Getting i-grammy with myself

For someone that loves the SURPRISE of shooting with film, it may be strange to admit I do enjoy that application called Instagram. It is pretty darn fun.

Importing photos from my computer so I can plop them into the no-brainer application to squari-fy and light-i-dize the photos is a fun past-time. I also enjoy using PhotoGrid to puzzle together particular photos to make a collage. 

Is this selling out? Is this art? 

I will contest --- there is a creative process here. There is a knack to making something look good.

The process may be quite intricate. The process may be within a smartphone, but it exists. 

Will this be accepted as art in the future? 

Some avant-garde artists have recorded video on there phones, and have applied that to works of art...

I have the urge to go into the darkroom and create collages with enlarged negatives.

I've done it before...

Chopping up enlarged litho-negs and digital negatives and plopping those on a piece of photo paper. Exposing the light to it...then voila! You have a collage on one piece of paper made out of photographs. 

The same idea goes for collage making from snipping together bits and scraps of things, and then photocopying it to get a print out of 1 entire image.

(stream of consciousness flows............)

Hmmmmm ... I have a thing for collage, photograms, etc.
I should explore this... I have just realized my work in the past has leaned towards this process in many different mediums. The process of piecing many things together to create 1 whole.

Examples of past "hands-on" work to come. 

For now... enjoy my PhotoGrids!

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REPEAT

REPEAT

REPEAT

REPEAT

REPEAT

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Ranging from material...

photos of photos,

digital phone photos,

&

digitized film negatives.

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hello Photoshop.

I have been reluctantly avoiding Photoshop. Why? I have been avoiding the computer.
I used to be so amazed with Photoshop, and have since become so infatuated with producing images with the 'altered' quality via analogue. It is amazing what you can produce the good old fashion way using hands on processes, versus what you can produce in a computer program. I have always loved 'messing' around in Photoshop. I love how you can take digitized film negatives and begin to work on your computer with these 'grain' produced images.

The old can become the new. But can the new become the old? (ponder ponder)

The oh-so popular app which originated for the iPhone, called Instagram, has taken the analogue style of film, and tried to replicate it with Photoshop pre-set filters to achieve a certain look.
It begins with either choosing or taking a photo. Then you crop it down to a square, or what was once called 'medium format' which could be achieved by using a camera that takes 120 film (among other methods). Then you choose your pre-set filter, and volaire, you have created an Instagram. Within a few swipes of your little finger a vintage-esque photo is created within your phone.

Many users of Instagram may forget that once upon a time there was film and little cameras with buttons and a shutter that captured photographs. One of a kind. It was through MANY factors that a photo may become 'altered.' Whether it be a roll of film shot on the wrong ISO or in undesired (or desired) lighting conditions, or toning processes for a silver gelatin print, just to name a few. Even a polaroid that spontaneously developed with complications. These methods, whether happy accidents or intentional are the basis of where these ideas of manipulation rooted.

With all this in mind I decided to get semi-creative today and take some photos on my phone. I then emailed them to myself, downloaded then, and montaged them in Photoshop.

Here are some renditions all shot and edited by mee ooo weeee! :

V.E.G. Day series 

   

With all that said I would like to acknowledge after neglecting Photoshop for awhile, I have definitely become rusty. But regardless...I have always liked it for making wacky imagery. The more experimental and spontaneous the better for me!