PAUL MOORE ONLY started taking photographs around five years ago, but he’s already gathering fans across the world.
Now his photographs, which are entirely shot and edited on his iPhone, will go on display at an iPhone photography showcase in Miami this weekend.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Moore (who began using a ‘proper’ camera only last June), said:
It only really started when I got the phone. All the photos are taken on the native iPhone camera, I don’t use any of the camera replacement apps.
But he does use four apps for editing: Phototoaster, Snapseed, Handyphoto and Tadaa.
“I use them to try and increase the drama in the photographs,” he said. “I always say I don’t take photos with the phone, I create images… I use the applications to almost give a painterly look to the photos, a slightly surreal look.”
He has garnered contacts all over the world from sharing his photos on Facebook and Flickr, he said, and that’s how he was asked to contribute his pics to the showcase.
When he’s not snapping photos, Moore is a financial advisor and accountant.
Taking photos is a world away from his day job, and editing at home after a long day at work is a “zenlike experience” for Moore.
He believes in the saying “the best camera is the one you have on you at any given time”.
He can even edit a photo “in the queue for the bank or on coffee break”.
He goes for vibrant, colourful images, often inspired by his love for cinema.
Some of my images would have that widescreen feel to them and really it’s almost trying to tell a story within an image.
Moore wants to “try and create some sense of wonder”, and make the viewer “think about what they are looking at”.
What’s his advice to would-be iPhone photographers? “Just take lots and lots of photographs. Stay away from apps as much as possible when starting off,” he cautions.
No amount of editing will turn a bad photo into a good photo. It’s all about developing your eye and what makes a good image, when you start off.
Plus, the joy of digital means “you can take as many photos as you like – no one needs to see the bad ones”.
“I like to try and show off the local area that I live and places around Ireland as well,” he added. “I’ve had quite a few people come back to me and say: ‘Ireland looks like a lovely country’, so I’m doing my bit for tourism!”
You can find more of his photographs on Flickr.
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