Dial into iPhoneography: The stunning images taken with just an iPhone (and a little help from some very clever apps)

By James Nye
PUBLISHED: 11:59 EST, 17 August 2012 | UPDATED: 12:52 EST, 17 August 2012

The world's largest iPhone arts festival will be held this weekend in Santa Monica with more than 600 examples of iPhoneography on display.
The Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival held at the Santa Monica Art Studios is expecting to showcase the intricate work of around 250 artists from 30 different countries.
Attempting to make the 130 million owners of iPhone's worldwide aware of the artistic potential at their fingertips, the festival features fantastical, dreamy, whimsical and nostalgic photographs all taken on the smartphone.
Paula Gardener's haunting photograph is part of the Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival
Paula Gardener's haunting photograph is part of the Los Angeles Mobile Arts Festival
'When people think of iPhone art or something iPhoneography they think of Instagram now, which is so huge, and all the snapshots that are up there, and this is just a chance to show people that there's a lot more really creative work going on and much more than they might expect that's possible to do with these devices,' said Daria Polichetti, one of the co-founders of iPhoneArt.com, which is holding the festival.


And because the exhibition specialises in iPhone's each photograph takes advantage of the Apple devices many apps designed to improve and stylise pictures.
Rad Drew's Yellow Room Front Hill Castle is one of hundreds of iPhone photographs part of the exhibition
Rad Drew's Yellow Room Front Hill Castle is one of hundreds of iPhone photographs part of the exhibition
Allan Barnes' Nicki Flower: The exhibition has been commissioned to celebrate the burgeoning art-form of iPhoneography
Allan Barnes' Nicki Flower: The exhibition has been commissioned to celebrate the burgeoning art-form of iPhoneography
Karen Divine's 'Nude': The festival is being held in Santa Monica in Los Angeles and features almost 600 individual works of art
Karen Divine's 'Nude': The festival is being held in Santa Monica in Los Angeles and features almost 600 individual works of art
Natali Prosveta: 'God Has Given You One Face and You Make Yourself Another': Because the photographs are taken on an iPhone the use of app's to manipulate the photographic images is actively encouraged
Natali Prosveta: 'God Has Given You One Face and You Make Yourself Another': Because the photographs are taken on an iPhone the use of app's to manipulate the photographic images is actively encouraged
Nico Bronz 'Ballarina': The increased use of Instagram and posting of photographs to Twitter and Facebook directly from an iPhone has popularised the art
Nico Bronz 'Ballarina': The increased use of Instagram and posting of photographs to Twitter and Facebook directly from an iPhone has popularised the art
Jamie Stewart 'The Pasha of Novi Pazar - 5x7 - aluminum': With over 20 apps available to download to manipulate images the iPhone potentially makes an artist out of everyone
Jamie Stewart 'The Pasha of Novi Pazar - 5x7 - aluminum': With over 20 apps available to download to manipulate images the iPhone potentially makes an artist out of everyone
Elodie Hunting 'If She Would Be': Art meets technology in the LA exhibition which is the world's largest collection of iPhone art and photography in the world
Elodie Hunting 'If She Would Be': Art meets technology in the LA exhibition which is the world's largest collection of iPhone art and photography in the world





The festival will offer workshops on the burgeoning iPhone photographic art scene, focusing on tips and techniques to produce work similar to that on display in California.
'There's never been an exhibition with over 100 mobile photographers and mobile artists ever,' said co-founder of the event Nathaniel Park to the LA Times.
Combining old scale exhibitions with new found technologies, iPhoneography has taken off to such an extent that London's Kensington and Chelsea College is offering a course to students in that subject.
Janine Graf 'Koi': Some photographs in the collection resemble paintings because of the heavy use of apps which fade and change colours on simple iPhone cameras
Janine Graf 'Koi': Some photographs in the collection resemble paintings because of the heavy use of apps which fade and change colours on simple iPhone cameras
Jack Corin Crag 'Heavcoat': Artist have flocked to Los Angeles from over 30 different countries
Jack Corin Crag 'Heavcoat': Artist have flocked to Los Angeles from over 30 different countries
The apps available to iPhone users allows the photographer to age their photos in a manner which gives the impression of another time and place
The apps available to iPhone users allows the photographer to age their photos in a manner which gives the impression of another time and place
Alan Kastner 'Intermediate Frequency': Time and space can collide in a surreal manner in iPhoneography leading to strange photographic creations
Alan Kastner 'Intermediate Frequency': Time and space can collide in a surreal manner in iPhoneography leading to strange photographic creations
Tracy J Thomas 'Illuminati': London's Kensington and Chelsea College is offering a course to students in iPhoneography
Tracy J Thomas 'Illuminati': London's Kensington and Chelsea College is offering a course to students in iPhoneography
Sometimes the photographs are simply faded - keeping the original quality of the picture taken on the iconic Apple device
Sometimes the photographs are simply faded - keeping the original quality of the picture taken on the iconic Apple device
Cindy Patrick 'Water was My Strange Flower: The unusual quality of this picture would only be possible with the easy to use photo-manipulation applications downloadable for iPhones
Cindy Patrick 'Water was My Strange Flower: The unusual quality of this picture would only be possible with the easy to use photo-manipulation applications downloadable for iPhones





'This is a huge movement that's happening,' said Polichetti.
'We just wanted to bring that here to L.A. 
'We wanted to show the creative side of iPhoneography, and mobile photography and mobile art.
'We just started seeing some amazing things being produced.
'We just wanted to create a platform to help get their work seen.'
With millions of people uploading pictures to Facebook, Instragram and Twitter directly from their iPhone, iPhoneography confirms the old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you.
The festival in Santa Monica will continue for one week and will be open daily from 12 to 6 p.m.
Markus Rivera 'One Hundred Ten': Some of the works on exhibit at the Santa Monica Art Studios are reminiscent of Salvador Dali's art
Markus Rivera 'One Hundred Ten': Some of the works on exhibit at the Santa Monica Art Studios are reminiscent of Salvador Dali's art
Federica Corbelli 'There was silence in the Summer Light': Of course some of the images on display are more familiar to attendees of photographic exhibitions
Federica Corbelli 'There was silence in the Summer Light': Of course some of the images on display are more familiar to attendees of photographic exhibitions
The festival in Santa Monica will continue for one week and will be open daily from 12 to 6 p.m.
The festival in Santa Monica will continue for one week and will be open daily from 12 to 6 p.m