‘Brought To Light’ – Mobile Photography / Art Interview with M. Cecilia de são Thiago
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 M. Cecilia de são Thiago currently living in Paris, she is an experienced photographer with a substantial vision that she hones to create her legendary style of mobile art. De Sao Thiago focuses on pushing the concept of streams of consciousness with an acute sense of self belief. The result is an impressive body of work that encapsulates multilayering of images that feel like part of a diorama, painting and film. It’s impossible to deny the importance of this work. It is engaging, visceral and immensely intuitive.
This body of work drew us to M. Cecilia de são Thiago, enjoy.
Describe a moment that changed your life
Most of the time we do not give great value to events that seem mundane to us but there are times in our lives when we have unique experiences.
I had so many moments that marked me enormously. Like the day I left Brazil for live in Germany, the day I broke my leg skiing there, the day I returned to Brazil after 6 years in such a cold country, the birth of my three daughters. But here I must specify a day as common as so many others, watching television, I saw a documentary about people who used the iPad as support for their paintings, I was then presented to IPA and iPhoneography and since then my days have been taken by this art movement.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
Describe a childhood photographic/art memory
Again, I could tell you so many things [ah, it’s true, alias “telling stories” is the theme of a new series of photographs I’ll start soon… surprise, surprise …] But I’ll stick with the days, or rather nights, I spent with my father enlarging his photographs. I should have had the height of the bench where the basin with the developer and other chemical baths were, and for me to see an image appear from a sheet of paper, after being immersed in a liquid, was and until today is, pure magic of the highest quality. This reminds me that I need to set up my lab again.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
Describe your mobile studio
Nowadays my studio is the more than 885 applications installed on my iPhone 7+ plus, 6+ and three iPads, all separated on screens by the colours of their icons. Since my life is governed by colours, this is for me, the best way to memorize where each App is… But as stated above, I intend to reactivate my photographic laboratory, to reveal and enlarge myself again.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
What do you like to think about whilst creating images?
One of the things that most appeals to me in my handiwork is to draw over the images on the iPad.
At the same time that I am creating new art, I let the thoughts flow. Thus, what could be a totally spontaneous and purposeless act, the creation for me, behind it lies an intense form of self-knowledge. Creating for me, is like starting a process of daily catharsis.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
Share one mobile photography/art tip
I think an edited photo can reveal more details and make the observer’s eye go directly to the point where I want it. Don’t get intimidated to Post-Process your Images and use at last four to five Apps to finalize one image. The reality is, you’ll need to process your images to get the best possible final result.
Snapseed + ArtStudio + iColorama + Brushstroke + DistressedFX are only the first steeps to match my creative vision.
And please, don’t ever forget to use the highest resolution possible on your camera phone.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
What or who ignited your passion for mobile photography/art?
Well as I said this TV documentary about iPhoneography, when I first heard about – iphoneart.com and a Book I bought on September 5, 2013 [ I love how amazon stores our purchases ] The Art of iPhone Photography: Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhone by Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
What is the most unusual subject you have photographed/painted?
The most unlikely subject I have photographed has been walls, floors, woods , fabrics and any surface where I can find great textures to use as layers.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
What are your favourite mobile photography accessories?
My new DxO camera I won to Depth Effects competition on TheAppWhisperer.com
https://theappwhisperer.com/2017/01/mobile-photography-depth-effects-competition-results-announced/
The Olloclip lens and the extra charge of the Mophie Juice Pack.
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
Describe your dream photography assignment
My dream photography assignment is always my future project. I mean, now it is a book of my work.
Or better, my dream photography assignment is the possibility to give a book of my work to Elton John, for his great photo collection. 😉
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
What does mobile photography/art mean to you?
iPhoneography is one of the most fulfilling things I can do as a conscious and creative person.
Mobile photography/art means to me endless creativity.
With love ❤️ to Joanne Carter and TheAppWhisperer
Photo ©M. Cecilia de são Thiago
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
