write about the things I discovered along the way and as I got deeper into mobile photography I started to discover this whole new subculture and community that existed around it.
The website then started to evolve to include showcases and interviews with the people I was meeting. I was inspired by their stories and approach to the photos they took. Unfortunately the 365 project only lasted 6 months before life took over and it fell by the wayside but by that time the website had taken on a new direction and found its own groove.
At about the same time that I started the website I also came across a platform that offered the ability to publish digital magazines to Apple’s Newsstand. I immediately saw the potential in this and how the idea gelled beautifully with the concept of mobile photography. As the website evolved it seemed like a good supporting medium and companion to the website.
The magazine was launched in April 2013 to iPad users. In July that year an iPhone version was released and later an Android version. As far as I know it is the first mobile photography magazine to be available on iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
AB: At the moment it is pretty much me. As a designer I do all the page layout and design work myself, I write most of the articles but also curate articles from volunteer contributors.
There is a lot of work involved in putting an issue together which is the main reason I opted to publish the magazine on a bi-monthly basis. Had I opted to go monthly I wouldn't have been able to sustain it for this length of time. Meeting the publishing deadline, providing a consistent user experience and technical support is paramount to me and I believe it is a formula that has helped build a trusted reputation with my readership.
I’m currently looking at ways that I can develop the magazine further. As part of this process I'm looking to build a team of passionate photographers, artists and writers who can regularly contribute and help take the magazine to the next level as well as offering alternative points of view.
If anyone would like to put forward any contribution ideas for tips, tutorials, reviews or photographic projects they are doing I would urge them to get in touch.
AB: The magazine covers all aspects and styles of mobile photography from street to landscape to abstract. Each issue features interviews with talented mobile photographers, top tips and tutorials to help people develop their photography, it also includes accessory and app reviews.
There is no differentiation between devices but as about 97% of the readership are iOS users the content tends to be more slanted to being iPhone centric. That said I am aiming to include more Android related articles but as I’m an iPhone user it is difficult to give a balanced Android point of view.
What can we look forward to in the December issue of Mobiography?
AB: There are interviews with two contrasting photographers, the award-winning Cedric Blanchon and David Ingraham of Tiny Collective. As it's December, we also look at Christmas gift ideas for the mobile photographer, at some macro photography tips, Camera+ 6 and review the photo storage app Trunx, plus much more. It really is a bumper packed issue.
In addition to your day job, I imagine between Mobiography Magazine and Mobiography.net, you're kept pretty busy. Do you contribute to any other mobile photography sites or publications?
AB: I'm a contributor to the fantastic Grryo website and community (formerly We Are Juxt). It was an honour to be asked to join the team and one I didn't want to pass on. The other Grryo members are very supportive of one another and very passionate about their photography. The passion these guys have is a real inspiration to me. I've not contributed as much as I should have this year due to life taking over. I have a pretty rigorous workload and I’m having to spend a lot more time looking after my youngest son who has a learning disability. This has proven to be a very demanding situation which has been taking priority over a lot of things including my available time for photography and other commitments.
You promote a lot of mobile photographers, but how about you? Where can we see more of your photos?
AB: I mainly post to Flickr and Instagram but as I mentioned life has been taking over so I haven't been as active as I'd would have liked. I love all types of photography from street to landscape and abstract. I mainly shoot with ProCamera before importing into Oggl, applying a film/lens combo and using the sharing feature to post out to my social networks. If I'm not using Oggl then Snapseed is my other go-to app.
When I do post I try to be as selective as possible. One observation I made from undertaking a 365 project was that it was all too easy to post images that I felt were substandard just so I could meet that days posting schedule. I became uncomfortable with this so nowadays I aim to only post work that I’m happy with.
People can also follow me on Flickr
With a lot of accessories being developed for the iPhone and other smartphones, do you see mobile photography becoming more complicated and less spontaneous?
AB: I don't think so, spontaneity is at the core of mobile photography, it always will be. On a basic level it is about capturing those passing moments in life and sharing them with the outside world. I think the growing range of apps and accessories are just an indication of the interest and popularity in the genre.
For those that choose to embrace these accessories and use them right, it will help to explore and push the boundaries of what can be produced with a mobile device. I think the gap between mobile photography and big camera photography is certainly closing. At the very least it's getting interesting.
What is the biggest change you've seen in the world of smartphone photography?
AB: The biggest change I’m seeing is people's interest in this area of photography. The growth in apps and accessories is one indication of this but also the growing interest and popularity in events such as the Mobile Photography Awards, the inclusion of the mobile category in the photographic competitions such as the Terry O'Neill Awards and next year’s Mobile Journalism Conference in Dublin.
You also only have to go for a day out to a popular tourist location to see more and more people using their phones or iPads to take photos instead of digital or DSLR cameras.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
AB: Firstly, I’d just like to thank you for giving me this opportunity but also that I’m proud to be a part of the mobile photography community as it develops. It is something that has reignited a long lost enthusiasm for photography and has enabled me to connect with and make friends with so many people around the world, some of whom I hope to meet up with in 2015.
