Breaching the Summit

Hipstamatic is a wonderful tool.  I emphasize tool, a camera is only as good as the person holding it, it requires that ability and training to develop that sense of a good image.  The Hipstamatic can be used as a serious tool to create art. If you are a photographer that is has an obsession with sharpness and clarity even at giant prints well then maybe your should choose an 8x10.  But i think that my tiny cell phone camera produces art from my eyes view.

I use my small pocket camera too capture images when i forgot my DSLR or just did not feel like shooting with it that day, as in the case of this photo.  Cameras are tools, film is a tool, dark rooms, photoshop, lightroom etc. etc... all tools.  Put them to good use and you can create great art.Mophie Juice Pack Air iPhone 4 And 4S Battery Case - 1145JPAIP4BLK

Lens: Libatique; Film PistilSalton

This film combination is great and I have started to truly love it especially for scenes like this.  Overall it seems to deeply saturate the brown mid tones while washing out some of the grays to more of a antique feel.

These are a shots of the Salton Sea in California.  The surreal dreamy quality of this is pretty cool and gives a sense of impending adventure.

Queen Califua's Magical Circle

Lazy Sunday afternoon at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, Ca. While there I visited the magical circle it truly was quite magical.

Queen Califua's Magical Circle
Aetist: Niki de Saint Phalle's

The overall size and scale of the sculptures are awe inspiring. To shoot this series I intentionally chose the hipsta settings. Lens John S film big up. This combo lends itself to a sharply contrasted with heavily saturated color print. Even the colored borders of Big Up that occasionally annoy me seem to add to these shots.

So this is my trip through the queens garden. If any one is ever in the neighborhood it's defiantly worth checking out.

Film: Blanko; Lens: Bettie XL

 This is a great combination.  I love it in low light settings.  Bettie XL allows for a lot of random "light leaks" and the seeming blue washed out hue of the film seems to combine well.

Bettie XL seems to leave a lot of irregularities and scratches and other fun randomness on the print.

Film: Blanko; Lens: Roboto Glitter

This Lens / film combo is fun.  It tends to lead to the burnt out over exposed, with cyan overtones.

Highlights seem to be overly blown out especially toward center of the frame.  If you know this you can use it to an advantage by drawing focus else ware.  Shadows ten to remain very dark as it seems with many of the combos with Blanko film

My personal taste is drawn to this combination.  I used to be all for black and white. ( I still feel that black and white leads to the most artistic)  However when color is so far removed from the reality of a shot it adds a lot to the composition.

Sept Grape Harvest

Early September grape harvest at the sunrise winery in escondido.  I know that I am not following my theme of following every lens/film combo but these were all shot with the iphone hipstamatic, so it is an adventure.  To many photos for one post so i made a slide show please watch.

Lens: Lucifer VI; Film: Blanko

I love love love this combination of lucifer VI and blanko, saturated and contrasty as hell.  With added lens aberrations its just great.  


This combination is a super saturated super contrasted view of the world.  Personally appeals to my sense.  The high contrast may not be for every scene but it works with these i seriously think it is a great combination and will be in regular use for me as soon as i get over random.

Lens: Helga Viking; Film: Blanko

This film combo nation has an overall blue hue and in some shots seems to lack some contrast. The cons of this dark scenes seem to quickly lose contrast.  This particular combination lacks any vignetting or lens aberrations.


I this combination  find aesthetically appealing.  I like the overall dull blue hue of the prints,  I am particularly fone of this 1st print with the tree.

Theres an overall aged feel to these photos, im not sure they are good for every photo but its great in some aspects.

This combo lacks some contrast. I would appreciate  a little more contrast in the images but for some the drab works well.

Lens: Helga Viking; Film: Blanko

At first did not like the washed out bluish look of this film/lens combo.  But i took these two shots this weekend and actually I like them a lot.  Color composition and everything, it came out great.  I think shooting with this combo works well in the shadows.  Its not a very contrasty combo but it it shows a range of dark to light well.

Well these are my thoughts on this one.  Seriously back for more on this combo in the next post.

Lens: Kamal Mark II Film Blanko

So my assessment of this lens film combo.  Overall very orange to red overtones with faded highlights.  This combo can be quite contrasty in a scene with lots of contrast and deep greens.  (See the radishes)
It dose well it fads somewhat toward the center so the photos definitely have an "aged" look to them.  This at times adds much to the photo in the form of a great vignette at first i believed that is what it was while shooting with this combo, After playing with it for several months though i realize that it was in fact a fade as opposed to a vignette.

I think im a fan of this combination.  I will continue to use it in the process however its not my favorite so far.

Lens: Jimmy, Film: Blanko. Revisited

Will this is my final attempt at this combo then I am moving on to something new.  I am still not a fan of the over all yellow hue.  I think this works better in lower light settings but is still yellow.  So I am sure some one could put it to good use and if I ever do I will post here

Lens: Jimmy, Film: Blanko

So Far with this lens/film combo in the Hipstamatic I am not overly excited about.  Overall the combo seems to not have a great gradient between light and dark, the overall tonality leans toward to me an unpleasent green yellow. 

Low lights and shadows are very dark. Highlights are very light and yellow with little variant in between.  The highlights also move towards a yellowish apprentice that myself am not fond of.

This particular combo is not pleasant or useful to my own ascetics.  I believe that in some ways it way be useful and I plan to shoot other subject matter to try and get a better idea of what this combo comes up with.