A Day In The Life Of Donna Donato – A Massively Talented ‘Nomadic’ Mobile Photographer

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘2 doll babies’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Shornbecker Lens, Cano Cafenol Film, No Flash

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

DD – I’m kind of a late raiser. Usually get up around 8 or 8:30 am because I normally go to bed close to 1 or 2 in the morning. Promptly upon waking I write a page in my moleskin agenda after which I open either the living room or kitchen shutters. Generally take the day’s first photo then. Have breakfast with my partner and the day begins.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘2 flowers’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, NO Flash

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

DD – No, I don’t head out early though I’ve been threatening to get up at 6 am or so and watch Paris wake-up. Have yet to make good on this threat.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘bed of roses’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Melodie Lens, Cano Cafenol Film, No Flash

JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop?

DD – I hesitate to call myself a photographer and certainly was never trained traditionally. Though I’ve been taking pictures for a long time have always been a little lazy about getting proper photographic training. However, my partner of 14 years is a commercial photographer so I’ve learned a great deal from watching and sometimes assisting her.

In 2000 I bought a polaroid joycam and that’s when I began traveling with a camera at all times. I have thousands of joycam images. When Polaroid stopped making film I made the leap to digital photography by buying a Polaroid digital camera. In 2009 I was given an iPhone 3G and my world has never been the same.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘courson rose’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Helga Viking, Ina’s 1935

JC – Do you like to download new mobile photography apps regularly?

DD – I download on a fairly regular basis, usually after a recommendation from sites such as the app whisperer, Life in LoFi or recommendations from various iPhone photographer friends. Though I download pretty often I find if I don’t really like the app very much or only use it once or twice, it gets booted from my iPhone; space is precious.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘doll & ribbon’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic (Buckhorst H1 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, Jolly Rainbo 2X Flash), Snap Seed

JC – How often do you update your existing apps?

DD – Suspect I don’t upgrade as often as I should. If I read too many negative comments regarding a particular upgrade I will wait until the bugs have been worked out. I try to check all the available current upgrades but if nothing much is new I usually won’t upgrade.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘doll head’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic (Libatique 73 Lens, Ina’s 1969 Film, No Flash), Snap Seed

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

DD – I can find something to shoot wherever I am. Sometimes I have to forbid myself to pull out my camera, umm, iPhone. Right now I’m living in Paris and this is absolutely my favorite spot on earth so I’m taking pictures in my favorite place.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘eastern sky_1’ – Apps used – 6×6

JC – Do you also use mobile photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?

DD – Have to laugh, just googled Photographers Ephemeris… seems like a nifty app, but no I don’t use it.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘eastern sky_2’ – Apps used – iPhone 3GS

JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?

DD – My current app favs are Hipstamatic, 6×6 (camera app) and Snapseed. After that, in no particular order I like AutoStitch, Tiny Planets, Pixlromatic, Iris, ScratchCam, Kaleidoscope, PhotoToaster, Blender, PhotoForge2, PicGrunger and Diptic. Realized as I checked the apps on my iPhone to see which were the favs de jour, have them organized in categories, that I have 50 photography apps. Think too often I get in a rut and use the same ones over and over, need to branch out.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘flea market toy’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Buckhorst H1 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, Jolly Rainbo 2X Flash

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

DD – I upload photos to my iPhone Art donnadonato account plus I have three personal blogs that I maintain on a daily basis. Also I belong to quite a few Facebook photography groups so I’m constantly posting images on Facebook.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘fleurs de monceau’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, No Flash

JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?

DD – Yes, I take photos everyday and if I don’t take photos on a particular day it’s because I have designated it ‘a day without snapping’ Sometimes I need to just see without trying to capture.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘kitchen view_1’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Buckhorst H1lens, DC film, Pop Rox Flash

JC – What are your favorite subjects?

DD – My favorite subjects at the moment are the skies outside our apartment, flea market dolls and flowers.Our sixth floor apartment has a fairly unobstructed view from both a terrace and a balcony so find myself documenting the passing clouds. On the weekends I frequently visit flea markets and photograph many old dolls displayed for sale. Flower shops are plentiful in Paris and the flowers often line the streets; it is hard to pass their beauty without trying to capture it.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘kitchen view_2’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Buckhorst H1 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, Jolly Rainbo 2X Flash

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

DD – Don’t really have any tips to offer except keep shooting and doing what feels authentic to you.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘kitchen view_3’ – Apps used – 6×6

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

DD – I edit all my images on my iPhone then upload to my laptop to see how the image looks enlarged.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘kitchen view_4’ – Apps used – 6×6, AutoStitch

JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?

DD – Though I have a couple of super 8 apps and the native video apps, I find I am not really using my iPhone to shoot video.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘light panels’ – Apps used – 6X6, Blender, Infinicam, PhotoForge2

JC – Where do you see the future of mobile photography heading?

DD – I see mainstream photographers and the public at large finally ‘accepting’ iPhone photography. (Not that we need their acceptance!)

I’ve joined a couple of groups that deal primarily with abstract iPhone photography and though I remain mostly an observer, it’s great to see what people are creating using mobile devices.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘Monet’s tulip’ – Apps used – 6X6

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

DD – I think all areas of iPhone photography are popular but it seems street photography really benefits because the camera is not obtrusive. People on the street aren’t as suspicious or paranoid because there’s no huge camera pointed at them.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘poppies’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Watts lens, BlacKeys B+W Film, No Flash

JC – Do you think it is country specific, are some nations more ‘clued up’?

DD – Based on the FB friends I have, I would say iPhone photography is global!

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘purples_1’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Adler 9009 Lens, Ina’s 1935 Film, Jolly Rainbo 2X Flash

JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?

DD – Have to laugh at this question. I’m still using the 3GS and am dreaming of a 32 gig iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5 is the blip on my wish list screen.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘purples_2’ – Apps used – 6×6

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

DD – I’ve been reading theappwhisper.com for a while now and I ‘heart’ it and Joanne.

JC – Thank you Donna for this great interview we ‘heart’ you too.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘pursed lips’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Ina’s 1935 Film, No Flash

6×6
Hipstamatic
Autostitch
Diptic
Image blender
Infinicam
Iris Photo Suite
Kaledidoscope
Photoforge 2
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
PicGrunger
Pixlromatic
Scratchcam
Snapseed
Tiny Planet Photos

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘ranunculus’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Buckhorst H1 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, Jolly Rainbo 2X Flash