Say Cheeseburger in Paradise!
After reading the first two chapters of the book, “On the iPhone” by David Hume Kennerly, I’ve been inspired to do a photo-a-day challenge using only my iPhone. These have been around for years, but I’ve only done it a couple of times for Halloween during the month of October. The spring weather is helping to spark my creativity and this will give me even more reason to get outside (I hate wintertime) and practice my photography. I can’t say that I’ll do it every single day, or for how long, but I do promise to always have a story to tell about how or why I took that particular photo. Plus, this will be a great way to possibly “blog a book“, which I hoped to do in 2015.
Why the iPhone?
Sure, I could use my DSLR and my fancy-schmancy lenses, but there is something about the simplicity of the iPhone that I’ve always been a fan of. If you were to take a gander at my Flickr page, you’d see that the iPhone is a favorite tool of mine. Sometimes when I take a picture, I don’t need to think too much about what I’m doing. I just need to be like Nike and Just. Do. It. Capture the moment before it slips away. Believe me, I missed a wonderful candid moment several years ago that I’m still kicking myself over.
We were at a local fair and I had just taken a series of pictures where I needed to use manual focus. I’m sure you can guess where this is going. (I shoot in manual, but usually let auto focus do its thing to assist me.) We were walking through the crowd and I spotted a father who was about to hand a mustard covered corn dog to his young son who was reaching for it with all his little might. I knew it was coming. I readied my camera, framed the shot, and… Crap! It wouldn’t focus! I had forgotten that I had changed to manual focus for the previous shot and began fumbling with the camera. I ultimately lost the opportunity and was (and still am!) devastated to let that special moment pass by. Lesson learned!
Having a perfectly capable camera that I do not have to fumble with in my pocket at all times is a no-brainer. The iPhone is the perfect tool for the job. iPhoneography is something I’ve been practicing for a few years now, and I’m really pleased with what it can do and how it challenges me. I also believe that the limitations of the iPhone (which aren’t many) will force me to be more creative, to try different angles or focal lengths and use my body is the zoom. Plus, it’ll be fun to play with the various camera and editing apps I’ve accumulated.
Follow Along!
Rather than post a photo per day on my blog, I’ll likely do weekly wrap ups here. However, you can follow along on Instagram @valmakesmovies to see the daily photos, and I may include other social networks, too (Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr).
To start things off, I’m posting a few random pictures here that I’ve taken over the last several years, and either a fictional story that the picture influenced or the actual story behind the photo.
“Family At the Next Table”
Dad tells a story
And the little girl giggles.
Mom looks lovingly
At Dad.
Birthday parties and school plays.
Dance recitals and sleep overs.
Soon to be replaced
With fast cars and first dates.
Pig tails and French braids
Will be a thing of the past.
But they’ll always have this moment
And the laughs.
“Treadin’ Water”
Hot summer day
Landed in a dog’s water bowl
Someone please rescue me
“Old Diner”
All walks of life have dined in these tables. The construction workers who break for lunch. Gulping the cold sweet tea to refresh their labored bodies. A business man who reads the paper while eating his vegetable plate. Let’s not forget the truck drivers who make it a point to stop in on their way through town. The food is good and the service is better. It’s what keeps the regulars returning.
“After Party”
Taken on the set of our short film, “Suffering Fools”, 2011
And one for April 1st!
“Following the Rainbow”
What I like about this picture is how the road curves to the left, while the rainbow veers off to the right. If you look closely you can see not only a faint double rainbow but tire tracks that appear to be following the rainbow.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the upcoming photo journey! It’ll be a wonderful challenge that I’m excited about. On a side note, I’ve got two writing projects in the works that I hope to spill the beans on soon!
Updates: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4
* I realize today is April 1st, but this isn’t an April Fools’ joke. 
Today is a good a day as any to start this challenge! If you start yours, let me know in the comments!
