A Day In The Life Of ...,  News

A Day In The Life Of Joel Adam – A Very Talented iPhone Photographer…

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 our forty eighth installment of the series, you can read the others here, if you have missed them so far. Today we are featuring Joel Adam, from food to art, amateur mobile photographer and former chef,  Joel Adam loves to create.  After leaving the culinary world for a career in military logistics, Joel’s desire for a creative outlet lead him to photography and his constant companion, his iPhone, became his greatest tool.  Joel strives to combine everyday images with a touch of fantasy.  His work has been featured on various iPhone photography websites and several pieces can be seen at the upcoming L.A. Mobile Arts Festival.

Read more about Joel in our exclusive interview below…

Each image is titled with the apps used to create it in sequential order. You can find all the links the the apps mentioned 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 Joanne@theappwhisperer.com, and we’ll get it set up).

 

First Things First…

iPhone

© Joel Adam – ‘A curious incident at Hodge’s Lake’ – Apps Used – Lomora 2, Juxtaposer, Superimpose, Iris, Lenslight, Retouch, ScratchCam

 

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

JA – It starts around 6 am if I’m lucky. Play with my dog Rigby give my cat Sophie some lovin’. Then it’s a rush to get in the shower before my wife and from there it’s off to fight the morning traffic.

Magic Hour…

photographer

© Joel Adam – ‘Automaton’ – Apps Used – Lens+, Photoforge 2, Decim8, Rollage, Blender, Phonto, ColorLake

 

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

JA – No! I’m not a morning person at all.  I can’t be creative or inspired if I’m half-conscious.

Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Child meet The Ocean’ – Apps Used – Hipstamatic, Noir, Retouch, Addlib, Blender, Phonto

 

JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to iPhoneographer develop? (pardon the pun).

JA – In the beginning I was only taking pictures of various dishes I would create for the staff and recipe books at restaurants I cooked at.   Never anything I considered sharing or posting online.   I began taking random pictures with my newly purchased iPhone 3s and the app Hipstamatic when my wife suggested I try out Flickr.  From Flickr I stumbled upon IPA, after that I was hooked.  Sites like IPA, IPC, and TheAppWhisperer have really helped me develop as an artist.

New Apps…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Closer’- Pano, Color Splash, AlienSky, Phonto, Snapseed

 

JC – Do you like to download new iPhoneography apps regularly?

JA – In the beginning I was purchasing tons of photo related apps but as I have become more experienced I have found I’m downloading photo apps less and less.  I have around 60 photo apps currently on my phone but usually stick with a core of around 20.  I’ll download the occasional “one trick” app for IPA challenges/contests but will delete it soon after if I feel the app is just taking up megabytes.

Updates…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Contemplating Flight’ – Pixlromatic, Blender, Lenslight, Superimpose, Snapseed

 

JC – How often do you update your existing apps?

JA – Not as often as I probably should.  Right now I have 50 apps in the update queue!   I’m rarely ever home or near any wi-fi to keep up with the updates.  I’ll scroll the queue and if there is an app I use often I’ll update it.  Sorry Plants vs. Zombies, you’ll just have to wait.

Location, Location, Location…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Extinguished’ – Hipstamatic, Colorlake

 

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

JA – Anyplace that’s new!  New locations can inspire new ideas.

Tools Of The Trade…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Gnasher’ – Olloclip, Hipstamatic, Retouch, Noir, Decim8, StripeCam, PicGrunger, Blender

 

JC – Do you also use iPhone photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris and if so do you use it to plan your shoots?

JA – I actually had to look up the app in question!  The only  photo tool application I have on my phone right now is Photosize.  A must have for all iPhoneographers.  I don’t use it to plan my shoot but it helps a great deal during the editing phase.

Sharing…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Model Tantrums’ – Hipstamatic, Retouch, Diptic, ScratchCam

 

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

JA – You can find my work on Flickr, iPhoneArt, and EyEm.  I’m in the process of convincing my wife to start a blog featuring my art with short stories written by her that directly relate to each piece.  She’s the scribe and I’m the eye. It makes perfect sense! Fingers are crossed and I’ll keep the community posted.

Favorite Apps…

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© Joel Adam – ‘ Night Magik’ – Olloclip,Lomora 3, Filterstorm, Noir, Juxtaposer, Superimpose, Lenslight, ColorLake, Blender

 

JC – What are your favorite, at the moment, iPhoneography apps?

JA – Oh that’s a tough one.  I recently fell back in love with Hipstamatic, loving the Jane lens and BlacKeys film.  I really like Snapseed’s “Drama” feature and update to its B&W options.  Photocopier is great for tones and texture.  Phonto for its wide range of fonts and font layouts.  Decim8 is very unique and can create wonderful images when applied with my other favs.   ScratchCam and Filterstorm simply because they’re awesome.

