JEREMY YATES

This week’s PicTapFeatured! Photographer, Jeremy Yates, is both an animator and a photographer. Jeremy’s two disciplines have enabled him to develop a unique approach to capturing images. As an animator, he tells stories and sculpts emotion by posing and creating movement. It has given him a very keen eye for analyzing the world around him. His photography draws on the same key principles allowing him to capture life in a truly informed way.

What does mobile photography mean to you?

To me, mobile photography means the marriage between being constrained and unconstrained simultaneously.

I am someone who tends to thrive more creatively when I am bound by constraints. I like needing to be resourceful and think outside the box. I think this intrinsic nature has led me to my careers as a video game developer and wedding photographer.

What I love about mobile photography is that it levels the playing field and forces me to think about the basic core elements that make up a good photograph. It’s not about pixel peeping, megapixels, or "how high is your iso." Photography is ultimately about composition, light, and story telling.

Instagram has become my gallery of "iPhone only," and I plan on keeping it that way.

At the same time, mobile photography is about feeling unrestrained. I love that I can create art on the spot without having to drag around my big camera and bag of lenses. My phone is literally the one item that I have in my possession at all times, so I love that it can also assist me in my creativity. I am inspired to constantly keep my "eyes open" and appreciate the beauty of my surroundings.

As father to two wonderful and energetic kids, life is always on the go and rarely about my own timing. I love that with mobile photography, I can capture life’s moments spontaneously and effortlessly, without having to get too weighed down by the process.

Years ago, I attended a wedding that was shot by the Boutwells. Both my wife and daughter were in the wedding party, so I had a close-up look of the Boutwells in action. Their work opened my eyes to the world of modern wedding photography and inspired a side career as a professional photographer. Ever since then, I’ve been a big fan of their work both as photographers and software developers.

What is your favorite thing about PicTapGo?

What I love about PicTapGo is the elegance of its workflow and ability to assist in creating and applying your unique style in a consistent way. I love how easily the app allows artists to apply their own sense of style to photographs via recipes. Speed and simplicity are both important to me because they allow for an unconstrained experience in mobile photography, rather than being stuck behind the process. At the same time, PicTapGo offers great depth in its ability to fine tune the look of a photograph. I deeply appreciate when a particular photographer’s work can be easily recognized in a feed or page full of thumbnails. That’s when you know that artist has developed his/her own look vs. merely applying "Instagram filter #5."