iPhoneography With Greg Schmigel

This week we’ve got another fantastic iPhoneographer interview…with none other than Greg Schmigel. We’ve already given Greg some props here on the site in our iPhoneography overview, and we are so pleased to welcome him here to answer all of your burning iPhoneography questions! This is a must-read from a photographer who knows his stuff!

Cafe Racer, Greg Schmigel

Give us a little bit of background on you…where did your passion for photography come from?

My name is Greg Schmigel, and I am a street photographer. I’m married to my best friend, Suzy. We’re the proud parents of 2 beautiful boxers, Brooklyn and Arthur. We live in Maryland, just between Baltimore and Washington, DC.

To be completely honest, for me, photography was not intentional. I’ve been a long-time admirer of photography as an art form for as long as I can remember. I didn’t pick up a camera myself until about 12 years ago — and it really wasn’t until about 6 years ago that I began to take a more serious look at photography. Photography, as I mention on my Web site, is more like a therapy for me. It’s what allows me to leave the stress of the day or job behind and breath freely. I’m most happy when I’m out capturing images in the street. And although, as I mentioned, photography for me was not intentional … it now seems essential.

How did you come to love iPhoneography?

As surprising as it may sound — I don’t “love” iPhoneography … I love photography. As I have held long standing on my Web site, I am not an iPhonoegrapher. I am a street photographer who happens to use an iPhone as my camera of choice. I do admire greatly the works of those who call themselves “iPhoneographers”, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just a blanket that I’ve chosen not to throw over myself at the end of the day.

I think came to realize the capabilities and possibilities of photography with an iPhone soon after I purchased my original iPhone 2G, somewhere during 2007. I won’t say I was initially blown away what this little camera could do, but there was a clear and quick realization that there was more to that little 2-megapixel camera than met the eye. And remember, that was “back in the day”, back in the day before the launch of the App Store and well before enhancements to the hardware and software of the camera itself.

In Their Sunday Best, Greg Schmigel

Do you still shoot with a “regular” camera?

For the past 4 years, I have pretty much shot exclusively with my iPhone. I have had larger gear over the years; DSLR’s, point-and-shoots and even the latest Micro 4/3’s system cameras. But honestly, they’ve all found their way to the selling block. Since 2008, It’s been just me and my iPhone. More recently, on the tip and advice of another street photographer, I picked up the Ricoh GR Digital III. At the time of writing this response, I have taken the Ricoh on two street sessions and I’ve been happy with it. My latest camera find came as recently as 2 days ago at a local thrift store; a 1971 Yashica Electro 35 GT rangefinder. I’m looking forward to taking this vintage treasure out for a spin. They still sell film, right?

But the statement I mentioned above is a statement that I hold very true to. I am a firm believer that regardless of your camera gear, the actual art of photography relies heavily on what the artist sees and what he or she envisions in their mind with a shot. The camera is a tool, a tool to produce an image. So whether you’re shooting with the latest DSLR, an iPhone, or even an old Yashica…it’s really not important. Think of an artist who has a wide variety of medium with which to work. He or she might choose watercolors, oil, pastels or charcoal. But regardless of the medium, the artist has a vision in mind as to what the outcome of his or her art will look like. My medium just happens to be an iPhone for the most part.

Street photography is your thing…why is it more appealing than other styles?

Street photography didn’t always come natural to me. In fact, it was actually quite intimidating in my early days of trying it. I spent many a photo walk seeking out the classic urban decay, weathered signage, interesting landscapes and cityscapes — just about anything actually. Anything that didn’t entail people, that is. There were countless outings where I would frame up a shot and wait for the people to leave the scene. And wait, and wait … and wait. People just didn’t make sense to me in the photographs; they interfered, they were intrusive.

Then one day, a good friend and photographer brought me a book about the man who would become one my greatest inspirations in the world of street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Immediately, I was fascinated by how he coupled non-living elements together with the living elements. I was drawn to his sense of finding geometrical compositions and blending them with characters of every day life. It was then that I knew what I had been missing in my photographs, people. My other inspirations in street photography include Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, William Klein, Lee Friedlander, Lisette Model and Vivian Maier to name a few.

Subway Triptych, Greg Schmigel

Your style is very distinct, do you have any advice on developing a personal iPhoneography style?

