Nikki Gardner is a photographer, writer, and the creator of the forthcoming Behind The Lens: The Art of Developing Your Visual Voice, and ebook and workshop series. Her work has been exhibited throughout the States at the Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography, Studio Place Arts Gallery, and Washington County Arts Council Gallery; her photography and writing have appeared in Artful Blogging, Edible Pioneer Valley, Huffington Post’s Taste, and Smithsonian’s Food & Think. Nikki lives in Western Massachusetts where she blogs about the intersection of art and life at Art & Lemons.
I’ve been in love with photography since I was ten years old and I unwrapped my first Kodak 110 camera on Christmas Day. Although photography has changed dramatically since my first explorations with film, I still find it all to be thrilling. Back in the film-only days, I taught introductory photography classes in graduate school. I gave each of my students a disposable camera and told them to go outside and shoot whatever interested them. I wanted them to understand right away that learning the art of photography isn’t about what camera you use–it’s about learning to see.
For our first class critique, we tacked the prints to a crit board and talked about the photos. Everyone shot the first assignment with the same style of fully automated camera. Beyond turning the flash on or off, no one had to worry about camera settings. On the other hand, the students were given a way to record subjects that mattered to them. They were told to slow down and think about what interested them visually and why.
I still use this lesson myself as a way to sharpen my photography skills and explore new cameras or lighting techniques. In fact, I use all my old teaching techniques, so last year I decided to compile them all into an e-book. After months of outlining, researching and writing, I released the first chapter, “Design, Shoot, & Show–Your iPhone Photo Project”, as a free (albeit lengthy) sample to inspire readers to start and share a new photo project. It explains how creating a long-term photography project helps you grow as a photographer, develop your vision and craft, focus your efforts, and exhibit your work online and in galleries.
In the process of writing this chapter I was inspired to launch a new creative project of my own. How could I ask others to break out if I wasn’t willing to do the same? So I followed the design and shoot steps and started a 365 phone-ograph project in January, a daily black & white photo shot with my mobile camera. I wanted my daily photos to accumulate like a visual sketchbook filled with fragments, ideas, and notes from my life right now. To create the vintage monochrome look, I shoot with the native camera then process the image using either the Photoshop Express or VSCO app to make slight tweaks to the exposure, brightness, or contrast before converting the image to black & white. Then I add a Polaroid-esque border with LoMob. Voila. Instant black & white Polaroid, without the steep cost of film.
At the end of the year, I’ll take the last step: making prints of my work, creating an exhibition catalog, and setting up a gallery space both locally and online to exhibit the project. One year, one project, one show. Start to finish.
What about you? What photo projects are you working on this year? What new projects are you waiting to start? All this collaboration talk that’s been happening here at Mortal Muses makes me want to start another project. Anyone game?
You can download a copy of Nikki’s e-book chapter “Design, Shoot, & Show–Your iPhone Photo Project” here. Expect the next chapter on photography basics to come out this spring, until then happy shooting!
Thanks for sharing, Nikki! I love the images you show here – such gorgeous minimalism. The cat’s ears in particular is my favourite 🙂
a great selection of images and so much great information, thanks for sharing. I’m off to check out your blog and all those books!
The idea of mobile photography as a sketchbook is brilliant! I’m having a paradigm shifting moment…wow! : )
inspiring article, thank you nikki! love these “faux-laroids” they are exquisite 🙂
Thanks everyone for all your kind comments! It’s lovely to be here at the always inspiring Mortal Muses today. I adore this site and all the creativity it brings. What an honor, thanks again for having me!
These are fantastic!
I think we may have had the same first camera
I am pushing myself this year to do a selfportrait 365 in black and white. I am also doing an iPhone 365 of daiy life. I am going to have to check out your work further!
Nikki, thank you so much for sharing your vision with us here at MM. I’m very much looking forward to the next instalment of your ebook!
I did a mobile-only 365 last year, so this year I switched to instant film for a 52 weeks project. I love your idea of all b&w for a year…that could be my next project!
Lovely article — helpful even for those of us who don’t use phones. Thank you!
PS The link to Nikki’s blog isn’t working.
Thanks Deirdre. I’ve fixed it. Very odd!
thank you for sharing this!!! you have really opened up my eyes in this one piece, i can’t wait to read your blog!!!
Great post! So happy to discover you, Nikki, I also live in Western Mass. I’ll be sure to follow your blog. Thanks for the inspiration!
I think the way you streamlined your processing is so clever. It makes the shooting and posting just a little easier, and the continuity of your resulting catalog, is I’m sure so lovely to see.
Love all your ideas up there Nikki! I wish you’d been my Photo 101 instructor in college! That was an ingenious idea! Thanks so much for being our guest today!
I love this project. But most of all, I love what you wrote “I wanted them to understand right away that learning the art of photography isn’t about what camera you use–it’s about learning to see.” – I think that is terribly forgotten in this day and age of digital photography. I find that using the mobile phone creates plenty of limitations that we have no choice but to go back to the foundations of photography: seeing, composition and light.
Wonderful, wonderful article.
I am doing a Project 365 as well – it started off as a journey of healing, and what has turned out is that I definitely healed faster than I expected – it was cathartic to express myself creatively and to let it all hang out. It’s time for me to scale it down to something simpler and more meaningful – and you have inspired me.
I think you can not beat learning on a IPhone. Thanks for this post and I read your first chapter. I have a 365 and I thought I would use it a a learning piece. But the writing down about what the process of thinking and preparing have gone by the wayside. I will be reading more of you.
such a wonderful post, nikki! i do a 365 quietly for myself, but i love that you push beyond and will create an end product to share with others.
really inspiring…