14 Responses

1. Kevin Allan

   I keep reading comments from Holga / Lomo / Hipstamatic users that it is possible to take great images in this way, and to be honest this is the first time I have seen some images which support that argument ! The photos above are certainly attractive but 99% of the lo-fi images on, for example, flickr, appear to my eyes to be badly composed and exposed random images, often with no apparent subject matter. Of course this supports the authors point that you have to have an eye for composition.

   I did try Hipstamatic on my “ancient” iPhone 3 and found that it frequently froze and the “viewfinder” gave me a very narrow view compared to what was actually captured. So after a couple of days I deleted the app.

   My preferred approach to taking “alternative” images is to capture on film then process in Lightroom, thus I have a reasonably high quality mono or colour image which I can either process “straight” or alter / degrade / distort if I choose.

   My old Olympus XA has been resurrected for this purpose and I’m planning to cancel the service on my iPhone and buy film with the money saved …

   On November 26, 2011 at 12:20 pm • Reply
2. Michael Marten

   One of the interesting aspects to this article is that not many people seem to think of this kind of app as a landscape app – it seems to mostly be used by people photographing each other in night-clubs or capturing yet another image of their morning cappuccino.

   Using apps like Instagram and so on for landscapes offers interesting additional possibilities, but all the ‘old’ considerations apply (composition etc. as Richard and Kevin say), and perhaps that is what frustrates many users, who then prefer to return to their cappuccino?

   On November 26, 2011 at 12:56 pm • Reply
3. Richard Earney

   In many ways the ethos of the Lomo exists for these apps, ‘shoot from the hip’. That probably leads to the endless shots of cappuccinos, dogs, cats (oh, the dogs and cats!!), I too am guilty of Hipstamatic coffee worship (a mocha in my case), but when you give landscape a go with the phone there are possibilies. It isn’t intensely serious, but it is fascinating what can be achieved.
   Maybe the majority haven’t tried (and never will), but there are a few landscapers out there.
   Thanks for the comments

   On November 26, 2011 at 8:04 pm • Reply
4. Joe Cornish

   When Professor (David) Ward and I were out scouting for a forthcoming workshop a week or two back he insisted on doing all his reference pictures with iPhone and Histamatic. In that annoying way of his, he effortlessly produced stunning images every time he pressed the shutter! It was all good fun, and I did end up feeling decidedly envious. My HTC doesn’t have nearly such a good camera though. Is it worth trying Hipstamatic on this? Excellent article by the way.
   Joe

   On November 29, 2011 at 12:12 am • Reply
5. Richard Earney

   Hi Joe, I assume it is an Android phone, in which case there isn’t a version of Hipstamatic for Android (iPhone is where the money is for developers!)
   There are some apps which are along those lines – Retroid, Vignette, FxCamera and RetroCam are some that are mentioned. They might not be quite as good.

   You might also be interested in the just released Android version of The Photographer’s Ephemeris, which is a map-centric sun and moon calculator which allows you to see how the light will fall on the land.

   The iPhone 4S camera is really good considering all the drawbacks of the mobile form factor

   On November 29, 2011 at 7:42 am • Reply
   • Joe Cornish

     Thanks Richard, I have the feeling that these new Apps are a great shot in the arm for photography, which is funny really considering the contempt that I used to hold for the humble camera phone (I get reminded about the time I ‘dropped’ a phone camera off Whitby pier on a TV programme a few years ago, with surprising regularity). I admit I have got used to eating humble pie, and it doesn’t taste that bad.
     It does make me wonder what the future holds for the traditional compact camera, although so far they seem to be selling well. Presumably the manufacturers will come up with ever more creative “filters” on them? It would be even funnier if the Hipstamatic team came up with their own dedicated camera, perhaps teaming up with Lensbaby in the process.
     Meanwhile, I am waiting for the iPhone 5…!
     Joe

     On November 29, 2011 at 9:41 am • Reply
6. Monty Trent

   The latest iPhone now comes with remote control (use the + volume button on the headphones to make a picture), so you can shoot cappucino with minimal handshake. I have been using Hipstamatic for some time on a project. It is a good tool to drill into one’s creative cortex.

   On December 2, 2011 at 8:24 am • Reply
7. Richard Earney

   The volume snap feature (and the ability to use the headphones as a remote release) is primarily available in the built in Camera app. Camera+ have enabled it and one other app added it, but were asked to remove the feature by Apple. So it is in flux at the moment. I’m sure its time will come!

