behind the book : an interview with daniela bowker

We got a chance to catch up with Daniela Bowker, editor at Photocritic, and are excited to share her latest book!

Shutter Sisters: Tell Us About Your Book.

Daniela Bowker:  Social Photography : Make All Your Smartphone Photos One in a Billion (Ilex Press, April 2014) was conceived to help people take and share better smartphone photos.

With so many images flooding a plethora of social media sites, the aim is to show people how best to use their smartphone cameras and the gamut of photography-related apps to make photos that people want to look at, and then how to share them appropriately via different social media channels. After all, the people who follow you on Twitter might not be the same people who follow you on Facebook, and knowing your audience is the half of the recipe to having your photos noticed; the first half is the great photo.

SS: What did you enjoy the most about writing Social Photography?

DB: Despite the high-tech nature of smartphone photography, in-app editing, and social media sharing, smartphone photography can be reduced to the essentials: tell your story, look for the light, compose your scene. It was a pleasure to revert to these basics and teach people the foundations of great photography in a way that really can make a difference.

SS: Had you written any other books before?
DB:  I am the co-author of  Michael Freeman’s Photo School: Composition (co-author), Ilex Press, 2012 and the author of Surreal Photography: Creating the Impossible, Ilex Press, 2013.

SS: What was the most challenging part of writing Social Photography specifically?

DB: Social media platforms update, apps come, go, and are revised. Ensuring that the book was written in such a way to maintain accuracy, despite these inevitable changes was a challenge. There were at least two major revisions to the manuscript made during the writing and editing process, following significant updates to apps featured in the book.

SS: What is your favorite photo you shared in the book?  Why is it your favorite?

DB: Selecting my favourite photo from the book has been quite a struggle. So let’s go with the bumblebee collecting pollen from the asparagus fern. It was taken on my father’s allotment using my iPhone. Bees can be tricky to capture–they move so fast–and it was taken around midday when the sun was high in the sky, but it came together beautifully.

Is there a way for the book’s readers, or anyone else, to get involved?

Of course! It’s a book about social photography! Grab yourself an EyeEm, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, or Twitter account, and start sharing your photos. You can follow me in most of these places, too. And don’t forget that I’m the editor of Photocritic, where you can pick up more photography hints, tips, and help.

I’m especially fond of the “Where to Share” flowchart from the book (click on it below for a larger version).

“The key to acquiring social media followers doesn’t rely on alchemy or bribery. It’s about being interested, interesting, and interactive.” – Daniela Bowker

Buy the book:  Social Photography : Make All Your Smartphone Photos One in a Billion (Ilex Press, April 2014)

About Danila Bowker: Daniela Bowker started taking photos when she was five and writing before that. After studying ancient history and then training as a teacher, she realized that what she really wanted to do was write. So now that’s what she does. Her almost-daily commentary on the photography world is found at Photocritic and at Photocritic Photography School. She has a raucous laugh, a mild shoe obsession, and a bicycle called Elspeth.

 

Find Daniela Bowker : WEBSITE : INSTAGRAM :  TWITTER : FLICKR : EYE EM :PHOTOCRITIC