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

A Day in the Life of Maddy McCoy – An Incredibly Powerful And Talented iPhone Photographer

Welcome to our very exciting column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled “A Day in the Life of…” 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 eighty fifth installment of the series. If you have missed our previous interviews, please go here. Today we are featuring Maddy McCoy. Maddy is a mother, Historian and Professional Genealogist as well as a great iPhone photographer. Maddy takes and edits all her photos with an iPhone 4s.  Her work has been featured on many of the weekly and monthly Flickr iPhoneography showcases, not least ours.

Her work has also been exhibited at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (LACDA), the inaugural LA Mobile Arts Festival (LAMAF), The Overpass Gallery in Loano, Italy, The Lunch Box Gallery in Miami, Florida and most recently at The Soho Gallery for Digital Art in New York.

Maddy received an Honorable Mention in the Landscape Category at the 2012 IPPA (iPhone Photography Awards) and three Honorable Mentions in the 2013 Mobile Photography Awards.

Links to all apps mentioned in this interview are at the end. 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…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Woodbridge Car Lot” – Apps Used: 645Pro, Camera+

 

Joanne – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?

Maddy – I have a 15 year-old son. My weekdays start by waking him up and then going back to his room to wake him up again. I drive him to school and pick him up at the end of the day, so I spend about three hours a day sitting in my car. We like to listen to NPR on the radio whilst we drive to school. After I drop him at school at about 9am, I’m off to whichever bit of Virginia history and genealogy that needs to be tended to that day. My weekend mornings are more relaxed. Oh, every morning includes a Very Large Latte. Very. Large.

 

Golden Hour…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Songs of the Street 6” – Apps Used: LomoraPro, Snapseed

 

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

Maddy – If I’m away somewhere I really enjoy heading out early to take pictures. But, when I’m at home, I’m a mom first and foremost.

 

Photographer vs. Mobile Photographer…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Return to Quince Orchard Colored School” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

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

Maddy – I was never a traditional photographer. I’m all iPhone, baby!

 

New Apps…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Allyum” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, aremaC, Image Blender

 

Joanne – Do you like to download new iPhone photography apps regularly?

Maddy – I’ve slowed down a bit with all the downloading. I used to try out new apps all the time, now I’m more about quality than quantity. I love apps, I love reading about them, but I don’t feel the need to try everything out like I used to.

 

Updates…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Teen Spirit 1” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

Joanne – How often do you update your existing apps?

Maddy – Whenever there is a new update, I update! I look forward to updates. I love when Hipstamatic releases new films and lenses. As I write this, I am anxiously awaiting the release of Hiptsta 262 and the Silver Lake HipstaPak.

 

Location, Location, Location…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Prospect Hill Cemetery” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Snapseed

 

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

Maddy – I’m drawn to historic landscapes, historic homes and of course, cemeteries.

 

Tools Of The Trade…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Songs of the Street 5: In the Shadow of Congress” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Lo-Mob

 

Joanne – Do you also use iPhone photography tool apps, such as The Photographers Ephemeris? If so, do you use them to plan your shoot?

Maddy – I am not a light chaser. But, I am very organized individual when it comes to my work and my photography. I rely heavily on many apps that help me locate & record sites, plan routes, take notes directly on photos, etc..

 

Favorite Apps…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Brawner Farm” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Snapseed

 

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

Maddy – Hipstamatic (Tintype SnapPak is To Die For!), Snapseed, Iris (aka Laminar), Lo-Mob, ScratchCamFX, Alt Photo, Camera Awesome, DistressedFX, VintageFX, aremaC, Image Blender, MonoVu, LomoraPro, 645Pro, KitCam, TtVcamera, Vint B&W MII, Camera+

 

Sharing…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Palms” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

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

Maddy – Flickr, iPhoneart.com & EyeEm are my constants. Occasionally, I’ll upload to IG and I participate in several groups on Facebook. I’m currently trying out Backspaces. I’m The_Real_McCoy on all of these sites.

 

Frequency…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “The Boys of New York” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Snapseed

 

Joanne – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?

Maddy – Everyday.

