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David Ingraham

 

David Ingraham has embraced the iPhone as his primary photographic tool, using it to craft moody, cinematic street photography with remarkable agility and subtlety.

Primary Camera: iPhone (since ~2012)

  • He has been shooting exclusively with an iPhone for around six to twelve years, crediting it for giving him the invisibility needed to capture natural, unguarded moments on the street.

  • Early on, he used an iPhone 4, then an iPhone 8, and currently shoots with a later iPhone model (likely iPhone 12 Pro or newer).

iPhone 12 Pro
see it on Amazon

  • He typically uses the stock camera app, sometimes with Apple's built-in Noir filter, favoring spontaneity and ease.

Post‑Processing: Apps & Style

  • His black-and-white conversions are done using Snapseed, and occasionally older apps like Hipstamatic and BlurFX for grainy or motion effects.

  • In his early iPhoneography days, he experimented with multiple apps, but has since simplified to just a few, focusing on tonal control.

Shooting Style & Philosophy

  • Describes himself as a mobile street photographer, drawing inspiration from Cartier‑Bresson, Robert Frank, and others.

  • Prefers a low, intimate shooting stance where subjects rarely notice they’re being photographed.

  • Combines tradition with experimentation—sometimes adding motion blur in post for cinematic flair .

  • Practices no-chimping—keeping the phone on airplane mode during shoots to stay present and avoid distractions.

Why It Works for Him

  • The iPhone offers stealth and mobility—no pro gear that draws attention.

  • His images carry a timeless quality that blends decisive‑moment tradition with modern experimentation, all with his “mobile darkroom” in hand.

  • He demonstrates that, for talented street photographers, the person matters more than the device.

Interested in Shooting Like Him?

To emulate David Ingraham’s approach:

  • Use any smartphone (preferably newer iPhone) with a native black-and-white workflow

  • Edit in Snapseed for tonal nuance

  • Practice walking and blending into city life—shoot handheld, pre-focus, and stay unseen

  • Keep your device on airplane mode while shooting

  • Combine visual appreciation of light and shadow with playful edits (motion blur, grain) in post.


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