‘Brought to Light’ – Mobile Photography / Art Interview with Lisa Waddell from Texas, United States
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 Lisa Waddell a talented mobile photographer and artist from Texas, United States. Many of Waddell’s images are self-reflexive and metamorphose a myriad of guises. Each mannequin is created into a memorable character, which the viewer needs to develop their own narratives for, Waddell rarely reveals her private intentions. In some ways these portraits look frozen in time, representing perhaps personal loneliness. This series allows Waddell to collaborate entirely with herself, she does not need to acquiesce to someone else’s possible bad idea. She can embrace and fascinate herself with fantasies, processes and techniques with mute self-representation, while her viewers marvel at the intricacy of her work.
This body of work drew us to Lisa Waddell
All photos ©Lisa Waddell
Describe a moment that changed your life
My divorce clearly was a life changing moment for me. There was nothing bad or overly dramatic about the reasons for it but I am a far better person today in countless ways because of my first marriage and subsequent divorce and the life lessons they provided. I am also pleased to say that I’ve been very happily married to my second husband for over 20 years!
I was a journalism major in college and, although I never worked in that field professionally, I always thought being a food critic would definitely be a dream job. My dream mobile photography assignment would be shooting a professionally prepared meal from start to finish…kitchen to table. As I type this I’m thinking what a great project it would have been to photograph my mother preparing some of the old family dishes (for which there are no recipes). She was not a professional chef but a very, very good cook and baker. Oh, the photo ops would be endless!
Hide and Seek’ ©Lisa Waddell
Describe a childhood photographic/art memory
As far back as I can remember my family documented our life in pictures. Dating back to at least the late 40s up until they died, my parents, grandparents and large extended family loved to take snapshots…vacations, parties, milestone events, everyday activities. It was all captured on film. None of our cameras were expensive by any means but the memories those photos created are priceless.
‘Turn Around and Face the Truth’ ©Lisa Waddell
Describe your photographic/art studio
My mobile studio is usually my very comfy couch although I have been known to edit photos late at night in bed!
‘Stoic’ ©Lisa Waddell
What do you like to think about whilst you are creating images
Nothing other than what I’m working on. I stay focused on the project at hand. My photography practice is very intuitive so I don’t work well with outside distractions.
‘Chapeau’ ©Lisa Waddell
Share one photo tip
I actually have two tips. The first, and most important, is to be sure to back up all photographs on your camera!! I am one of the few people I know who does not back up to the iCloud but I DO back up to Shoebox and Flickr. I keep very few photos on my Camera Roll; usually only about five or six. As soon as I have completed a project all photos get moved to Shoebox and Flickr. If I want to move them off my camera roll but I’m not completely finished with the project, I will move the images to PhotoVault; a really handy photo storage app.
My other tip is to keep track of your work flow when editing. I’m old school in this regard…I still use paper and pen to do this.
‘Trixie’ ©Lisa Waddell
Who or what ignited your passion for mobile photography
Almost 10 years ago I wrote a blog about antique needlework. I took all the photographs for it. I started out using a Kodak point and shoot but then I realized how much simpler it would be to use my iPhone. I was so taken with it that I retired the blog and completely and totally immersed myself in iPhone photography. I can honestly say I’ve never looked back! Mobile photography is truly my passion.
‘Heatwave’ ©Lisa Waddell
What is the most unusual subject you have photographed
“Unusal”, of course, means different things to different people. For me, it would be the series of dead flowers that I completed years ago. It definitely appeals to the wabi-sabi part of my personality.
‘Fiona’ ©Lisa Waddell
What are your favourite accessories for mobile photography
Without a doubt my favorite accessory is my Mophie Powerstation Plus external battery. I love that it has built in cables and it charges quickly. It has saved me more than once and I carry it with me at all times.
‘Certainty’ ©Lisa Waddell
Do you have a favorite app?
My go-to app for, truly, every single image is VSCO. The suite of editing tools is comprehensive and very user friendly. I always tweak exposure, contrast and saturation. I also sharpen and clarify the image and sometimes crop it. (There are many other tools; none of which I use regularly but it’s nice to know they are available to me.) Every once in a while I will apply one of the filters. Again, there is a comprehensive selection of filters from which to choose and once you’ve selected one you can regulate its’ effect; which is another nice feature. About the only part of VSCO that I don’t use is the social aspect of it.
Describe your dream Photography assignment
I was a journalism major in college and, although I never worked in that field professionally, I always thought being a food critic would definitely be a dream job. My dream mobile photography assignment would be shooting a professionally prepared meal from start to finish…kitchen to table. As I type this I’m thinking what a great project it would have been to photograph my mother preparing some of the old family dishes (for which there are no recipes). She was not a professional chef but a very, very good cook and baker. Oh, the photo ops would be endless!
Who would play you in a film of your life?
I would love for Tina Fey to play me in a film! I love her sense of humor and comedic talent; both acting and writing. It doesn’t hurt that we vaguely look alike. We both have dark eyes and dark hair!
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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]
One Comment
Lisa
Thanks so much y’all!!