 

Favorite Subjects…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Chinatown” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

Joanne – What are your favorite subjects?

Maddy – I can and do shoot everything, but I’m always looking for a level of intimacy in the transaction.

 

Top Five Tips…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Empire Reflected” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

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

Maddy;
1. Trust your instincts.
2. Take chances.
3. Continue learning.
4. Create community.
5. Always tell your children that you love them.

 

Editing…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Sk8er Boy” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

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

Maddy – iPhone only.

Videography…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “New York” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Snapseed

 

Joanne – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?

Maddy – After I completed my Fan Series, I pulled all the images together to create a kind of vintage filmstrip called – The Language of the Fan. I wanted to see movement and I really liked the results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_real_mccoy/8201925342/in/set-7215763 2018092571/

 

The Future of Mobile Photography…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Reflection at the Fort” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

Joanne – Where do you see the future of iPhone photography?

Maddy – The future is looking great for iPhone photography and mobile photography. I see more exhibitions, more gallery space, more collaboration, more innovation. And most importantly, more selling and collecting.

 

Popularity…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Language of Conflict: Manassas Battlefield” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

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

Maddy – I see different realms, each important and interesting in it’s own regard. Street photography is very different from art iphoneography; but, I think the magic of this movement is that these realms are merging together, in turn forming a whole new way of looking at and interpreting our world.

 

Where In The World?

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “The Secret Wish” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic, Camera Awesome, DistressedFX, Image Blender

 

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

Maddy – Interesting question. I can’t say that any one nation or geographic region pops into my head.

 

iPhone 5…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Songs of the Street 1” – Apps Used: LomoraPro, Flicker

 

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

Maddy – I currently use a 4s. I will upgrade to the next iPhone whenever that is released.

 

The App Whisperer…

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Baptist Church” – Apps Used: Camera+, aremaC, Image Blender

 

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

Maddy – I am grateful for a site that is so iphoneography-intensive yet interesting. I LEARN on theappwhisperer.com! Joanne is truly a kind (and Smart!) woman.

 

Links To All Apps Used Or Mentioned In This Interview

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© Maddy McCoy (The_Real_McCoy) – “Construction Time Again” – Apps Used: Hipstamatic

 

Hipstamatic
Camera+,
aremaC
Image Blender
LomoraPro
Flickr
Camera Awesome
DistressedFX
Snapseed
Lo-Mob
SlowShutter
MonoVu
ScratchCam FX
645Pro

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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

13 Comments

  • Ginger Lucero

    It was so great to hear more about you, Maddy! I love your work and your style!! <3

  • Tommy

    Bravo Maddy! So nice to see you featured here and read about your work flow. Not only are you a top notch photographer, but also a warm, personable woman. Most certainly, you are a wonderful role model for all of us. Thanks to Joanne for introducing Maddy to the rest of the world!!

  • alain goldfarb

    Hey Maddy, glad to read you here! I’m a big fan of your work!
    Alain

  • StickyQuote

    These are absolutely stunning B&W images love the way you captured each and every moment in each one awesome… Wow another nice interview Joanne and hats off to you Maddy I enjoy your work…

  • Tracy Mitchell Griggs

    Nice gallery – am new to Hipstamatic and a few of the images here have inspired me to revisit some of my fave locales.

  • Janine Graf

    You are so awesome Maddy! You only have to wake your son up twice?! You’ll have to share your secrets with me . . . 😀 xoxo

  • MaryJane Sarvis

    Nice to meet you Maddy! Even though I’ve known you and loved your work for while now it was really nice to hear more of your voice. Had to crack up at the hours in the car driving the teen thing. Familiar! So many images I hadn’t seen. Baptist church blows me away! To name one….

  • Robert Lancaster

    Wonderful interview and images Maddy. Thank you for sharing a little bit of yourself with all of us.
    Thank you too to Joanne for bringing us yet another inspirational interview.

    And yes, I do tell my children all the time that I love them.

  • Lee Thatcher

    A wonderful interview and some exceptional images that I had not seen before. Empire Reflected and Brawner Farm are both completely amazing. They show you are really paying attention to what most of us take for granted. Its great to learn a little more about you.