Images from the first week in Ohio

the last few months

Memphis

Wild Bills August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Somewhere in Whitehaven near Elvis Presley Blvd. | Memphis, TN 

House in Orange Mound August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Burned trees in Orange Mound August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Wild Bills August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Days Inn during Elvis Week August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Wild Bills August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Outside Wild Bills August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Days Inn during Elvis Week August 2012 | Memphis, TN Inn | Memphis, T

Days Inn room door during Elvis Week August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Wild Bills August 2012 | Memphis, TN

Thoughts on a Mini Vacation in Topsail, NC

About a week ago enroute to Athens, Ohio for the start of my Masters, I took a flight from Memphis, TN to Jacksonville, NC where I met up with brother and his girlfriend, who had been vacationing for the week atTopsail beach. I only spent a day and a half there for the most part. But I really enjoyed seeing the beach and the ocean for the first time and of course taking pictures.

I was mostly excited about seeing Marley the beagle, my brother's dog. Which is the nicest chillest dog you'll ever meet. Here is a portrait I made of him only being in Topsail a few hours. I was impulsively taking photos of him naturrally because it was my first time seeing him in forever. In the mist of that caos I feel I was able to take a decent portrait of him.

 

This was vacation after all, so I did the beach thing, and roomed up and down it collecting shells and sharks teeth, I even saw a sand castle. The beach was alive and well with people with a calming afternoon sea breeze. Upon my time there I thought about grad school and how it would be living in Athens, Ohio all by myself, and it was a calming thought surprisingly. Even with all the stuff I was thinking of about being there it didn't stress me out, it only made me wanna work harder.  

I ran cross country in high school, and wasn't the best runner but it taught me one important lesson. That when things are tough, and you want to give up, there is still strength within you to finish the race and not give up. No matter how hard it is. I am looking forward to this challenge at Ohio University and there is no looking back. 

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.

- Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.