‘The photo I am most proud of’ has always been a popular feature on Mobiography. It is based on a simple question but one that has unearthed some amazing stories behind the images people select as their favourite photo such as this one by Janine Graf or Alon Goldsmith.
Today I would like to introduce you to Mark Tipping. Mark and I began chatting a while back. His work had been featured in several photographic publications with his photographic style capturing glimpses of street life and elements of the landscape surrounding him. These images are sometimes conveyed with a simple black and white approach, and sometimes with a snapseed styled grunge influence.
The Photo I Am Most Proud Of: Mark Tipping
Picking your favourite photo is like choosing your favourite child (well almost), there’s good and bad in all of them. However picking an image that best represents your style is slightly easier, and that’s what I’ve chosen to do.
I first started taking pictures with my iPhone in 2015 coming very late to the party. Before that I rejected the idea that this new medium could be a viable and credible replacement to my DSLR & 35mm work. How things have changed in a year.
The photograph I am showcasing here was in fact one of my earlier efforts, but it still holds up as one of my favourites. As with most of my work it’s about opportunity. I believe mobile photography is not just about convenience but even more so spontaneity and luck. I’ll often go to a location with the hope of finding good subject matter, but with no specific agenda. It’s surprising what or who you find when you’re not looking for it.
This picture was taken at an Animal Sanctuary and by pure chance I happened to see the cat in a window in one of the buildings. It seems very content to exist on the inside while others are less fortunate to be homeless. What is seen here is a very heavily cropped image, the original being at least 100% larger. I then used my favourite app Snapseed to convert it to something more ‘grunge’ like. What pleases me the most is the reflection in the window and the texture of the walls which really lend an urban feel to the composition.
My preferred medium is always monochrome. I find the context more powerful and timeless. I never use desktop publishing tools for editing, everything I do is on the phone, from taking the image to the editing process, and then if good enough to publishing. For me this keeps the process simple, economical and true to the spirit of mobile photography. A typical selection from a day’s work may take 10 minutes with an additional 20 editing, followed by publishing to my website or social media account. If it takes any longer than that it’s not working for me and I move on.
As a regular featured contributor to BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY Magazine’s ‘Smartshots’ section, I was very proud to see this image win photo of the month.