Frequency…

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© Joel Adam – ‘One day a great rain will come’ – Lomora 3, Lenslight, ScratchCam, Tilt-shift, Modern Grunge, Filterstorm

 

JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?

JA – I try to but a lot of the time I never get that chance.  My photographs are very rarely at random and street photography is almost non-existent in my gallery of work.  Usually they’re composed to set a particular tone or emotion I’m feeling at the time.   My work is very cathartic.

Favorite Subjects…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Only Child-Mute only in pictures’ – Lens+, Diptic, Retouch, Snapseed, Photocopier

 

JC – What are your favorite subjects?

JA – Can’t say I have a favorite just yet.  I go through phases.

Top Five Tips…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Only Child’ – Lens+, Juxtaposer, Retouch, Snapseed, Modern Grunge, Photocopier

 

JC – What are your top five tips for iPhone photography?

JA – Be true to thy self!  Create what you love, not what you think others may like 2: Learn from your peers. Visit sites like AppWhisper, IPA, and IPC.  The tutorials and studio talks can really help you develop as an iphoneographer/iPhone artist. 3: Experiment!  Creating iPhone art is a lot like cooking.  No one likes eating the same thing over and over.  Take a recipe you’re familiar with and spice it up with a dash of Decim8 and a teaspoon of Flow paper.  4: Remember your workflow. Make note of the workflow on particular pieces you’re really proud of, especially if it’s heavily app’d. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to go back and re-create a certain style and forgot how I did it! 5: Look for inspiration.  Visit an art gallery or expo.  Even if the artistic medium isn’t your cup of tea, you’re bound to get inspired.

Teaching…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Ov Light’ – Hipstamatic, Lenslight, PhotoStudio, Retouch, Filterstorm, Photocopier

 

JC – How did the teaching side come along?

JA – I learn everyday from my peers.  The iPhoneography community is so friendly and the sharing of methods and ideas has always been open for an apt pupil like me.

Editing…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Patriot’ – Lens+, Decim8, Percolator, Retouch, Snapseed, Blender, ScratchCam

 

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

JA – All my work is shot and processed on my iPhone 4.  My hand is 5 times as large as the phone but with my stylus I somehow manage.  Eventually I’ll give up and get an iPad!

Videography…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Portal’ – TinyPlanet, Juxtaposer, Blender, WaterPhoto, Iris, Snapseed, ScratchCam

 

JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?

JA – I have yet to explore the video side.  One medium at a time!

The Future Of Mobile Photography…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Room 217′ – Lens+, Addlib, Retouch, Blender, Snapseed, ScratchCam, Phonto, Photocopier

 

JC – Where do you see the future of iPhone photography?

JA – I see mobile technology vastly improving and along with it, the art of the iPhone.  Better pixels mean cleaner pictures!  I see iPhoneography accepted as a legit medium in the artistic photography community and not the “stepchild” as it’s so often viewed.  One love!

 

Popularity…

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© Joel Adam – ‘The Fluidity of Things’ – Olloclip, Lomora 2, Filterstorm, Phonto

 

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

JA – Our unity!  Mobile art rebels since 2007!

Where In The World…?

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© Joel Adam – ‘The Line-Up’ – Lens+, Decim8, Blender, Snapseed, Label Box, Diptic, ScratchCam

 

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

JA – Its worldwide baby! Thanks to all the social networking and sites like Flickr, IPA, IG, etc.

iPhone 5…

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© Joel Adam – ‘This place is death’ – Hipstamatic, Rainy Daze, Filterstorm, Blender, Phonto

 

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

JA – A bigger screen, more megapixels, more battery life, more more more.

TheAppWhisperer.com…

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© Joel Adam – ‘Visions’ – Hipstamatic, WaterPhoto, Lenslight, Iris, Snapseed, ScratchCam

 

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

JA – I think it’s great what Joanne is doing!  TheAppWhisperer.com gives so much to the iPhoneography world.  I thank you!

 

Links To All Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article…

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© Joel Adam – ‘What lies in Rabbit’s hole?’ – Hipstamatic, TinyPlanets, Juxtaposer, Phonto, Iris

 

AddLib
Alien Sky
Color Lake
ColorSplash
Decim8
Diptic
Filterstorm
Hipstamatic
Image Blender
Iris Photo Suite
Juxtaposer
Label Box
Lens+
Lens Light
Lomora 2
Modern Grunge
Percolator
Phonto
Photocopier
Photo Noir
Rollage
Scratchcam
Snapseed
Stripecam
Superimpose
Tiny Planet Photos
Tiltshift
Touch Retouch
WatermyPhoto

TheAppWhisperer has always had a dual mission: to promote the most talented mobile artists of the day and to support ambitious, inquisitive viewers the world over.

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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: joanne@theappwhisperer.com

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