A Day In The Life Of The Talented And Motivational Mobile Photographer Bob Sprankle
Welcome to our very exciting new column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ is where we’ll be taking 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 the twenty fifth installment of the series; you can read the others here, if you have missed any so far. Today we are featuring Bob Sprankle, educator, presenter, writer, and very talented mobile photographer based in Wells, Maine USA. When he’s not implementing technology training for teachers in schools, Bob is an serious photography enthusiast. He started with film at college; printing and developing in darkrooms then later moving to and embracing the freedom of digital and photoshop and more recently, mobile photography.
Bob doesn’t usually keep a note of his workflow and the apps used therein, but he regularly uses Snapseed and more recently iPhoto (the app, as opposed to the desktop program) for post production.
Check out the full interview below…
We have included the app or apps that were used to create the final image, and 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 – Bob Sprankle- ‘All Aboard’.
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
BS – For some reason, my day usually starts with me waking up. It’s weird. It’s been happening my entire life, every morning. I’m not sure what to do about the problem.
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Jumper (final take)’.
JC – Do you like to head out and take photographs early on?
BS – No. I seek coffee before art. Photos happen throughout the day, when something catches my eye.
Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Big Coffee’.
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop?
BS – I always have my iphone with me, which was never true with my film cameras. And the apps… ah, the apps!
New Apps…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘At The Beach’.
JC – Do you like to download new mobile photography apps regularly?
BS – Too regularly. I’m trying to “ween” myself from jumping at every new app (especially the new ones) and have recently been “weeding out” apps I rarely use.
Updates…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Bike’.
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
BS – Usually daily.
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Manhattan’.
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
BS – I had a blast when I visited New York City last summer. If I lived there, I don’t think I’d ever be able to stop shooting.
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Field’.
JC – Do you also use mobile photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
BS – No. I should though. But most of my “work” happens after the shoot… in the apps.
Favorite Apps…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Drivin’ on 9′.
JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?
BS –
Snapseed
Hipstamatic
Procreate
PhotoViva
PhotoWizard
Process
BlurFx
Photo Fx Ultra
Lo-Mob
iPhoto (app)
Picfx
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Christmas Past’.
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
BS – Both. As well as my blog and posterous site.
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Boy With Balloon’.
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?
BS – Yes
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Fragment’.
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
BS – Odd things that I can turn into collages. Even shooting old magazine images and changing them to put into another scene. People. Children. Old buildings or decaying material.
Teaching Others…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Cables’.
JC -How did the teaching side come along?
BS – Me teaching? Or my learning? Teaching others, I just show them my work. Learning, I just keep trying stuff. I think my best strategy is knowing when to STOP throwing apps and textures at something.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Alley’.
JC – What are you top five tips for mobile photography?
BS –
Have fun.
Have your camera with you all the time.
It’s best to ask permission from people when taking their pictures.
Don’t use the flash.
Use a tripod.
Editing…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Cafe’.
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
BS – I actually transfer them to my iPad most of the time and work on them there.
Videography…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Curtain’.
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
BS – I haven’t done much with videography.
The Future Of Mobile Photography…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Downtown Portsmouth’.
JC – Where do you see the future of mobile photography heading?
BS – Cameras becoming as sophisticated as DSLRs… with proper zoom, controls, etc.
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Looking For Later’.
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of mobile photography?
BS – I’m loving the abstract collages that folks are making… dreamy pictures.
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Man and Horse’.
JC – Do you think it’s country specific, are some nations more clued up?
BS – Not sure. Folks I follow seem to be pretty spread out. Mostly Europe, though.
iPhone 5…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Marbles’.
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
BS – A proper zoom without image degrading
TheAppWhisperer.com…
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Man’.
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?
BS – I just found her site and she and it ROCKS! Great tips, great community, great find.
Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article
Copyright Image – Bob Sprankle- ‘Flee’.
BlurFX
Hipstamatic
iPhoto (app)
LoMob
Procreate
PhotoViva
PhotoWizard
Process
Photo fx Ultra
Picfx
Snapseed
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]
3 Comments
Terence A
Many thanks Joanne, another awesome iphonographer. Fantastic to read these interviews you are doing, keep up the good work.
Egmont van Dyck
I like this new series of your ver much. I will look forward to following it from now on. THank you for all the hard work you do. Egmont
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