A Day In The Life Of ...

A Day In The Life of Talented and Inspirational Mobile Photographer Andrew Proudlove

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 eighth installment of the series; you can read the others here, if you have missed any so far. Today we are featuring Andrew Proudlove, an enthusiastic and very talented mobile photographer based in beautiful Prague, in the Czech Republic. Andrew studied Software Engineering at university in England and practiced sketching and computer art in his spare time. After living and working in America he returned to Europe, delivering IT support in a newsroom for a TV station in the Czech republic before moving to an IT manager’s role at a law firm.

Andrew, says he always had a passing interest in photography but he started to ‘dabble’ in photography about 11 years ago, he admits it was really only in February of this year after rediscovering Instagram that led him "to a world of images that I didn’t think were possible from an iPhone". Andrew continues "since then I have been totally immersed in this new world and spend all of my spare free time in it. What I like is that I have the camera and editing suite with me and so I can work on my images pretty much anytime and anywhere".

In that short time, Andrew has had work featured n Pixels, as part of the Mobile Photography Awards weekly review and on other websites and has been voted Artist of the day at iPhoneArt.com

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…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – View From Our Window. Apps used – Pro HDR, Moku Hanga, Image Blender, Modern Grunge, Snapseed

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

AP – Usually between 5:30 and 6:00 our eldest Elizabeth (she’s 4 1/2) comes and wakes us up. Usually to the sounds of James (2 1/2) and Charlotte (1) shouting, haven’t had to use an alarm in ages. We tend to spend a few minutes with all the kids in our bed, mainly just enjoying being together before the day starts. Then it’s a mad rush to get the two eldest ready for pre-school and I then drop them off on the way to work.

Magic Hour…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Morning Sun. Apps used – 645 Pro, Snapseed

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

AP – I would like to but because of the morning rush, there is little opportunity. Our house is located in a semi-rural area though and so there are some nice sunrises and landscapes which I usually hang out of a window to capture. Otherwise I take pictures during my commute and/or lunch breaks. On weekends I tend to take pictures whenever I am outside with the kids or when opportunity arises.

Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Reflections of Prague. Apps used – Pro HDR, Photo fx, Pixlr-o-matic

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

AP – –I have always been interested in photography but was never able to justify the cost of a decent camera and so most of my early pictures were mainly just of the kids or occasional snaps on holidays, more of an on-again, off-again hobby really. It was only with the advent of the iPhone once it got a decent camera and I realised what it could do, that I started to photograph in earnest. I still don’t consider myself to be a photographer though (although I would love to be), more an iPhone Artist perhaps? I have a big internal debate going on with myself about this right now.

New Apps…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Frantiskanska Gardens. Apps used – Camera+, Dynamic Light, ShockMyPic, Rays

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

AP – Well, I try not to, as I’d like to master and make use of everything that I have got. I do keep an eye on what’s going on though and listen to recommendations being passed around on sites like iPhoneArt, Mobitog and theappwhisperer.com. If enough people I respect recommend it, then I usually break down and end up getting it. I’m trying to narrow it down now though to a more refined “tool-bag” and get rid of the stuff that I don’t use or that reduces the resolution of an image and shows no signs of being updated.

Updates…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – The Sky is Falling. Apps used – Pro HDR, 3D Photo, Image Blender, SuperImposer, Pic Grunger, Pixlr-o-matic, Lenslight, WaterMyPhoto

JC – How often do you update your existing apps?

AP – Most of the time as soon as I see the annoying badge, I am sure that’s why they put it there 🙂 Otherwise, I tend to read what the update does first, especially with my favourite apps as sometimes an update giveth and sometimes taketh away 🙂

Location, Location, Location…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Dejected. Apps used – Pro HDR, Snapseed, Pixlr-o-matic, Image Blender, Rays

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

AP – Anywhere! I dont mind, sometimes I take a photo of something boring and mundane and try to interpret it or show it in a different, better light. I consider it a form of training almost in my ongoing attempt to gain a photographer’s eye. I think I am fortunate to live close to Prague though as there are plenty of things to photograph as well as in the surroundings of the area where I live.

Tools Of The Trade…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Gateway to the Gardens. Apps used – Apple’s Camera, Rays, Pixlr-o-matic

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

AP – I don’t, I’d never even heard of it until you asked the question and had to google it like everyone else. It looks useful though and I quite enjoy landscape photography so it seems like it would be a good app – see what happens? I just invalidated my answer to question 4…

Favorite Apps…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – A Walk in the Shadows (Corridor of Light). Apps used – Noir, Lenslight

JC – If so, do you use them to plan you shoot?

AP- I rarely plan my shoots, The best laid plans of mice and men after all, rather I just keep my iPhone with me and ready for when I see something. Then I usually shoot the hell out of it, providing that it wasn’t just a fleeting moment of course and time/kids allowing because I know for every 100 pictures perhaps 5 or 10 will be useful at some point. My kids tend to get frustrated when I am taking pictures though and after a couple of minutes I just hear, “Dad, come on”.

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – A Child’s Plaything. Apps used – Camera+, Fluid FX, Image Blender, Rays, Pixlr-o-matic

JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?

