Interpeting Photojournalism with Hipstamaitc, Embrace It

Aaron Turner

When the world of photojournalism is seeing photographers like Damon Winter win awards for his Hipstamatic photos in Afghanistan, Ben Lowy reporting for Getty Images with his cell phone , and Luceo Images' Matt Eich and his "iPhone Dispatches from Greenwood" part 1 and 2 , then I believe there is a serious case for photojournalists to use the app and keep pushing the boundaries of what people consider to be true photojournalism. True photography for that matter.

Photojournalist and commercial photographers alike can use this iPhone app and produce good work. I've already seen the first wedding shot entirely with the iPhone, I'm just waiting to hear about the first wedding being shot with Hipstamatic.  

As a young photojournalist, I personally see Hipstamatic as a good thing, and seeing well respected photographers use the app is what really made me use it as well.

Watermelon

I've really been using Hipstamatic more than my DSLR this whole summer. In a way I see it as therapy, and just like I used a 4x5 camera to help me slow down and improve my photographic process, I feel Histamatic is helping me do that too.

I feel that the body of work I am producing with my iPhone is a project in itself. I currently have a documentary project about my family going with just Hipstamatic. Also, the way I am photographing with the app is more abstract an fine art, some would say, but I feel it all fits into photojournalism. It pushes the boundaries.

I'm not photographing wars or looking at social issues with Histamatic but I am looking at what matters to me. I don't think the app takes away from the standard photographic language and thinking because you still have to approach things with the same mindset of shutter, aperture etc.

I 'm just looking forward to seeing what the app can do and seeing more and more photojournalists use it. Who knows, photography programs may even start teaching classes on just Hipstamiatic.

The biggest change that photojournalism is going through now is embracing new ideas and finding different modes of distribution and consumption  to sustain it. This might be one of them. So embrace it, it won't hurt.

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