Following on from last years successful ’24 Mobile Photographers Til Christmas’ series and to celebrate the forthcoming festive season and another year in the timeline of Mobiography I have decided to repeat the series and showcase the work, thoughts and insights of 24 talented mobile photographers. Each featured photographer has inspired and supported me in one way or another during the course of the past 2 years and I will be asking them to offer an insight into their photography, to reflect on their year gone by or plans for the coming year ahead.

Each day until Christmas Eve we will be featuring one photographer in a sort of online advent calendar so to speak.

Today’s featured photographer is Matthew Wylie

My biggest takeaway about mobile photography this year is…

matthew wylie

The main takeaway for me has to be a more focused desire to see. I realized that snapping away, especially with street photography, can lead to stale images and drive one’s art to a rather static place. Make no mistake – I am still and always learning! In fact, I think I’m just beginning. But this year, it was a concentrated patience to see and to focus – to penetrate through the mess of the mundane and find something special and worth taking a photograph of. In turn, this “focus on focusing” challenged me to steer away from compositions and images I have grown to learn are “safe” (and too easily “liked”). For example, instead of rushing past a shop window to pursue a subject directly, I learned to not ignore each and every detail that is part of the path towards the final picture itself. It is the exercise in seeing, focusing, and taking my time that I feel I have learned the most from this year. (I also learned to walk more slowly. : )

Connect with Matthew Wylie

Instagram | Flickr

Win FREE ACCESS to the Mobile Artistry Course

Remember, one lucky reader will win FREE access to Bob Weil’s superb online video course, ‘Mobile Artistry’ (both iPhone and Android apps included). (You can learn more about the course by visiting www.iPhonePhotoArtist.com or AndroidPhotoArtist.com).

To enter simply leave a comment below including your name and email address. This competition closes of 24th December 2014.