‘Brought To Light’ – Mobile Photography / Art Interview with Jane Schultz from Pennsylvania, US

Our ‘Brought to Light‘ interview section explores the mobile photographers and mobile artists behind their art. Each question has been carefully crafted and is designed to allow us to get to know them a little more intimately. To view others that we have published in this series, please go here.

Today we are featuring Jane Schultz, from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Schultz is an experienced photographer and artist best known for her black and white self portraiture. Schultz is the star of her own images but has claimed they are not autobiographical. However, each image supports a raft of emotion and I believe it is fair to view these images evolving as a ‘sense of self’. Without placing definitive judgements on this series of work, I consider they represent an increase in psychological awareness. This could be said of many artists who practice this particular genre, all encompass multiple dimensional influences. Schultz’s stunning art though, reflects identity formation, grounded picture by picture, with individual life stories. These images are not rigid, they’re not bound by social classifications, they represent freedom of expression. Schultz has discovered a novel way of viewing herself and her culture and for the viewer, it enables us to savour a very unique series of work, that touches the depths of our souls.

To view more of her work, please go here.

This body of work drew us to Jane Schultz…

All photos ©Jane Schultz

Describe a moment that changed your life

My marriage and, of course, the birth of my children were life altering, as was the day I learned my origins. There have also been more subtle moments like when I realized that art was my path. This has actually been a series of moments beginning during my first physical exhibition in Kansas City with the New Era Museum.

Describe a childhood photographic/art memory

I always loved the old style plastic cameras that I had as a kid. I can remember winding the film, advancing and reversing the frames, and waiting for the photos to be developed. Each one was a precious commodity so unlike our current digital times.

Describe your mobile studio

I have a portrait studio in my house. It’s a room with beautiful lighting, a backdrop, and a slew of props. Nonetheless, my real studio is the place that I am when I see photographic opportunities. I have spent a good part of 2017 creating a series taken in a hotel room with perfect walls, glass, and humidity. There is a magic to certain places, background and light being key elements.

What do you like to think about whilst creating images?

I usually have a vision for where my images will go artistically, but they often taken a turn while editing. When something is forced, it seldom works. I let each step take me to the next. I am in the moment, without thought except as to what I am editing at the time.

Share one mobile photography/art tip

Take more that one photo of any image that is important to you. Do something different as to each shot, whether it is the focal point, the perspective, or the composition.

What or who ignited your passion for mobile photography/art?

It all started with Instagram. Towards the end of 2011, I had started one of the first hubs on that platform @amigirls with 2 other mobile artists where we held challenges and editing pimps. My group of friends there started and became part of the #unitedbyedit movement, a representative force that mobile photography was not just about taking pictures, it was about creating art from them. I also became close with a group of 9 women, the perfect square, and we edited together in a rotating pool of our own mobile images with our own tag. I was inspired by the mobile artists who were a part of @iPhoneart, @igsomniacs, and @mobileartistry forums. Once I started to create on an iPad, there was no stopping it.

What is the most unusual subject you have photographed/painted?

There have been a few that have stood out, which mostly have not found there way into edits. These include the Magic Gardens, a mosaic world created by artist Isaiah Zagar, the Society of Pythagoras at Hawthorne Hall, a forgotten building turned installation. and the black tulips at Chanticleer. Most of the things I shoot are not that unusual except perhaps to my eye at the moment. It’s what I do post processing that makes them unique to others.

What are your favourite mobile photography accessories?

Describe your dream photography assignment

I love to shoot places that I find intrinsic beautiful and that are foreign to me, whether that beauty exists in nature, decay, or otherwise. My dream would be to travel the world to find these special places with my phone, lenses, and extra battery packs.

What does mobile photography/art mean to you?

It is that extra essence that makes my heart smile. I could never have imagined where mobile artistry has taken me or the creative possibilities it has provided.

While you’re here…

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. As the years passTheAppWhisperer has gained readers and viewers and found new venues for that exchange.

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