Lola Mitchell – Extension Of The I – Interview – A Truly Outstanding Mobile Photographer

© Lola Mitchell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lolamitchell/

http://www.iphoneart.com/sasseefrench

http://www.facebook.com/theimagesofsasseefrench

@sasseefrench on Instagram and Eyem

© Lola Mitchell – ‘My Wings’ – Decim8 of a photo of a pond and a crane taken on Camera+, Hipstamatic, Superimpose, ScratchCam

Joanne – How did you get started in photography?

Lola – My father was a photographer, so I always took photos. I still remember being in the darkroom with him when I was 7. To see this image appear was just magical. I have always had a camera and always been a little gear obsessed. The iPhone has been a liberation. I am happy with what I have. Its also the first time I feel the need to share what I do.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Pause’ – Camera +, Rainy Daze, Image Blender

Joanne – Who and what are your influences?

Lola – My family for one was very artistic. My father was a photographer, my uncle a playwright, actor, illustrator, my mother a contemporary dancer. They were part of this huge community of artists from Argentina in Paris. My husband is also an incredible artist, he makes these incredible post apocalyptic wearable masks. I love the way he shares his work and the way he thinks. There are so many amazing photographers. I love the internet and that now I can follow their work through Instagram, Flickr, IPA, Eyem etc…I get inspired by everything though, books, movies, music, paintings.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Playground’ – Native camera, MarbleCam, iColorama, Image Blender, picFx, Photo Fx ultra

Joanne – What draws you to the subjects you seek?

Lola – Probably personal taste. If it inspires me, makes me smile, looks beautiful.Right now because of life I am constantly with my children and so they become my main characters.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Pond’ – Awesome Camera, PicFX, Magic Hour

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

Lola – Vulnerability, the raw emotion and the sense of magical discovery. Freeze this moment in time if it is captured correctly. Show what I see in an expression or the way a person is standing by incorporating them in a surreal setting.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘regarde’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Pix, Snapseed

Joanne – How did you ‘settle’ on this subject?

Lola – Right now it is what my life revolves around.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Rising’ – Native Camera, Image Blender, PicFX

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

Lola – Yes dancers. I have been wanting to do a whole series on dancers. I am fascinated by movement. Also continue my black and white portrait series.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Silence’ – Hipstamatic, Artree, Rainy Daze, Smoosh, Snapseed

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

Lola – Peter Beard, Edward Steichen, Saul Leiter, Annie leiboviz, Irving Penn….so many. iPhoneographer’s there are so many! Souichi Furusho, Sara Tune, Hedyna, Krapoz, Carlein, Joel Adam, Mel Harrison, Millo Salgado. Here is the link to more I have bookmarked on Iphoneart.com http://www.iphoneart.com/users/4634/favorite_artists

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Silverwalk’ – Hipstamatic, Camera+, Artree, Superimpose, Snow Daze, Rainy Daze, Alien Sky

Joanne – Henri Cartier-Bresson is in many ways, the Godfather of street photography, even in the 1930’s 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?

Lola – Yes. I have a big DSLR and when out and about it never got use much. For me taking that big camera out of the bag was removing myself from the moment. I also felt everyone got instantly self conscious. I like capturing people in their natural state. I think it is easier to forget someone is taking photos when it is done with an iPhone.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Solo Stroll’ – Native Camera, Image Blender, Snapseed, Laminar

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

Lola – I rely on my intuition. I do read about technique but when I take photos I do not think about that. I just hope the knowledge gets absorbed into my head somehow.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Stencil boy’ – Hipstamatic, Juxtaposer, Snapseed

Joanne – How has your photography evolved?

Lola – I am learning how I like my photos to be framed and what I look for in them. I rarely just post my almost unedited photos but I now only work with photos I love as is. I also have more and more a complete photo in my head before I start cutting and blending.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Still here’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Rainy Daze

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?

Lola – I do. I take photos because it makes me happy. I do all this editing because I want to see the result and the process relaxes me. When I edit I do not see time go by. I dream of photos, have thousands of places I would love to shoot and people. It has become a huge part of my life. That said feedback is essential and I would lie if I said I do not care if people like my photos or not.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Strangeland’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Alien Sky, Laminar

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

Lola – I don’t know that I do. I give myself challenges when I shoot. I try to do what feels right and looks good to me.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘The Glow’ – Camera+, Artree, Superimpose, Rays, Snow Daze

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

Lola – Well I can think of two for different reasons. Stencil boy because it was my first attempt at using apps and was featured on Lifeinlofi for their weekly selection. The other is Love because I cannot believe I was able to capture this moment with my daughter. I was using my husband’s iPhone taking photos of him and my boy and just turned the iPhone around.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘The View’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Touch Retouch, picFX

Joanne – Do you get emotionally involved with your photography?

Lola – Yes and I think that it can only be that way. I am trying to show how I perceive the world.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘To Infinity’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Touch Retouc, Laminar

Joanne – Does your life become entwined with your subjects?

Lola – So far all my subjects have been friends and family. I think I would have to. Essentially when you shoot a portrait you are trying to capture the essence of the person. I think you can only do that if you get to know them a little, or recognize something in them.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Under The Sea’ – Camera+, Superimpose, Image Blender

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

Lola – I don’t think I do. I try to constantly get better, learn and evolve. I don’t always have the time but I wish I knew everything the apps I possess offer.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Venetian Paris’ – Camera+, Image Blender, Rainy Daze, Color Lake

Joanne – Do you have any tips for processing?

Lola – My advice is have fun with it. Enjoy the process. Oh and beware of the resolution of your photo at all times.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Watching Birds Fly’ – Hipstamatic, Camera+, Artree, Superimpose, Rainy Daze, Image Blender

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

Lola – Not really. I mean I transfer all to iPhotos. My system is simple, I have a monthly folder for iPhone and one for the iPad. Every few months, it gets transferred to hard drive and burnt onto disc. I do want to get more organized. Maybe have a folder for all my bird pics, trees etc…

© Lola Mitchell – ‘Wee’ – Camera+, Juxtaposer

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

Lola – It is more available to everyone. It used to be costly. Between the cameras, the film, the developing. Now everyone can take as many pictures as they want and there is gear at every price.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘When She Sings’ – Hipstamatic, Camera+, Superimpose, Rainy Daze, PicFX, pix

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

Lola – No. I do love the instant gratification. My father loved being in his darkroom. I like being outside and mobile. I do miss the surprise when you looked at a roll of film.

© Lola Mitchell – ‘When Worlds Collide’ – Hipstamatic, Camera+, superimpose, Glaze, Smoosh, Snapseed, Image Blender

Artree
Hipstamatic
Camera+
Rainy Daze
Snow Daze
Pix
Snapseed
Image Blender
PicFX
Alien Sky
Laminar
Superimpose
Color Lake
Juxtaposer
Smoosh
TouchRetouch
iColorama
MarbleCam

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