Sometimes, it’s hard to see our own style. Many times, we as artists just create. We do it without realizing it. But, thank you for the remark and take it as a huge compliment. I will say that over the last two years of so, I have become very comfortable with “what” I like to shoot. In fact, on that recent outing with my Ricoh, I realized in full that I am completely content shooting street photography. After the outing, as I was browsing my shots, I came to the realization that regardless of the camera I used, my shots all looked the same from a compositional and style perspective. I’ve finally found what I like to shoot.

As for advice to come out of that? I think you’ve just got to go through the process of finding what reaches you internally. That’s not to say that it has to be come huge emotional and psychological undertaking, but rather just a “natural” process. Some people shoot landscapes, some shoot sports, others are photojournalists and some portrait artist. I’m a street photographer. It just happened that way.

What advice could you give to beginner iPhoneographers who want to learn the craft?

With the iPhone and the hundreds and hundreds of apps to choose from, you’ve got a world of creativity in the palm of your hand. My advice to a beginner would be the process that I use every day when I shoot with the iPhone. Start of by using the native camera app on the iPhone. Start off with the basics. If you try to dive into using apps right out of the gate, you’ll drive yourself crazy — there are literally hundreds to choose from. To this day, I still shoot with the native camera, never with apps. In fact, if I showed you my iPhone, you’d probably be surprised to count only 4 photo apps on my machine.

Technical Knockout, Greg Schmigel

What tips & tricks of the trade would you share with beginners?

“Shoot from the heart,” a fellow mobile photographer recently shared with me. Shoot what comes natural to you. If you’re comfortable with shooting people, go for it. If you’d rather create landscape images, then that’s your thing. There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to finding what you like to capture. Continual practice is key. If you want to find your style it’s going to take time to develop it. But don’t rush it and by all means, don’t force it. When it comes to you, you’ll know it.

But regardless of “what” you decide to shoot, it’s most important that you simply “do it”. Photographer, Chase Jarvis coined the phrase, “the best camera is the one that’s with you.” And you know, if you’ve got that iPhone or any mobile device in your hand, then you’ve got that “best camera.” Never hesitate to capture a shot, capture just what you see. That was the basis of my project and Web site Just What I See.

Do you have favorite apps, effects, treatments, compositions, etc?

My choice of apps and my post process isn’t a secret, but it’s something that I’ve become very comfortable and content with. Just last March, while speaking at the Apple Store in NYC on Street Photography with an iPhone, someone from the crowd asked the same question. I had to joke and say, “my post process is like my mother’s recipe for marinara sauce…she just doesn’t give it out”. But in all seriousness, it’s simpler than you think. I prefer to shoot in black and white just as many of the street photography masters have done before us. Therefore, my post process consists of 2 simple apps, 2 simple steps — and every image I process goes through the exact same treatment.

The Conversation, Greg Schmigel

We would love to give our readers a few practical tips…

If I had to develop a list of 10 practical tips for someone starting out in iPhoneography or photography in general, the list might read something like this (but not always in this order):

Study what others are shooting, learn from others, grow from others.
Explore different styles of shooting — step outside of your normal comfort zone.
Challenge yourself, shoot subject you don’t really have an interest in.
Try to take atleast 1 photograph per day. (And that would be a minimum.)
Always have a camera with you. Yes, a mobile camera counts.
Share your work with others, get involved with a community online or offline.
Learn to see like a camera itself, frame your shots in your head without even using your camera.
Never fear making mistakes along the way. Mistakes are often new discoveries in disguise.
Be patient with your developing your style.
Stop. Repeat steps 1 – 9.

You’ve founded a new project, Mobile Photo Group. Tell us about it?

Yes, I’m very proud to have founded and launched Mobile Photo Group (MPG) with 11 other passionate artists form around the globe. Mobile Photo Group truly is an international collective of mobile photographers dedicated to promoting their work and presenting mobile photography as an important and evolving form of photography. As a group, we are documentarists, street photographers, fashion photographers, portrait photographers, photojournalists, story tellers, writers, poets and artists. But first and foremost, we are photographers, joined by the common thread of using our mobile devices to create compelling images.

MPG was founded by: Misho Baranovic, Chun Tong Chung, Jim Darling, Sion Fullana, Benedicte Guillon, Dominique Jost, Anton Kawasaki, Oliver Lang, Morgan Miranda, Jordi V. Pou, Star Rush, and myself.

We invite you to stop by our newly launched web site to learn more about what we are doing and where we are going at www.mobilephotogroup.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @themobilephoto.