interview

An Interview With : iPhone Photographer Steven Fingar

9/21/2017Jake Ryan

In a time when everyone on Instagram is investing in ridiculously expensive cameras in order to achieve the 'dream feed' one photographer from Boston decided to take a step back and keep things simple and only use his iPhone. 

Steven Fingar started using his iPhone to capture moments around his city and turned his passion into a job as he worked with various brands and travelled the world. 

I recently put a few questions to Steven to learn a little more about his photography, see what he had to say...

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Hey Steven, tell us a little about yourself. 
Hi there! My name is Steven Fingar, and I am a 23yr old Boston native and future Los Angeles resident. I recently graduated from grad school and currently finishing up my CPA exams. Aside from school and work life, I use my Instagram as a platform to showcase things I eat, see, and do in my daily life.

I fell in love with your photography on Instagram, how long have you been taking photos?
My love for photography has been omnipresent in my life since a young age. In terms of my Instagram photos, I have been professionally creating iPhone photos for over three years for both myself and for brand partnerships.
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I noticed you shoot iPhone only. What made you to decide to do this?
Using my iPhone to take photos stemmed from the notion that I always had my phone on me and the portability of the device. Although there are many people that advocate for DSLR use, I am very confident in the quality of content that I can generate from my iPhone. 

Does shooting entirely iPhone restrict you at all, or does it make everything a whole lot easier?
I think that using my iPhone gives me a wide range of possibilities to generate content. For one, my phone houses everything I use in my daily life from music, to email, text, camera, etc. Thus, using my iPhone to take photos is just an extension from a device that I would normally use to begin with. The editing apps on an iPhone (like VSCO and Snapseed) also help create beautiful content. I would say that if you can master the iPhone camera and are confident with the content that you can create with it, then don't get nervous that other people use a DSLR or more expensive camera. 
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Do you also edit all your photos within the iPhone? 
All of my photos are edited using Snapseed and VSCO.

Every shot on your Instagram fits together so perfectly, how much planning goes into such a seamless feed? 
There are many tools at the disposal for planning photos, but one of the most popular apps is called UNUM which allows users to plan out their feed weeks in advance. I like the treat my profile as a gallery, and being able to plan ahead is definitely a game changer. 

Is photography how you make your living?
Using my Instagram platform has enabled me to escape a 9-5 job while in school. However, now that I am done with grad school, I will be starting full-time with a Big Four firm in Los Angeles starting in 2018.

Has Instagram brought any new opportunities your way?
The world of Instagram has brought me so many opportunities. From meeting amazing people, working with big name brands, and traveling the world, being able to use my profile to do things outside of the ordinary course of my life has had such a positive effect on everything.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start in photography? 
As cliche as it sounds, being authentic in your voice, content style, and subjects is the best advice I could give. 

Through your photos you’ve made me want to jump on a plane straight to Boston, what is your favourite thing about living in Boston? 
Boston is such a diverse city. One minute you could be walking through downtown, and two minutes later you will find yourself in a historical residential area of the city. Have easy access to the beach and other major cities is definitely a plus as well.

I see you’ve done some travelling, where is your favourite place you’ve travelled to so far? 
This Spring alone my Instagram has allowed to travel to Europe on five separate occasions. I would say that Amsterdam would have to be on of my favorite places that I recently traveled to, as it has a great mix of history, culture, food, and fashion. 
What else do you enjoy outside of photography?
As you could probably note from the content I have on my Instagram, I'm an avid coffee drinking and love to learn about the science that goes behind the perfect cup.

What/who inspires you?
My friends are my biggest source of inspiration, as well as some of the people I follow on my Instagram.

And finally, what do you have planned for the future
By October of this year I will be moving permanently to LA for work. Besides that, I hope to be able to travel to SE Asia, Australia, and New Zealand at some point during the year - only time will tell!



Thanks Steven for taking the time to answer our questions.

Make sure you follow Steven on Instagram Here
to keep up to date with his iPhone adventures

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