A Day In The Life Of ...,  Interviews,  INTERVIEWS,  News

A Day in the Life of Melissa Vincent – An Incredibly Creative And Inspiring Mobile Photographer

Welcome to our very exciting column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ and this is where we take a look at some hugely influential, interesting and accomplished individuals in the mobile photography world. People that we think you will love to learn more about.

This is our seventy fifth installment of the series, if you have missed our previous interviews, please go here. Today we are featuring Melissa Vincent. Melissa’s interest in mobile art and photography started in April 2011 when she joined instagram. Interest turned into “obsession” and currently over 130,000 people who have been inspired by her iPhone art are following her today.

All of her work is done on the iPhone proving that mobile photography has a place in the art world. Melissa’s photographs have been featured on National Geographic online and the cover of Time Magazine’s First Annual Wireless Issue. She has been interviewed and featured by The Huffington Post for her surreal, southern pieces. She was recently named photographer of the day by Resource Magazine. Melissa’s art works were hung in the Animazing Gallery in Soho in March of 2012 and at the Santa Monica Art Studios for the LA Mobile Arts Festival, the world’s largest mobile arts festival to date. Currently, her work is being shown at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in California.

Melissa loves driving around the country for hours with music and coffee, and usually a sleeping little boy in the backseat, looking for that perfect shot. She always finds interesting opportunities for photos while driving on those long, winding delta roads. Melissa resides in Mississippi with her husband, Matthew, and two sons, Eli and Ari.

You can find all the links to the apps used or mentioned at the end of this article.

(If you would like to be interviewed for our new ‘A day in the life of …’ section, just send an email to Joanne@theappwhisperer.com, and we’ll get it set up.)

 

First Things First…

mobile

© Melissa Vincent – ‘Fairy Land‘ – Apps used – Tiny Planet, PhotoFX, and Juxtaposer

 

 

Joanne – Lets start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?

Melissa – I always begin with coffee. I’m not a morning person by choice. I am up helping my kids get ready for the day before sunrise during the week.

Golden Hour…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Good Omen‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Pixlromatic and Montage

 

 

Joanne – Do you like to head out and take photographs early on?

Melissa – The only reason I will get up early to take photos is if I know there will be fog or snow. Both are uncommon for Mississippi, so I get excited about getting photos in these conditions. Also, when I’m on vacation, I’m always up early exploring new places.

Photographer vs Mobile Photographer

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘House of Dreams‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Image Blender and PicFX

 

Joanne – How did the transition from traditional photographer to iPhoneographer develop? (pardon the pun)

Melissa – I have always taken photos of vacations and my family, but it never became such a passion of mine until I joined instagram in April 2011. I was amazed at what could be done with photo editing apps on my iPhone. It was also a hobby I could enjoy while being with my kids. The convenience of always having it with me and not having to carry around a heavy dslr was a big factor in my transition too.

New Apps…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘In the School Yard‘ – Apps used – Image Blender, Retouch, Lenslight, Pixlromatic, PhotoFX and iColorama

 

Joanne- Do you like to download new iPhoneography apps regularly?

Melissa – I downloaded more when I first started experimenting. I don’t have much storage on my iPhone anymore, so I’m more selective now.

Updates…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Lanterns in a Night Sky‘ – Apps used: Pixlromatic, Juxtaposer and PhotoFX

 

Joanne – How often do you update your existing apps?

Melissa – As often as I can, I have many that I can’t update because I don’t have any space left.

 

Location, Location, Location…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Letting Go‘ – Apps used – Juxtaposer, PhotoFX and PicFX

 

Joanne – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?

Melissa – Anywhere I am at the moment. I especially like to be in new places. I always prefer to be outside.

Tools Of The Trade…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Medusa‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX and TinyPlanet

 

Joanne – Do you also use iPhoneography tool apps, such as The Photographers Ephemeris?

Melissa – No, my lifestyle is better suited for spontaneous photo shoots.

