A Day In The Life Of Jennifer Bracewell aka jenbeez – One Of The Best iPhone Photographers In The World
Welcome to our very exciting new column on theappwhisperer.com, this section is entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ and we’ll be taking a look some hugely influential and interesting people in the mobile app world. Ones that we think you will love to learn more about.
This is our sixteenth installment to our new series, you can read the others here, if you have missed them so far. Kicking us off today is Jennifer Bracewell a native of the San Francisco Bay Area who grew up in a creative, musical environment.
Jennifer Bracewell is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up in a creative, musical environment. She is a mother, an artist, a photographer, an iPhoneographer, and music lover. Much of Jennifer’s work is an exploration of self and image: the manipulation of self-portraits to bring out elements of humor, angst and beauty.
Jennifer’s other works are an eclectic mix of country shots, animals, and captures of ephemeral moments in everyday life. Her images have been featured and displayed at Pixels at an Exhibition where she was featured artist for July, 2011 as well as other sites like Mashable , featured artist on iPhoneogenic in September, 2011, and major iPhoneographic blogs. Her work was recently featured in an article about iPhoneography in the Sydney Morning Herald.
In the real world her work has been exhibited at the Adobe Shop in San Francisco, the Giorgi Gallery in Berkeley (September 22 – October 30, 2011), ArtsEye Gallery in Tucson in October-November 2011 and was featured at the Stephane Vereecken Gallery in Belgium in November, 2011 through January, 2012, a solo show with another scheduled for July, 2012, and at the SoHo Digital Art Gallery in New York City in December of 2011.
Jennifer’s work was included in the iPhoneography Miami 2012 show in January, 2012. Five of Jennifer’s images were selected for display at Miami’s cutting-edge Lunchbox Gallery in their “iPhoneography: Updated Visual Dialogs” show, hanging from March 8 to April 7, 2012. Jennifer also has pieces in gallery shows this April at Orange County Center for Contemporary Arts and a three-month show this spring in San Francisco at the prestigious ArtHaus gallery, and these were recently featured in the San Francisco Examiner and the local CBS News 7. She won Top Fave 2011 on Life in Lofi, her image chosen from a pool of 10,000 images. Jennifer was a judge in the Mobile Photo Awards competition and open call in December, 2011, judging the self-portrait and animals category and was a curator for the online gallery Pixels at an Exhibition. Jennifer was also a contributing editor to the noted iPhoneography site iPhoneogenic . She has many more showings and exciting projects in the works.
Check out the full interview below…
We have included exif data, in as much as the app or apps that were used to create the final image. As many of the images were cross processed we have listed the apps in the sequential order they were used in the editing process, we have also provided links for each app to the iTunes App Store, just incase you’re inspired enough to try them out for yourself as well as accessories used. You can find all the links 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 [email protected], and we’ll get it set up.
First Things First…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘As The Crow Flies’ – Apps Used – BlurFX, Iris
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
JB – My day usually starts around seven when I am screeched awake by my three-year-old daughter. I am not a morning person, if I had it my way I’d sleep in. We head downstairs for tea and breakfast. I make sure my older boys are out the door for school and then I generally check email, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and all the rest.
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Don’t Look Down’ – Apps Used – BlurFX, PhotoStudio, Photoforge 2
JC – When is your favorite part of the day for taking photographs, do you hanker for the magic hour or shoot whenever the opportunity arises?
JB – Well, I generally don’t leave the house before ten unless I have an appointment 🙂 and I don’t go on photo walks or purposeful outings with the intention of taking photos. They just sort of pop up throughout the day. Most of them are taken at home, actually. I’d love to be a more disciplined person and get up and out early.. It’s just not me.
Photographer vs iPhone Photographer…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Let the wind take my body away’ – Juxtaposer, Filterstorm, Blender, Iris
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to iPhone photographer develop? (pardon the pun).
