A Picture’s Worth – With Lisa Waddell
A Picture’s Worth… is where we ask mobile photographers that have taken or made, as the case may be, powerful mobile art to explain the processes they took. This includes their initial thoughts as to what they wanted to create, why they wanted to create it, how they created it, including all apps used and what they wanted to convey. We also ask these incredible artists to explain their emotions and how the image projects those feelings. We have published a few A Picture’s Worth articles recently, if you have missed those – please go here.
In this A Picture’s Worth today Lisa Waddell discusses her image ‘From The Depth of Despair’ and explains very clearly her reasons for photographing this wonderful image and processing it in the way that she has. Thank you Lisa for sharing that story and time in your life with us, I feel for you.
If you would like to contribute to this section or if you have seen an image that you would like to learn more about, just email [email protected] and we will get it all set up).
Over to you Lisa…(foreword by Joanne Carter).
“It is no secret that flowers, whether living or dying, are my favorite subject to shoot. I buy fresh flowers every couple of weeks; study them from all angles; and capture them in all phases of life. It is also no secret that the week of April 15th was a very sad time in the United States. The week started with the Boston Marathon terrorist bombings, continued with the devastating explosion in West, Texas and finished with the lock down of whole sections of Boston as the manhunt for the bombers unfolded. We were already feeling great sadness in my house because, two weeks prior to the 15th, we watched our beloved Boston Terrier become sicker and sicker until we found ourselves at the veterinarian’s office holding him as he was put down. This sunflower sat on my kitchen counter where I had been photographing it for several days. On the day I captured this particular image I saw in it the emotions of the past weeks. It was very easy coming up with the perfect title for it–From the Depths of Despair.
Process:
I shot this image on my iPhone 4s using the 6×6 camera app. I originally used color film but knew it would look much better (and match my mood) if I converted it to black and white. I used the Agfa APX (vignette) filter in the B&W Film pack in Alt Photo. Next I applied a bit of grunge using Scratchcam then finished it by resizing it and adding a watermark”.
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]
11 Comments
Dee
I love Lisa’s work! She is inspirational.
Catherine Restivo
Your work is not only beautiful, but it always reflects your heart and soul… <3 Thank you for sharing this with us! xoxo
Carlos
Ditto…I sorry for the loss of your doggie…very tough part since they are so much part of our family.
Mark Schnidman
I’m sadden by the lost of your beloved pet. Though, I believe it played a large part in creating this wonderful composition. Had it not been for those sorrowful moments we probably would have seen a different creation. Thanks for the explanation of your process. After viewing your work, I’m always thinking of new ways to compose and title. Your work is very inspiring. Glad to see you’re getting the recognition you deserve.
David
A very powerful and beautiful image, Lisa. Thank you so much for sharing this…and your “recipe” with us! I’m off to check out Alt Photo!!
Tracy Mitchell Griggs
Always love your images. Do you shoot in natural light? Flash? Do you use a photographer’s lightbox or similar set up to avoid background interference?
Gianluca Ricoveri
So beautiful!!
Janine Graf
[tears in eyes] Lisa, your flower images are always so full of emotion and oh so lovely. Thanks for sharing the story behind this particular one. Muah!
Cara Gallardo Weil
I love your flowers Lisa. Always so beautiful. Your story behind this one is very moving. I can totally relate to the loss of a pet – so sorry that you went through this. Thanks for sharing the story <3
Lisa
I have been remiss in not thanking y’all sooner!! Please know how much I appreciate your lovely comments and the thoughts about our sweet Sam! I’m so pleased that the emotion in this image could be so easily felt. Thanks again! xoxoxo
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