Daily App Experiments (and iPhoneography tips) from Doctor Popular
iPhone photography can be great fun using just Camera+, Hipstamatic, or scores of other iPhoneography apps, but you can really take things to the next level—and have a blast—by combining apps (as I discuss in my book, Create Great iPhone Photos). That’s just what Doctor Popular, a game designer/musician/rapper (and self-described “super nerd”), is doing with his Daily App Experiments, where he experiments with a big range of apps, from Halftone to ToonPAINT—and beyond (far, far beyond). Learn more about Doctor Popular at his website, or connect with him at Twitter.
Here’s a Q&A with Doc Pop.
How did you get started experimenting with multiple photo apps? What was the motivation or impulse for the experiments?
Ever since I got the first iPhone, I’ve been hell-bent on using it to create art. Back then I was mostly focused on performing live music with it, but eventually it crossed into other territory. About a year ago I started feeling nostalgic for the weird mosaic-y glitch that used to happen on the early iPhone pictures, so I decided to find an app that could recreate that. From there I got addicted to photo apps.
You’re using a big range of apps for the experiments. What are some of your faves?
My favorite apps for artistically altering images are ToonPaint, DXP, Percolator, Decim8, and Camera+ (which is my favorite app for basic photo editing).
Are there particular combinations that you really like, and that you go back to (with other images), or is it more about the experimentation of the process?
Although I try not to repeat techniques to often, I have to admit I have one trick that I love doing. Open an image with ToonPaint and generate a stylized black and white image (with some gray is okay). Then re-open the original image in some weird app, like Dot Camera or Percolator. Now take both images and open them in DXP, using ToonPaint as your top layer and setting the effect to “Plus Lighter.” Basically this is a trick to really glitch out a piece, then bring it back into familiar territory.
