iPhone photography

When photographer Melissa Lyttle handed in her iPhone photos from a fun assignment shooting kitschy culture and places along the gulf beaches of Pinellas, the editors became intrigued with the way they looked and asked her to answer a few questions to run with the project.

Why the iPhone?

My photo editor saw some vacation photos from Fort Lauderdale and the Keys that I took on my iPhone, and he was hoping I could do something similar here. The nature of the assignment lent itself to a different approach. It essentially allowed me to play tourist for a day in my backyard. What says tourist more than photos taken with a cell phone.

What's the most interesting thing you took a photograph of?

The most interesting thing about this assignment was that I got to learn about a lot of great little local spots I've never been to before - full of character and characters. Bras and dollar bills hanging from the ceiling at Mahuffer's, Roscoe the Surf Shack's mascot and a lot of cool murals and colorful wall art I found along the way all made the journey fun and interesting to photograph.

Place in Tampa Bay you'd like to capture next with your iPhone?

They say the best camera is the one you have with you. And I think it's an important reminder that it's not the technology that makes a photo good. I'm always documenting life with my iPhone - friends, funky places, Florida skies, my dog. I'm really impressed with the quality of the pictures from it as well as the ease with which I can post those photos to my blog, facebook and twitter... so I don't think I'll stop shooting with it anytime soon. As far as a specific place or project in Tampa Bay, I don't have anything in mind, but I'm certainly open to the possibilities.

I love the Camerabag iPhone app for the iphone. The "helga" filter is modeled after my favorite cheap, plastic toy camera - the Holga. It crops the photo into a square, bumps the contrast a little and vignettes it. And it's what I use for 99% of the stuff I shoot with my iPhone because it's fun and quirky.

SEE MELISSA'S GALLERY OF IPHONE PHOTOS MADE ALONG GULF BLVD

PURCHASE PHOTOS OR A POSTER FROM THE IPHONE PROJECT

Editor's note: Using the iPhone as a camera is growing in popularity. The NY Times Lens blog recently invited readers to submit cell phone photos, and published an online gallery of the submissions they received.