iPhones are a pretty consistent staple in the photography world anymore, from grabbing quick selfies and behind-the-scenes footage on set to shooting feature-length films and luxury car ads. The technology and available apps keep getting better and better, and those who laughed at the idea of smartphone photography are sheepishly slinking into the background.
Melissa Vincent is one of those jumped on the iPhone bandwagon and never looked back. With nearly a half million Instagram followers, she’s channeled her passion into creating surreal images of rural life near her home in Mississippi. Shot and edited on an iPhone, her photos have a stunning quality that we are beginning to associate more and more with smartphone photography.
What first got you interested in iPhone photography? Did you “convert” from other forms of digital photography?
When I joined Instagram in 2011, I found my love for iPhone photography and photography in general. I’ve always taken a lot of photos but never thought about it as anything more than a way to preserve moments of family, friends, holidays and vacations. Instagram peaked my interest in photography as an art form.
How do you conceptualize your images? Is it something you plan out ahead of time, or is more in-the-moment?
Sometimes I have an idea in my head that I try to bring to life. Mostly my images are created organically almost always while I’m listening to music. I find the images that people connect with the most are the ones that are not planned.
Can you explain a little bit about the process you go through to create your images?
I look through my camera roll and find a great base image and then start playing around with different stamps I have from my other photos or make new stamps. I run the photograph through many apps finding the right textures and tones I find appealing and which create the mood I would like to portray.
What is your goal for your creative images?
I was born and raised in Mississippi and still live here today. From the beginning my goal was to show a different side of the state. I believe being from the South is a big influence on my love of story telling. I want the viewer to feel as if they are Dorothy opening the door and seeing Oz in color for the first time when they look at my photographs.
For those looking to enhance or expand their own mobile photography, what tips or advice might you be able to offer them?
Take a lot of photos! Just get out there and take pictures of anything and everything. Read and watch online tutorials. Learning about the simple rules of photography is really important. Download editing apps on your phone and just start playing around. Don’t get caught up in making the perfect image. Just have fun and it will happen. That’s the main thing I have learned from my mobile photography journey. You have to love it.
To see more of Melissa’s incredible work, be sure to follow her on Instagram!
[via Bored Panda]
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