AP – My favourites at the moment… tough question, Camera+, 645 Pro and ProHDR for capture, sometimes Apple’s app in a pinch for its lock screen access. I live in Image Blender and Snapseed, with frequent visits to Pixlromatic, Photoforge2, Noir and Photo FX. Those are the main-stays but it depends on what I am working on and the look I want to achieve. Recently, I’ve added Paint FX and iColorama to the kit bag and they have already made it into my favourites.

Sharing…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – The Grass is Greener. Apps used – 645 Pro, Image Blender, Snapseed, Pixlr-o-matic

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

AP – My first ports of call are usually iPhoneArt and Pixels if I’m feeling brave, sometimes I get by and Knox puts something up, other times it’s a no go but one thing I like about Knox is that he gives out constructive criticism. He once told me that I was ‘apping at an 11’ and should tone it down a bit to paraphrase him. Useful advice. Recently I joined Mobitog and have put some things up there and I use Flickr too, more as a kind of backup really.

Frequency…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – No Photographs Please. Apps used – Hipstamatic

JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?

AP – Pretty much.

Favorite Subjects…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Magical Mystery Tour. Apps used – Pixlro–matic, Photo fx, Rays, Rollage, Tiny Worlss, Image Blender, Snapseed, iCollage

JC – What are your favorite subjects?

AP – My kids but they are notoriously difficult to photograph, closely followed by landscapes, the countryside and cityscapes. I dabble in street photography but I’m usually quite nervous when I do it, so I try to take pictures without being noticed or pretend I am shooting something past the person I’m really shooting. Maybe one day I will be brave enough to ask them directly but not today. I’m also partial to a nice collage.

Top Five Tips…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Tree on the Hill. Apps used – Pro HDR, Snapseed, Image Blender, Pixlr-o-matic

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

AP –

1)    Keep your favourite camera app ready, so you can capture whatever you see quickly, sometimes it’s just a moment and if you hesitate it’s gone.
2)    Always take more pictures than you think you need, especially if you think you just got “The shot”, usually it won’t be as good as you hoped and you’ll be glad you took extra pictures as one of those will be useful.
3)    Keep your main camera app on your main screen.
4)    Join a group, such as iPhoneArt or Mobitog and don’t be shy, there are lots of friendly, helpful people out there.
5)    Start simple with editing with something like Camera+ or Hipstamatic and introduce other apps as you get more comfortable or find yourself hitting the limits of what you can do.

Editing…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Nothing Else Matters. Apps used – Apple’s Camera, Snapseed, Pixlro–matic

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

AP – All iPhone, all the time. I would love an iPad for the editing, though, and just to check how things look on a larger screen. I don’t use my laptop for editing but I do offload pictures from my iPhone there periodically to archive so that I can get space back on the iPhone.

Videography…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Orloj Redux Part 3. Apps used – Pro HDR, Snapseed, Image Blender, Rays, Lenslight, Pixlro–matic

JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?

AP – I only take videos of the kids or special events, like birthdays, but I don’t really dabble in it to be honest.

The Future Of Mobile Photography…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Wheels of Time. Apps used – Apple’s Camera, Noir, Image Blender, Snapseed, Pixlr-o-matic, Scratchcam

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

AP – It would be great if iPhoneography would be more widely recognised and accepted as a valid form of art and/or photography, a picture is a picture after all and what we are doing on the iPhone now is the same as what we were doing with Photoshop (and still do). So it would be great if it became more accepted and gave more people a creative outlet, we all need more beauty in our lives I think.

Popularity…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Tulips from Amsterdam. Apps used – Camera+, Snapseed, Photo fx, Paint FX, Image Blender, iColorama

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

AP – At the moment I would say self-portraits and street photography, the first because the model is always ready and willing and the second because so many people have a device of some kind in their hands while walking around now, that it’s easy to be discreet and take pictures.

Where In The World…?

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Fallen Idol. Apps used – Pro HDR, Snapseed

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

AP –That’s a hard one for me to answer as it’s limited by my own ignorance, based off the sites I visit and Instagram, it seems that the US, the UK, Indonesia, Japan and some of the other European countries have quite healthy communities whereas in my adopted country (the Czech Republic), it still seems to be quite rare. So for me, yes, I think some nations are definitely more ‘clued up’ for sure.

iPhone 5…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Full Moon Rising. Apps used – Camera+, Noir Photo, Lenslight, Image Blender, Pixlromatic, Color Lake

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

AP – More storage space! A super-mega zoom lens (only thing I miss on an iPhone – one can dream right? A better sensor for the Camera (for low light) and just more processing power. My iPhone4 feels like it’s struggling sometimes, so I keep force-closing apps to get memory back, even though according to Apple you don’t need to, I still find it helps.

TheAppWhisperer.com…

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Copyright Image – Andrew Proudlove – Sleep and Allow the Mind to Wander. Apps used – Apple’s Camera, Noir Photo, Image Blender, Snapseed, LensFlare

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

AP – Who? What? Just kidding, I think that you provide a brilliant resource for the iPhone community and it’s an honour for me to be included on your site. So thanks for everything that you’re doing and do and keep up the great work.

Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article

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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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