Ike Dodge is a very versatile mobile photographer who is very passionate about his iPhoneography. As I was looking over his submissions for this showcase, I was impressed not only by the photographic qualities of his work, but the very surreal aspects of some of his photos. He has a broad range of styles which vary from stark suburban street photography to surreal microphotography to fully-realized vivid dreamscapes and abstracts. Across his varied styles are a consistency within his works.
In his own words and photos, here is the Life In LoFi showcase of iPhoneographer Ike Dodge. >>>
My name is Ike Dodge, I am an unemployed art teacher with a degree in illustration. In February of 2012, I had downloaded the Flipboard app for my iPad and come across Life In LoFi and a few other blogs which peaked my interest in iPhoneography. In an effort to find alternatives to running I picked up my iPhone and thought to myself, “I want to try my hand at iPhoneography.” Armed with a handful of apps and some tips from other iPhoneographers, I hit the street for 4 hours taking pictures, that’s where my new found passion began.
I can’t rave enough about the volume button to take pictures. My first experience taking pictures on my phone lead me to a few incidents of people being upset or chasing me down, asking why I was taking their pictures because I stopped to look through the view finder in order to capture an image. After that day I changed my tactics when taking 90% of my pictures. The majority of my pictures are now literally shot from the hip without even tipping off the subject that they were photographed. Not using the viewfinder means some of my shots don’t come out because I miss my subject completely, however the majority are a success and editing in post production helps ensure the composition come out successful.
My work has a photographic element to it that I shoot 99% of the time. A lot of my illustration work also involved photo manipulation so moving to the iPad also allowed my work to move in new directions. Using apps like Camera+, Percolator, Photoshop Touch, and ToonPaint have allowed me to create images with ease. I have also picked up a Olloclip Lens for my phone which has become an invaluable tool. Next I intend to get a Jot Pro Stylus to aid my art creation.
I am certified to teach high school art and when I am not shooting or editing, I am trying to find an art teaching job. My long term plan is to keep experimenting with iPhoneography and create a high school or college course which will revolve around the use of mobile devices to create and share photography. I don’t really care where the job is. I just want to share my passion for art with others.
I have found a new passion for shooting pictures of the world around me and I use Instagram as my personal gallery space. Feel free to follow me there, Instagram/@ike_dodge.
Keep on snappin’!
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