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Mobile Photography Interview – A Day In The Life of Lynette Jackson – A Very Talented Mobile Photographer with a Unique Style

Welcome to our very exciting interview column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled “A Day in the Life of…” is where we take a look at some hugely influential, interesting and accomplished individuals in the mobile photography and art world… people that we think you will love to learn more about. This is our 119th instalment of the series. If you have missed our previous interviews, please go here.

Today we are featuring Lynette Jackson, “Lynette Jackson uses her iPhone to document, design, and publish images of the built environment around her through Instagram. Taking a series of images that zoom deeper and deeper into the nuances of architectural form and space, Jackson’s use of pop-art imagery and graphic tools bring out details that otherwise go unnoticed and creates a narrative about each individual work of architecture that she documents” – Spillman Farmer Architects ‘blog “Speaking of Architecture.” On April 25, 2012 Lynette Jackson was featured on the highly respected architectural blog “A Daily Dose of Architecture.” The article was the fourth most read story of 2012.

Jackson was selected as a Mobile Master 2014 winner and is a featured artist for the accompanying eBook, “Mobile Masters2,” by Dan Marcolina.  Jackson also contributed iPhoneography tutorials to “The Art of iPhone Photography: Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhone” by Authors Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald.  Her images were the set backdrop for the first season of Bravo’s “Property Envy. Architectural blog Archdaily recently named her as one of 25 Instagram feeds to follow. Four of her images were selected for Los Angeles-Mobile Arts Festival 2012.

Artist Statement

“My work is an exploration of a re-imagined environment for the subject of each piece. After deconstruction, I begin to rebuild my subject by applying layers of color, repetitive patterns, light and shadow, simple squares and rectangles. Spontaneity guides placement of these elements bringing forth an abstracted outcome which examines new relationships, new meaning, and appreciation for the space an object inhabits.  

My mobile device is an extension of my life. It is my means of connecting with friends and family, navigates my daily travels, and allows me to maintain all of my social media platforms.  My mobile device is my digital canvas”. Lynette Jackson.

We could not wait to find out more about Lynette Jackson, we are absoultely certain you will love this interview, at the end of this article you will find her various acolades and contact details.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

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

I am not a morning person. The alarm reminds me to wake up between 8 and 9 am, sometimes later. I usually don’t focus until after my first cup of coffee, then off to my day gig. I work late into the evenings on my digital and handmade collages.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

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

My first opportunity to take images may happen in the middle of my work day. Something may grab my attention on my drive to or from a meeting.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop? (pardon the pun)

I discovered mobile photography through social media. I downloaded Hipstamatic and was immediately hooked. I primarily shoot architecture, my iPhone is not as intimidating to an onlooker as my DSLR and telephoto lens. The iPhone gives me more freedom and there is less equipment to haul around.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you like to download new mobile photography and/or art apps regularly?

Early on I downloaded apps frequently. That slowed as I begin to focus on my “thing” and learned which apps work well for my creative expression. I now receive most apps via Beta testing.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop? (pardon the pun)

I discovered mobile photography through social media. I downloaded Hipstamatic and was immediately hooked. I primarily shoot architecture, my iPhone is not as intimidating to an onlooker as my DSLR and telephoto lens. The iPhone gives me more freedom and there is less equipment to haul around.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you like to download new mobile photography and/or art apps regularly?

Early on I downloaded apps frequently. That slowed as I begin to focus on my “thing” and learned which apps work well for my creative expression. I now receive most apps via Beta testing.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

What is your preferred platform, Apple iOS, Android, Windows?

Apple iOS.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Would you consider changing platforms and why?

For now, no. It seems the best photography apps are made for iOS. Although, I would love to see Apple give us a game changer with the camera.  

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

How often do you update your existing apps?

I wait until the kinks are out, I never update straight away. I rely on my apps functioning well.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

What are your favourite photography apps and why, what features do you look for in a new photo app?

Union A most proficient masking app and blending app.  PerspectiveCorrectA great tool for correcting the perspective of architectural shots. iDesignA vector base app, I use it to create my shapes. Phonto-You can upload your personal fonts and I use typography as graphic elements. I look for apps that can simplify my editing process, I would like to see more vector based apps.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot and why?

I have a tendency to favor Mid-Century architecture when I travel. I would love to shoot Mid-Century architecture in Brazil.  

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

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

Flickr and Instagram are my favorite places for uploading my images.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you use your mobile phone everyday to take images?

I am always taking a snapshot of something. There is always something to capture, that’s the beauty of my iPhone, I am always prepared to capture those unexpected little things.  

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you like to use external hardware products with your mobile device for image and video capturing, such as lenses, tripods, external storage and battery packs? Please elaborate as much as possible.

I have a battery pack, Mophie Juice Pack Plus. Battery packs are a must. If I am traveling each day at the hotel, I download to my laptop. I keep all images on an external hard drive. I don’t send my images to the cloud.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you edit images on your mobile devices or do you prefer to use a desktop or laptop computer?

I insist on doing 95% of my work on an iPhone. The remaining 5% accounts for saving images to an external hard drive and using software to enlarge my images.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Where do you envisage your mobile photography passion will take you? Have you been involved with exhibitions etc? Please elaborate if you can.

Mobile photography has presented opportunities I never imagined. I have contributed to books, worked with a major television network and currently have projects in the works. My tutorials are featured in The Art of iPhone Photography Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhone and Mobile Master 2 as a featured 2014 Mobile Master winner. My images were used exclusively as the set backdrop for season one of Bravo’s Property Envy. I have been featured on leading architectural blogs Arcdaily and Archidose. My images were selected to be shown at LA Mobile Arts Festival 2012. I am currently featured at the  Project 4 Gallery in Washington, DC.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you also enjoy shooting videos with your mobile phone? If so, what do you do with them? Have you considered uploading them to our Mobile Movies Flickr group?

No. I simply don’t have the time to learn new apps for videos. Creating digital and handmade collages keep me busy.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Where do you see the future of mobile photography?

I think mobile photography is in an infant stage and still somewhat under the radar. I believe it will become a normal practice for galleries to put on solo and group shows featuring mobile artists. Just as street art evolved and there are galleries dedicated to street art. I am excited about the future of mobile photography.  

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

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

Street photography.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

Do you think its country specific, are some nations more clued up?

Maybe United States of America and Germany because of Instagram and EyeEm.

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

If you could select a specification for a mobile smartphone, what features would you select, photographically speaking?

A lens for zooming, more pixels for details, and the ability to create larger prints/output. In a few months I will have the iPhone 6, I am excited about new camera features.    

Image – ©Lynette Jackson

What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?

The App Whisperer is an invaluable resource for the mobile community. I want to thank Joanne for her dedication.

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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