The birth of intelligent mobile operating systems have spurred the growth of high-performance and multi-use gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets. Nowadays, with smartphones having processors as fast as high-end computers a decade ago and cameras with image sensors as powerful as point and shoot digital cameras, the art of capturing life’s moments has never been easier.
And with all the previous limitations of old-school photography drastically reduced if not eliminated, a new branch of photography is slowly making its mark in the history of art. This practice of taking pictures with the use of camera phone which is dubbed as Smartphonegraphy is the focus of a new magazine created by Dutch artist Kevin Cools.
A photograph used to be something special. People devoted so much attention to taking them because they were often intended for special occasions. Now that our mobile phones all have cameras added, we can take pictures anytime, anywhere. Quantity is what counts now, rather than quality.
According to Kevin, the purpose of the magazine is to create an avenue where people can share their collection of photos to the world. He explains that a lot of people would usually take several pictures of a person, an object or an event but only a select few of these pictures would be printed, framed or used. So often times, people are left with phones and hard drives with folders filled with pictures that will never be used. So instead of deleting these photos, Cools decided to collect and categorize them and turn them into a series of themed magazines.
The magazine series has at present at least three issues: the food issue which is filled with snapshots of food, the riot issue which explains how riots and demonstrations contribute to world news and lastly, the double issue which showcases pictures taken with a limited amount of time.
Images from the online version of “Doubles” issue which shows how people take 2 photos in a short amount of time, one always seems to be blurry, not funny enough or doesn’t look like how the photographer wants it to look are shown below.
For those interested, the SMARTPHONEGRAPHY project will be displayed on the Design Academy of Eindhoven (Kevin Cool’s Alma Mater) during the Dutch Design Week from October 20-28.
So what can you say about Smartphonegraphy? Tell us by leaving a comment below. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Lastly, you might also want to subscribe to our blog for the latest and freshest design news, features and stories all around the globe.