There is apparently an iPhone app called Hipstamatic which is all the rage now. The back story is there was a short-lived cheap plastic camera in the early 1980s (cost: $8.25) which took greenish-yellowish grainy pictures. Today, that style invokes a nostalgic feeling, and this iPhone app has become rather popular among the "old enough to drink but no longer obligated" crowd looking back upon misspent youth.
I'm definitely part of that crowd, so I'm a big fan of the photos the
Hipstamatic app creates — but since I'm not an iPhone owner, I can't use
the app on my phone (nor does one exist). I did, however, find a site which
taught me how to get a Hipstamatic
effect from The Gimp, so now I can make Hipstamatic photos
without an iPhone. I suspect the same thing could be done with Photoshop, but
I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader since I don't own Photoshop.
For the record, I personally have doubts about the legend of the Hipstamatic camera. I have a funny feeling it was all concocted just to help sell the app. No proof, just a hunch.
Anyway, I've been playing around with this effect and I'm pleased with the
results so far. The pictures I ended up with show a slightly darker side of
nostalgia. This wasn't exactly what I intended, but it's a happy accident,
because I like it even more than the effect I was shooting for. And, it kind of
reminds me of Lasse Hoile's work.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm anywhere near that level of awesome. But
it's nice to feel like I might have gotten close.
I'm kind of going through an arty phase at the moment. This happens occasionally — usually, it passes by without much coming of it. I'm trying to prevent that this time, so I find myself taking pictures a lot, appreciating lines and colors and shapes, seeing things which evoke a feeling and trying to capture the moment the best way I know how.
Coincidentally, I'm getting slightly drawn into the same circles traveled by real artists, photographers, and musicians. Just a subtle nudge, like I've been led to a stream in the woods just so I can know where it is. I like that. And yes, the written word is an art form (and the one I am most familiar with), so this isn't completely foreign territory, but it's unfamiliar enough that I feel like I could be more ok with not being perfect. I don't mind that, and in fact, I think it worked out pretty well this time.