Abstract submission to a gallery idea.

I’m part of a local photographer group on Facebook and someone offered up the possibility of being in a gallery. I thought I might as well come up with an idea and see if the results were worth printing.

Here is the description:
“The idea is cell phone pictures, printed, matted and framed in recycled frames… Think sustainability. Go to goodwill, salvation army, or even reuse old frames around your house or grandparent’s house. We suggest going through Wallblank.com to print, as we may set up a matte cutting station for a couple bucks.”

First off, I had two camera options. A HTC HD2 I bought used from eBay for when I was using T-Mobile. My other option was a Samsung Intercept for Virgin Mobile that I use with my current plan. The HD2 has a higher mega-pixel camera and the built-in camera app allows for control of ISO as well as features like a timer. 

I have an Otterbox case for the HD2, so I thought I might as well go all out and modify the case to shoot when it is attached to the holster. That way I would be able to attach the holster to a tripod for added stability. While you will see my plans didn’t workout… as planned, here are some of the photos of the modified phone.

Basically, I just used a simple drill with a hole making bit. I then removed extra plastic to make sure that the holster itself wouldn’t show up in the photos.

All I had to do now was use a few light stand accessories so the holster could clamp on to something.

I wanted to try out an idea I had content wise. With an abstract texture goal, my idea was to float the frame I was going to use with the final print on light stands with fishing line and then photograph some type of texture in the inside. I also had the idea of having movement inside the frame I wanted to try out, but that required a timer on the phone camera (only the HD2 had that).

So I set up (two different setups, here is one): 

I got the HD2 ready and turn on the camera…it stayed like that for maybe three minutes while I I was positioning everything. I snap a few frames and the screen goes blank. Without out any options, I try holding down the end call button and the phone resets (it should normally just turn off). I go through that a few times with not much success. I did get a few stills from the phone, but it wasn’t stable enough to use the timer. 

Why did this happen? I guess it was just too cold outside because I had used the phone successfully without issue inside the previous night. It must have been the camera itself because the phone would stay on out there without issue.

I rushed inside and got my other phone. That one was working just fine, but it doesn’t have much in the way of creative control. Pretty much just point and shoot. Through all of that I managed to get a few frames from each.

Here are the results (if I go forward with this I’ll use one or the other in that frame in the photo, a comment to which you prefer would be great): 

Some standard Photoshop was done to my whims at the time. I also cloned out what was visible of the fishing line holding up the frame on each side.