Arijana Gurdon

A few years ago, Ari discovered she had a passion for photography and she hasn't looked back since. Now a seasoned iPhoneographer and the founder of #washinglinelover & #humansandtheirphones, Ari uses every opportunity to take photos. She's a truly wonderful street photographer who loves experimenting with different styles and her photos have been displayed at the London 2012 exhibition and the Showcase Cities event.  

“The image that tells a story is really the ultimate achievement”

How did you first get into mobile photography, what is it that captivates you and what does it mean to you personally?

Around the time after having my baby over two years ago I’ve downloaded an Instagram app not really knowing what it was all about. After some time of sussing it out, I was amazed to discover this brilliant body of work of fantastic images edited wonderfully – and all on mobile devices! I was sold. It’s the immediacy of this medium that intrigued me (and still does) – shoot, edit and share. Simple as that. No need for chunky cameras and bags of equipment. Just my iPhone and I.

You once said “in London, street photography screams out at you” – Are there any other places on earth where street photography screams even louder? Which criteria have to be fulfilled to catch your attention and inspiration?

There absolutely are many places on earth where street photography screams out at you – maybe not louder than in London but certainly at the same decibel level. New York is an obvious choice and every street photographer’s dream. But street photography, in my opinion, doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with urban environment. Last summer I was in a small village on the island in Croatia and spotted a young girl busking on the tiny cobbled street outside her house and this became one of my favourite street shots of the summer. All the criteria I look for was fulfilled in that shot – perfect subject (she even made an eye contact with the camera!)/setting/light. The image that tells a story is really the ultimate achievement.

Are there any other mobile photographers that you look up to or maybe want to work with?

I mainly got into street photography because of Dilshad Corleone’s (Italianbrother ) amazing candid street shots. They are hugely inspiring. I admire his bravery in getting so close to his chosen subjects (I am not there yet) and his ability to edit the shots perfectly in order to convey the mood and the story. It would be quite something to pick his brains and see him at work at some point.

Your images often focus on people in front of blurred or bleached backgrounds. What is it about this style of photography that appeals to you so much and in what way does it convey what you want to express?

After playing around with many different apps and edits this type of edit appealed to me the most. I like the subjects to be at the forefront and in total focus without too many distractions around them. Sometimes they seem very 3D, very palpable, as if they are popping out of the photo and I simply find that exciting.

“I’ve reinvented myself quite a few times, and it hasn’t done me any harm”

Almost 30,000 people follow you on Instagram. What does that mean to you and how important is their feedback with regard to your work in future?

It’s an insane number and I can’t quite get my head around it. It is of course nice and very flattering to have people interested in your work and all the feedback is extremely helpful and appreciated. But although the number of my followers and likes is growing I still find that the interactions that matter (written comments) always come from people that I’ve made great connections with even before the surge in numbers. I’ve made some great friends through this little app.

There are millions of images uploaded to Instagram and the internet every day. Do you think it is necessary for serious photographers to have a recall value or particular style characteristics to stand out from the masses? Or is it better to reinvent oneself from time to time?

I can only speak from my experience and my point of view so since I’ve reinvented myself quite a few times, and it hasn’t done me any harm, I’d go with reinvention. I do like new challenges so in my feed you won’t only find street photography (although it is pretty dominant) but there are also landscapes and extreme edits with graphics and what not. I think it’s healthy to get out of your comfort zone every now and then. Having said that, there are so many wonderful feeds where photographers have stayed with one particular style throughout and it totally works and looks fantastic too. Whatever feels right for you is the way to be!