Hey folks we continue our iPhoneography series with Karen Messick, an iPhoneographer from Maryland. Her diptych series totally blew us away, and we're pretty sure you'll be impressed too...she writes for several publications in Maryland and also holds private tuition for digital photography and iPhoneography. So without further adieu, we'll hand it over to Karen! Take it away!

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<h4>How would you describe yourself to other iPhoneographers and fans of the craft?</h4>
I enjoy making images with my iPhone: it is always with me and it is quick to use with many shooting options. My iPhone photography is more about play and when I may not even be able to get a shot with my DSLR unless my tripod and I were contortionists. I however continue to apply a serious eye for exceptional composition in my imagery. I enjoy making images that share my world. Sometimes I capture them because I saw something that I thought was funny or cool or unusual, or that tell a story or share a beautiful scene. Sometimes they are filled with deep ideas about the history of subjects such as those made in buildings in various stages of decay: I always wonder what life was like in the day?, and sometimes they are dreamy images where I imagine a scene and process with apps that get me there. I now teach others how to use the iPhone and the multitude of fabulous photo apps. I enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts on making images with the iPhone.
<h4>When did you catch the iPhoneography bug and what makes it so special for you?</h4>
I caught the bug in the fall of 2010. I had seen images posted on Facebook by photographers like Tony Sweet and Harry Sandler. The images had a very artistic look, which I liked. Then Teri Lou Dantzler visited with me at my Delaware beach house in October 2010 and she was shooting with her iPhone…and again I wondered why you would only use the iPhone in such an image rich environment? Wouldn’t you want a large file image?? In December 2010, I bought the iPhone4 as a Christmas present to myself and began to explore…..down loading app after app and marveling at the software pops to my images. Even getting a laugh out of image apps like Trigonscope.
Then I said….OK I get it now…fast and fun! iPhoneography is easy and relatively inexpensive and offers a world or creativity. What makes this art special for me is the new way in which I can create art. It would take ages to create an image using software programs on large digital files to come up with an image like the ones I can create on the iPhone in a relatively short time. The apps are truly amazing in what they can do to an image.

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<h4>What do you envision for the future of iPhoneography?</h4>
The future of iPhoneography is very bright..and I believe that all categories of photographers will continue to explore making images with it. When photography was invented, it did not go away, it got better…and morphed…I believe the iPhone and the photography that is resulting will too. There will always be the casual iPhone owner who snaps family pictures, and never uses a creative processing app, but there will also be serious professionals who see their iPhone work as an adjunct to their continuing photographic body of work.
<h4>What's the inspiration driving your inspirational Diptic series of textures?</h4>
My inspiration for the Diptic texture series was the subject matter of the various shots. I had in mind bringing them together in Diptic when I made the images, as one image alone in my mind was not sufficient to tell the story of the wonderful assortment of textures..and designs in these aged trucks. The images were all shot with ClassicPan handheld hovering over old truck beds, doors and various other truck parts. I would have had to climb up on the truck beds with a tripod to capture some of these shots with my DSLR and possibly would have had to walk away from the opportunity for that reason, but not with my iPhone and its ability to focus fairly close (inches) to the subject.
<h4>What tips and tricks would you give to beginner iphoneographers?</h4>
I would say explore…check out other iPhone photographer’s sites for info and read, read, read. Join an iPhone group such as iPhoneart.com. Download one app at a time and explore its functions moving every slider to see what it will do…and make notes until the apps become second nature in your image processing. Then move between apps adding different effects from each app. Learn the art of layers in your imagery. Constantly check into the app store for new apps. and updates. Check the developer’s websites for tutorials, and PLAY!!! Buy some accessories…like the tripod holder http://www.iphone-tripodholder.com/ and the OlloClip. http://olloclip.com/ Subscribe to iPhoneLife Magazine.. http://www.iphonelife.com/ a great source of iPhone info for all apps.
And just like all photography, pay attention to your compositions! After all a poorly crafted image won’t get better because it is an iPhone shot.
(Also a basic understanding of image processing in Photoshop is a good foundation for iPhone processing, as apps like Iris a pretty sophisticated app, offers, levels, shadow`highlights and gamma adjustments so having prior knowledge of those adjustments helps.)

[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="500" height="385" alt="Karen Messick iPhoneography" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_1000002320.jpg" ]

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<h4>Tell us a bit more about your iPhoneography projects.</h4>
One of my most prolific projects to date was shooting in New Mexico this past spring. It was great fun with many photo ops from old churches to rusted cars and towns like Santa Fe and Tierra Amarillos. Many of those images can be seen on my<a title="Karen Messick iPhone Blog" href="http://karenmessickiphone.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20Mexico"> iPhone blog under the label New Mexico</a>. For those images I used many different apps. and explored new ones such as PhotoRibbons.

I also recently created a Botanical series. Which started as a single shot on my back patio table as I was cutting some lavendar from my garden. I used ClassicPan to shoot, then processed with Iris, Bad Camera, and Scratchcam. They can be viewed on my <a title="Karen Messick iPhoneography Website" href="http://www.karenlmessickphotography.com/-/karenlmessickphotography/gallery.asp?cat=157284&amp;pID=1&amp;row=5">website.</a>

<center><em>2 "diptychs" of Karen's series</em></center>
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I also really enjoy compositing images, bringing pieces of an image together to make one image, such as the Bryant Park image in my New York City collection that can also be seen on my blog under the <a title="Karen Messick iPhone Website" href="http://karenmessickiphone.blogspot.com/2011/07/bryant-park-and-iphoneautopainteriris.html">New York label.</a> And of course check out my fun beach group of images…<a title="Karen Messick iPhone Website" href="http://www.karenlmessickphotography.com/-/karenlmessickphotography/gallery.asp?LID=&amp;cat=163336&amp;pID=1&amp;row=5&amp;photoID=11913981&amp;searchTerm=">here.</a>

I will also be teaching the “Art of iPhoneography”, Sunday November 13 at 10:00am, during the Nature Visions Photography weekend on November 11-13, 2011. Check out <a title="Nature Visions" href="http://naturevisions.org/">http://naturevisions.org/</a> for more info on that. I also have recently had the pleasure of writing an article on the "Best of Apps" for iPhoneLife Magazine which will be out this fall...keep an eye out for my article in iPhoneLife Magazine this fall!

If you are interested in private tutoring sessions for Digital Photography with DSLR or iPhoneography, <strong><a href="mailto:karenmessick@aol.com">email Karen.</a></strong>

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