Extension Of The I Interview – With Donna Donato – The Incredibly Talented ‘Nomadic’ Mobile Photographer

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

JC – How did you get started in photography?

DD – I’ve been dabbling in photography for a long time but in 2000 I discovered and fell in love with the Polaroid Joycam. I began carrying the camera everywhere and taking photographs on a daily basis. After Polaroid’s demise I bought a couple of digital cameras, one even bore the Polaroid name. In 2009 I received a iPhone 3Gs, discovered Hipstamatic and I haven’t looked back.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘balancing’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic,Helga Viking Lens, Blanko Freedom13 Film, No Flash

JC – Who and what are your influences?

DD – For as long as I can remember I’ve been in love with images, moving and still. Films and paintings play a strong role in my life so I’m apt to ‘see’ light or colors from a favorite painting or painter or the color palette from a film while regarding the world around me.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘boy on a wall’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Helga Viking Lens, Pistil Film, No Flash

JC – What draws you to the subjects you seek?

DD – If something catches my eye I’ll usually try to capture it. It seems I am drawn to objects, begin to notice them everywhere. A series comes into being and after a time runs its course. Currently I’m working on four different series: flea market objects, particularly dolls, flowers, clouds and wall art.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘calla lilly’ – Apps used – 6×6, Snapseed

JC – What is it about these subjects that you want to capture/communicate and ultimately convey in your images?

DD – I try to find beauty in all things, obviously flowers and clouds are easy to understand. I’m fascinated by flea market objects and the glimpse into the ‘lives of others’ these objects provide. For me the dolls seem to hold remnants of the love, longing and sometimes pain the former owners lavished or shared with them. I take pictures of wall art because it is ephemera, sometimes beautiful and humorous.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘chambered light’ – Apps used – 6×6, Hipstamatic, Tiny Planets, Blender, PhotoForge2

JC – How did you “settle” on this subject?

DD – Didn’t really ‘settle’ on the subjects, just noticed that more often than not, these were the things I was photographing the most.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘dali contrails’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Salvador 84 Lens, Blanko Freedom13 Film, No Flash

JC – Is there another area/subject that you would like to explore, if so, what and why?

DD – Find I’m not very interested in photographing people or other sentient creatures, so I make an effort to photograph them.

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

JC – Which photographers (not necessarily mobile photographers) do you most admire and why?

DD – I admire a great many photographers but the first one to come to mind is my partner. I’ve watched her work for a long time and really admire the passion and dedication with which she approaches photography, both her commercial and personal work.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘dry paint’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, No Flash

JC – Henri Cartier-Bresson is/was in many ways the Godfather of street photography, even in the 1930s he enjoyed using a small camera for discretion in order to capture people and tell a story-do you feel this way regarding mobile photography?

DD – It seems that smaller cameras work better for street photography because they’re not so intrusive. I think in the mid-90s people went through camera skepticism, annoyance and avoidance. Though many people still seem leery of cameras aimed in their direction, they don’t seem to mind mobile photography, camera phones, quite as much.

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

JC – Tell us about your photographic technique do you rely on intuition or do you believe in a more formal/trained approach?

DD – I shoot relying on intuition rather than formal training; mainly because I don’t have formal photography training.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘floral detail’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Blanko Film, No Flash

JC – How has your photography evolved?

DD – Hard one to try and answer but I hope my work is getting better through constant use of my camera.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘gerbers’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Blanko Freedom13 Film, No Flash

JC – Many of the great photographers, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier Bresson described only shooting images for “themselves”do you see this attitude with mobile photographers?

DD – Can only answer for me, but if I see something interesting, try to ‘capture’ what I’ve seen. When I feel myself pandering to other people’s likes or dislikes I try to go back to base, which is myself.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘miss perky’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Melodie Lens, BlacKeys B+W Film, No Flash

JC – Do you take risks with photographs, push boundaries? If yes, please give examples, if no, why not, would you like to?

DD – No, I don’t take risks or push boundaries but I certainly applaud the people who do.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘monceau roses’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Helga Viking Lens, Ina’s 1935 Film, No Flash

JC – What is your favorite picture, of your own and why?

DD – ‘floral detail’ is my current favorite because of the graphic nature of the image.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘orange petals’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Pistil Film, No Flash

JC – Do you get emotionally involved with your photography?

DD – Get emotionally involved… Will say that photography seems to have taken up residence in almost every aspect of my life. Sometimes I notice the light and think about a certain Hipstamatic lens/film combo or want to grab my camera. I remember a recent dream where I saw amazing light and wished I had my iPhone to capture the light so I could app the image later. Woke up laughing because I wanted to app a dream photo.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘peony’ – Apps used – 6×6, Snap Seed, PhotoForge2

JC – Does your life become entwined with your subjects?

DD- Not exactly sure what you mean about entwined with the subject but am acutely aware of the clouds and skies outside our apartment. Constantly rushing to a window or the terrace to capture the ever changing sky.

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

JC – Do you have a special post-processing style?

DD – Currently, trying to loosen up in regards to post-processing images because I don’t do it a lot. Want to learn about and use more post apps. Also trying to be more diligent about noting the various steps used to alter a photo.

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

JC – Do you have any tips for post-processing?

DD – Suppose the only tip I can offer is to remain authentic to yourself and do what feels right. Also keep good notes of the processing steps.

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

JC – Do you have a digital workflow system to sort your images, if so what is it?

DD – Because of personal predilections, education and career training I could be described as overly cautious. On a daily basis, I download all new images from my iPhone to my laptop. The images are imported weekly into iPhoto where’s there a sort of cataloging system. Plus I maintain an external hard drive back-up of all the original photos.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘spiral’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Blender, PhotoForge2, Iris

JC – How do you think photography has changed over the years?

DD – I like the fact that photography has been democratized even more, it’s available to a lot more people. The cost of photography has dropped; no film and processing fees for the vast majority. The downside, many of my photographer friends who depend on their images for a living are lamenting their change in status, they feel undervalued, under-estimated and under-employed.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘window cat’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Libatique 73 Lens, Blanko Freedom13 Film, No Flash

JC – As a mobile photographer you’re at the cutting edge of technology, do you ever hanker for the 35mm film days?

DD – No, I don’t hanker for 35mm film but I have a great appreciation and respect for analogy film. The only 35 mm film I am nostalgic about is used for shooting movies.

Copyright Image – Donna Donato – ‘stormy skies’ – Apps used – 6×6, AutoStitch

6×6
Autostitch
Hipstamatic
Image Blender
Photoforge2
Snapseed
Tiny Planet Photos

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

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