I can sum up Dan Marcolina’s new book, iPhone Obsessed (Peachpit Press, 2011), in one sentence:

iPhone Obsessed is the iphoneographic how-to book for which we have been waiting.

I first noticed Dan’s work when he submitted some pictures for our first gallery show at the Giorgi Gallery in early 2010. The panel of jurists voted in three or four of his images. I was struck by their lyrical romanticism: beautiful layered works, in the realm between photography and painting, wonderful examples of the sort of magical realism embodied in the new medium. He actually was visiting the Bay Area from Pennsylvania that month and came by the gallery near the end of the show, so I had the pleasure to meet him.

Fence ©2010 Dan Marcolina

Maia Panos and I really wanted to know how he did one of his pictures, Fence. So I asked him if he would share. I know that he used Fuse and he had another app that was Chinese, and the writing was Chinese, and he said that he was obsessed with apps and searched all over for them every single day and he had no idea where the mysterious Chinese app might be available anymore.

I wrote him a couple of times over the next week or two to see if he had remembered. Sorry, no.

But I remember thinking that this was a guy who was serious.

So I was not surprised when I heard that he had written a book about iphoneography: techniques, apps, how-to’s … it’s all there. A comprehensive overivew of dozens of the main apps, the workhorses of the apping life, as well as numerous specialty apps. Walk-throughs on how to use multiple apps to create wonderful images. You can use your iphone to read tags within the book that will take you directly to video tutorials you can watch on your phone.

If you are interested in iphoneography, and improving your techniques and understanding of all the apps out there, pick up iPhone Obsessed today! (You can get the book & iPad app bundled, if you want)

Just the on iTunes: iPad app ($4.95), which contains all the movie tutorials and a bunch of other cool stuff was just released today!

Here’s a breakdown of the book:

Chapter One Seeing Mobile Moments
Shooting with a mobile phone camera has its advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to letting its strengths guide your picture taking.

Chapter Two Straightforward
Several workhorse apps may not be best for effects but are essential in the tune-up of an image or getting it ready for postprocessing. Featured Apps Photoshop Express, Iris Studio, DXP, Tiffen PhotoFX, Perfectly Clear, Touch Retouch, TouchUp Studio

Chapter Three Grunge
Why would you want your brand-new shiny iPhone to output dirty scratch images? Because we like the sound of the word grunge! Featured Apps FotoMuse, PicGrunger, PhotoCopier

Chapter Four Blurs and Vignettes
Adding blur to an already soft mobile image can transform it into a dream state, which allows for a more symbolic interpretation. Featured Apps TiltShift, BlurFX, CameraKit

Chapter Five Toon Looks
Create your own graphic novel with these apps. One of them is the best line conversion program I have ever seen on any platform! Featured Apps ToonPaint, Percolator, ArtistaHaiku

Chapter Six Film Looks
Did you think film was dead? Well, these apps bring that celluloid feel back to your images with just a hint of chemistry smell. Featured Apps PlasticBullet, FilmLab, Hipstamatic

Chapter Seven Painting Looks
Some of the qualities of a low-res digital image make it perfect to meld into a painting. The smudging and stroking can bring clarity to your idea. Featured Apps Artist’sTouch, ArtistaOil, SketchMee

Chapter Eight High Dynamic Range
One picture is good, but blending the best from two is better. Shadows and highlights are balanced and blended for greater tonal range. Featured Apps ProHDR, TrueHDR

Chapter Nine Breakouts
Combining photos in grids and tearing and glitching them is thinking outside the box. Featured Apps Diptic, QuadCamera, LoFi, Andigraf, addLib, Cubism, Satromizer

Chapter Ten Adding Light
What is wrong with this picture? Try adding a ray, a pool, a glimmer of light. Featured Apps LensFlare, Light, LightLeak

Chapter Eleven Auto Effects
Some apps combine just the right blend of effects with the ability to randomize the settings so you can discover your images’ true tone. Featured Apps PictureShow, LoMob, CameraBag

Chapter Twelve Parting Shots
See the beautiful mutations and learn how to unlock their mystery with the iPad Companion. Featured Apps BadCamera, PinHole Camera, FluidFX, AutoStich, TimeTracks, Symmetrix, FilterStorm, FX PhotoStudio