New Kid On The App Block

Instagram isn't the only kid on the app block. I recently started using the EyeEm app and what I like best about it is the use of the rectangular frame. It reminds me of 35 mm, albeit a bit longer and narrower.

I am still in awe over the quality of images the Android takes. The ease of use factor is phenomenal. Combine that with being able to tweak on the run is what makes apps so appealing. EyeEm has similar filters that Instagram has such as vintage, b&w, and a set of processed color filters that range from a cyanotype effect to a faded light effect. In addition to color shifting, EyeEm has a grunge effect which gives the image an antique feel.

The danger to using too many creative filters is the image then becomes more about the process than about the content. Many critics might argue phone photography isn't as serious as that coming from a camera. I think capturing a scene with a mobile device doesn't have any less intent than that of one made from a camera.

Photography isn't inherently serious or not. It's a technical process whereby the tool is the one you happen to have. Yes, indeed the fancier the lens the better the image quality, but where visual reference is concerned today's mobile phone devices do a decent enough job when the user familiarize themselves with the feature of that device.

Ben Lowry, a pro photojournalist, uses apps to accentuate images. Lowry employs mobile photography for documenting life in Sarajevo and uses the Clara filter from the EyeEm app. Lowry states the Clara filter is "Best for shooting outdoors in sunny conditions."

Using apps with digital photography is analogous to knowing the difference between film ratings of ASA 100 to ASA 800. The app is a setting of sorts just as the film speed must be appropriate for each specific light scenario. Photography is all about technique even when the technique is that of additional editing to the original source file.

The following images were taken on a Motorola Android paired with the EyeEm app: