A Day In The Life Of Alessandro Greganti An iPhone Street Photographer Bursting With Talent
Welcome to our very exciting new column on theappwhisperer.com. This section entitled ‘A day in the life of …’ and this is where we’ll be taking a look at some hugely influential, interesting and accomplished individuals in the mobile photography world. People that we think you will love to learn more about.
This is the thirty-first installment of the series, you can read the others here if you have missed them so far. Today, we are featuring Alessandro Greganti, a 36 year old System Administrator at the University of Turin. Alessandro lives with his girlfriend Stefania and their wonderful 7 year old son Andrea in Moncalieri, a little city just near Turin. Alessandro is a wonderfully talented iPhone photographer who is constantly fascinated by people and the streets and the need to photograph them.
Check out the full interview below…
We have included the app or apps that were used to create the final image, and as many of the images were cross processed we have listed the apps in the sequential order they were used in the editing process. We have also provided links for each app to the iTunes
App Store, just incase you’re inspired enough to try them out for yourself as well as accessories used.
You can find all the links at the end of this article.
(If you would like to be interviewed for our new ‘A day in the life of …’ section, just send an email to [email protected], and we’ll get it set up.)
First Things First…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Abandoned’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – Let’s start at the beginning of the day, how does your day start?
AG – My day starts with the usual morning race, I’m too lazy to wake up early and time is never enough.
Magic Hour…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Across light’ – Apps used – ProcCamera, Snapseed
JC – Do you like to head out and take photographs early on?
Ag – I’d like to because I really love the light in the morning when that wonderfully soft light casts long shadows and fleeting reflections. For now I do it every day when I go to work but in the future I want to plan some early photo walk.
Photographer vs Mobile Photographer…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Blue sky and collar’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Snapseed
JC – How did the transition from traditional photographer to mobile photographer develop?
AG – It was a breath of fresh air, a true rebirth. In 2006 I bought a Nikon D50 and I started to learn the basics of photography. Then I wanted to read hundreds of forums about DSLR photography. In the end I realized that I didn’t want to hear people talking about the perfect (and very expensive) lens to buy. I much prefer to go out and take pictures. Unfortunately, my camera was always at home, especially when I really wanted to have it with me. Therefore, the iPhone gives me the freedom to shoot wherever I am and whenever I want, it giving me great satisfaction. I continue shooting non-iPhone pictures with a Fuji X100 which I like very much but the iPhone is always with me.
New Apps…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Dark smoker’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Filterstorm
JC – Do you like to download new mobile photography apps regularly?
AG – Not really. Initially was a continuous search but now I’ve found the apps that fit my needs. Nevertheless I’m always curious so I like to read about new photography apps.
Updates…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Dirty business’ – Apps used – ProCamera, no edit
JC – How often do you update your existing apps?
AG – Every time it’s needed. Almost always after I read the details of the update.
Location, Location, Location…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Escape route’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Snapseed
JC – Where’s your favorite place in the world for a shoot?
AG – I haven’t travelled very much but I think I’m lucky because I’m a street photographer and streets and people are everywhere so the decisive moment is just around the corner. I think that to really document the everyday beauty you must live a place as long as you can but if I had to choose, I’d like to shoot the streets of some place in the South-East Asia. New York City will remain my secret wish, especially to have a chance to meet some very inspiring street photographers who live there.
Tools Of The Trade…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Facets’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Snapseed
JC – Do you also use mobile photography tool apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris?
AG – I didn’t know this app. I think that it could be useful to plan a shoot especially to find a particular light in some place.
Favorite Apps…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Inner view’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – What are your favorite mobile photography apps currently?
AG – I have found that I can do almost anything with just a few apps: ProCamera to take the picture, Snapseed, FIlterstorm and Noir for all the rest. I love Cross Process and the good old Vint B&W which can produce wonderful black and white pictures.
Sharing…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Light’s gift’ – Apps used – ProCamera, no edit
JC – Where do you like to upload your photographs? Flickr, Instagram?
AG – I’m everywhere with different levels of interest. Google+, Flickr, instagram, Facebook, eyeem, 500px and so forth. It has become almost a full time job!
Frequency…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Ordinary morning’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – Do you take photographs with your iPhone everyday?
AG – Everyday. I don’t remember a day, in the last year and half, without taking a picture.
Favorite Subjects…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Photo booth’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – What are your favorite subjects?
AG – People, streets and their interaction. Lights and shadows, expressions, gestures and moods. I look for interesting combinations of light and background and I add a human presence to give life to the scene.
Many times I shoot by instinct and I always need some new challenges. My pictures are mostly in black and white but in the last months few months I’ve been studying colors and I must admit that it is a very hard area, full of pitfalls. I have to change my way of seeing to preview the shot in colors.
Top Five Tips…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Planet terror’ – Apps used – Camera+
JC – What are you top five tips for mobile photography?
AG – iPhoneography is photography then:
– Understand the basic rules (to break them when needed)
– Find your genre of photography
– Be alert and receptive
– It’s better to take a picture rather than not to do (you can always delete it)
– The less the edit the better the picture (true for street photography perhaps not for other styles)
Editing…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Purple-red’ – Apps used – ProCamera, no edit
JC – Do you edit images on your iPhone or do you prefer to do that on a desktop/laptop?
AG – Always and only on the iPhone.
Videography…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Salaryman’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – Do you enjoy videography with your iPhone?
AG – Not yet. I’ve seen beautiful works on the web, sooner or later I will give it a try.
The Future Of Mobile Photography…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Talking shadows’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
JC – Where do you see the future of mobile photography heading?
AG – I see a democratization of photography just thanks to the mobile photography. I think that every mobile photographer want to be recognized as a photographer and not as a geek with a modern toy. I don’t really know where it’s heading, surely I can say that it’s getting more serious and professional and is having the deserved attention by everyone that loves photography.
Popularity…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘The calling’ – Apps used – ProCamera, no edit
JC – What do you think is the most popular area of mobile photography?
AG – I don’t think that there is a most popular area, every style is very well represented by very good artists around the world. Street photography is probably the most natural habitat for an iPhone.
Where In The World…?
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘The man from another era (Dreaming of Mr Fullana)’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Cross Process
JC – Do you think it is country specific, are some nations more "clued up"?
AG – I see great works from many different places in the world. Great colors from Australia, brilliant street and documentary pictures from the South-East Asia, classy and elegant from Europe and so on.
iPhone 5…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘The man who dreamed of a hat’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Snapseed
JC – What do you hope for in the iPhone 5?
AG – I’m so happy with my iPhone 4 that every improvement will be a plus. It isn’t about the device but I’d really like to use iTunes on different Macs.
TheAppWhisperer.com…
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘The Professional’ – Apps used – ProCamera, no edit
JC – What do you think of Joanne and theappwhisperer.com?
AG – The website is very interesting and full of useful information, I visit this site very often. I want to say an heartfelt thank you to Joanne for being so kind and patient with me and to have borne my sailor’s promises!
My deepest apologizes for such a long wait, it was unpardonable of me to do that. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be featured on your great website.
Complete Links To All The Apps Used And Mentioned In This Article
Copyright Image – Alessandro Greganti – ‘Unbearable thoughts’ – Apps used – ProCamera, Noir
Camera+
Cross Process
Filterstorm
Noir
ProCamera
Snapseed
Vint B&W
Contact details for Alessandro
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]
2 Comments
Alessandro Greganti
Many thanks for the opportunity, Joanne! Very happy to be featured on your website 🙂
Kim Martino
Great interview! And I must say, I feel better knowing that I’m not alone in making Joanne wait forever for my info. 😉