[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="400" height="536"  alt="Macro iPhoneography Hope Valarie " url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hopevalarie3.jpg"  ]

<h4>Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into iPhoneography</h4>

When I was little I used to use my father's camera ever since I can remember. When I turned 16 I got my first SLR - a Canon AE-1. I used to push the limits of what shots I took. I remember taking tons and tons of slides because the photo developers would process all the slides. With prints, they interpreted my experiments as mistakes! I had to write "process as is" on every envelope. The waiting was agony! I finally joined the digital world kicking and screaming. But when I did embrace it, I could not believe how wonderful it was. The only thing I miss about film photography is the smell of a darkroom. I have been a photographer for several years now specializing in sports and nature, one day I didn't have my "big girl" camera with me, but I did have my iPhone. Suddenly it was like a light went off in my head and I realized how powerful this little phone really is. Now I see how far I can push the limits of the phone. I am having a ball discovering new techniques and new applications.

<h4>What does iPhoneography mean to you? How is it different from regular photography?</h4>

What a loaded question! So many people have so many different interpretations! But for me, I feel that I am constantly still learning what defines iPhoneography. I may be a bit stricter than most about it, but to me it means any photo that was taken and processed on the iPhone. I don't have an iPad so I can't say whether I would include that in the definition or not. But the ability to take a photo, tweak and process it within a matter or moments is tremendous! I can email photos of people and scenes on the spot! So iPhoneography really means convenience and power to me. 

The difference is in the immediacy. If I thought my wait time from shot to final product was reduced transitioning from film to digital, it has dropped to zero with the iPhone. I can process quickly and show people how and why I am processing an image the way I am immediately after I shoot the photo. I have begun to joke that I have a camera with me at all times that I sometimes use to call, text and email - so the convenience of iPhoneography is probably the biggest difference with regular photography. The fact that you can do all in one with iPhoneography and with regular photography you need a computer and all the equipment just makes it so simple for anyone to do. It allows photography to be approachable by all.

[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="400" height="536"  alt="Macro iPhoneography Hope Valarie 2" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hopevalarie1.jpg"  ]

<h4>Do you have an iPhoneography style? If so, how would you describe it?</h4>

I tend to experiment more with my iPhone - mainly because I can. But of course what is inside me comes out through my photos and what I know is nature. WIth nature photography I love shooting macro, so I tried as hard as I could to transform my phone into a tool for macro photography. With a little brainstorming and experimentation I figured out that a jeweler's loupe was a great external lens to use for macro shots. So while I would love to say my style encompasses everything I shoot with my iPhone, my best work is with nature and macro shots.

<h4>Is it important to have an iPhoneography style?</h4>

Yes I believe it is critical to have an iPhoneography style. Just like any photographer it is important to separate yourself from everyone else and make your art personal. Being able to identify a line-up of photos by the photographer is extremely important to distinguish yourself. A style is much more important to me than a copyright in the corner of the photo. A style is unique and distinct as yourself. Style is something that can't be taught or learned though, it is something within each photographer. It will come out through hard work and practice. iPhoneography allows a lot of different styles to emerge that regular photography doesn't. For instance, I know photographers that specialize in grunge effects, or some that are experts with HDR or others that use lo-fi effects to the max. There's so much choice! 

[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="400" height="400"  alt="Macro iPhoneography Hope Valarie 3" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hopevalarie4.jpg"  ]

<h4>What's your method for taking macro photos with your iPhone?</h4>

I experimented and used a little ingenuity to expand my iPhoneography to include Macro shots. Unsure of the "add on" lenses that were being sold and not willing to make any alterations to my camera or case to fit some of these, I tried to figure out a way to accomplish this on my own. After trying out several objects from magnifying glasses to old lenses from a broken DVD player, I settled on a jeweler's Loupe. I use a jeweler's loupe for many reasons. First of all, I had several from my slide taking days. Second, they come in many different magnifications. And lastly, because of their teardrop design, I could hold it to the lens of the iPhone very easily. My finger slips through the loupe ring while securing it in position.

