Welcome to One Shoot Sunday… I’m Chris Galford. In the past, I’ve shown you a slew of portrait, nature, and commercial photographers; but this week we’re moving into a real product of the times. In fact, it’s a genre our own Claudia Schoenfeld is quite familiar with: iPhoneography. With us today is Iquanyin Moon, an iPhoneographer currently living in Hawaii.
How did you get into photography? 
What inspired you to start photo-art work?
Iquanyin: When I first heard the iphone was going to be made, it struck me hard. It sounded very much like something I’d dreamed about years back (a read dream, not a daydream). I knew I wanted this and that it would have an impact on my life. It came at a rough time where I lost everything, literally, except my life and my children’s lives. I lost all my artwork (angry roommate trashed it), my lover (to suicide), my job (couldn’t concentrate after the suicide), personal documents, apartment, friends, etc. Later all my writings were lost to a burglary when I was visiting in Oregon… the silver lining is that it’s given me total focus on iphoneography.
What about photography and digital art appeals to you?
Iquanyin: I used to do art from childhood into my mid 30s. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, doodles, serious pen and ink, collage, and so on. I sometimes sold artwork, or got jobs using my illustration skills… Before coming to Hawaii, I gave my art supplies away. But I’ve come to see that for me, it’s create or destroy, on an inner level.
Photography is fast, immediate, infinitely open as far as what can be shown and done, and with the right tools it can be surprising, like watercolors can be. The hardest thing for me is that I’m mostly a loner these days, but I want to do more portraits. I also have some personal photojournalism I want to do.
Where are some of the places you’ve taken photos? Do you have any favorite locations/spots?
Iquanyin: I take photos wherever I am, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah. I’ll shoot anywhere, anytime. Stores, mirrors, parks, cafes, busses, secret shots, hasty shots, posed shots, experimental shots, etc. I especially like glass, mirrors, and reflections, and took over a thousand shots using these in various ways in my first few weeks with an iphone back in 2008.
What has been your experience with the internet as a medium for sharing your art?
Iquanyin: Except for twitter, my experience with the net as a whole, not just for sharing art, has been and continues to be frustrating, on a regular basis. At first, I had a only my jailbroken iphone; no computer, no money, no knowledge. I took thousands of photos, eventually managed to get some on flickr (one at a time, via email over edge network), only to lose them because I closed my yahoo mail account… I had to restore my iphone easily 30 times in a year and a half, and at first that meant taking it back to where I got it and leaving it there so they could restore it on their computer. Of course, all my stuff was wiped off every time. I did learn to fix some problems myself, using the jailbreak ifile, to avoid some of the restores.
Do you find any similarities between your art and other creative pursuits, like writing or poetry?
Iquanyin: I’ve done most things: writing, visual arts, music, dance (as a child), a few crafts. I modify my clothes when bored and I don’t even know how to sew. I cut my hair all kinds of ways. I’m way, way too talkative many times, and what I like about all art forms is i can channel my intense need to communicate and express and explore into something that can handle that. Writing is my least preferred activity right now, probably partly because the writing loss is fresher than the other losses, and partly because I don’t use paper anymore and haven’t yet found a digital method that’s got what I’m wanting for writing….
Any tips or suggestions to people just beginning to play around with their photos, or just getting into digital art?
Iquanyin: Don’t worry about what you don’t know or your equipment, just take photos do whatever you like with them, digitally or in the physical world. Unless you’re supremely confident, it might be best to share your stuff after you’ve accumulated 
a body of things you like, because sometimes people will say some pretty trollish stuff about what you do. That’s just how people are, but it can be inhibiting. I personally like to explore things on my own before hearing any rule (like rules about color and so on). After I’ve done something for awhile, rules are worth looking at because they make sense then. They might save me time or enable me to do what i couldn’t figure out myself.
So my last bit of advice: Have fun! Jump in!
What kind of equipment do you use for your photos? What programs do you use to produce what you do?
Iquanyin: Equipment… I do my work on iphone and ipad. macbook air (the small one) will complete my toolset when I can get one.
Are there any resources you could recommend for individuals who wish to know more about this sort of art?
Iquanyin: Resources… First, there’s a wonderful iphone art community online. IAMDA was started this year, there are many flickr groups for iphone, android, ipad, and so on, and googling will yield other things like “iphoneography” sites. Fellow artists can be inspirational. Also, if you use an app phone for art/photography, there are feeds that daily tell you what’s just gone free. That and beta testing apps can get you a lot of tools. There are videos and so on too. I’m one of a number of iphone artists featured in David Liebowitz’ book “Iphone Art, Ipad Art” which is on pre-order at Amazon. It shows not just atr but details the steps and apps that were used in making it.
