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Vision & Voice – ‘What Is Vision, What Is Voice’? – By Cindy Patrick

We are truly delighted to publish our Columnist Cindy Patrick’s first article to her Vision & Voice section with us. This is an incredibly inspiring read and one that we know you are all going to love – don’t miss this. Over to you Cindy (foreword by Joanne Carter).

 

 

“I started using the iPhone as a creative tool in 2010, and somewhere between then and now I stumbled my way – or should I say “apped” my way – into creating a distinctive personal style. My iPhone is my constant companion, and creating art with it has become my passion. Perhaps you are just starting out and wondering where to begin, or perhaps you have already amassed a body of work you’re happy with but find yourself looking for ways to make it better – more authentic. Well then, perhaps you will learn something by reading Vision & Voice, my new column here at The App Whisperer.

Table of Contents

Style

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‘”Not all who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien’ – ©Cindy Patrick

 

All the artists and photographers I admire have one thing in common. They each have a unique style. But how did they develop their personal style? What makes their work stand out? What makes their work good? If you are asking these questions, then keep reading.

What is vision? What is voice? I like to think of them as “see” and “say.”

 

Vision

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‘Beach Impressions #11’ – ©Cindy Patrick

 

Vision as the way in which we see the world around us. Our own unique way of looking at things. What one person sees as beautiful, another may see as ugly. Neither one is right or wrong. It just is. I like shooting beaches. Others may see beaches as boring and prefer shooting cities instead. I like shooting everyday things and locations. For others, only exotic locales will do. It is simply what makes me me and them them. It’s about what inspires us. It’s what makes us jump out of bed in the morning, grab our camera, and go shooting. It helps define our vision. The art we create is a reflection of our tastes and desires. It is who we are.

 

Voice

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‘Beach Impressions #17’ – ©Cindy Patrick

 

Voice is the way in which we communicate our vision to others. It’s how we say something about the things that inspire us. As artists, we strive to find the clearest expression of our emotions in our chosen medium. I choose to express myself through pixels – through my iPhone and various apps. When I see something I love, I pull out my iPhone to capture it. It’s immediate. I can shoot a picture and edit it on the spot, while I’m in the moment. I love that. Others express themselves through music or painting or cooking elaborate meals. Voice is simply the outward expression of our vision. Voice is our vision made manifest in a drawing, painting, photograph or what have you.

Expressive

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‘Beach Impressions #2’ – ©Cindy Patrick

 

Together, our vision and our voice make up our personal style. The way in which we see the world around us and how we express it makes us unique. No one else in the entire world can see or say things exactly like you do. So why not embrace that and begin creating art from that place inside you that makes you you? Follow your heart. Literally. I strongly encourage you to seek out those things that move you to grab your iPhone and start shooting. Get to know yourself. Your likes. Your dislikes. Things you feel strongly about. Things that make your heart race. Start a journal and write down all the things you love. And start to photograph those things. If street photography is difficult and uncomfortable for you, then perhaps it’s not for you! Go shoot some landscapes instead and see how you feel. Dig. Explore. Listen to the little voice inside you that is telling you who you are. If you like flowers, go photograph some flowers. Then choose a few apps and start editing your picture. If something feels forced or tedious, move on! Choose some different apps or a different subject. Pay attention to how you feel when you are creating an image. This will help you find your own voice and style instead of forcing yourself to work in a certain way or with certain apps that may not excite you. Go easy on yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes. The mistakes will be a record of your growth as an artist. If you do this long enough, you will begin to gravitate toward the subjects that truly inspire you and the apps that best help you express how you feel about those particular subjects. I guarantee that you will start to produce better work and, most importantly, begin to enjoy the creative process much more because you will be giving voice to your own personal vision instead of copying someone else’s style or following the crowd.

See you next time! Until then, happy shooting! “

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‘Beach Impressions #3’ – ©Cindy Patrick

 

A professional photographer for the past decade, Cindy turned to her iPhone as a creative tool in 2010 and began creating the distinctive style of art she is known for today. Since then, she has exhibited her work at galleries and museums in four countries and across the United States. She has garnered numerous awards, most recently in the Mobile Photography division of the 2013 American Aperture Awards (Ax3) where she won in the conceptual/experimental category. Her work has been published both online and in print, including Architectural Digest (November 2012 Spanish print edition). Cindy has contributed to two books on iPhoneography, including The Art of iPhone Photography – Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhone by Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald (Rocky Nook) and Mobile Digital Art: Using the iPod and iPhone as Creative Tools by David Scott Leibowiz (Focal Press.) Her work is also featured in "Mobile Masters - Crossing the Threshold" by Dan Marcolina, an interactive iPad book available in iTunes. In 2013, Cindy was a presenter at the annual MacWorld/iWorld Conference in San Francisco as part of the "Mobile Masters Sessions," the largest assemblage of iPhoneography talent and inspiration to date, celebrating a new chapter in photography's history. Her talk was entitled, "The Fine Art of iPhoneography." In addition to photographing weddings and portraits, Cindy is an iPad Instructor at Cooper University's Cancer Institute as part of their Complementary Medicine Program. She is available for talks and workshops worldwide. Website: www.cindypatrick.com Email: cindy@cindypatrick.com Flickr: www.flickr.com/cpatrickphoto iPhoneArt.com: http://www.iphoneart.com/users/378/galleries Instagram: @cpatrickphoto Twitter: @cpatrickphoto Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpatrickphoto

12 Comments

  • Jennifer

    Very interesting article; wonderful pics too. Would love to know what apps are her favourites and used most frequently to create her individual style (and the images shown).

  • Janine Graf

    Oh Cindy, I’ve been looking forward to your first article ever since you were announced as a columnist. I’ve been a fan of yours since the moment I laid eyes on your beautiful “Cindy style” images. This was a wonderful read! xoxo

  • Glenda Hubbard

    I’ve aways been a big fan of slow shutter and seeing Cindy’s results with these bright colours and distinctive style is so inspiring… Totally a visual experience. Congrats Cindy and wonderful article

  • Carol Dogsitter Smith

    Hey Jersey- good job! I give it a solid 50! ( when will we hit a million with this ??). Anyway I agree with everything you said. Look forward to reading more. Enjoy the Spring
    C

  • Robert Lancaster

    What a fantastic article Cindy!
    This is exactly what I have been grappling with ever since I started to seriously produce images that I was confident of sharing. I do not have a style per se, but rather a few of them, and this is what I am trying to whittle down to just one particular, refined style. I am sure I will get there, but at the moment I am having massive amounts of fun along the way.
    I am already looking forward to your next article.

  • Anne Highfield

    This is an inspiring article! Cindy is as modest and down-to-earth as she is talented. I enjoy following her work!