The Red Watcher
Mackinaw City, Michigan
iphone
Clearing the Backlog
About two years ago, I fell out of using Instagram – something about the way it had become a photo-centric Facebook, and how it shows ads every third or fourth post, turned me off.
Thing is, I have an incredible backlog of iPhone photos waiting to be shared. There was something about that daily rhythm of posting to Instagram that kept things moving.
So now, two years later, I have a ton of stuff to share, and I jumped back on Instagram to clear out those old photos and put them somewhere. Flickr is an obvious choice, too, but Flickr isn’t nearly as simple and (I hate to say it) mindless as scrolling through a series of photos from people you follow.
Time to clear out that backlog.
Home New Home
Out of the blue, we bought a new house.
As always, I use my camera to explore new places: see how the light changes, assess the space, and catch the little details you miss on your first pass-through. I picked a day before we moved much in and caught the empty house on a quiet weekend afternoon.
A bit of peace and silence before the packing and shuttling begin.
Last Go-Around
In these waning days of summer, we took a walk to the nearby elementary school. This one was built in 1952, but a brand-new school just went up next door, so the old one sits empty. Out with the old, etc.
Personally, I love the look and feel of these mid-century schools – the way they used green space, and their institutional sturdiness. The new school is all shiny metal and modern touches, though the larger parking lot will be a nice change.
It had me thinking about my iPhone SE, the 2016 first-gen model based on the iPhone 5S body design. I’ve had this phone for five years now and used the ever-loving heck out of it. It’s survived two jobs, a new kid, and a new house, along with everything else I’ve thrown at it.
But today I ordered the iPhone 13 mini – not for any of its fancy new features, including the new camera system. It’s mostly because I need the extra storage space; 256 GB will get me a lot farther than my current 64 GB does.
The truth is, my iPhone SE camera works just fine. I point, I shoot, I edit a little bit (using mostly Filmborn these days – which may be abandoned software), and I post. Maybe I’ll enjoy using the ultra-wide lens on the 13, maybe I’ll find a use for those studio lighting settings, or maybe not. Maybe I’ll continue to use my iPhone camera like I do my other Canon cameras: simply, with no fuss.
I will miss the SE’s classic design and small size, and Touch ID. But five years is a lot of value out of a modern-day device.
Nothing lasts forever.
Deep Blue Soul
Winter here in Michigan, one at sunrise and one at sunset.
Stay warm out there, folks. .
Upper Peninsula On Mobile
(Also testing out a new image gallery plug-in!)
Autumn Out Back
My co-workers thought I was crazy.
“I’m heading to the woods,” I said after lunch. “If I’m not back in a while, it’s been nice working with you all.”
The woods, they asked? Why?
Because. It’s right out back. At work, our headquarters sits in the middle of a beautiful, hilly forest, with little ponds and lakes all around us. I’ve been dying to get into those woods and explore – dying to get out and shoot, period.
No, the weather wasn’t nice, and no, the light wasn’t perfect. But if felt good to get out and tromp through the fallen leaves on a cool autumn day.
Then my Canon battery died, so I had to rely on my iPhone. Not that that matters.
I made it back by lunch hour’s end, a little wet and a lot refreshed.
Photo Book Now Available: #abandoned
I made a thing.
Seeing as how my musicians portrait project is on hiatus, I’m releasing my new photobook, #abandoned, a collection of urbex and abandoned photography from the past few years, all taken on my iPhone.
Better to ship something than nothing, right?
#abandoned is a simple 8″ square softcover book that includes 30 images of abandoned houses, factories, and farms – mainly in south central Michigan.
Although I’ve largely retired from urbex photography, I felt like I had a few more projects in me. One of them was to make a photobook of all my urbex adventures, but keep it to mobile photography. I’ve made plenty of photos using my “big” camera, but my iPhone is always with me, even when my DSLR isn’t. The photos are all of high enough quality to make a modest book. On Instagram, I’ve had a few people ask me to make something like #abandoned, so here it is.
I wanted to keep it simple and affordable, so I’ve posted the book on MagCloud for order. It’s $15.
My style, such as it is, comes in large part from my explorations in abandoned properties. There came a point where I was both shooting urbex locations and developing my creative voice. I feel like a lot of these photos come from that combination of recklessness and light chasing, and are a good representation of the kind of work I do now.
Order your copy today, and please let me know what you think.