Why do you love to utilize your phone to capture these images?
My love of iphoneography stems from one basic life need: convenience. Yes, convenience is something I “need”/crave in life! With two little ladies to run after and with moments that happen in the blink of an eye, it just isn’t possible to have my big DSLR on hand at all times. Plus, let’s just all say it together now…those cameras are HEAVY!! My phone, on the other hand is always nearby- and weighs in at a highly convenient 6oz (yes, I had to google that.) Not only can I grab my phone and start shooting no matter the time or place, but it is also easier for me to give my fav shot a quick edit and share it to social media all while on-the-go. Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE a good photoshoot with my big camera and nothing makes me happier than watching a vision come alive in photoshop or lightroom, but these days my time allotted for sitting at the computer is pretty minimal. Shooting with my phone is fun and really gives me a sense of freedom- the ability to be present and to live in-the-moment with my busy little family.
Has your phone helped spark more creativity onto other type of work?
For sure! I feel like shooting & sharing on my phone has really allowed me to change the way I shoot in general. I’ve always seemed to feel more pressure when using my dslr- making sure a shot seemed truly “worth it” before running to grab my gear, whereas using my phone has really forced me to take a more casual approach to photography and to start seeing the beauty in our everyday life. At the end of the day, it’s the phone shots (that I probably wouldn’t have bothered to go and grab my big camera for) that I love the most. This has translated into my dslr shooting because I find myself devoting days to my big camera, saying- I’m just going to use this beast all day instead of my phone and see what I get. I always wind up loving what I capture, and I know they are images I would have never taken if it weren’t for my love of phone photography teaching me to not take myself so seriously! Also, my love of children’s clothing and photography has really starting meshing together because of photos taken and shared on my phone. I’ve gotten to shoot some brand/clothing lines for some pretty awesome companies and I don’t think I would have been exposed to those opportunities without social media and my phone photos.
Where does your inspiration come from?
This is an easy one- my girls! If you take one look at my feed, I think it’s pretty clear that they are my inspiration and my favorite subjects to capture. I always knew I was born to be a mother and unfortunately that proved to be a bit of a struggle for my husband and I. We fought hard and prayed many prayers for these girlies so it’s no wonder that I’m pretty obsessed with being their mommy. It’s the greatest job I will ever have.
Can you share some tips to achieving your style of art?
I still feel kind of silly calling what I do “art” because I pretty much just feel like I’m just a mom running around shoving an iPhone in her kids’ faces- messy mom bun and coffee mug in hand! 😉
But I guess if I had any advice for shooting on your phone it would be:
1. Just like a big camera- learn to use your gear. Just because it’s a phone doesn’t mean it can only be used as a point-and-shoot. I use an iPhone, so I can’t speak on any other brands, but on an iPhone you can manually focus and adjust exposure before taking your shot, just by tapping on the screen. There are also a ton of apps that allow you to get much more technical than that. I try to keep it simple & spontaneous when shooting on my phone, but it’s fun to play around with those sometimes, too.
2. Since you aren’t working with advanced editing programs on your phone, I always like to be extra aware of the surroundings I’m shooting in. I look for natural light sources, try to avoid florescent/overhead lighting, and keep an eye out for distracting objects that I won’t be able to easily “clone” out like I would in PS (although there are some basic phone apps that do that too!). I think it’s important no matter what you are shooting with, to try and get your best shot in-camera and not rely solely on post-processing. For me, when shooting on my phone, that is more important than ever.
3. Have fun and don’t over-think it! I like to keep my phone shots bright and cheery, so I’m always on the lookout for fun walls or interesting settings that I know will engage my kids and give me a great photo opp! Although I admit, I do give my girls what we’ll call “general requests” – I always find my favorite shots are when they are doing their own thing or actively engaging with other another. If they aren’t having fun- I’M not having fun…and I’m certainly not going to get a good shot out of a situation like that! So “playful and silly” is the name of our game! 😉
Favorite communities on Instagram:
Oh man, so many…and all for different reasons! I love my photography communities: @dear_photographer (of course), @clickinmoms, @momazine, @childhoodunplugged, @candidchildhood, @lightinspired, @subject_light, @pixel_kids, @mozimag- just to name a FEW. These accounts always have such beautiful and inspiring work in their feeds, and I love the whole “takeover/moderator” deal that so many accounts are doing now! I also love my “learning” communities like @momtog and @camera_mama. These accounts are all about sharing and learning from one another and I find them (and their contributors) so extremely talented and generous in sharing their wealth of knowledge. Some of my random “Mommy” favorites are @thekaleidoscopeca (which features amazing children’s books & reviews) @smartschoolhouse (she’s like a human pinterest board with amazing crafts and activities for kids) and lastly @momsbestntwk (products/design/fashion & all things motherhood!)
But if you REALLY want to know what I’m up to on instagram…I’m shopping! Although I think that’s a list for another time. 😉
Gear used to achieve these:
I use my iPhone 6s+, with an optrix case for underwater (aka summertime) shots.
When not shooting on my phone, I use my Nikon D700 & D810 with an array of (mostly) prime lenses. )
Favorite editing apps:
-Pic-tap-go is my go-to editing app. I use it to straighten/crop my photos (if need be) and give them a quick edit. I find the PTG filters to be pretty clean and simple, which is what I like.
-Snapseed gives me the most amount of control I’ve found on a phone app. I love that I can paint on/off certain (standard) effects like exposure, temp, saturation, and dodge/burn.
-A Color Story, Big Lens, and Image Blender are a few that are super fun to play around with! Lots of ways to get creative!
-And Instagram- yep, I actually still use the “editing” tab in the instagram app to give my photos a quick contrast and sharpening boost before posting!
About the photographer:
Jordan is a natural-light photographer living in Dallas, TX.
She is currently enjoying life as a mommy and hobbyist photographer, taking on small projects that ignite her passion.
Website. Instagram.