For today’s Mobile Monday feature I have a special treat for you: I’ve challenged a new guest, Deb Taylor, to shoot 4 images with a mobile device within 24 hours and to share her story here. 

Deb is a photographer, blogger and home-cook vegetarian obsessed with healthy alternatives. She’s a also sun-worshipping red-wine lover, peace-seeking full-moon dancer and beach-combing daytime dreamer. Last summer she moved from Texas to Merritt Island, Florida where she explores her creative side through a multitude of artistic outlets including art journaling and mixed-media whimsey. When I asked Deb to share four photos taken within twenty-four hours, she requested to share images from her recent birthday breaking onto the scene of 55-years young.

What mobile camera do you shoot with? How about other cameras?
My iPhone 4S is my current Lover. It is actually a camera that happens to have a phone on it! For so long I resisted joining the community with head down, texting and always “checking in.” But now, I am That Girl. I remember admiring other photographer’s work with their mobile cameras and scratching my head trying to figure out how something so tiny could really match their previous artful photos. I thought “How could they abandon their digital cameras?” Bam! Now I know. My Canon Rebel has become insanely jealous since the iPhone came into my life one year ago. Although lately, I have been romancing The Rebel with private photo-shoots, tripod and remote timer for selfie adventures! We are all One Happy Family again.

Happy Birthday to my 55 year old butt! Hipstamatic and the perfect evening light can be so forgiving.

Happy Birthday to my 55 year old butt! Hipstamatic and the perfect evening light
can be so forgiving.

What do you love most about mobile photography?
I now have the ability to capture random, impulsive, unexpected moments in a photograph. Before, there was a large, clumsy, intrusive camera that had to be unzipped from her case, uncapped, booted up, strapped over the shoulder, change the settings and zoom in or out. Uhm, then what? That moment lost. Gone forever. A perfect example is about my Stepdad Jack. He suffers with Alzheimer’s and fast movements can be alarming. I discreetly capture precious moments in a split second that are non-intrusive. And that is priceless. You can witness these moments here, here and here.

I wish you could hear what I see. Driving my car, windows down, the orchestra of these tiny birds caused me to pull over and shoot out my window. It was magic. I just knew they were singing Happy Birthday to me!!

I wish you could hear what I see. Driving my car, windows down, the orchestra of these tiny birds caused me to pull over and shoot out my window. It was magic.
I just knew they were singing Happy Birthday to me!!

What/Who inspires you?
What? Memes. Themes. Challenges. Prompts. Because I am so all over the place. I love too many things, various tastes, and eclectic interests. Therefore when I have a solo project, it reigns me in to focus on one topic. And that is inspiring. I tend to do my best work when I am challenged like that! Especially if it is out of my comfort zone. I can learn a lot.

Who? Misty Mawn and Vivienne McMaster. Misty was the very first artist who’s blog I followed. At that time, I did not even know what a blog was. Her art and honest story-telling resonated with me and touched my heart like nothing ever did before on the “internet.” Then her self-portrait series pulled me into an arena of self portraiture. I have never been the same since. With over 1200 posts on my own blog, I have become immersed in the blogging and self-portraiture community. Years later I signed up for my first online e-course with Vivienne. Six courses with Vivienne later and over 3000 photos on Flickr, I am proud of my body of work and how it continues to evolve.

he plays

Matt is very camera shy. I heard him plucking Happy Birthday on his ukulele
from the back room. I had to be sneaky to capture this precious moment,
truly a gift from the heart.

What was your happiest/worst photographic moment & why?
Worst? I flew to Virginia to photograph a wedding for a friend of my daughter-in-law. I shot the pre-party and families who gathered early on wedding day. I shot random guests as they arrived. It was beautiful and seamless. Then the music started. “Card is Full” appeared on my screen. I kinda freaked out since I had no backup card. I ran to the DJ who was using a laptop for music files. He scrambled to unload my precious photos as the bride was holding her Dad and stalling for time. I was dying. Imagining all those photos of grandmas, grandpas, nieces and nephews disappearing into nowhere land. And the unimaginable possibility of not recording “once-in-a-lifetime-father-walks-daughter-down-the-aisle”. Lesson learned. They are still happily married, and I now have two back-up memory cards and extra batteries in my stash. And I agree to never photograph weddings again without a dumbass disclaimer!

Happiest? The list is long, but I will narrow it down to the very important moment that happens when a woman shows up for a photo shoot. Shy, inhibited, insecure, fully clothed, knowing she agreed to be photographed semi-nude for the Charity Calendar she willingly volunteered to participate in. She worries about her scarred, lumpy, breast-be-gone body. She sizes me up and down, then hugs her sarong tightly. By the time I have photographed her in many poses by the pool, under a tree, near the rose bushes she finally liberates her beautiful body, throws the sarong into the air and twirls herself around and around, arms wide open, FREE! I am proud to tell you that this has happened again and again, as I have photographed women of all colors, ages, shapes and sizes, including The Vagina Monologues, Art Bra Calendar, and Animal Shelter fundraising events. Portraiture can be healing, powerful, liberating and life changing when the setting is safe, artistic and respectful.

To document my 55 years of a "well traveled road" I shot this with Hipstamatic Tinto 1884 C-Type Plate. The app is so intriguing. I am a teeny bit obsessed with it. It reveals the truth about my eyes, yet camouflages the story of my weathered skin. I am fascinated by the way it pulls the viewer in...story telling; soul revealing.

To document my 55 years of a “well traveled road” I shot this with Hipstamatic Tinto 1884 C-Type Plate. The app is so intriguing. I am a teeny bit obsessed with it. It reveals the truth about my eyes, yet camouflages the story of my weathered skin. I am fascinated by the way it pulls the viewer in…story telling; soul revealing.

Final thoughts or advice for our readers?

  • Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Always carry backup memory cards, chargers and batteries. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.
  • Stop. Drop. Shoot. Be brave in public. People really do admire an artist in action, at work. Get the shot you want.
  • Don’t get caught up in technical crap. Just shoot. Keep post-processing and editing minimal.
  • Sign up for online e-courses. You will thank me later.
  • Get on the other side of the camera. Self portraiture is healing, fun, daring, creative and empowering.

You can follow along with Deb’s photographic adventures on her blog, What’s Deb Doing, in her photo collaboration, She is Three,  on Facebook and Instagram where she is known as debdidit. If you’d like to read more about Deb, check out her interviews here: { in the picture }, 52 Photos Project, and You are Your Own Muse.

If you would like to be considered for a “4 in 24” feature, please email us at mortalmuses9@gmail.com or contact us here.

Until next time!

Holly ~ Soupatraveler