Category Archives: lo-fi

Just did it… or… why is this man smiling?

By Kirk Mastin | Published December 5, 2008

The Author

Your humble author. Shot with an iPhone by Robin.

Well, I did it.

I graduated with a Masters Degree in Digital Media from UW, with perfect grades.

summa cum laude!

During the last year I:
+Consulted companies on Social Media and Digital Content around the country
+Taught film making to young students, helping them produce short films on climate change
+Made a film about a famous rock climber
+Started the Lo-Fi, Hi-Style movement
+Was written about in the New York Times
+Found a fantastic girlfriend and helped her start a blog.
+Filmed two documentaries, one about social media, the other about fixed gear cycling
+Traveled to New Orleans as DP for a full length documentary
+Moved to a nice house (and out of a crazy apartment in Wallingford)
+Started running again and getting in shape
It has been a great year and I have so much to be thankful for. I’m now out in the world again, focusing on my photography, new-media/social-media ventures and trying to find a way to do well in this crazy economic/social climate.
A year ago when I was moving my stuff into my apartment in Wallingford from Coeur D’Alene ID, I had no clue that my life would change so much. This year has literally changed the direction of my life and I have to keep reminding myself of this.
I’m very excited for this coming year and I hope that those that follow my blog will enjoy what I post for 2009.
Thanks for sticking with me this last year through blog remodels and sometimes erratic posting.
-Kirk
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Two from the 5D, One from the iPhone and an Anouncement.

By Kirk Mastin | Published November 26, 2008

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Rubble, 9th Ward. New Orleans, LA. 2008.

This is a photo from my two week trip to New Orleans this year as Director of Photography for the film Independent America: Rising from Ruin.
 Canon 5D + 50mm.

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Hair. Coeur D’Alene, ID. 2008.

Taken during the annual Car D’Alene Parade in Coeur D’Alene ID. Canon 5D + 50mm.

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Slain Coyote. Priest River, ID. 2008

While hunting moose in Priest River ID with my dad as part of his 65th birthday, a hunter in a white truck pulled up to show us a coyote he had shot as part of a bet with his buddy (who apparently said that there aren’t any coyote in the Priest River area.)

While talking I shot a quick picture with my iPhone. Yes it is weird to pull out an iPhone when around hunters. It’s like an alien technology…

So the big announcement is……drum-roll please…..

My website has been updated! YES truly!! And this time it will incorporate my film portfolio as well.

So head on over to www.kirkmastin.com, check it out and let me know what you think!

-Kirk

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iPhone Rolling Shutter: A Creative Constraint

By Kirk Mastin | Published November 2, 2008


Due to the rolling shutter of the iPhone, you can sometimes distort the photo or create varied amounts of blur across the photo as it is taken.
What is ‘rolling shutter’ you may ask?

Continue reading »

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Rocking the iPhone…almost there.

By Kirk Mastin | Published October 21, 2008

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Hypochondriac. SeaTac Airport. Seattle WA, 2008.

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One. SeaTac Airport. Seattle WA, 2008.

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Skyscraper/Escalator. SeaTac Airport. Seattle WA, 2008.

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Triple Anxiety. SeaTac Airport. Seattle WA, 2008.

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The Portal. SeaTac Airport. Seattle WA, 2008.

iPhone Progress

I’m getting close to my secret ambitions with the iPhone. I have written the actions, made a plan, and think…..think….that I can make gallery sized prints from the lowly iPhone camera.

Why am I fixated on this you ask?

The iPhone represents a fundamental shift in cell phone technology and direction. The iPhone’s large screen and easy to use camera, coupled with increasingly sophisticated camera/photo Apps makes the iPhone an ever evolving photo taking/sharing/geo-tagging platform. If there were a bit more manual control and perhaps 3 mega pixels instead of 2, the iPhone would easily outperform many point and shoots in terms of overall usability.

I predict the cell phone will, in a matter of five years or so, largely replace the ubiquitous point and shoot digital camera that most people carry now.

Consider this: there are more cell phone cameras in existence than all other kinds of cameras combined. The cell phone represents the everyman’s camera. All over the world!

I’m pushing the limits of cell phone photography because I want to be a leader and teacher in this field.

I believe in the photography democracy that the cell phone camera represents.

I can’t put it more simply than that.


Lo-Fi, Hi-Style: Coming Soon

I have a secret website that is under construction at the moment. It is the reason I have slowed my posting to this blog. Soon this blog will be replaced and you will be re-directed to my new baby, Lo-Fi, Hi-Style: the blog.

This new blog will be focused on squeezing the most magic possible out of common digital tools.

I won’t be reviewing the RED camera. I won’t tell you how to use a 35mm lens adapters on your brand new Canon XH-A1 camcorder. Instead I’m going to teach you to be the storyteller you are and teach you to make something amazing with a budget of $500 or less.

Interested?

Stay tuned.

I am using all of my spare time to get my baby launched. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. I’ll let you know when it happens.

-Kirk

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Three from the iPhone

By Kirk Mastin | Published September 25, 2008
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Ghost. Seattle, WA. 2008.

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Memories of a Home. Seattle, WA. 2008.

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Red Mill Floor. Seattle, WA. 2008.
If the color comes out bad, make it black and white.

If the color is funky and you like it, go with it.

These are my tips of the day.

To get good quality for now (while I work on creating Photoshop Actions for the iPhone) get your iPhone photos into Lightroom, tweak them gently, and export them using the export setting ‘Sharpen for Screen’, ‘High’.

More soon….

-Kirk

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