There was a time when I embraced the word iPhoneography feeding into the misunderstanding of what that exactly meant, and what it was I was creating with this little camera I carried in my pocket. To me it signified something different, a new genre developing beyond regular photography. I was always criticized for using the phone camera seriously. "That's not real photography. Why don't you put that toy away and shoot with a real camera" people would tell me. "But this is a real camera." I would remind myself. How could this not be real photography? I am creating images aren't I? It's really not that different from any other small point and shoot camera. I don't see the images that I am creating with my iPhone as iPhoneography any longer. There's really no need for a separation. Creating images with my smart phone or any other camera for that matter is still essentially photography. The iPhone is just another tool for a specific job, for me, capturing candid moments on the street. This is true documentary photography, the moments are in no way manipulated due to the presence of a photographer or the subject's acknowledgement of a camera. There is never a time that I am not without my phone camera. It has allowed me to see life in a much more clear light. I must admit shooting like this can be a very lonely life. I do not approach my subjects, nor do I show them the images afterwards. I watch life happen in front of me through my digital viewfinder, sharing these beautiful, truly unguarded moments with strangers who will never, and can never respond. I have truly become the fly on the wall, and in a way I love it. Fly on the Wall by André Hermann In a second hand store the Stars and Stripes flew, for sale. The beauty of being locked in your building during the President's visit. He reached the end of a small world and kept going. A steam rupture kind of a moment. For a brief moment the light of day shone through her prison opening a door she would miss. An odd moment on an afternoon train in the east bay. Luck has everything to do with it. And, being in the right place at the right time. With a little patience, a foot powered Ferrari made for one hell-of-a frame. In between parade floats are the people who chose not to be seen. There is a moment in a city's daily existence when all is quiet. They redefined chutes and ladders on their own terms. The ones who chose to be tone deaf were equally blind. Honour every moment. For that's all we have is just a moment. Watch out! That final step is a doozie. There comes a moment when even the brightest of melodies can not move our spirit from a dark place. It's been said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And sometimes the universe just conspires to make things happen for you A mind divided. BACK ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2012 Back to current issue