Meet Cindy Patrick

by Carol H.

I first learned of Cindy Patrick at the Macworld conference this last February in San Francisco. I was all set to attend her presentation when time constraints pulled me away. At that same conference, I bought the iPad app Mobile Masters and was thrilled to see Cindy as one of the featured artists! The images she shared in Mobile Masters was her horse series. I was absolutely mesmerized! They looked like Impressionist paintings to me. I poured over each image, then read and re-read her process. I set about trying to achieve her look. Well, let me tell you, I'm no Cindy! Recently I worked up the courage to ask if she would consider being interviewed for FOL and was so pleased when she said yes. I find her to be a kind and generous soul and after you read this interview I am sure you will agree.

 

FOL: What is your name and where do you live?

Cindy: My name is Cindy Patrick and I live in Moorestown, New Jersey, which is just outside of Philadelphia. I'm a professional photographer and photograph primarily weddings and portraits in addition to creating my mobile art.

FOL: When did you get started creating mobile art?

Cindy: I had an iPhone for a while before I began to view it as a creative tool. In late 2010, I happened to come across an artist who was creating these incredible “fingerpaintings” on his iPhone. His name is Jorge Colombo and he has done several New Yorker magazine covers. I was fascinated, so I began searching the internet for more people doing this kind of work. I think I Googled “iPhone Art” and up came the website for iPhoneart.com, which is where I first started posting my work in December of 2010. Around the same time, I discovered the book, “The Best Camera is the One That’s With You” by Chase Jarvis, and from there, it just became an obsession!

 

FOL: Do you have a traditional photography or art background?

Cindy: Yes. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Studio Art but most of the courses I took to fulfill my major were photography courses. After college, I worked for many years as a production artist (in the days before computers and digital!) and continued to pursue photography as a hobby. But in 2003 I began photographing weddings and started my own photography business (Cindy Patrick Photography, Inc.) I've been creative my whole life. I was always drawing, and loved to draw cartoons especially. I've actually begun to draw again after many years of not doing anything like that at all. I bought a Moleskine sketchbook, but find myself (not surprisingly!) drawing on my iPad with a variety of drawing apps. The creative process is endlessly fascinating to me. I  have no doubt that my love of mobile photography and drawing will collide one of these days!

FOL: Who or what inspires you?

Cindy: I am inspired by many photographers and painters. William Eggleston, David Hockney, Milton Avery and Edward Hopper to name a few. In general, I’m inspired by creative people. Not necessarily other mobile artists or even famous people, but people who live normal lives and  manage to find the time to make art, sometimes against all odds. The recent story of Vivian Maier, who worked as a nanny for 40 years while spending all of her free time photographing in the streets of New York City, is very inspiring to me. She photographed not for fortune and fame, but just for herself. As it turns out, she was an incredibly gifted photojournalist. Amazing!

 

FOL: Is there one subject that you prefer to take pictures of?

Cindy: I absolutely love the beach. I visit and photograph beaches whenever and wherever I can. The Jersey Shore, the Hamptons, Florida, the Caribbean... pretty much anywhere there’s an ocean! When I can’t get to the beach, I love wandering around in the city, either New York or Philadelphia, and capturing life on the streets. Fortunately, I live 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, 90 minutes from New York City, and about an hour from Atlantic City. So I have lots of photo opportunities within a very short distance of my home.

FOL: Do you plan your shoots with a particular edit in mind or do you get inspired to create after you see your camera roll?

Cindy: I don’t necessarily plan the edit, but I do usually have something in mind when I’m out shooting. A lot of my work is highly manipulated and full of bold colors, so I tend to seek out subjects that will lend themselves to my style of processing. If I’m working on a series, I definitely go out with an intention of shooting something specific. There are times too when I’ll shoot something and not know at the time what I will do with it. It may sit on my cameraroll for months before an idea will come to me or an app will come along that is just right. So I guess it’s a mixed bag! One thing I would like to start doing is editing on location, at the time the shot was taken, rather than waiting to get back home or into my hotel room. I would like to see how that would affect the mood or overall feeling of the piece.

FOL: Do you use the native camera app or a specialized app like ProCamera or Camera+?

Cindy: I find myself using the native camera most often. I used to use Hipstamatic a lot, and still do. But Hipstamatic adds a lot of “arty” effects right out of the camera and I prefer to add my own touches, so using the native camera for me is like starting with a blank canvas. I can start with the “straight” shot and go from there. My second go-to camera app is Slow Shutter, but only for a very specific look. I try not to overuse it. I have an ongoing underwater swimmer series using that app, and it’s amazing! In general, I am not a “techie” so camera replacement apps with too many settings are not my thing. For me, that’s part of the appeal of iPhoneography... the simplicity and limitations of the tool itself. If I want precise control, I’ll pull out my DSLR!

  
FOL: Have you ever exhibited your work? If not, any plans to do so?

Cindy: Yes, I’ve been lucky to have my work exhibited all over the world. In February of 2012, I was one of six mobile photographers who had their work exhibited in Spain at the Latitudes International Photography Festival. Our work was displayed alongside that of many world-renowned photographers from the esteemed Magnum Photo Agency. From there, I’ve gone on to exhibit in Oxford, England and at various galleries across the US, including the Arthaus Gallery in San Francisco and at the Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival. I’m most proud of two exhibitions where I was the only mobile photographer included in the show. One was a juried exhibition called the “Surreal Salon 5” in Baton Rouge, and the other is a show called “Grace & Ritual” which runs from May 11th through the 26th at the iam8bit Gallery in Los Angeles.  Grace & Ritual is an all-woman show featuring the work of 47 emerging artists and contemporary masters from around the world. It’s a proud moment for me and I’m very excited to be a part of it! I’m always entering competitions and seeking opportunities to share my work.

  
FOL: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Cindy: Carol, thank you so much for the opportunity to share my thoughts with the readers of your incredibly inspirational blog! I enjoyed this interview immensely!

FOL: Thank you Cindy for taking the time to graciously do this interview and for sharing so many of your beautiful images with our readers.

Cindy has established a blog with the intent of sharing her images and processes in the near future. In the meantime, I hope you will stop by, read her bio and perhaps leave her a message. All of her contact information is listed below. Drop by any of these and leave her some Focusing On Life love!

Cindy’s contact info:

blog site: http://www.cindyscameraroll.com
website: http://www.cpatrickphoto.com                 
Instagram: cpatrickphoto
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/cpatrickphoto                 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cpatrickphoto
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cpatrickphoto
iPrints Store (print sales) http://iprints.iphoneart.com/cpatrickphoto