Over 60 million photos uploaded to Instagram on the average day. Whoa. The advent of digital photography and the camera phone has created a flood of pictures never before seen in history.
How many photos are on your phone right now?
Go ahead and check. I’ll wait.
You’ve probably got a couple hundred. Now the hard question: How many of them are good?
What if I told you that you could transform the way you take pictures on your iPhone and instead of hoping for a lucky shot you could capture a masterpiece?
Last week I sat down with professional music and advertising photographer, David Molnar, across the Skype line for a chat about his incredible book, iPhone Only Photography.
KC: When did you first fall in love with photography?
DAVID: My dad handed me his camera for a high school project when I was 14 years old. Started taking pictures of friends surfing and got a lot of encouragement. It’s been nearly 16 years since.
KC: What are some of your favorite projects from the last year or so?
DAVID: From a photoshoot standpoint I had a project a few months ago for Colton Dixon working on an album cover. We had this concept to shoot him underwater and insert him into this scene with an anchor. We wanted to convey conflict and have him holding onto an anchor with a storm raging overhead. It pushed the boundaries of my experience, but that’s what makes it fun. You know where you’re going, but you don’t know how to get there. It’s all about the journey.
Disclaimer: no offense to any of the other projects I’ve worked on. 🙂
KC: How have smartphones impacted photography?
DAVID: It’s been a progression. It started as a novelty because the quality was so bad with .25 pixels. As time went on the cameras got better and it’s been phenomenal. You really can take amazing photos with smartphones now. I think it’s changed the world. We now have the ability to document our story with a world class camera. And that camera is always within arms reach.
We’re living in a very interesting time. This is sort of like the beginning of history in the digital age. We will have a digital record of our lives. Pretty much everything we do is documented in some fashion.
What’s cool about this digital record is that it creates better human beings because it holds more people accountable.
We now have the ability to view more stories and stories are what really change lives.
KC: Why is Snapseed (available on iOS & Android platforms) one of your favorite photography apps?
DAVID: Because it gives you crazy manual control and editing capabilities. Instagram has come a long way, but Snapseed goes way beyond the one-click filter.
Snapseed gives you the most powerful manual controls when editing photos. And I don’t even get paid to say that.
Camera+ is my app of choice to shoot photos with. It allows you to split the focus and exposure.
KC: What inspired you to write a book about iPhone photography?
DAVID: Because I believe your story matters. To your family, to your friends, to your tribe, and perhaps to the world. Your story matters.
If you don’t document your personal story, who else will? Perhaps nobody.
There are moments in your story that you have to capture or they will disappear. The memories will fade and eventually vanish.
Bottom line: I want to help people capture a better story.
Apple (and other manufacturers) have made incredible cameras and their goals it to teach the camera to be smart. The barrier is that the iPhone can’t read your mind. So many people press the shutter button and play Russian roulette with their camera hoping to get the shot they want not know they may never hit the target.
KC: Can you share some tips with the ChurchMag audience that will improve their photography?
DAVID: There are 3 essentials to mobile photography:
- Take manual control of your camera. Capture the photo you intended to shot.
- Learn to create strong composition. Tell a good story and take a compelling photo.
- Edit to recreate the feeling you had when you first took the photo. Like when you witness an incredible sunrise/sunset
TIP: Download Camera+ and Snapseed.
KC: You have a course attached to the book, tell us about it.
DAVID: I’m using the book as a textbook and created a video course jam packed with tutorials, bonus guides and tips not included in the book or anywhere else.
KC: What is next for you?
DAVID: I’m a professional music and advertising photographer. I’d love the opportunity to continue working with bands and brands on a grander scale. It’s a process of education for me and my tribe.
I’d like to take people along for the ride and create material for training people to shoot with traditional and digital professional cameras.
I had so much fun talking with David. He’s got such a big heart to help people capture their stories. In fact, he’s offering a SPECIAL BONUS for ChuchMag readers.
David is giving away 3 FREE chapters of his book, iPhone Only Photography, to teach you all about manual controls, composition, and editing. All you have to do is click HERE.
ATTENTION: the link won’t be live forever so grab it while you can.
You can find David on his photography site, Twitter, and Instagram.
Also, if you need some inspiration, David provided a list of all the best photographers he recommends on Instagram.
@matt_beacham
@andrew_marr
@mattfrench
@brandenharvey
@littlecoal
@tofurious
@iphoneps
@jeremycowart
@christianjsweet
@zachgray
@popesaintvictor
@estherhavens
@kenny_kim
@withhearts
QUESTION: What is your favorite photography app?
Eric Dye says
I can tell you’ve been using these principles with your photos lately. They’ve been looking really good! 😀
David Molnar says
THanks so much for being such a rockstar interview KC! I really enjoyed chatting about all of this and getting to know you a bit more. ChurchMag is awesome!