Every week we catch up with a mobile photographer and ask them about the photo they are most proud of. The aim is to unearth a hidden gem, a photo that isn’t necessarily their best or most well known shot but one that they have a personal and emotional connection with more than any other they have taken.
For this week’s photo I am most proud of feature our chosen artist is Michelle Robinson.
Michelle Robinson aka Michmutter is a mobile photographer from Adelaide, South Austrailia. She is a founding artist of the New Era Museum and on the AMPt Community Leadership Team.
I love her vibrant style of street photography which feature busy street scenes in both black and white and vibrant colour. Images such as ‘Street Food‘, ‘I said Adagio‘ and ‘Hong Kong B-Boys 1‘ really capture the hustle and bustle of busy city life. While in contrast her work also features abstract images like ‘ACMI 3-4‘, ‘Dusk To Dawn To Dusk 1‘ and ‘Jelly Bean Plaid (series) 2-5‘ which conveys a sense of calm.
I asked Michelle Robinson to talk about the photo she is most proud of and why it is so special to her. Here is what she had to say.
The Photo I Am Most Proud Of: Michelle Robinson
My Other Realities by Michelle Robinson
This image was created at the start of the year when I was going through a particularly difficult time. I had completed my first Creative 365 Project in 2012 and due to certain events that occurred at the end of 2012, my intention was to embark on a 365 Project that portrayed my journey of healing. Fortunately, art being as therapeutic and cathartic as it is, I stopped my project after January because I realised I was not in a place of pain any longer.
I am proud of this image because it is the first image that I have created that has gone beyond the circle of mobile photography and art. “My Other Realities” was an honourable mention in the Art Ascent magazine’s art competition called “Figures”. I am not sure why I submitted the image – perhaps it’s because it was an open call for all forms of medium and I am quite passionate in promoting “iPhoneography” as a viable form of art. There are people who only do mobile photography and there are people who only do mobile art (or app-ing) – to me the possibilities are endless and for the first time we all have the ability to create works of art from start to finish via a photograph and apps at our finger tips and post it wherever we are. It’s convenient, it’s affordable and most of all, there is no mess to clean up. For me this world is where traditional art and photography collide.
Many people assume that I am self-promotional and am doing a lot of this for some kind of fame. I don’t. I straddle the world of camera photography and mobile photography and in my mind, both can exist side by side – not one to replace another. Any recognition I get is announced and shared simply for one reason: to show the world the endless possibilities and why it’s just such an awesome hobby. In my view, it will not make you a better photographer or a better artist. What it does offer is an alternative art form that sits between photography and digital art.
I cannot say the image is reflective of my style. In truth, I am not sure what my “style” is. Many people know me for my “street” photography and then there are people who know me for my art photography especially with the use of Decim8. It depends if they have known me on EyeEm or Instagram. What I capture and what transpires depends on my mood, my state of mind. There are days when I will use a perfectly sharp and clear photo and app it to create something completely different – like this image that I have selected. When I travel there will be a proliferation of clean street shots with minimal editing. I still find it difficult to app my street shots because I’ve always used a camera for such photos and I am still a purist when it comes to DSLR photos – there is no cross over between DSLR and mobile shots for me.
Perhaps some people who have come to know me well and the images that I am capable of producing will say that it is very much an “@michmutters’ image” – that I have the ability to express very clearly emotion in an image particularly angst.
This image was a self-portrait taken using Procamera on self-timer. It’s probably the only camera app that I use. Other apps used are probably some of my most-used apps: Snapseed, Touch Retouch, Decim8, Image Blender, Photofx Ultra, Phototoaster, Ripped from Reality and 100Camerasin1. As always with such images it’s not merely layer on top of layer but a lot of selective masking and blending and more blending.
Connect with Michelle Robinson
Twitter | Flickr | Google+ | Michmutters.com
A fantastic piece of art. I love reading about Michelle, her passion for photography and community is always quite evident and I see her as a shining example of what standards can be achieved if we choose to pursue our passions.
Michelle’s art is excellent and she is one of the most generous in the community. I admire her work very much and appreciate her realness. Superb image and article!