Just What (Greg) Sees
When we moved Appy Newz to the “Photography” category of Apple’s App Store a couple weeks ago, we did a sweep of iPhone-oriented photography sites to drum up interest for our App. One of the sites that really caught our attention was Greg Schmigel’s Just What I See — a site displaying the remarkable photos that Greg has taken with his iPhone.
With Appy Newz making steady progress in the Photography category of Top Paid Apps (and with the game we’re submitting to Apple this week heavily dependent on photography), it seems only natural that we feature some photography content here on Appy Place. Greg graciously agreed to drop by to share his work, answer some of our newbie questions, and generally class this place up.
APPY: Which Apps do you recommend to increase the ease-of-use and results for the iPhone camera?
Greg: I have experimented with several iPhone apps including CameraBag, Quickshot, Tripod, CameraKit, and others. But truthfully, I always seem to return the native camera application on the phone. All of these apps and the creative minds that design them are great. But for me, battery life is essential when I am out shooting. I have tested battery life time using different apps, and it’s clear that they all tend to drain the iPhone quicker that just using the normal camera. So if its effects you want, but a shorter battery life, go with the apps. But, if you want a longer battery life and can post process your images after the shoot … just stick with the camera.
APPY: Any practical advice in using the camera itself — ideal distance from the subject, a way to hold the camera to get a steady shot, etc?
Greg: Ah, the secrets of the trade. For me, I don’t really have an ideal distance. Medium shots to long shots work quite well. In many of the shots featured on my Web site, you will see that I capture people who are sometimes directly in front of me, beside me, or even across the street.
The one focal distance the iPhone camera does struggle with is macro or extreme close ups. But if that’s the style of shooting you prefer, stop by Radio Shack and pick up their 3-lens pocket magnifying glass for under $8.00. You will be pleasantly surprised to see the detail you can capture by holding the magnifying glass directly against the camera lens and shooting objects very, very closely.
APPY: How about the mind-set required to become a decent photographer … your work is very slice-of-life — do you find yourself going into the streets with a specific notion of looking for shots, or do you just remain alert to opportunities in the course of your day?
Greg: My personal preference when shooting is capturing people in public doing everyday things. Or as you stated in your question, to capture that “slice of life.”
There are certainly days when I go out specifically to shoot, and spend hours traversing the city, snapping hundreds of photographs. But the real beauty of the iPhone is that it’s always with you as your mobile device. Therefore, there are always opportunities to capture images. Or, in other words … there’s no excuse NOT to shoot.
APPY: How can a new photographer sense “the moment” when shot opportunities are likely to present themselves?
Greg: Unlike some street shooters, I don’t spend a lot of time standing and waiting for an opportunity to present itself. Rather, I go out and find it. I think ‘sensing the moment’ is actually something that comes from within the shooter. It’s the ability to see something that ‘he’ or ‘she’ finds interesting. And not worrying beforehand if that shot would be appreciated by others. When I shoot, I shoot just what I see. I find the greatest pleasure in capturing life, as it is, and as it is often overlooked by all of us. The expressions on a face, the way a person moves on the street, the shadows of people in a crowd … it’s all there to see … and capture.
APPY: How many photos are you likely to take before you find one that you like?
Greg: As I mentioned earlier, on actual ‘shooting’ excursions I will sometimes shoot in the hundreds. Usually I don’t bother to view my shots while I am shooting, so to save the life of the battery. The vast majority of my photographs are ‘one-off’ shots. Since the iPhone has a rather rudimentary camera, there isn’t often time to snap a second, let alone, third shot. I shoot once. If I like the shot when I review them, I keep it. Otherwise it goes to the trash.
And believe me, thousands have gone to the trash.
APPY: How important are editing tools to achieving good results? Can starting photographers get by with basic iPhoto editing tools?
Greg: The editing tools in iPhoto can serve your purpose very well. You can easily make adjustments to saturation, curves, levels and sharpening.
During the early months of Just What I See, I used iPhoto exclusively for post processing. But as the project grew, I needed a more efficient system. I created my own action script in Photoshop, and now simply run the images directly through a batch process and upload them to my site. I do not crop or alter the images subject matter in any way.
APPY: When is taking a photo inappropriate or taboo? Have you ever had someone have a bad reaction to being photographed?
Greg: This question is probably the question I get asked the most from Flickr friends, or people who visit my Web site. The advice I have for other iPhone shooters is advice that was given to me from another anonymous shooter. “To ask is to be denied.” Enough said.
To answer this question honestly, I will say that while I have never been confronted by a subject when snapping an iPhone picture, I have received various looks of curiosity from some of them. Most of these looks from people trying to figure out what I am doing with my ‘phone’. And that’s the beauty of the iPhone. It’s size, and the fact that it is actually a phone allows one to shoot very quickly and discretely.
Here’s one of my tips: If you encounter a very interesting subject who is perhaps standing directly next to you on a public bus, turn your camera on, put the phone up to the side of your ear, have a conversation with yourself and shoot away! You’ll love the outcome.
APPY: If you could ask Apple to include one improvement in camera functionality for the next generation of iPhone, what would it be?
Greg: Two things: more megapixels and a longer lasting battery!
APPY: What are the greatest sins/most common mistakes of the beginning iPhone photographer?
Greg: I truly believe the most common mistake of any photographer is hesitating to shoot. If you see something interesting, then shoot it. Who says you have to wait for that perfect Kodak moment? There are no sins. Just shoot. Shoot just what YOU see.
APPY: In what ways do you see simple digital photography for the masses being an agent for social change?
Greg: Cellular photography has clearly become the agent for social change. Nowadays everyone – old and young – is armed with some type of cellular device which usually has a camera or camcorder.
We see these pictures in the news, in blogs, in social media Web sites, everywhere, often faster than the newspapers themselves. People are capturing important (and sometimes NOT so important) moments in life and sharing them with the world.
The past election was an excellent example of the masses utilizing their small pocket-sized devices to capture history in the making … no matter which side of the fence you stood on.
APPY: Wow, that’s about as serious an interview as we’ve ever done around here. We put our snark on hold as we are genuinely impressed with Greg’s work, and we’re rank beginners as iPhone photographers. While our own Appy Newz is more gonzo than artistic, it has served as a gateway for us toward exploring the iPhone’s camera, which in turn has opened up to a whole new way of interacting with the world.
Our own photographic ambitions may be limited to getting a secret snap of some poor fool in the pub to slap his head on top of a 500 pound bride … but there’s plenty of scope for using the iPhone’s camera for more artistic pursuits, as Greg’s work so ably proves. And with rumors pointing toward a more robust camera in future iPhones & iPods, the scope for using photos in game and entertainment Apps is only going to increase.
We hope you will enjoy exploring photography with our current and future Apps … and we’d like to thank Greg for taking time to answer our questions. The photos on display here are just a fraction of what Greg has on offer. Drop by his site to see more, and maybe support Gregy by ordering up a print or two.
And tell ‘em that Appy Entertainment sent ya!
June 16th, 2009 at 6:13 am
[...] Just What (Greg) Sees « Appy Place [...]
June 18th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Awesome pics Greg – you are taking the kind of pictures that I like – captioning a moment in life, as varied and vivid as it can be.
August 15th, 2009 at 7:26 am
these pics are really boring
August 15th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Well, for guys like you who spend their days driving fast cars, boinking beautiful women, exploring the frontiers of human consciousness, curing cancer, and posting idiotic comments on the internet, I can see how Greg’s photos might prove boring to you.
But for the rest of us, I think they show some brilliance.