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To learn more about Iquanyin, check out the following links:
Twitter: @iquanyin
Flick: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iquanyinmoon
It’s Picture Prompt Challenge Time!
- Write a poem (or Flash Fiction 55) based on the prompt.
- Post it on your site.
- Sign up using Mr. Linky so people can find your work.
- Let us know what you are sharing by leaving a comment below.
- Finally, visit other participants, comment, and give credit to Iquanyin Moon in your post.
Thank you,
Dustus
Accept the Picture Prompt Challenge! 
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Technology amazes me, especially when it comes to excellent photography taken on iPhones! Great feature today on Iquanyin Moon. Hats off to Chris G. for another job well done.
New feature, new website, and time for the picture prompt challenge. Can’t wait to see what everyone composes. So get those creative juices flowing and accept the challenge!
Have a wonderful Sunday, Everyone.
I’m new and confused–which pic is the prompt? They’re all beautiful!
The last one at the bottom above the sign up link will always be the challenge prompt, Amy. Go on, give it a shot!
—dustus
Great biography/interview! I can definitely relate to Iquanyin’s loss of her work because that had happened to me before. I guess it’s in the hearts of all writers/poets & artists. If you lose something as precious as your own work, it hurts a lot because after all, you had been protective of it. Thankfully, we are always creating so even from the loss, we are still able to create more.
Lovely photography, Iquanyin! I too have been experimenting with photography through smartphones. I have a Blackberry so I’m practicing and playing around with it. The process so far has been fascinating, even a bit frustrating as I’m an amateur photographer. Sometimes the photos don’t come out the way I want to! Still, I am enjoying the process.
Fascinating piece of photography… kind of illusionary like an eclipse.
This was a fascinating feature. What an amazing person to continue making art with the available tools as his life seems to fall apart beneath him and yet his work is so distinct and unique. I am inspired by this or anyone’s ability to carry on even in adverse situations believing in that part of him/herself being willing to create out of nothing, regardless of personal sacrifice. Amazing. Thank you. Gay
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if you have a wordpress blog, you know that they now offer about ten photographs that you may use in your post based upon keywords that they pick up from the post. just a day or two ago, THIS photograph was one that they showed. {i wish i could remember what i was writing.} even though i didn’t need the photo to use in my post, i was so fascinated by the thumbnail view that i actually took the time to look at the full size. it was really an inspiration for me, though i’m sure my poem doesn’t do the photograph justice.
congratulations on the move to the new site. i love that you’re now accepting submissions from young writers. you all do an amazing job on this site. thank you!
This is so lovely! These photos are so captivating and so raw, it’s inspiring! Thanks for doing this interview, Iquanyin!
hey, i just want to say thanks for the fantastic poetry and comments so far. i’d like to mention that two of the photos (the third and fifth) were done on a $70 cheapie camera this summer when my first iphone died. the rest are iphoneography. just for the record.
@A~Lotus yes, you know how it feels. on the up side, i just this week did some writing (poems) for the first time in a long time. maybe i’ll continue. this is an inspiring experience, and i’m a lucky girl sometimes. i hope to see your blackberry stuff. on iphone there are many, many apps for graphic arts (now; not at first). i’ve never had a blackberry, or any other phone. the original one was a gift, tho i’d certainly known iphone was for me when i first heard it was coming out.
for all its frustrations, the internet is in many ways an artists dreamworld.
A tragic life has produced a unique artist! Fascinating interview and adore those prints in the sand!
Hi All,
Thank you “One Stop Poetry” for such a wonderful prompt. I have submitted my entry for the prompt.
By the way, can anyone tell me where can I submit my own poetry? The poem is not prompted by any prompt on any blog. But I want to link that poetry to some site. I have posted that poetry on my blog. Please help me out here.
Thank you all in advance.
the link to iquanyin’s twitter page is invalid. i’m not sure why as when i went to twitter and searched for @iquanyin it came up just fine. ♥
hey, thanks again for this.
I can’t find words to describe Iquanyin’s photography. But it prompted me to write a poem that doesn’t seem to be mine; it seems to have been written from that dimension I’ve never been, where I met Iquanyin. I hope it works!