There are several things one must remember about using this method. First of all, the camera isn't set up to focus at the distance you are asking it to focus at. So you need to secure the loupe in position and then move your phone back and forth until the phone finds the focal point you are asking it to and the object is in focus. Take several photos of the object if you can. Move slightly back and forth while taking these photos so that you are assured of at least one photo that is in sharp focus. Remember you can always delete the ones that don't come out well!  Second, remember the size lens of the loupe and make sure it is large enough to cover the lens of the iPhone. If the loupe is too small then some vignetting will occur. While this is not always a bad thing, this will affect your compositions. And finally, it is more important to set up a macro shot than a regular shot since everything will be so magnified. Choose your backgrounds accordingly and remember the background blur that will be created with such a short focal length. 

Another thing to remember is that the more magnified an object, the easier it is to lose focus due to camera shake. Try to hold as steady as you can, prop your hand on something if possible, use a tripod if you can, anything you can do to keep the camera steady while hitting that shutter button will help your photo. The smaller and lighter a camera is, the easier it is to shake so certainly the iPhone is as easy as they come to be victim to hand shake. As they teach you in regular photography, even hold your breath while taking the shot to minimize even that movement of your body. Sometimes I need to just take a break to remember to breathe!

Macro iPhoneography can be very rewarding if you learn to do it correctly. Experimentation is key and you will see immediately what works and what doesn't. There is a great sense of accomplishment when an iPhone macro shot turns out well. Keep trying. The results are well worth it.

[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="400" height="536"  alt="Macro iPhoneography Hope Valarie 4" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hopevalarie2.jpg"  ]

<h4>What would you recommend for a beginner iPhoneographer to easily learn the craft?</h4>

Practice practice practice. Take your iPhone everywhere and try to take as many shots as you can. You will be able to learn the craft through experimentation. You will learn what works for you and what doesn't. It's not an easy craft to learn - you need to awaken it within you. You can be inspired by others but their style will not be your style, so take as many shots as you can until you find that special shot you know is yours and yours alone. And when that a-ha moment hits, you will know it. 

We are all constantly learning. There is no ceiling to what we can discover!

<h4>Any other tips could you share with budding iPhoneographers?</h4>

Practice and experiment. Find the subjects that are most appealing to you. You can never take too many digital photos - that is what the delete button is for! With an iPhone you can take a break and look through what you have just shot and learn on the spot - reshoot by making some self corrections and delete the ones that failed. 

With an iPhone it is extremely easy to take at least one photo every day. By doing this you force yourself to look at the world through a lens. By actively seeing and looking at the world  you will discover those found moments that you would miss if you were passively strolling on by. 

The app store can be an overwhelming place! New apps are released daily and each one of them promises to be the "best" post processing app; or the "only" post processing app you will need. It's easy to fall into the hype of this as a beginner so my advice would be to pick a few apps that you really enjoy and really learn them. Discover what they can do inside and out. Learn all the features. Practice and experiment on each photo you take and that way you will learn what works and what doesn't. One of the mistakes budding iPhoneographers make is over-apping a photo. All those apps I mentioned makes it is really tempting to use them all on every photo! But that just makes it look like a mash up. Pick the app that you like the most and use it. Use it a lot. As you learn what a few apps can do then you can branch out and expand your "camera bag." It will make it easier to learn new apps in the future if you really know one or two apps when you first start. 

Find a style that suits you through this period of experimentation and it will definitely come through when shooting a type of shot becomes second nature to you. Knowing why and how to use an app will help develop this style that will be yours and yours alone.

A collection of Hope's macro iPhoneography can be see <a href="http://sofobomo.org/book-596-iDrops" title="Hope-Valarie Pashos Macro iPhoneography">here.</a>    

Check out Hope's other work <a href="http://www.saunterings.tumblr.com" title="Hope-Valerie Pashos">here.</a> 