JB – I have been taking photos with a traditional camera since I can remember. My dad is a photographer and taught me when I was young. I worked as a portrait photographer and also a commercial photographer up until 2007, and of course took lots of photos for pleasure, mostly of my family, always with my camera. When I got my first iPhone and started taking photos with it I realized they were much better quality and warmer than those from my other camera phones. I got Hipstamatic
and a couple of other apps and I was off and running. I love the iPhone so much for its portability and versatility. I rarely use my "real" cameras any more. I love having my photos and all of my editing tools in my pocket. I love staying up late and editing whatever I shot that day.. which may be why I’m not a morning person!
New Apps…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘I nearly lost myself’ – Apps Used – Brushes, Decim8, ScratchCam
JC – Do you like to download new iPhone photography apps regularly?
JB – Oh boy… I am crazy for anything new. If I hear of something I’ll buy and try. I have sooo many photo apps. Some of them I’ll use once and remove from the phone. It’s so fun to find a new one that works for you and your style of editing.
Updates…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Catholic Girls Start Much Too Late’ – Apps used – Decim8, Filterstorm, ScratchCam
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
JB – I update every day unless I don’t have wifi for some reason. They’re usually improvements. Why not?
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Doll Parts’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Retouch, Iris, ScratchCam
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
JB – My absolute favorite place is the beach. I don’t get there often enough. I live in a fairly rural area so another favorite is to take a five minute drive and look for wildlife. Yesterday I saw wild turkey, some deer, and lots of huge, gorgeous raptors. I take many of my photos at home, whether they be self portraits or pictures of my children. I don’t get out nearly enough!
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘The mattress on my back is to break my fall’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, brushes, symmetry, photoforge 2
JC – Do you also use iPhone photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
JB – Umm I have never heard of this one. Will Google now!
JC – Do you ever plan your shoots?
JB – I never plan shoots, so no. That might be a good idea however 🙂
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘She’s a loveatarian’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Blur FX, Brushes, ScratchCam
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
JB – I use Instagram, Flickr, and iPhoneArt mainly. I have a tumblr site, a website, and just got taadaa and eye ’em… I think it’s time to downscale. It’s too hard to keep up with comments and I end up stressed and feeling guilty.
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Living in the past’ – Apps Used – Decim8, flowpaper, montage, ScratchCam
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
JB – I do a lot of self-portraits… because they’re easy and I’m always available. I love photographing my kids. The only one that lets me any more is my little girl. My boys duck and run. Photographing nature, wildlife, clouds, flowers, beaches, and people…mannequins, inanimate objects like interesting statues, they’re all fun. My camera roll is an eclectic mix of stuff. I love doing collages and abstracts using bits of images I’ve collected. Most of my photos stay on my phone and I never post them (probably for the best).
Favorite Apps…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Shoes!’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Decim8, ScratchCam
JC – What are your favorite, at the moment, iPhone photography apps?
JB – My favorites right now are:
Iris Photosuite
Juxtaposer
Scratchcam
Superimpose
Snapseed
Noir
Montage
Brushes
… many more…
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Espero que te vuelvas’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Iris, Brushes, Lo-Mob, AddLib, blender
JC – Do you think it’s country specific, are some nations more clued up?
JB – Nope, not at all. I see amazing images from the US, China, Russia,Mexico, New Zealand.. you name it. Anywhere iPhones are available
great work is produced.
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Beauty Amidst Chaos’ – Apps Used – FotoMuse, Juxtaposer, ScratchCam
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone every day?
JB –Yes, every single day. Mostly of my children or animals, many times I take pictures of random textures, lettering etc. for future use. Anything that catches my eye in a store or in the street… also myself if I have nothing else to do or shoot.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘She Dreams In Color:’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Iris, ScratchCam, Photo FX
JC – What are you top five tips for iPhone photography?
JB –
1. Don’t worry about what other’s think of your art or try to please anyone, do it for yourself. Experiment. Follow your heart.
2. Try something new if you get blocked. Get out there and find some inspiration.
3. If you love an image but just can’t seem to get it where you want it put it away and let it rest for a couple of days. Go back with fresh eyes. Don’t delete anything. You might wish you hadn’t 🙂
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously. This is supposed to be fun 🙂
5. Get a good case. I’ve dropped my phone too many times. One word: Otterbox!
Editing…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘This Corrosion’ – Apps used – Blender, Lo Mob
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
JB – All of my images are edited on my iPhone 4S
Videography…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘The noise at the end of the hall’ – Apps used – Juxtaposer, Snapseed
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
JB – I do take short family videos and recently got an app called Cinema FXV, which is pretty cool. I mostly use my little GoPro for video however.