Favorite Apps…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Meet Me There‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Alien Sky, Retouch and Image Blender

 

Joanne – What are your favorite, at the moment, iPhoneography apps?

Melissa – Image Blender, Photo Fx, and Pixlromatic

Sharing…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Melting Icicle‘ – Apps used – no edit; shot with Olloclip attachment for iPhone

 

Joanne – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?

Melissa – I started with instagram. We’ve had a long relationship. I still post there frequently. I recently joined EyeEm and Flickr and am really enjoying both. I think Flickr could become my new love. My username is @misvincent for these three photo sharing apps/sites. I also love iPhoneart.com. In my opinion, it is the place to view the most unique mobile art creations. I upload to my own website, melissavincent.com, as well.

Frequency…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Ode to Addie‘ – Apps used – Image Blender, Pixlromatic PhotoFX and Retouch

 

Joanne – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?

Melissa – Yes. I usually have to delete photos so I can take more!

Favorite Subjects…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Red on a Snowy Day‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Juxtaposer, Colorlake and Dramatic B&W

 

Joanne – What are your favorite subjects?

Melissa – I usually photograph my kids and nature. I have recently started to enjoy the macro world with the olloclip attachment.

Top Five Tips…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Secrets‘ – Apps used – Image Blender, PhotoFX, and Retouch

 

Joanne – What are you top five tips for mobile photography?

Melissa – Always have your phone close, invest in good editing apps, practice and passion are key, read/ watch photo editing tutorials, and be original.

Editing…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Starry Lake‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Color Lake and Pixlromatic

 

Joanne – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?

Melissa – Always on my iPhone. I even own an iPad and still edit only on my phone. Convenience is the main reason. I can snap a photo and create something while I’m waiting on one of my kids at piano, basketball, etc.

Videography…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Sunset Flight‘ – Apps used – PhotoFX, Color Lake and Pixlromatic

 

Joanne – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?

Melissa – I only videotape my children.

The Future Of Mobile Photography…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘The Kite‘ – Apps – Shot with Olloclip Fish Eye lens, Juxtaposer and PhotoFX

 

Joanne – Where do you see the future of iPhoneography?

Melissa – I believe it will evolve over time. I don’t know if there will be such a distinction between iphoneography and photography eventually. A great image will always be a great image no matter what the tool or process. One thing is for sure, its here to stay. There is no turning back time. I am excited to see what the future has in store.

Popularity…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘The Red Path‘ – Apps used – Image Blender and PhotoFX

 

Joanne – What do you think is the most popular area of mobile photography?

Melissa – Photojournalism has had a lot of publicity recently since Ben Lowy’s picture of hurricane Sandy made the cover of TIME. I enjoy creating surreal works the best. I love making a photo into a piece of art.

Where In The World?

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Transparent‘ – Apps used – Image Blender and PhotoFX

 

Joanne – Do you think it’s country specific, are some nations more clued up?

Melissa – I haven’t noticed one place being more on the iphoneography map than another. I have made connections throughout the world because of mobile photography.

iPhone 5…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Twisted‘ – Apps used – Image PhotoWizard and PhotoFX

 

Joanne – What are your first impressions of the iPhone 5?

Melissa – I don’t have it yet. I am getting one at the end of the month when my contract is up.

TheAppWhisperer.com…

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Two Sides to Every Story‘ – Apps used – Camera+, Photo Wizard and PhotoForge 2

 

Joanne – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?

Melissa – I have always loved theappwhisperer.com. It’s where I go for all app related questions I might have. I love the tutorials and interviews. Joanne has done the mobile photography world a great service. I am appreciative.

Links To All Apps Used Or Mentioned In This Interview

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘Where Dreams Lay‘ – Apps used: Image Blender, PhotoFX and Retouch

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© Melissa Vincent – ‘You and Me‘ – Apps used: PhotoFX

TheAppWhisperer has always had a dual mission: to promote the most talented mobile artists of the day and to support ambitious, inquisitive viewers the world over.

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Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: joanne@theappwhisperer.com

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