- Real Name
- Rog...
- Device
- iPhone 13 Pro
MobiMembers have recently asked how Mobitog.com came into being, through to where we are today?
Handily, when our resident wordsmith, (Richardcb) first joined us, he got Rog and Matt to sit down for a press release interview!
So...
The MobiStory:
1. When was MobiTog formed?
The idea was developed in the late Summer/Autumn of 2010 and went Live at the end of October. We launched using SMF - standard website forum software traditionally aimed at the computer/programming generation. You can see the original MobiTog.com 1.0 here -http://www.smf.mobitog.com/
2. Why was MobiTog formed?
We formed MobiTog because we felt iPhones (and other mobile phones) had reached the stage where their following and increasing use for photography was really taking off in a big way and going global at a crazy rate. The iPhone's cameras were producing more than acceptable quality images. Coupled with, or without apps, these images were becoming fantastic pieces of work - and then started the iPhoneography/iPhoneArt debate...
We identified a gap in the market for a purely community based site that would encourage the sharing of, commenting on and learning about producing mobile photography images. There were other websites offering mini tagged-on forums, but these were all 'bolted on' to the side of websites with different primary objectives.
There were lots of places (too many!) for mobitographers to post their work to - but few made little attempt at any kind of community, as this was, generally, secondary to the posting of the images themselves. Flickr, at the time, was perhaps the best example of this - post an image and the comments section was always sparsely used and very rarely, if ever, in real time.
We see iPhoneography and other forms of mobile photography as a very serious medium; one in which people will develop, improve and offer experiences and guidance, on sites like MobiTog and NOT just a "look at what I did!" environment!
In May 2011 Rog & Matt felt the growing MobiCommunity deserved more, indeed we were listening to a membership who were critical of the friendliness of the software we were using. We were finding people were not revisiting the site enough, although some absolutely amazing MobiTography was being uploaded to the MobiGallery but not being posted to threads for comment and discussion.
We did some research with our, then existing 100 members and were pleasantly surprised at the significant level of insightful and detailed responses! The main feedback was that our members felt the site was not very intuitive or visually attractive and they would love to have a branded app to use, preferably not paid for!
Midway through May, Roger and Matt sat down and discussed the options.
We decided then that the website needed fairly heavy investment in new software and a MobiTog branded app.
The field of iPhoneography was, and is still, growing, so it was a bit of a gamble as to whether there would actually be enough demand to warrant this investment. We agonised over all the website software options and how we could produce the app! At the end of May we took decisive action and developed MobiTog 2.0 - which included the new, user friendly, much improved software package and our very own app released into Apple's iOS App Store.
3. Who was involved in its creation?
Three of us - Roger Gilbert (Venomator), Matt Cooper (Smooth) and Matt Hawkins (Matt).Matt Hawkins left us in December 2010 to pursue his growing photography business.
4. What were your initial goals and have they changed?
Our initial goals were to be a MobiTography community offering serious commentary and learning facilities complete with an arena/community centred around this rapidly developing medium. We wanted MobiTog to be one community - with oPhoneArtists, iPhoneographers and everything between, catering for all different skill levels, coming together to share their images and produce and discuss fantastic imagery with like-minded, addicted persons. As the medium is so accessible we wanted iPhoneographers, around the world, to be able to share their world, their life, their iPhoneography and help them, through a friendly, mutually assisting, community life, to develop and enjoy taking mobile photography pictures.
Since starting MobiTog the number of photography apps in the App Store has grown tenfold and is still increasing, so we also now have a VERY busy app discussion and review section!
Our initial goals have developed to include more than sharing and discussion - we now have an equally large apps discussion section, some utterly astonishing community iPhoneography projects and app and processing tutorial sections.
We have now become primarily aimed at iPhoneography and iDevices, purely because they are easily the most common devices used for photography in the mobile world and, iPhoneography, being the first kid on the block in the movement, is extremely large and still growing exponentially.
5. How is MobiTog different to other iphoneography sites?
MobiTog is different to other iPhoneography sites because we are a community, first and foremost, simple.
We are all addicted to the medium and we welcome everyone - no matter what their experience level is or where they are in the world. Our ethos of community sharing and discussion means that everyones opinions and views count and we all help one another further develop our iPhoneography and iPhoneArt skills, experiences and abilities.
6. What does it offer its members?
Mobitog offers its members an enriching, challenging, friendly and constructive community of iPhoneographers and iPhoneArtists who all just get involved. Not to mention there is a phenomenal quantity of absolutely amazing iMagery to browse that is being constantly added to from all the corners of the globe!
7. Why does the group concentrate so much on the iPhone/are other mobile phones welcome?
MobiTog concentrates on the iPhone/iDevices because it is the most pre-eminent camera in the world - the iPhone is now the most used camera for those posting images to Flickr!
The enormous number of photography specific apps available for the iPhone means there is huge variety in the iPhoneography and iPhoneArt work produced with its camera.
MobiTog has always welcomed photography and art from other mobile phones - when we first started the site, the idea was that all mobile photography would be welcome - hence the nameMobile PhoTography. Our branding and app reflects that fact the majority of our members use iPhones and other iDevices.
8. Can you describe MobiTog in a (fairly short) sentence?
MobiTog is THE iPhoneography Community for iPhoneographers, iPhoneArtists and MobiTographers, anywhere in the world to share, develop, discuss and comment on their iMages in a truly global iCommunity of addicted but totally friendly and welcoming iPhoneographers and iPhoneArtists that we are extremely proud to call our MobiMembers - without these awesome people there would not be a Mobitog Community...
9. What does MobiTog think of traditional (i.e. non-cameraphone) photographers?
MobiTog loves them - many of us also own DSLR's! There seems to be this strange 'disregard' for iPhoeography/MobiTography among the traditional photography world.
As a result, some see it as 'us and them' - this is certainly NOT the case with us at MobiTog! We feel that iPhoneography/iPhoneArt and MobiTography is a natural extension of photography and artistry that is very accessible and can be pursued everywhere and by anyone!
The fact that a device you carry with you 24/7 can now capture life in extremely exciting, vivid and engaging ways means your photography is always with you - whether it be planned with a DSLR or when walking down the street with a mobile phone and everything in-between. We believe we will live side-by-side, as an exciting, emerging medium in photography, and iPhoneography will, eventually, be considered by those that currently resist, as a legitimate form of the art of photography.
Continued.../
however I look forward to seeing some "fundraising" challenges and or more projects
