What Apps Are We Using This Month? with Laika
Welcome to TheAppWhisperer’s new section, “What apps are we using this month” series, where we discover which apps you are particularly enjoying. Kicking us off today is non-other than notable Mobile Artist Laika.
Hello☺️ I’m Laika, a 40-year-old photographer currently based in London. I’ve always had a creative side, I used to be a dancer, but now I specialise in abstract and nature photography. I would like to share my knowledge and insights through the exciting realm of photography focusing on apps which complement the increasingly powerful tool that we all carry in our pockets—the mobile! As technology has advanced, so has the image quality of our mobile devices. I am currently using the iPhone 14 Pro, with its cutting-edge camera capabilities, it has become a reliable companion for photographers like me.
I use a mobile app called Slow Shutter for long-exposure photography. There’s one critical factor that can make or break your shots: stability throughout the exposure. Look around for any objects/surfaces that can act as impromptu supports such as a wall or table, use a mini tripod and/or consider using a remote shutter release. Remember that even the slightest movement can result in blurry images. The app provides various shooting modes, including Motion Blur, Light Trail, and Low Light, allowing you to choose the appropriate setting for your desired effect. Additionally, you can adjust parameters such as exposure time, sensitivity, and focus, giving you full control over your creative vision.
In the early stages of my image editing process, Adobe Photoshop remains my go-to software. It might seem a bit daunting at first but there are plenty of hands-on tutorials which will help you. Its unrivalled control, non-destructive workflow, advanced selection and masking tools, powerful retouching capabilities, creative possibilities, and plugin support make it an indispensable tool for me. From adjusting colours and contrast to retouching and enhancing specific details. It also provides a vast collection of filters and effects that can drastically alter the appearance of your images. These filters range from simple adjustments like blur, sharpening, or noise reduction to creative filters such as artistic styles, distortions and textures.
While Photoshop remains at the core of my editing process, I also utilise various other applications to add unique touches and experiment with different styles. Snapseed and Procreate are two exceptional apps that I frequently use to further enhance my images. Snapseed offers a wide range of editing options, including selective adjustments, filters, healing tools and double exposures. Procreate, on the other hand, allows me to unleash my artistic prowess by adding digital illustrations and custom textures to my photographs.
Recently, I decided to expand my editing toolkit and acquired a subscription to Luminar Neo. I use this as a Photoshop plugin. This advanced editing software has quickly become an indispensable asset in my workflow. Luminar Neo’s intelligent AI-powered tools, creative effects and intelligent relighting, provide me with limitless possibilities to transform my images into works of art quickly and effortlessly.
The evolution of mobile photography has revolutionised the way we engage with the art form. Combined with powerful editing tools such as the ones mentioned above I am equipped to push the boundaries of creativity and produce visually stunning artwork. So, join me as we embark on this never-ending voyage of visual storytelling and let’s capture the beauty that surrounds us. Remember, the more you practice and experiment with different tools and features, the more confident and proficient you’ll become. Creative expression has no bounds!
Please check out my photography website www.laika.photos Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments.
Thank you so much Joanne from The AppWhisperer – the world’s most popular mobile photography & art website for this feature! I am very grateful 😃
To read our other interviews in this series, please go here.
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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]
