Once again I am pleased to present this years ’24 Mobile Photographers Til Christmas’. It is a series that has been run throughout December for the last couple of years and has always been successfully received. In part, it is to celebrate the forthcoming festive season but also to celebrate another year in the timeline of Mobiography.
In the series I ask 24 hand picked mobile photographers to offer an insight into their work, to reflect on their year gone by or plans for the coming year ahead. Each featured photographer is someone who has inspired or supported me in one way or another during the course of the past year. One photographer will be showcased each day until Christmas Eve in a sort of online advent calendar so to speak.
Today’s featured photographer is Michael Kistler.
Do you have any exciting photographic project plans for the coming year ahead?
Big thanks for the opportunity to contribute to the Mobiography Christmas series.
2015 has been a busy and rewarding year with a lot happening in the world of photography. I have been fortunate to have opportunities to travel, exhibit and conduct several workshops, all of which have been both learning experiences and great fun.
What I will remember most, however, are the people I met and spent time with along the way. I had a fantastic time in Dubai doing a workshop through Finding Yourself in the Streets with a great group of participants; MojoCon in Dublin was an awesome opportunity not only to be involved in bringing mobile photography to the forefront, but also meeting some incredible people, all of whom inspired me in different ways with their own unique projects and visions. It really is cool so be part of the mobile photography community as it is developing and growing into itself.
I also traveled to Myanmar for the first time and although I was only in Yangon, it was an unforgettable experience to be there exploring the streets and shooting it on both my iPhone and Canon. The people were unbelievably kind, and it was like stepping back in time. I truly enjoyed the slower pace of life and unpretentious attitude of the people and the city. And I was lucky enough to squeeze in travel and photography in Japan and Thailand as well as mini photography workshops in Kuala Lumpur and Minneapolis.
Hong Kong was very good to me in 2015 in terms of creating my own photography brand. I plan to continue building upon this in 2016 by offering even more urban photography workshops both in HK as well as some international destinations. I have been doing a lot more urban-inspired portraits, too, and plan to continue developing my portfolio in 2016. I also was fortunate enough to have two exhibitions of my work–Colour in. Fusion and In.visible city–in Hong Kong in 2015. I am hoping that the next year will bring additional shows both in Hong Kong and beyond. I would love to organize an exhibition dedicated exclusively to mobile photography and have begun exploring ways to bring the best mobile work to a larger stage here in Hong Kong.
If anything, my experience with mobile photography in the past year has reinforced what I have always talked a lot about: the doing aspect of photography. Get out and shoot. Observe the world around you. Experiment. Create. Share. All of these things will not only make you a better photographer, but they will enrich your life and give you a better understanding and appreciation of the world around you. It probably sounds cliche, but the camera absolutely doesn’t matter. As I’ve mentioned before, it is all down to light, composition and the moment. What makes mobile photography so unique for me is that a lot of the best moments I’ve captured or created have been because I have my iPhone and not my Canon with me. Mobile is free and easy and I think lends itself to a more organic and often creative way of shooting. I also like the democratic nature of mobile photography–most of us have phone cameras, allowing more people to express themselves and experiment artistically with photography. The more the merrier!
Very much looking forward to seeing where mobile photography takes us in 2016!
Wonderful striking image. Superb balance of elements as always with great story telling! Love your work Michael, can’t wait to see where you go next and wish you many great things in 2016!!