A Day In The Life Of Mel Harrison, aka mahoganyturtle – A Very Talented iPhone Photographer With A Passion For Bugs
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 seventeenth installment to our new series, you can read the others here, if you have missed them so far. Kicking us off today is Mel Harrison a 35 year old Australian mother of four boys. Mel has always had an artistic outlet in her life, be it drawing, soft sculpture or textile art. Unfortunately though, she has a hereditary peripheral neuropathy condition which has worsened over the last three years, making a lot of her textile work almost impossible to work on and this had left Mel feeling rather lost without an outlet.
Things became a lot more positive in December 2011 when Mel purchased an iPhone and shortly after found a tutorial on macro photography by Lindsey Thompson, she bought a macro lens within minutes of finishing reading her tutorial!
Next Mel joined Mobitog and fellow Australian iPhoneographer Aaron Davis inspired her further with his macro work. As she delved further into the world of apps she started experimenting with the art side of the iPhone world and has not looked back since.
It is an understatement to say Mel was surprised when her work was accepted on curated blogs. Mel was even more surprised when she was named Artist of the day at iPhoneArt and you could have knocked her over with a feather when she was voted as Artist of the month for March. Mel has seen her work exhibited around the world since, including one of her macro images projected onto a wall in New Zealand. If you had told her all this would happen in January she would have scoffed and said don’t be silly!
Personally, viewing Mel’s work I think she is very modest and certainly deserves all the praise and recognition she has gained.
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 Joanne@theappwhisperer.com, and we’ll get it set up.
First Things First…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Are you looking’ at me?’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail, Pixlromatic- frame
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
MH – Abruptly, and often before the sun, thanks to my almost three year old. I am really not a morning person, unfortunately.
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Aura’ – Apps Used – Camera: Hipstamatic, Tiny planet, Image blender, Juxtaposer, Pixlromatic
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?
MH – My preferred time to take photographs is in the late afternoon, the light is perfect especially for my macro images. We are in Autumn here in Australia at the moment and the afternoons are just spectacular.
Photographer vs iPhone Photographer…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Blink’ – Apps used – Camera: Native, Tiny planet, Juxtaposer, Photowizard, Image blender, Pixlromatic, Scratchcam
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to iPhone photographer develop? (pardon the pun).
MH – Honestly I have never really produced anything particularly fantastic from a traditional camera. I have never, and still don’t, referred to myself as a photographer.
New Apps…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Canna Lily’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Simply B&W, Snapseed- detail, Diptic- frame
JC – Do you like to download new iPhone photography apps regularly?
MH – I certainly do, I am a member at mobitog and apps are discussed and as a result downloaded very frequently.
Updates…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Dalivision’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Juxtaposer, Simply B&W, Lenslight- filter TV screen, Pixlromatic- frame
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
MH – I check for updates regularly and often get a heads up from sites such as Theappwhisperer that an update has been released.
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Damn Paparazzi’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail , Pixlromatic- Vignette
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
MH – Well, never having left Australia by default Australia it is. I do happen to live in a very beautiful part of Australia at the foothills of the Wattagan State Forrest mountain range. 99% of my images are taken in my garden so I would say that has to be my favorite place to shoot.
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Down at the farm’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Art Camera- oil paint, Photowizard, Image blender
JC – Do you also use iPhone photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
MH – No, I have not heard of it actually…
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Farm Life’ – Apps Used – Camera: 6×6, Art Camera- oil paint, Photowizard, Image blender
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
MH – Flickr is my main back up for my completed work. I also share at mobitog and iPhoneArt. I tried a few other sharing apps e.g Instagram and eye’em but I don’t use them regularly.
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Forrest of tranquillity’ – Apps Used – Juxtaposer, Decim8, Water my photo
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
MH – Bugs!! I love taking macro images of bugs and creepy crawlies; flowers in macro are a close second. I find macro photography very peaceful and relaxing. I referred to it once as Yogatography; meditative, with lots of deep breathing, slow movements and sometimes strange positions.
Favorite Apps…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘In memory of those that stood before’ – ANZAC day 2012 – Apps Used – Camera: Native, Juxtaposer, PaintFX, Photowizard, Image blender
JC – What are your favorite, at the moment, iPhone photography apps?
MH – My go to apps are 6×6 Hipstamatic, Snapseed, Paintfx, photowizard,Juxtaposer and image blender. I regularly use tinyplanet photos as well.
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘In the clover’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail, Pixlromatic- Vignette
JC – Do you think it’s country specific, are some nations more clued up?
MH – I think it is a very global medium, though there is a lot of representation from the UK and USA. I would love to see more Australian iPhoneographers though we seem a little thin on the ground in comparison.