By the way, I like the new look, this new site!
hi Dani..thanks for letting me know..the link has been fixed and is working fine now..cheers pete
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beautiful picture
lion line lyin’
nice…very artistic flare. technology continues to enable the inner artist and to me this is a good thing…
These photographs – iPhoneographs – all have a haunting, haunted quality about them. Wonderful work (and a great interview, Chris!).
exactly….
i am in!
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I love this interview! The iphoneography is fantastic and inspires me to try my hand at it…I dig the style of each presented photot. What a creative interview…thank you Chris G and Iquanyin….Nice new site One Stop…y’all rock!
try your hand! you will probably love it.
hand.
Beautiful photography! His work is truly inspiring. =)
Here’s my piece today, hope you enjoy it.
Remember to scroll down Portuguese version to find English. =)
Happy Sunday!
Iquanyin, window and mirror images fascinated me. They bring out the complicated, many layered humans that we all are. Thanks for not giving up. Your perserverance is an encouragement. I am also glad you are writing again…may your words have power and place along with your i images. Nice to meet you!
thanks. i agree with what you say about mirrors and so on.
Hi everyone … loved Iquanyin Moon …. great job done here … loved reading the poems as well. Added my poem ‘Time’ …… all the best to all of you.
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Thank you for this awesome challenge. Picture to poetry is such a creative avenue.
Have a good Sunday everyone.
thanks so much chris for this amazing interview – and yes – the iPhone is an awesome tool for taking pics and work on them – easy, surprising results – and i really love to let it be a surprise, i take a pic – work with this app and with that and sometimes i’m just stunned how cool they turn out. have def. to check out IAMDA
thanks for sharing this Iquanyin!
you’re welcome! thanks to all the wonderful writers here. i’m spending today mostly just reading what’s been written (and responding to this and that in comments here). i’ve posted about this blog and this weekly event to various photo communities i’m in, to encourage people to stop by and check things out, maybe contribute.
thats cool, what you say. nice poem. i’m slowily reading all, occasionally commenting (so many poets!)
update: your poem went straight to my heart, both for itself and for reasons you don’t know yet seem to know somehow. this is also true for several of the other poems.
are you sure you’re a poet and not a wizard?
This is my first time participating with One Stop Poetry . I was intrigued and thought this may not only be fun, but what a way to “prime the well’ I am new to the blog scene so I am curious to see where this takes me. Beautiful Pictures for sure… Love to see new and different ways of presenting art photo’s… ~.^H
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Thanks for this! It was fun! And thank you for offering such a great venue to share poetry, photography and art!
Great article, wonderful site template, maintain the great work
Little slow on the draw this morning. Just posted “Relief Prints”.
Thank you for an interesting article and the fun prompt.
I was intrigued by the starkness of the footprints in the sand, so concrete yet so enigmatic that they cried out to be heard. I hope my effort was worthy of the prompt, and I welcome any feedback people may have.
I enjoyed my first visit! Thank you for the food for thought. I just posted “Absolution” in response.
This photograph is very evocative. Thinking of our journey’s through life. Inspired “The Journey” at http://www.4lanesandaroundabout.co.uk
I have not entered this before so I am not sure if I have done it right
such incredible and rich images from a camera phone!thank you,once again One Stop,for an incredible artist in Iquanyin Moon.her interview took me to familiar ground and helped me remember what the struggle is truly about!
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Iphoneography reminds me of the introduction of the Polaroid camera. It has a similar immediate, unedited quality. As a photo enthusiast I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and the information shared – thanks for posting it.
these photos are terrific. Great talent and great introduction!
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Wowiez!! Loved the concept of iphoneography.. and the pictures too!!
What an amazing interview, Chris… BRAVO!!!!
This is my first ever submission for One Shoot Sunday… totally excited!!
Yaayyyy
I have enjoyed your wonderful photos on Flickr and Facebook Iquanyin, and I am so glad to get a chance to learn more about you here. This is a great personal essay.
helene! just saw this. you and patricio belw me away when i first discovered you on twitter, and continue to do so. thank you!
helene and many other iphoneographers are on flickr, and some on twitter too, for future reference.
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I fell in love Iquanyin’s work on Facebook the first time I saw it. I am amazed to learn here that it is all done with an iPhone!
its true! steven was one of my first online fans, which made me really, really happy, since i’ve loved (and owned, in the past) a number of his books.
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I though this one shoot was excellent and the images were superb. I want around Sunday and I missed the chance but as I said to Dustus i had a great muse from this but just couldnt find the words to commit to poetry…the footsteps were pressing outwards, which reminded me of a baby kicking in a womb…great work….cheers Pete