14 DAY TRIAL // Richard Gray, a photographer with 25 years of experience, has kicked off a course entitled “iPhoneography: An Introduction to Photography with the iPhone” at Kensington and Chelsea College, London.
The class aims to turn even the worst photographer into a proficient iPhoneographer in just over a month, according to the Daily Mail.
But before they delve into downloading cool apps and applying filters and effects, Mr. Gray says that students who enroll will first have to learn the basics of photography, such as composition and lighting.
The course costs £115 (arount $182) and you get to meet with Mr. Gray three hours every other week. Students need to supply their own iPhone (the tutor doesn’t mention which model) and around 20 quid to spend on apps.
“The focus really is on the iPhone apps, there are thousands and thousands of them that you can get,” Mr. Gray said. “Some are very simple, just applying retro filters, whilst some are more complex and can be used to manually edit photos in the same way you would on a PC.”
And, if you think his course is expensive, think again. Mr. Gray clarifies that “One of the beauties of iPhoneography is that you don’t need so much money to get started, which isn’t the case with ‘big photography’.”
“I’ve done a lot of more traditional photography courses in my time and the first thing they tell you if you’re serious about photography is prepare to part company with a lot of money.”
“The apps only cost pennies or a couple of pounds at most to download,” he added. “To buy something like Photoshop can cost hundreds of pounds.”
He also dismisses claims from skeptics who say his course is a gimmick: “With the right apps and skills the iPhone can be a powerful creative tool.”
Mr. Gray admits that iPhone photography cannot rival traditional cameras in some aspects. However, there are some areas where the iPhone performs better.
“It’s more accessible in terms of cost and more flexible in terms of being able to take photos whenever you want. And you can edit them wherever you are - on your way home from work on the bus,” he said.
Editor’s note I can personally vow for Mr. Gray’s opinion about iPhone photography being anything but a gimmick. The image displayed above was taken by yours truly with a not-so-steady hand and the five-megapixel camera on the iPhone 4. I applied a simple vintage effect using a cheap camera app, and there you have it - a decent stab at artistic photography.