A Day In The Life Of Kim Martino – An iPhone Photographer With A Passion
Welcome to our very exciting new column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ and this 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 thirty-sixth installment of the series, you can read the others here if you have missed them so far. Today, we are featuring Kim Martino. Kim has been interested in photography of some kind or another as long as she can remember. Everything from Instamatics, Polaroids, & 35mm cameras are in boxes somewhere. Kim has lived in many locations and the longest duration was spent in West Deptford, NJ, two blocks from the Delaware River and very close to the Philadelphia International Airport, the Philly skyline, & directly across from the Naval Shipyard. This provided copious photo opportunities for fantastic sunsets, Tall Ships, and the like. Once Kim got married and had two babies, two jobs, and a mortgage her photography waned although she has thousands of photos of her boys.
Kim has always had an interest in art too and started out with an airbrush 30 years ago when she was 17 years of age. She then went on to study it in greater detail at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Unfortunately Kim became very ill around 8 years ago and lost all interest in painting, photography and life in general. Fortunately though when Kim purchased her first iPhone and discovered the Hipstamatic app, the healing began and rekindled her inspiration and motivation. Kim has now purchased an Olloclip and an iPhone 4S and is in love and well again.
Check out the full interview below…
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 – Kim Martino – ‘Splitting Headache’ – Apps used – #Hipstamatic, Wood Camera, Modern Grunge
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
KM – I`m an insomniac, so sometimes my day starts after a couple hours of sleep. When the moon is full, it wakes me up, & I’ll start taking pictures of that! Then I check out TheAppWhisperer.com on Tweetbot, THAT’S a priority!
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Azaleas!’ Apps Used – #Hipstamatic, AbstractMe
JC – Do you like to head out and take photographs early on?
KM – I don’t usually head out, since I’ve been unemployed for over a year and a half. But yes, my iPhone 4s and my iPad are my constant companions. Before I know it, several hours have passed, and I’m still in my pajamas! Lol I’m either admiring others’images, or taking/aping my own. But I actually prefer late afternoon light.
Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Black Rose‘ Apps Used – ProCamera, AfterFocus, Instagram filter
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop?
KM – I’ve been into photography as long as I can remember. I have boxes full of cameras. My first serious one was a Minolta XG1. You could usually find me on an overpass at night, taking slow- shutter pix of headlights and taillights. Then I had babies and a full-time job, so the photography basicly came to a halt (except for shots of my boys, of course!) I’d been a single mom since my youngest was eight months old, so working to keep a roof over our heads didn’t leave much time for really exploring that kind of photography.
New Apps…
Copyright Image – ‘In the Carwash’ – Apps used – Fast Camera, Camera+
JC – Do you like to download new mobile photography apps regularly?
KM – OMG!! I’m THE OTHER App Whore!! At last count, I have 270 photo apps on my iPhone, and 263 on my iPad. And, yes, I’m CONSTANTLY downloading new iphoneography apps, mainly because The App Whisperer introduces me to the latest, greatest ones! I call myself a very EVERY adapter, hehe.
Updates…
Copyright Image – ‘Stormtrooper’ – Apps used – #Hipstamatic, DXP (Double Exposure)
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
KM – I can be very anal about checking for updates. I don’t wait for a badge to appear on my App Store app.
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – ‘Channeling Peter Max’ iPhone 3Gs, #Hipstamatic, iColorama
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
KM – It’s a shame there weren’t iPhones yet when I was in Aruba, or living in Hilton Head, SC and the Florida Keys. The blue-green ocean, especially after a hurricane, turns to an ethereal shade of celadon. It’s wild! My dream is to visit Italy (I have many talented iPhoneography friends in Sardinia), and Australia would be awesome too.
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – ‘View to a thrill’ – Apps used – Hipstamatic, Lo-Mob, Osmo Leaker Pro
JC – Do you also use mobile photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
KM – No, but it looks like a great app that I’d use when I travel. Right now, I mainly shoot still lifes, things around my house, and neighborhood.
Favorite Apps…
Copyright Image – ‘I despise plastic people’ – Apps used – Wood Camera, iAwesomiser
JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?
KM – There’s a new one called Tadaa that’s really cool, and Jazz is a good one. My main shooting app is Hipstamatic, but lately I’ve been experimenting with Procamera and King Camera. XnView FX is feature packed. I could go on and on.
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘I “Eight” It’ – Apps Used – Crystal Eye, Dynamic Light, Snapseed
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
KM – I’m everywhere. Several groups on Flickr, such as Mobile Photography and Imagery (!), Facebook (I have a page called Hipstafiend, where I post not just Hipstamatics pix, as well as other peoples’ works), WIAM, Tumblr, EyeEm, Streamzoo, PicYou, Pixels. I just started using Instagram when Hipstamatic had their last update, because they made it easier to upload there.
