It's estimated that more than one billion camera phones were sold around the globe last year alone. Meanwhile, over on both Instagram and Facebook, a combined 240 billion users worldwide are uploading pics countless taken with either their iPhones or Androids. And thanks to the tech wizards at manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, or HTC, the quality of said snapshots rival those taken by digital SLR cameras.
In other words, phoneography (also known as mobile photography to some) is bigger than it's ever been before. So it seems like the perfect time for Joey Grether to put out a "phone photo issue" of his DIY culture zine PHOLX.
The local artist and activist, who is also known as Phil Freedom, is currently accepting submissions for a special edition of the publication, which will feature 36 pages of photos taken with cell phone cameras by both locals and artists around the country.
"I like the idea that everyone has the ability to document their experience wherever they happen to be at using the device they have in their pocket," he says. "It's like this instantaneous and immediate thing."
Grether says that the issue will be open to any sort of subject matter, even if its cutesy pics of pets and whatnot.
"I'm looking for anything, really. The thing that's cool about the way that people take photos now is that everyone shoots something different, like it can come from any angle or anything. Ideally, its something that's interesting to look at," he says. "have a friend that takes pictures of mostly dogs, and while that might not necessarily be my main interest, but that I think having 30 dog shots might be interesting to somebody else."
Grether adds that he hopes people will "pick and choose their favorite photos that they've taken and not just kind of the snapshots they might grab between today and tomorrow."
"I'm hoping I'll get photos that are interesting and striking," he says. "I wanted to cast a wide open net and see what comes back."
Submissions will also be accepted for phoneographers and photographers outside of the Valley, including local expats.
"I specifically called out to a few people that I know that aren't in Phoenix and was like, 'Hey this is wide open for you to participate, really a lot of people who have left Phoenix," he says.
Grether says that collages of multiple photos will also be accepted.
"I'm pretty versatile, so people can also put a few words in with their photos if they wanted to or make a photo collage," he says. "It's really just an open invitation to celebrate the images that people are documenting wherever they are."
The issue is tentively scheduled to be published sometime in early December. Those interested in participating can e-mail photos to Grether at [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is on Friday, November 23.