The Future Of iPhone Photography…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘The bathwater went cold around me’ – Apps Used – Brushes, juxtaposer, , iris, scratchcam
JC – Where do you see the future of iPhone photography?
JB – I’m not sure. With phone cams getting better and better the images created are sometimes indistinguishable from those taken with your Nikon in many cases. I would have answered this differently a few months ago. My answer now is a big I don’t know, though I don’t think it’s going anywhere. It’ll evolve. How? We shall see. The novelty has worn off and now the fact that something is taken and processed with an iPhone isn’t enough to interest viewers… images are getting better
and better, there are so many people doing amazing work. Galleries and mainstream media recognize mobile photography as a valid art form as of late. It’s going to be an interesting ride.
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Objectificaation’ – Apps Used – Iris, Blender
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of iPhone photography?
JB – Definitely Street Photography. The iPhone is discreet and portable, perfect for street photographers. I haven’t been into taking street photography personally but I love looking at it. Some of the good street photographers consistently blow my mind. It’s a way of seeing the world through another person’s eyes. It’s exciting to see people going about their daily lives around the world. I also am seeing a lot of conceptual pieces lately, collages, heavy on the juxtaposer. I love that stuff! 🙂
iPhone 5….
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Acid Rain’ – Apps used – Iris, Toon Paint, Diptic, Grungetastic
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
JB – I am pretty happy with the 4S. Once I got it I stopped thinking about the 5. I supposed continued image sensor improvement, double flash, increased storage capacity.. Must remember it’s a phone though.
TheAppWhisperer.com
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘I felt so lonely in your company’ – Apps Used – iawesomizer, brushes, lo mob, photoforge 2
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?
JB – I think you are wonderful. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading other people’s interviews and doing this one. Thanks so much for the opportunity, Joanne!
JC – Thank you for this interview Jennifer and for your wonderful images that are now adorning our pages.
Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article
Copyright Image – Jennifer Bracewell – ‘Stuck’ – Apps used – Snapseed
Apps Used with links:
Iris
Toon Paint
Diptic
Grungetastic
BlurFX
FotoMuse
Juxtaposer
ScratchCam
TouchRetouch
PhotoStudio
Photoforge2
Brushes
Lo-Mob
AddLib
Image Blender
iAwesomizer
Montage
Photo FX
Snapseed
Symmetry
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
Favorite Apps of Jennifer, not mentioned above include:
Contact Details
If you would like to contact Jennifer – please visit her website here – http://jenniferbracewell.com/
Joanne Carter
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: [email protected]
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12 Comments
Janine Graf
Oooh I’ve been anxiously awaiting this interview! I love Jennifer. Not only is she an amazing artist, but she’s a great person to boot and I’m proud to call her my friend.
Joanne Carter
Yes she’s lovely, as you are too and all the wonderful artists that grace these pages – many thanks everyone
David
Another wonderful interview! Jennifer’s images are amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us!
Jennifer Bracewell
Thank you, Janine! You know I love your work and you as a person. 🙂 glad you’re my pal <3
Joanne, thanks so much for the opportunity and the kind words!
David, thanks for reading. Much appreciated!!
PocoArtist
Congratulations on a great interview Jennifer.
Glad to see the inclusion of one of your most compelling images;
‘ I felt so lonely in your company ‘
mark walter (SeekWa)
This is a wonderful article, and also so very thoughtful to include favorite apps/links. Very nice insight and interview.
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Donna French
Jennifer congratulations on the interview ! Your work never fails to stun me I think you are brilliant and beautiful and I am so happy to see the world getting to know you and your mind-blowing images…Jennifer Bracewell you are my favorite Iphoneographer and I love you ! XO
urban muser
fantastic interview! i love jennifer’s work so much 🙂
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Carolyn Hall Young
I was glad to revisit this page, for Jennifer’s words and works. Brava!