   On December 2, 2011 at 11:09 am • Reply
8. SosFM

   Well reading that, as a person who does not own an i-phone, was an education for me! I dont really know what to make of it, VR cameras and all that on your phone. What does annoy me is all these apps like instagram are providing a quick fire way for some people to consider themselves photographers. I know someone who shoots on both a DSLR and i-phone puts the images through instagram or whatever on her i-pad and creates wonderful images without thinking about it while they enjoy a cup of tea. Are we really getting that lazy whereby we allow the machines to be creative for us. What annoys me even more is this person posts their images on a photo site on the internet and gets rave reviews for them. Meanwhile muggins here is slowly working away very hard at composition, focussing, filters and still cant get his head around layer masks in photoshop, whilst the person doing it for 5 mins now calls themselves a photographer! Its an unjust world out there.
   One good idea has come out of this, Joe you need to get yourself a “droppingacamera offwhitbypier app”, save you from all the heartache and expense!

   On December 5, 2011 at 1:20 pm • Reply
   • Richard Earney

     The trouble is that with all art and craft it is very personal. If people can create images that are liked then is that any more or less valid than the photographer who puts their heart and soul into it? It’s unfair, but not unprecedented!

     It seems to me that it is the inevitable march of progress and democratisation of the medium. But that has been happening since the birth of photography in one way or another.

     On December 7, 2011 at 12:43 am • Reply
9. Andrew Stannard

   Really interesting articles and comments.

   I’m not an iPhone user, so have only seen images created by the App, but I do find it all quite interesting. Have discovered there is a PC/Mac app that can do similar things pretty quickly at:

   http://www.pentacom.jp/pentacom/toycamera_analogcolor/

   Not sure how long the ‘trial’ is meant to work for, but mine hasn’t threatened to stop yet. It doesn’t quite have the same instant appeal as being able to do it straight from your phone, but is still quite quick and fun to play around with.

   My thoughts on these apps? I think they’re great at adding a bit of spice to snaps (bearing in mind some folk love spice, and some don’t!), and if you’re viewing images on a small screen they can make things a bit more interesting.

   I notice that there are a few galleries now with printed images from the hipstamatic app. Each to their own of course, but I personally see the strength of these photos through web and phone rather than printed medium.

   Andrew.

   On December 6, 2011 at 7:15 pm • Reply
   • Richard Earney

     Hi Andrew
     There are a couple of desktop apps that do the retro style, Iconfactory produce Flare and you mentioned Analog.

     There is something about shooting in the style without post-processing to get the effect, that makes Hipstamatic stand out for me. It adds a certain unpredictability.

     I was surprised when I went to a Hipstamatic exhibition at the Orange Dot Gallery in London just how good they looked printed and displayed, and they were only printed on a Kodak inkjet. So I tried a few on my Epson at home and they were really good too, as good as those produced through the Hipstamatic printing service. I agree that the natural medium is online, but there is nothing to stop them being printed and even sold!

     On December 7, 2011 at 12:36 am • Reply
10. David Ward

    Hi everyone, I just had to come and have a read when I learnt that Joe had taken my name in vain I do enjoy using the Hipstamatic app and I think that for some subjects it works very well. I’ve been trying to work out its appeal and have come up with a few ideas.

    Firstly, it adds another layer of meaning – the effects from different films and lens evoke something in addition to the substance of the subject. One has to be careful which lens/film combo one uses as some subjects definitely don’t work with some combinations.

    Secondly, it invites one to play and this is a really important aspect of the creative process. I think that sometimes when we use a ‘proper’ camera there’s a barrier. We want to do the gear that we’re using justice. It’s bloody expensive and very capable so we need to make sure that we make a good picture with it… There simply isn’t this performance pressure with a Hipsta shot. Who cares if it doesn’t work? Try another!

    And finally, I think it gives us access to the accidental. Whereas most photographers try and pin everything down, try and control as many variables as they can, many artists willingly embrace the notion of the happy accident. This point and hope approach can produce wonderful, exciting results that can reinvigorate other work.

    You can see a few examples of my Hipstamatic images in my Sketches gallery (http://www.into-the-light.com/gallery/smallformat) or in my Facebook albums (http://www.facebook.com/davidwardphotos?sk=photos).

    David

    On December 12, 2011 at 1:23 pm • Reply
11. LensView

    Also an iPhone 4 user here (albeit it is my first and last iPhone, for various reasons not related to photography).
    I have to agree that the camera in the iPhone (4 or higher) is really not bad, as long as there is enough light. I also have place around with Hipstamatic, FXF by Joby and TrueHDR. But I still prefer to take “normal” images with ProCamera and then process them with apps like OldPhotoPro, PhotoWizard, Pic Grunger or Photoshop Express. Why? Because I always fear to loose a good image that’s not “hipstamaticised”. Even on the iPhone, the original images are like negatives/raws and I want to preserve them. Nonetheless, I did some experimenting and its great fun. But the best thing about the camera-phone or phone-camera, whatever, is that you always have it with you and ready to shoot. I don’t (couldn’t, really) carry my DSLR with me everywhere all the time, but my phone is always in my pocket. So, whether you use apps like Hipstamatic or do the postprocessing later, the important thing is that you always have a camera with you. The only thing I miss is a decent zoom.

    On December 21, 2011 at 12:36 pm • Reply