I like to set mini-projects when visiting other cities or countries, just to make me more focused when walking around. I decided before arriving in Paris that I would shoot a series of square pictures on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. At that time this app allowed you to choose a lens and film simulation and shoot pictures with a wide range of looks, from pinhole cameras to plastic cameras and everything in-between. But the reason I chose Hipstamatic was that (back then) the effect was backed into the picture and couldn’t be changed. My goal with this project was to make a book using the Blurb platform when I returned home. I also shot with my Fuji cameras while in Paris, this was just a side project.
This shot always prompts a few questions when people see it. The effect is not from Hipstamatic as I was using a simple colour film look on this one. What you see here is my son Teo in a plastic ball that is pumped full of air and pushed out onto a pool full of water. The kids then try to stand up, walk, or run inside the ball, but always end up falling over. The plastic ball has a constant covering of water running down it and provides this painterly look to the picture.
I designed the book and sent it off to Blurb the day after I returned from Paris. I strongly recommend printing your pictures in one form or another. I have a folder called Prints on the desktop of my Mac that I drag a copy of any interesting photos that I make. Then every so often I send these to Loxley Colour and have prints made. I also make books using Blurb often and add them to my bookcase.
The 7”x7” book of iPhone pictures shot in Paris in 2005