I’d also like to urge people to check out the magazine in the App Store - or on Google Play - - If you are not yet a subscriber then hit the big yellow subscribe button, then tap current subscriber and enter the special promo code MOBIONEWEB - this will give you one month free access.
Finally, as I say, if anyone would like to put forward any contribution ideas for tips, tutorials, reviews or photographic projects I would urge them to get in touch.
Andy's Social Networks:
Mobiography
Magazine on iOS
Magazine on Google Play
Flickr
Oggl
Friday, November 6, 2015
Mobiography Offers Chance to Win FREE Access to iPhoneography with Bob Weil
Mobiography is currently running a series each day of December until Christmas titled, "24 Mobile Photographers Til Christmas 2014". Last year, Andy Butler started this series and continued on with it this year. So far Andy has featured Bob Weil, Emil Pakarklis, Fábio Morbec, Todd Leban and Bridgette Shima.
Today I am honored to be included as photographer for Day 6. Click here to read about the Photo I am Most Proud of for this year.
In addition to just learning about various photographers and their journey, one lucky reader of Mobiography will win FREE access to iPhoneography with Bob Weil, an online course. All you have to do is check out the series at Mobiography.net and leave a comment with your name and email address. The competition closes on December 24th, so you still have plenty of time to enter.
Read more »
Today I am honored to be included as photographer for Day 6. Click here to read about the Photo I am Most Proud of for this year.
In addition to just learning about various photographers and their journey, one lucky reader of Mobiography will win FREE access to iPhoneography with Bob Weil, an online course. All you have to do is check out the series at Mobiography.net and leave a comment with your name and email address. The competition closes on December 24th, so you still have plenty of time to enter.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Mobiography - The Essential Publication for the Mobile Photographer
Are you a subscriber to Mobiography magazine? This beautiful publication features interviews, reviews and tips for the aspiring or experienced mobile photographer.
The latest issue features
Mobiography issues can be purchased individually ($4.99), but the subscription is by far the best deal ($3.99) and includes issues available to subscribers only, like the one below. This special edition showcased the favorite photos of selected mobile photographers. I was thrilled to be included in this issue with my "Ships that pass in the night" photo.
Whether you're buying for yourself or another mobile photo enthusiast, Mobiography makes a great gift! Available on The App Store
Read more »
The latest issue features
- Interviews with mobile artists Brent Mosley and Jennifer Bracewell
- Christmas gift ideas for the mobile photographer
- The Art of iPhone Photography book review
- Beginners Guide to VSCO Cam
- 10 Tips for great holiday photos
- 10 iPhone winter photography tips
- How to free up space on your iPhone
- Mobiography Flickr Group Showcase
 |
| Issue 06 Mobiography |
Mobiography issues can be purchased individually ($4.99), but the subscription is by far the best deal ($3.99) and includes issues available to subscribers only, like the one below. This special edition showcased the favorite photos of selected mobile photographers. I was thrilled to be included in this issue with my "Ships that pass in the night" photo.
 |
| For Subscribers Only |
Whether you're buying for yourself or another mobile photo enthusiast, Mobiography makes a great gift! Available on The App Store
Monday, November 2, 2015
Recommended Reading
It's probably not the best move to steer you away from this site to view another, but there are some fabulous articles that have been released in the last few days and I wanted to make sure you all had a chance to read them. Click on the image to read the article.
Emil at iPhone Photography School just posted The 11 Most Important Genres of iPhoneography. I really enjoyed reading all the tips from the various photographers. I offer my advice for Painterly Mobile Photos as a part of this feature.
Joanne at The App Whisperer has a wonderful two-part series highlighting some of the major players in the mobile photography world along with their resolutions for 2014 relating to mobile photography.
Anna Cox of We Are JUXT shared some of the favorite moments of 2013 on a recent post.
Happy Reading!
Read more »
Emil at iPhone Photography School just posted The 11 Most Important Genres of iPhoneography. I really enjoyed reading all the tips from the various photographers. I offer my advice for Painterly Mobile Photos as a part of this feature.
Joanne at The App Whisperer has a wonderful two-part series highlighting some of the major players in the mobile photography world along with their resolutions for 2014 relating to mobile photography.
Andy Butler at Mobiography posted a recap of 2013 with links to the most popular articles of the year. Well done, Andy!
If you're just an Apple geek like me who wants to see some of 2013's best, then hop on over to iMore for their Editors' Choice of Best of 2013 Awards.
Featured at Mobiography 24 Mobile Photographers til Christmas
What an honor to be included in Mobiography's series, 24 Mobile Photographers til Christmas. Andy Butler has compiled this series featuring 24 photographers who have "inspired or supported" him over the past year. The series opened with Paula Gardener, one of my favorite iPhone photographers. I can't wait to see who is next! click on the image below to read my top tips for aspiring mobile photographers.
Read more »
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