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Stop the World & Let Me Get Off!’ – Apps Used – #Hipstamatic,Tiny Planet, XnView FX
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?
KM – Definitely, or I go into withdrawal!
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Alluring Iris‘ – Apps Used – Lomora2, Perfectly Clear, ShockMyPic
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
KM – Flowers, my grandson, my cat, anything colorful and anything that sits still long enough.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Paranormal‘ – Apps Used – Tadaa
JC – What are you top five tips for mobile photography?
KM – 1. Take one with a flash, and one without ( such as with Hipstamatic), you may be surprised at the differences. NEVER use the LED!! 2. Get up close. 3 Use a tripod, especially with macros, it makes all the difference. 4. Have your app set up and ready, you could miss your shot. 5. Invest in an olloclip or similar wide-angle/ macro/ fisheye attachment.
Editing…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘In Memoriam‘ – Apps Used – Leme Camera, Fuzel, Abstract Me, Marble Cam, Tilt Shift Focus
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
KM – Always on my iPhone or iPad, I don’t always have access to a computer. I cant wait to get a Mac!
Videography…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Waiting To Exhale‘ – Apps Used – Power Sketch, Retrogram, Perfect Image
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
KM – I’d love to. I have many apps for it, but it uses a lot of memory, which I don’t have (on my iPhone, iPad, or my mind!!) Another 24 hours in a day would help too. Udate! I started playing around with IMovie & GIF apps, surprisingly easy ☺
The Future Of Mobile Photography…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Beer Garden‘ – Apps Used – Power Sketch, Retrogram, Instagram
JC – Where do you see the future of mobile photography heading?
KM – It’s still in it’s infancy. We are so lucky to be living in this day and age! It will absolutely be more accepted by everyone, and I can’t imagine what we’ll be able to do next.
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Beauty of Decay‘ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic, Camera Awesome, iPhoto
JC – Do you think it is country specific, are some nations more “clued up”?
KM – No, there’s fantastic work coming from all over the globe. And now that Apple products are available in China, etc., everyone everywhere will be riding the wave.
iPhone 5…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Pocketful of Sky’ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic, Vintage Scene HD
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
KM – I’m quite pleased with my 4s. More mega pixels would only make things more fantastic!
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘American Violet‘ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic – John S lens – Ina’s 1969 film – Jolly Rainbow flash
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of iPhoneography?
KM – I’m seeing a lot of collages, landscapes, street photography, and abstacts.
TheAppWhisperer.com
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘Down the shore; – Apps Used – Hipstamatic, iPhoto
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com
KM – I absolutely adore Joanne and have a deep respect for all that she handles! And were it not for The App Whisperer, I wouldn’t have been made aware of so many great apps, or learned so much from her tutorials.
JC – Thank you so much Kim, it is so great to have you as a real fan and I am pleased we have helped you so much.
Links To All Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article…
Copyright Image – Kim Martino – ‘The Old Ford‘ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic – John S lens – float film – standard flash
Abstract me
Afterfocus
Camera Awesome
Camera+
Crystal Eye
DXP
Dynamic Light
Fast Camera
Fuzel
Hipstamatic
iAwesomizer
iColorama
iPhoto
Leme Camera Pro
Lo-Mob
Lomora 2
Marble Cam
Modern Grunge
Osmo Leaker
Perfect Image
Perfectly Clear
Power Sketch
ProCamera
RetroGram
Shockmypic
Snapseed
Tadaa
Tilt Shift Focus
Tiny Planet
Vintage Scene
Wood Camera
XnView FX
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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9 Comments
Kim Martino
Thank you again, Joanne, for this great opportunity!
Roger Guetta
Great to get to know you a bit better, Kim….Loved the interview!
David
Thank you, Joanne for publishing such a great interview…and thank you, Kim for sharing your images…they are incredible!!
Robert Lancaster
Great interview, great article and outstanding images.
When I “grow up” I want to be as good a photographer as you!
Thanks also for including links to all the apps used … my iTunes wishlist is reaching scary proportions.
kathy
really great interview..as always.. ive come to expect nothing less from you Joanne:)
Rad Drew
Kim, I just read your interview. Your work is spectacular! I love your creative bent, the brilliant color, and the way you see.. I intend to seek you out and feast my eyes on more of your work!
Sean Hayes
Only reading this now Kim -better late than never:) Great interview.
Mark Daniels
Really interesting interview. Inspiring work as always.
iColorama
Wonderful! You are an amazing artist!