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Is there something on my face?’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail, Pixlromatic- frame
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone every day?
MH – Yes! Rarely a day will go by where I don’t take something. I take part in a lot of challenges on mobitog, so there is always something to keep me busy.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Lunch’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail, Pixlromatic- frame
JC – What are you top five tips for iPhone photography?
MH –
1. Always have your iPhone ready to capture images, If I have decided to shoot with a camera app, I open the app and have it ready to shoot then press the lock button so when I unlock the app is ready to go.
2. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Play with your apps, push them to the boundaries so you are aware of what they are capable of, and then use them to their full potential.
3. Join a community for iPhoneography for example mobitog or iPhoneArt, everyone is so friendly and the body of works are outstanding. You will learn a great deal from other members.
4. Subscribe to blogs and iPhoneography sites for up to date information on apps.
5. Have fun with it, create for yourself and let your passion shine through.
Editing…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Orchid’ – Apps Used – Camera: Native and hipstamatic, Tiny planet, Percolator, Image blender, Juxtaposer, Art camera, Shock my pic, PhotoWizard
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
MH – Everything is done on my phone. I am hoping to get an iPad for my birthday this year so I will probably do a bit of editing on that as well.
Videography…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Shine’ – Apps Used – Camera: Native, PaintFX, Shock my pic, Image blender, Twistcam, Juxtaposer, ScratchCam
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
MH – I have actually taken a couple of short macro videos of bugs, I was really happy with my first attempts so it is something I will be exploring more of in the future.
The Future Of iPhone Photography…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Stop looking at me’ – Apps Used – Camera- Native, Snapseed- Tune and detail, Pixlromatic- frame
JC – Where do you see the future of iPhone photography?
MH – I would love to see iPhoneography shake off the stigma as being a fad or a fleeting art form and be accepted by the mainstream art and photography community.
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Storm raged overhead’ – Apps Used – Camera: Native, Juxtaposer, PaintFX, percolator, Image blender, Lenslight, ScratchCam
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of iPhone photography?
MH – I do tend to hang out in the Art end of the iphoneography spectrum. As to popular…I really don’t know…
iPhone 5…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Succulent’ – Apps used – Camera native, unedited
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
MH – Honestly… not much because I probably won’t be upgrading till the model after the 5, I am only 5 months into my 2 year contract with the 4S.
TheAppWhisperer.com…
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Timewarp’ – Apps Used – Camera: Hipstamatic, Tiny planet, Image blender, Face melter, Juxtaposer, PaintFX, iWatermark
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?
MH – I have subscribed on Facebook and love reading all the interviews, the tutorials and of course it keeps me up to date with new apps or updates on apps. I have a few other blog I follow but Joanne is the most thorough, informative and interesting.
JC – Thank you so much Mel 😉
Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article
Copyright Image – Mel Harrison – ‘Wormhole’ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic, Tiny Planet, PaintFX, Image Blender
Snapseed
Pixlromatic
Tiny Planet Photos
Juxtaposer
PhotoWizard
Image Blender
ScratchCam
Simply B&W
Diptic
Lenslight
Art Camera
Decim8
Water my photo
Percolator
Shock my Pic
Twistcam
Face melter
iWatermark
Favorite App With links not used in the above article:
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
6 Comments
xbeta
Very fancy pictures. Love them. 🙂
federicosar
Awesome pictures! Love how she uses Juxtaposer on pics like “Storm rage overhead” and “In memory of those that stood before”.
The use of ScratchCam is sometimes too predictable (on the textures), but they’re still awesome pictures!
Lisa
Great interview Mel! Love looking at these images again.
Lindsey Thompson
Mel, I’m so glad to read you bought the macro after reading my feature and you’re enjoying it as much as I do! As another 35 year old mother, looking for an outlet, lover of photographing bugs and flowers, your interview really resonates with me 🙂
Your macro work is outstanding, the bugs are a joy to see, and have to say that the ‘don’t tell the bees’ image makes my heart flip every time I see it!! I love your subtle processing choice so we can get to see every beautiful detail of those wonderful macros! not forgetting the rest of yor work, such great variety in your portfolio! Big congrats to you, a well deserved recognition!
Now, you have me itching for our bugs to come out here so I can get back to creepng around my garden and photographing them 🙂
Congrats on the Artist of the Month at IPA also, I know how much of a thrill that is, well done 🙂
Wendy
Wow Mel, you make me want to go out, buy an iphone and hit the back yard! Such great shots and you have a wonderfully creative mind. Love your work! 🙂
Janine Graf
Great interview Mel! Your work is awesome!