Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The "Bare-Bones" Approach


Went walking on our favorite stretch of local beach the other evening, armed with nothing but my trusty iPhone. No zoom, no shutter or aperture controls, barely anything like a lens... People often stop by to examine my prints and ask (especially guys) what kind of gear I use; I think I'll freak 'em out from now on and say; "Just my cell phone.":)
I feel a quick series coming on... I could put the results of my experiment all in one post, but I might have a few interesting points to make about each one, so I'll do one per day. First up, a little "seashore triptych"; three still life shots that are similar and complementary. Click for a larger view on this one. Experienced eyes might notice that the resolution was of course limited; I couldn't frame and hang these in any gallery, but in this environment, if I didn't tell you beforehand, would you notice?
Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

13 comments:

Gaelyn said...

There is much detail in these simplistic images. Hard to believe they're from your cell phone.

Kcalpesh said...

Super details! All the three pictures look like three very well painted postcards! Wonderful!

- Pixellicious Photos

GulfGal said...

These photos are amazing!
I love the composition and simplicity...awesome.

earthtoholly.com said...

Mark, only you can capture such interest with a phone, and I think they're gallery-worthy. So there! :o)

Joanne Olivieri said...

These are so interesting and I love the randomness of it all. Cool shots.

Unknown said...

Haha, but Mark the talent is in the composition and seeing it in the first place. In this environment it won't show, it looks beautiful in line with your normal work. However, as you say without the gucci extra bit of technology, the pixels won't stand up to increased size. Good to remind ourselves that it isn't all about equipment though eh ;-)

Amy Lilley Designs said...

The compositions are beautiful..simple and 'au natural'...w/ technology it is amazing what images we can capture, even w/ a phone...but, your eye is so well trained, and your gift so prominent, it does not surprise me...

storybeader said...

the shadows and textures are great. And a cell phone? Wow - my cell phone doesn't work that good! lol

The photos remind me of a station in a new science exhibit we have at the museum: Weatherworks. You pull a lever, and it ripples the sand, depending on the force. Cool!

Ashrays said...

Ridiculous... ridiculously good :)

That's what I have always said [although I have drifted to the evils of DSLR ;)] and why I originally started my blog... it's not the equipment it's how you use it that counts... you are a prime example sir!

looking forward to the next shots!

Roger Gauthier said...

Good idea, out of the usual paths. As I always say though, it's kind of hard to get a good grasp on a picture with so small a format.

Mark Alan Meader said...

Thanks a lot guys.. seems like everyone got my reason for posting this, which is obvious and often stated, but often forgotten, too. It's a way to remind ourselves that seeing and thinking creatively has nothing to do with hardware. Appreciate the comments:)

Mark Alan Meader said...

Mook: Cheers!.. I would never contend that you shouldn't use the best equipment that you can get your hands on and is practical for your purpose.. we just can't expect it to make us automatically better when nothing else has changed. I don't think you've gone to the "dark side" by using a DSLR.. just try to keep it dry:)

Mark Alan Meader said...

Roger: thank you and good point.. one that I often talk about. The web/blog/online environment tends to average everything out.. weak work looks better than in "real life" and really good work can sometimes look rather average. I still contend that you have to see photography in person to judge properly, which I think is what you were saying. Good printing technique is at least 50% of the process, IMHO.